Preface: I wanted to write today, but was having a great deal of difficulty coming up with a topic. So I posted a facebook status, asking my friends to suggest topics for a short story. I told them that I would then select one, and write it; giving proper credit for the idea.
Turns out a very good friend of mine, Mr. John Donaldson, suggested "HOF Induction of ____ 2030." It was brilliant in its simplicity. It would allow me to explore a character type I'd never really considered before.
John left me a lot of options. He didn't suggest that I write about a specific person, or even a real person. Though I suspect he likely had Redskins' QB Robert Griffin III in mind. He's at least as big a Skins fan as I am.
I hope he won't mind me going in an entirely different direction. I will be examining a character of a completely different race, different education level, different upbringing, and different life than my white middle-class existence. I will tell it from a first-person perspective. I will be harsh. I will be realistic. And I will try to make you believe that this character is telling the story. PLEASE understand that I intend no disrespect to anyone, of any background, in so doing. I want this to be raw and real; and to push my own boundaries.
That said, thank you, John. We're both fans of Griffin's, and I hope you'll become a fan of "The Big Duck."
I'ma go ahead and introduce myself, even though if you watched NFL in this last 15 years, you already know who I am. My name is Reginald Washington. Though you might know me better as "The Big Duck."
I got that name after my fourth year in Buffalo, my seventh in the league. I done had so many knee surgeries I couldn't bend my legs no more. 'Til I got on the football field that is. Out there, I don't know if it was the shots, the adrenaline, what it was...out there, I could've squatted a half ton. Felt like I did sometimes too. Them offensive linemen heavy. I ain't lyin'.
I ain't wanna leave New York. Growin' up in the Bronx, you ain't never really leave New York. But Buffalo? That wasn't New York no how. So I went with 'em when they went to LA. Played three years there. That town...man. I don't even. Too much other stuff to do I guess. Most of the people came to our games was there to be seen. Them people in Buffalo? They came to SEE the game.
Ten years. Ten damn years I spent bangin' my head up against somebody else. Everything broke. My knees. My elbows. Even broke my head a few times. The old guys used to say they got they bell rung. Now the league make you come out. It's good I guess. Least I can speak for myself today.
Oh...guess I ain't tell you yet. I'm gettin' in the Hall of Fame today. Yup. Sweet Mrs. Chandra Washington's baby boy, a Hall of Famer. I guess daddy here too. Lookin' down and whatnot.
My boy, Reggie Jr. gonna present me for enshrinement. "Enshrinement." They make it sound like they buildin' me a Taj Mahal or somethin'. Nah. Ain't all that. But they made my head outta copper or some shit. Guess that shit oughta last a while.
It's almost time. I'm next. I go right after Aaron Rodgers. I done GOT after his ass a few times too. Good player, that kid. I still ain't like him though. He a quarterback.
Good speech, 12. Least I guess it was. Lot of stuff in my head right now. There go Junior to the podium. Do me proud, boy. Do me proud.
Scuse me a minute, gotta listen to my boy.
"Mr. Commissioner, Hall of Famers, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,"
Listen at him. You well-spoken as fuck, college boy.
"I come before you today, to present for enshrinement, one of the greatest defensive tackles ever to play this game."
Go on, kid. Go on.
"In his 10 years in the National Football League, this man recorded 147 sacks and over 750 tackles -- all from the defensive tackle position. He was a 6-time All Pro, 8-time Pro Bowler, 2-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and a Super Bowl champion."
I ain't count that shit. Fuck Baltimore.
"But even more than his accomplishments on the field, I am most proud of him for one thing. He was the best damn dad I ever had."
I told that boy. I TOLD him not to use no swear words. Fuck. Embarrassin' my momma right now.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I present for induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 2030, my daddy, 'The Big Duck' Reginald Washington."
He did not just call me 'daddy.' Damn. I'm already snifflin'.
Help dad up, Reggie, but don't make it look like you is. There we go. Ah, damn, son, I ain't ever wanna let this hug go. I love you, lil man. I love you. Good job.
