The Seven Crucibles

The Kickoff

My flesh and my heart may fail,

but God is the strength of my heart

and my portion forever.

Psalm 73:26

I'm not gonna lie, most people really don't care about special teams. None of the superstar players are on the field, fans don't pay much attention to what are considered routine plays to move the game along, and little more.

You might think these plays are a waste of time and interrupt the flow of the game, but for the men in the arena, the guys doing the dirty work that often goes unnoticed, this is where we make our living. We're a bunch of guys giving max effort at max velocity to chase one more pay day, or what the guys in the locker room refer to as a game check. Life as a special teams' player is pretty simple in one way. If we don't play, we don't get paid.

Remember the 2006 movie Invincible with Mark Wahlberg playing Philadelphia Eagles' player Vince Papale? Vince was pure grit and determination, finding any way to impact the game and make up for his lack of God‐given ability. Punts and kicks have anywhere from 10 to 15  Vince Papales on the field during games these days. Every Vince has a burning reason to go full tilt every time he steps on the field.

Teams have these plays broken down to a science, as 22 guys start in a box, expand to 20 mph speeds over 50 yards, and condense into massive collisions in a matter of seconds.

That science makes special teams' plays routine almost every time.

Unfortunately, there was nothing routine for me about a punt ...