#2 More than a Game

The love of the hit. The game of football is a game that requires heart. Whether getting hit or giving the hit, players can get hurt on every play. A man that forever loved the game was Freddie Steinbeck. In Freddie’s early years, he played for Wheat Ridge High school. He later played for Texas. Freddie started as safety for the Longhorns. He was a man of faith, hard work, and dedication. God was always with him everywhere we went. On December 6, 1969, he played for the National Championship. With a hurt leg, he won the title against Arkansas. On December 12, his leg was amputated. A larger tumor was making him have pain in his leg.

Only six days ago was the best day of his life. Winning the national championship and now bed ridden in pain. This was a man of faith. A man that did not deserve this. Why was this happening to him? There are somethings that no one can explain. Events will continue to happen without anyone knowing why. The only thing that you can do is get up and keep going. This is exactly what Freddie did.

January 1, 1970, kicked off the Cotton Bowl. Freddie stood on the sidelines when no one thought he could. The doctors told him that he might not walk again. Freddie had 20 days to train for the game, and that’s exactly what he did. Every day, he would practice trying to walk with crutches. When solely walking on the field, the crowd cheered. Here he was on the sideline of the field still apart of the team. When the clock finally hit zero, the Longhorns were victorious. The game ball was given to Freddie. Freddie passed away on June 6, 1971.

Freddie still lives on in many people’s hearts. The Longhorns especially. Freddie’s story has inspired many. I Play to Win and My All American both tell this remarkable story. What I get most out of this story is that he never questioned his faith. Instead, he looked at his leg and said let’s do this. He disobeyed the doctors and did the impossible. Maybe it was stubbornness or just pure will, but still he did it. Anyone can take something from Freddie Steinbeck’s story. For the love of the game of football to his character as a human being, are just two examples to hold on to.