The bully

When I started the seventh grade I played Peewee football. I have always loved playing football and of course I just had to play in the seventh grade.

There was one boy that was bigger than most of us and tried to be a bully. No fight had been started but you felt one would be coming because most of us would not take bullying.

This happened after a week or two of practice and before we played a game. We were scrimmaging. I played guard. We had one play where the guard pulled and ran interference for the running back. What this means is that I played on the line and on this play I would back up and go around the end in front of the ball carrier. I was to block anyone who might have a chance to tackle the ball carrier.

I was in front and the ball carrier coming behind me after we passed the line of scrimmage. The only man left on defense who might have a chance to tackle the ball carrier was the bully. He was just standing there waiting for the ball carrier to get near him. I was going as fast as I could run and acted like I was just going to run right past him. At the last second I turned his way and hit him in the middle just as hard as I could.

All of the breath was knocked out of him and he was hurting some but nothing at all serious. It took a few minutes for him to get up. I guess he thought that bullying would not help after that. He did not show up for football after that day.