I remember it like it was yesterday. A pleasant 65 degree evening in the late month of December in the city of Tucson, Arizona before a packed house at Wildcat Stadium. It was perfect conditions for a rumble in the jungle of NCAA Division I football. It was my junior season and me and my mighty Ute’s of the University of Utah were set to clash with All-American Quarterback Drew Bledsoe and his Cougars of Washington State.
We were the underdogs coming into this Bowl Game which was exactly where we wanted to be. December the 29th was the day in 1992 and all eyes were on the Utes to see how we would perform in our first bowl game in over 25 years.
Yes I remember it like it was yesterday. The nervousness of the moment was replaced with an overwhelming feeling of excitement. I had mentally played out our scenario of victory dozens of times over and over again in my minds eye, and now it was time to make the dream a reality.
The game got off to a more than rocky start for us and by the end of the first half we were down by a score of 28 to 0. But what happened next would become the definitive example of how true champions never say “die” as they take nothing home with them. They leave it all on the field. A story that’s sure to take you on a roller-coaster ride of emotions with an unexpected twist-of-an-ending that will leave you inspired with a new definition and understanding of “loss but not defeated.”
The opening kick-off of the second half was uneventful as we received the ball. Our first offensive series was to set a statement that “IT AIN’T OVER!!!” as our offense marched down the field in-sync to score a pretty defining and convincing touchdown. But if we were to walk away with a victory in this game it would definitely be one that had to be taken because the Cougars had other plans of their own.
Our defensive crew was equally as fired up for the possibilities of the second half and we were all committed to make their offense fight for every yard one play at a time. We fully expected them to attempt several running plays in hopes they could run out the clock to preserve their lead, and that’s exactly what they did. BIG MISTAKE! We were relentless in our pursuit and continued to stop them play after play.
Then it happened. The score was now 28 to 14. They had the ball on 3rd down with 7 yards to go for a first down on their own 40 yard line. I’m at my linebacker position thinking “pass attempt.” The ball is snapped. Bledsoe does a three step drop back to pass but none of his receivers were open, so he starts to do his notorious scramble to buy himself more time. I immediately dropped deeper into my zone coverage looking for a potential receiver to cover in my area.
Bledsoe rolls to my side and attempts to throw a fast ball over my head to one of his receivers. Using every ounce of strength I could muster in that moment, I jumped as high as I could and extended my reach and plucked the ball out of the air. Instantly our defense became offense and their offense became defense and I was eventually tackled several yards later.
The crowd was going crazy at this time and our sideline was ON FIRE!!! Our offensive team then burst onto the field and the very first play our quarterback Mike McCoy threw a 40 yard strike to Henry Lusk who took it in for another touchdown. This was definitely the turning point in a game that our opposition thought was over at halftime. Two offensive series later we had the Cougars on their heels again and scored another touchdown on a 20-yard-run from a direct snap to our running back, Keith Williams making the score 28 to 28
After a couple of more defensive stops, the Cougars eventually kicked a three point field goal which would be their only score of the second half. Now the score was 31 to 28 and our offense then took the field for what would be our last series with the ball. After the Cougars had kicked off, we started on our own 20-yard-line. Eighty yards to victory, two time-outs remaining, one minute thirty-two seconds left on the game clock. The Cougar sideline was visibly shaken as the game was no longer in the hands of their All-American, Heisman Candidate Quarterback Bledsoe.
The first down was a nice six yard gain by our Super-Bowl, All-Pro running back Jamal Anderson. Downs two and three were both failed pass attempts. Then the moment of truth came. Fourth down and four yards to go for a first down. Our quarterback Mike McCoy drops back for a pass but no one was open. He starts to scramble to the right side of the field as his receivers broke off of their routes and turned up field. Mike slung the ball out in front of receiver, Shawn Williams and he caught it on the 48-yard-line. Now the race was on. The crowd and the sideline explodes into a deafening cheer as Shawn is running as fast as he can toward the end zone with a host of Cougars in hot pursuit. 50 to the 40 to the 30 to the 20 to the 10 to the 5 and he was finally drug down at the 1 ½ yard line by a cougar that just wouldn’t give up, and he was fast too, Ughhh!!! Well, we all knew that Shawn was never the fastest on our team but he was pretty tough though.
As you can probably guess, to say the atmosphere was electric would be a gross understatement. Not a person in their seat at this time. First and Goal on the 1 ½ yard line with 36 seconds on the game clock and one time-out remaining. First play is a hand-off to or big bruiser Jamal and he was tackled by what appeared to be the entire Cougar defense for a loss of two yards. Then a quick second play was another hand-off to Jamal and he regained the two yards lost previously. TIME OUT!!!
Ok… Now it’s 3rd down with 6 seconds on the game clock and no time outs remaining. Head Coach Ron McBride sends in the field-goal unit. The kick attempt would be on the 1 ½-yard line, left hash mark on the field. Pretty easy huh? Well, actually this is the toughest angle to kick from on the field because it’s so tight. A hush came across half of the stadium and the other half was screaming and chanting in an attempt to create as much chaos as possible for our kicker, Chris.
Then it happened. The moment of truth. The snap was good, the hold was good and the kick was NO good. Wide left. Pure excitement exploded on the left accompanied by pure disappointment on the right.
We quickly gathered ourselves together as mighty men and congratulated our opponents and wished them well for their future. Upon entering the locker room post game, I remember the tears flowing from many who fought so valiantly and left if all on the field in an uncompromised effort to win. Minutes later, I located a nearby phone in the locker room and called my dad. He had been watching the game hundreds of miles away on television in Dallas, TX with a bunch of family and friends.
I’m no different than any other young man in that I wanted to make him proud of his 3rd born son. I’ll never forget our short conversation and the words he chose in those moments with me on the phone. Words that have stayed with me all of these 42 years. Words that I have since passed on to my kids in moments such as these. He simply said, “I’m proud of you son. You may have lost the game, but undefeated you remain.” WOW!!! Now that was profound. An end to a season it was for us, but just like life itself, it was just a “season.”
We may have lost that game but undefeated we remain for we took nothing with us that day. We chose to leave it all on the field. We sacrificed as a team and gave it our best even when others had mentally counted us out. When others may have packed up their bags and headed for the hills we said, “NO! WE WILL FIGHT until the last second is no more! WE DARE NOT leave this field until the last whistle blows! We will continue to give our best efforts on every down and every play and let the chips fall where they may, for we know that if we do so the scoreboard can never make us a loser.”
Yes, that day was a pivotal point in my life. The day when I realized that doing your best in spite of your undesirable situations and circumstances is what matters most. Not giving up is the undeniable litmus test and hallmark of a true champion. A true champion can never be measured by scores, tallies or marks but by the size of the fight in their heart.
My prayer for you today is that you will be inspired to keep swinging in the days ahead and use your set-backs as a set-up for a come-back. I pray that you will be encouraged and know that you may have lost a game or battle or two, but YOU ARE NOT DEFEATED!!! You are a relentless OVERCOMER!!! So keep overcoming. Keep leaning forward in the days ahead and make this good life, GREAT!!!
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