Beyond sports, and winning and losing, there is life. There is deep personal loss. There is a young man mourning the unexpected passing of his father, and then finding the courage to compete at the highest level in professional sports.
Alterraun Verner, professional football player for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, had to dig deep and play with a heavy heart, 48 hours after the sudden demise of his Dad. He played the game of his life. The emotion in the stadium was palpable as he crumbled in tears on the field, surrounded by his teammates, after a key interception.
Life trumps sports — and everything else for that matter — every time. There was divine intervention that willed him to rise above the ordinary, this particular Sunday. Our Dad’s have a way of doing that for us. I am all too familiar with the pain of his loss. It really never does go away. What remains is their guiding hand, and an ache that settles in our broken hearts.
About Hemant Rustogi