|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Former Football: Open Letter “Teammates/Brothers” from Mike Shafer, Football 1991-95
Background provided by Mike: I want to share something with all of you guys. I hope it helps others ballplayers realize they are not alone. Me writing this letter came about one day at lunch, May 2012, when just eating and talking to Marty Cannon (1994-1997). Come to realize I WASN’T ALONE with this problem. Just a little background for guys who don’t know me: I played football @ UL in Lafayette, 1991-1995, Placekicker, tied NCAA record, rated 3rd ’93 and 2nd ’94 Lou Groza Award (best kicker in country). I haven’t taken blows to the head like many other positions but “Role Engulfment” consumed me. This has nothing to do with concussions. Whole different matter nobody seems to talk about. Yes, when we were in college, we raised a little hell in town and won ball games on the field. To be perfectly honest, if they had Facebook and camera phones at that time, I’m positive a few of us would have served suspensions. That’s another story. HERE’S MY STORY When I say “Role Engulfment”, I mean everything I did to become the best I could and perform at a high level every week. I was #5, PK, best in the business. We all had that mentality if you wanted to be great. You became that guy. For me, it was #5 that performed every week in front of thousands. Everybody in school knew who you are and even most in town do also. You could go anywhere and people were always telling you great game and talking football. You were known to everyone, enjoying life because anywhere you went people know you and wanted to know you. Definitely some of the best years of my life with great friends, teammates and brothers. The bond anybody shares playing NCAA Football for 4-5 years is unbreakable. At that time we all shared a dorm which helped so much with race barrier, offense and defense barriers also. From personal experience I grew up in coonass country south Louisiana. They use the “N” word a ton. I have friendships with guys of all color. To this day I still never use that nasty racial slur because of the respect I have for the guys that I played with, sweat with, bled with (old astro turf), partied with and basically grew from teenager to a young man. See to us, it didn’t matter what color or what town you came from it just mattered if you were good people. Trust me, for months, me and my suitemate Casey Brabham couldn’t understand each other talk. I was fast talker with accent (like Swamp People), he was slow talker from Texas. It’s a shame they don’t have dorms anymore and the guys live in different apartments in town. That was such a great thing for us building team unity. Back to my story: So anyway my UL career came to close. I looked back was proud of the things our team accomplished and friends I have for lifetime. But after that year I disappeared for 3-4 years from fellow teammates, school and the program. I realized I was a nobody in this big ole world. Nobody cared about #5, there was new #5 on field that next year. I was old news. I can’t say I was depressed, but I was CONFUSED with who I was. I had lost my identity of who I became from all those years playing ball. To become a collegiate player, we all basically from high school through college and further for others were told what time eat, what time sleep, what time to go to class, what time was practice. We were fed. had care of most our needs within NCAA rules and all we had to do was pass class, get an education and perform. Being lost was hard for few years. Yes I worked and functioned but something inside me was missing, a big piece was missing: All my buddies in the locker room, our domain. You can’t replace that, I tried. I didn’t finish my degree, had 9 hours left. I did go back in 2005 and get my degree (10 years later) because my wife really was inspirational to push me to get it. She was right as usual. The big thing is this guys, I know when you are still playing and the seniors have finished their eligibility there’s not much time for them because of 2 different schedules then and 2 different life styles. Keep them involved and stay in touch with them, they still and always will be your teammates and friends. I thought it was just me that was dealing with this issue, that connecting with society as “regular person,” until Marty Cannon and I sat down for lunch one day, just visiting, and I said something about it and he was like, “Yeah I had that same problem.” I’m sharing this because I realize I’m not the only one out there that had this problem. We need to share these experiences with seniors finishing their eligibility to help them transition from STUD football player to REGULAR student/employee. Maybe the football program can offer a transition class or some type of outgoing orientation. We do it for incoming freshmen why not for outgoing seniors. I just hope that anybody else that had these issues can share with others and others coming out so they know what to expect. We owe that to fellow football players to help them. We had older guys that showed us the ropes also. As members of the Gridiron Alumni, we need share this knowledge. In conclusion, after those years I got back in touch with college buddies. We all talked like we saw each other yesterday. We still talk and now we are all getting more involved with the program. So you know my life is good. My wife is great, kids healthy and active, and working is plugging along like many others. CONGRATS to any UL guys who get this that played in bowl game. GREAT WIN for you personally and big win for the program. Treasure those memories, you earned it and they will always be special because that’s something that can never be taken from you.
Would like to say special thanks to few people because I don’t even know who going to read this: TEAMMATES: thanks for always being great friends first and teammates second. Like Band of Brothers. CHIP: you been like my brother through all these years and always will be BIG CHEESE: thanks for guiding this country boy and helping teach me the ropes. You are great friend. You not anybody’s curtain breaker. Guilbeau, Stokes, Zman: ya’ll special Coach Broussard: Thanks, you really helped mold me and a lot of us from teenagers to young men we are today. You knew when to put boot to our tails and when to congratulate us. You were tough but fair. P.s we still love MS Fly brownies. Sorry if got long winded but hope this gets shared with a lot of people that may have this same thing going on in their life, and I only want to send it once so I didn’t want to leave anybody out. Mike Shafer University of Louisiana #5 PK 1991-1995 Big West Champs 1993 & 1994
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
