by Billyjo Rench

Created on: September 23, 2009

I'll never forget the first time my husband recalled a high school football game. He elaborated into the award ceremony that followed, telling me that the coach hailed his greatness at the podium saying, Pound for pound he is our best hitter. And the crowd went wild, of course.

I couldn't help but think of Al Bundy from Married with Children who repeatedly recalled his high school football highlights. Of course I was going to mention that similarity at some point, but the humor in my husband's failure to recognize the significance was well enough for me. I tried thinking of my own high school highlights and every time I'd try to get one in, I'd hear, Pound for pound His voice seemed louder and louder each time he'd repeat it.

Throughout the years my husband continues to relive his high school football highlights. He even talks about a highlight film that I am assuming is a shrine somewhere that I have yet to discover. I often look at him with that bright-eyed, interested look and nod my head and smile. Of course, sweetie; you could have easily become a pro if not for your 5'9, 150 pound frame.

Oddly enough, at was at my son's football practice when the parent of one of my husband's high school friends stopped me to say hello. Somewhere, somehow the conversation turned to one of the exact same conversations I had so many times before with my husband. Again, I nodded and smiled and said, Wow, I believe I've heard about this game before!

I've heard the stories about my husband getting so excited before a game that he would vomit; I've heard the stories about how his friend would hit someone while on defense and get up from the ground screaming like a maniac. I've heard about how none of the guys on his team would come back to the field for several years after their senior year because they missed it so much and couldn't bear to watch a game from the stands.

During one of my son's rocket football games, one of my husband's peers showed up wearing his high school football jersey and brought his own football. The poor guy; how could you not feel sorry for him?

And somehow in the midst of life I've found myself in the middle of football mania, with having a son that plays and a husband that coaches. There's game film, scouting, replay, replay, replay. I've learned that if you can't beat it, join it. So my new title, among so many, is statistician.

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