NFL | Behind the Face Mask

‘I Jumped Up, Reached for the Ball … and My Life Changed Forever’ 
John W. McDonough
Sports Illustrated
The MMQB

By Brandon Bostick | February 26, 2015



MINNEAPOLIS — Sometimes I wake up in the morning and it’s the first thing on my mind. There are nights when I dwell on it before falling asleep. Sometimes the thought creeps up on me when I’m lifting weights, or eating dinner, or sitting on my couch at home. I flash back to that moment—I can see the ball floating right in front of me—and I wonder: What if?

I messed up in the NFC Championship Game, and trust me, it hurts. I’ll probably think about my role in the botched onside kick every day for the rest of my life. It haunts me like a recurring nightmare.

Most of America didn’t know my name before Jan. 18, 2015. I grew up in Florence, South Carolina, and played Division II football at Newberry College (enrollment: about 1,000 students). I signed with the Packers in 2012 as an undrafted free agent and spent the entire year on the practice squad. The transition to the NFL is difficult, especially for a small-college guy. My first year in the league was humbling: I busted my ass every week to get better and to help the team, only to watch them play on Sundays, knowing I couldn’t contribute. But by 2013 I had cracked the lineup, and last season I began playing pretty regularly. Still, most people—perhaps even some Packers fans—didn’t know who I was until there were two minutes and seven seconds left to play in the NFC title game.

We led the Seahawks, 19-14, when they attempted an onside kick. Andrew Quarless lined up next to me. “I got this guy, you got this guy,” he said. “You know your assignment?”

“Yeah,” I said. “I got this.”

I was supposed to block for Jordy Nelson, who was right behind me. We had practiced this dozens if not hundreds of times before. But when the ball appeared in front of me, just floating in the air, my mind went blank. I forgot everything I was supposed to do. It’s not that CenturyLink Field was too loud, or that I crumbled under the pressure of the situation. Instinct just kicked in. The ball was in front of me and I wanted to grab it. I jumped up, I reached for it … and my life changed forever.

Read on . . . 

Brandon Bostick wrote: