They are going to come at you from the front, the side, and even from behind. Some you will see, others you won't. It doesn't matter. All you need to know is they are going to hit you. Hard.
They'll hit low to knock your feet out from under you. They'll wrap you up from behind to slow you down. They'll lower their heads and bury them right in your breadbasket to knock the very breath from your lungs.
They're mean. They're vicious. They're relentless.
They are the world.
They are going to knock you down.
To gain ground, you have to fall forward.
Yes, you are going to hit the ground. No one makes a touchdown every time they carry the ball. The great ones, those who gain yardage in the triple digits, make the most of every opportunity. They keep their eyes forward, their legs churning, and protect the ball. When the hits are just too hard, and they know they're going down, they give one last mighty effort.
They fall forward.
That's two more yards. 20% of a first down. If they fell backward, they'd lose two yards. That's a 4 yard difference. 40% of a first down.
It all depends on which way they fall.
We are all ball carriers.
No, we're not all football players. We're not all sports fanatics, fans, or even casual observers. Some couldn't care less about sports, and some actually despise them. That's fine. No analogy works for everyone.
But for those of you who are following me here, you get it. We're all in a contest of will, a battle of giants. Strategy matters, because inches matter. Big plays are great, but the grind-it-out ground game, the short passes out in the flat, the yards gained after contact are what make the difference. If you try the Hail Mary every down, you'll be 3 and out more times than not. Or worse, intercepted.
Sometimes you have to put your head down and run the ball up the gut, through the seams, into the maw of the monster. You have to go toe-to-toe with the big guys, in the swamp where anything can happen. It's dirty play, here. It's anything goes, survival of the fittest, hit or be hit mentality time.
You've got the ball. It's time to move the chains.
Don't count on breaking free every time.
These guys are good. The opposing linemen are like towering oaks, with branches for arms that seem to reach from one side of the field to the other. The linebackers are strong as lions, fast as cheetahs, and cagey as hyenas. The corners are smart, and read every play. When they come in, they come in hard and hot. They're not as big, but when they build up a head of steam, they pack a punch.
And the safety? He's an assassin, a sniper. He shows up when you least expect it, and strips the ball. You won't see him coming, but I guarantee you'll know when he gets there.
All this to say, they're going to get you more times than not. You might out-run, out-smart, or over-power any one of them, but they don't play like that. They gang tackle. They mob. They swarm. They converge.
On you.
That's when you have to fall forward.
Sure, football is just a game. But life isn't.
The ball you carry? Maybe that's your marriage, your kids, your faith. Whatever it is, we're all trying to move something forward in our lives.
The defense you face? It could be temptation, struggles, or persecution.
Whatever. Here's the point.
When life wraps you up and you know you're going to go
down . . .
Fall forward.
Then get up, get back in position, and do it again.
Keep pushing ahead, and sooner or later you're going to score.
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