My Character Story

Once upon a time, there was a high school kid named Steve. You couldn’t tell by just looking at him, but he also played backup quarterback on the varsity football team. He was a tall skinny kid, who could not have weighed more than one hundred and sixty pounds and didn’t carry himself like all of the other football players. While the football players would not show up to class and try to be the class clown when they were in attendance. Steve was the opposite, a 4.0 student and he was really to himself. Steve never got a chance to play because Ben the starting quarterback was the best in the state, he had offers from most of the major Division I schools. This didn’t bother Steve; still he would show up at practice every day knowing that the coach wasn’t going to put him in the game on Friday. The only time the coach did talk to him was to ask him to help tutor some of the players on the team. He didn’t understand how the players on the team could get bad grades or get in trouble like they did and still get to play over him. Steve came up with the idea that when a coach is winning, he doesn’t care what his players do as long as they keep on winning. One Friday night after the game Steve got a phone call from Ben, he was drunk and wanted Steve to come pick him up then drive him home. So Steve went to get him, picked him up and took him home. On his way back home Steve kept asking him-self a couple questions, why would someone go out and get drunk and take a chance on ruining their future?

Friday night’s game started like any other game with Steve on the bench but it turned out that this would be a game he would never forget. A freak accident occurred during the game, Ben got sacked and when he was being taken to the ground twisted his knee. He was in a tremendous amount of pain and those who looked on just prayed it wasn’t a serious injury. After the trainers helped carry Ben off the field, with the crowd hushed, Steve felt all eyes were on him. As he was putting on his helmet the coach came up to him and said ‘don’t worry son, I know you have what it takes, you will be fine’. His heart was racing as he ran onto the field and into the huddle. He knew the play call, but for some reason he kept stuttering as he tried to tell his offense. He finally got said the play and the huddle braked, as he walked to the line he kept saying to himself, “relax, it’s just like you have done a million times in practice. Set, hike”, as he took the snap from the center, he fumbled, but was fortunate that his own team fell on the ball. He could see his coach with a worried look on his face and knew that the crowd must think this team has no chance without Ben. As he walked back into the huddle, his teammates were telling him to relax and pick up the first down. This time he took the snap from center, dropped back and threw a forty yard touchdown pass and the nerves were gone. He ended up being the reason the team won the game and was getting congratulated by all of his teammates in the locker room after the game. “Dude you have to come out and party to celebrate this win with us” said one his teammates, not wanting to be rude, he said “why not”. The party was at a kid’s house from school that he didn’t know, but once Steve walked in the door of the party, everyone started yelling “Steve, Steve”. He couldn’t believe how much things could change in one night and one football game. After not drinking all his life and thinking the people who did were stupid, Steve had his first drink and after that came another and another. He woke up the next day in one of the bed rooms of the house that held the party, with a pounding headache and not a lot of recollection of what happened last night. As he walked home, he couldn’t stop trying to remember what happened last night and hoped that he didn’t do anything too embarrassing. Still nervous about that night, Steve walked into school Monday morning not knowing what the kids were going to say to him, hoping that maybe if he did do anything embarrassing they didn’t remember either. The only thing he heard all day was congratulations about Friday night’s game and how we needed to win again this week. On his way to second period, a couple of teammates came up to him and said how they were going to skip class and get something to eat and wanted Steve to come with them. Trying to fit in with the team, he decided to go get something to eat and skip class. This became a daily routine for a couple weeks, his grades started slipping and he became just like all the other typical jocks. The next couple games Steve did great, leading his team to the playoffs and a number one ranking in the state polls.

Just when he started getting used to this life style, he heard from a teammate that Ben’s knee is doing a lot better and that there is a chance he could play this week. Showing up to practice not knowing what to think, Steve saw Ben in his practice uniform looking like he was healthy and ready to play. The coach explained to Steve that this is Ben’s team and now that he is healthy, he would be the starting quarterback for this week’s game. Steve couldn’t believe what he was hearing, after all the hard work and games that he won to get them in the playoffs. He was just being thrown to the side for someone who was the starting quarterback but hasn’t been there for the last couple weeks. There was nothing he could do, the coach has made up his mind and that meant back to the bench. Friday night’s game was a tough battle through all four quarters, as Steve watched the game from the bench cheering for his team to win even though he wasn’t the person leading them. A late touchdown pass from Ben sealed the victory for his team and made him the hero again in everyone’s eyes. After the game Steve wasn’t asked by any of his teammates to the celebration party and it seemed like he was back to the old times before he got to be the starting quarterback. On his way home after the game, he started to think about all the stupid stuff he has done in the last couple weeks and how much he got caught up in that lifestyle. After that night, everything went back to the way it was before Ben got injured. Ben was back to the role of the hero in the school and Steve was back to being the quiet kid that kept to himself and got good grades.