A Different Kind of Season: Senior Football Player Contributes from Sidelines

In the spring, Matthew forwent playing lacrosse and instead grabbed friends and practiced ladder drills to improve his footwork. He hit the weight room, sometimes at 5:30 a.m., before going to his summer job. He even said no to a beach vacation to concentrate on his goal — to lead his team to the state championship.

“I gave up a lot and I really worked hard,” he said.

And then, during the first scrimmage of the season, Matthew heard something click. It was his right knee. He didn’t think much of it, but he came out of the game and tried to walk it off. He returned to the game later.

“I did a whole drive on offense and tried one play of defense,” Matthew said. “I pushed off, fell to the ground and hobbled off the field.”

The next day, Matthew found out he had torn his meniscus. His doctor forthrightly told him that if he wanted to run around with his kids at age 50, he would need surgery. Matthew was devastated.

“I didn’t hear another word,” he said. “I just sat there with my head down.”

Matthew went ahead with the surgery. The next week, he made an announcement to his teammates, letting them know he would not play this season.

“It doesn’t mean I won’t be here every day,” Matthew said. “I’m still dedicated to you all. We’re still going to go where we need to go.”

Losing a player to injury is never easy, says Head Coach Mark Palyo. When a two-way starter goes down for the season, that is even tougher. But Coach Palyo watched as Matthew began channeling his energies into supporting his teammates.

“Matthew is a heartbeat the entire team feels,” Coach Palyo said. “He is a key part of the growth and identity of this team. While his physical presence in the trenches is missed, his leadership and emotion are a part of the team each and every day.”

So at every practice, at every game, Matthew serves as another coach and pumps up his team from the sidelines.

“Matthew has never been afraid to speak up and address the things that we need to work on as group, and because of that, he has earned the respect of all of us,” said senior running back and captain Excellence Perry. “The only thing his injury has changed is his ability to be on the field. His willingness to work hard and always keep the team focused and driven has not diminished one bit.”

Matthew still feels invested in the game of football, although his perspective has altered.

“This injury made me realize how quickly things can change," he said. "But just because your season’s over, it doesn’t mean your career is over. Just because you can’t play doesn’t mean you’re not part of the team anymore. You can still contribute.”