Alright. Lemme get my notes up here real quick. I ain't write it all down. Just some stuff to keep me on track. Kinda like what Coach Manning did my last couple years. He know I ain't need no film study from no quarterback. Just say hey, go do your thing, Duckie.
Gotta raise this mic up a little bit...
Damn. That noise loud through the speakers. *ahem* Aight. Here I go then.
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. And first of all, lemme thank my boy, Reggie Jr. for that awesome introduction. Son, you done good. I 'preciate ya. One of these days, you gon' be here. And they gon' be inducking...*scuse me* in-duc-ting The Duckling into Coopers...into Canton, Ohio.
(Damn, I ain't think I'd be this nervous.)
Ladies and gentlemen, I want to thank very much all of y'all for puttin' me in here. I mean, I think about the great ones, man. LT Taylor, man. "Mean Joe" Green. Man, I don't even know...Richard Singletary, Mike Dent, man. All them guys.
And just so all y'all know, I ain't even gonna mention none of you offensive guys. Ya'll get y'all ass talked about enough.
But seriously. There's a couple things I gotta say tonight. And a couple people I gotta thank. Without some of y'all folks, they not only be no Duck, they be no damn EGG even.
To my moms, and I see you right there. Right in the front row. I love you, momma. You takin' my ass to all them practices. Washin' my uniforms, cookin' me dinner when I was eatin' as much as all three other kids by my-damn-self. I love you. Great job.
(That felt a little like it ain't go right. If I clap for her, hopefully everybody else ass will too. Damn. That shit loud on the speakers too.)
To my coaches...to my teammates, man. Y'all helped me immensely. I can't name all y'all, cause we'd be here till next year enshine...*ahem* enshine...damn...enshrinement. But thank all y'all very much. Ya'll awesome to play with, for real.
(Man, I gotta take a break for a minute, drink some of this water under here. This next part gonna be hard.)
*ahem* Oh boy. (Damn, they gonna know why they really call me The Duck here in a minute. My eyes gettin' watery as hell.)
They one person, that I gotta thank to the utmost. *ahem* And um...unfortunately, he couldn't be with us tonight as a physical person.
*ahem ahem* (More water. Damn, son, calm yourself down.)
I gotta thank my daddy.
They clappin so hard now, damn. Gotta wipe the sweat off my eyes. Least make it look like that what I'm doin'.
Ladies and gentlemen...*ahem*...my daddy was my first football coach. He was my first coach at life too. And he was good at it. Real good.
He used to tell me, "Reggie, keep yo head down when you do school work. Keep yo head up when you playin' football."
I ain't know what he meant then. But I do now. Daddy knew when you do work, you keep your head down. You pay attention hard as you can. Kids called it "the grind" back in my day. You gotta grind hard if you want anything in life.
Daddy in football was a little more talkin' bout what he actually meant. You don't keep yo head up, you gon' got knocked on yo ass!
(They laughin', but that shit serious.)
Only thing was, I ain't realize what Daddy meant about the whole head up and down thing till he was gone.
What he meant for real was, keep yo head on the things that's important to you. And believe me. Once yo daddy gone, you realize quick, fast, and in a hurry, what you should be watchin' at...*ahem*...lookin' at.
(They clappin hard again. All for you, Daddy.)
Ladies and gentlemen, I'ma ask you tonight, what should you have your head on? That's my question for y'all right now. What y'all don't give enough time to? Who you ain't called in like six months? What friend you ain't sat down and had a beer with?
NFL Football was my life for 10 years. If I did it now, my life would have included football. I lost 10 years, thinkin' I was bad shit. Guess I was, or I might wouldn't had this jacket on right now.
(They laughin' ass. I was.)
But I let a lot of shit go for 10 years too. Friends. Family members. All of it. And when I let go of my daddy...I ain't had no choice.
Don't be me. Yeah, play football if you want to. That's great. It is. I had a nice life. But like my Daddy said, keep y'all's head up.
(This hard, lookin' up to the sky right now.)
Daddy. Right now, you baby boy head up. Lookin' at you. Sayin' thank you. I love you. And God bless you. I see you one day. I know that's right.
*ahem*
Thank you.
