For The Love Of Football
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Hey my fellow souls! My new book is live - Many Lives, One Soul: My Journey to Becoming Whole
Marc Tagliaferri
October 30, 2022
Okay, so, along our way to Angola....
Okay, so, along our way to Angola....
we made a stop in Colorado. Beautiful state, I have to say. Manitou Springs is a beautiful place with an amazing ice cream shop. I never ate at it, but watched many have ice cream there while I was on a bus ride through town to work and home. I’m sure their ice cream is the bomb. You see, back then I was so broke I had to sell plasma for baby food and beans and corn bread. That was breakfast and dinner when we were lucky. Just have that was a good day, so I can’t imagine how great that ice cream was. But I did watch enough to know people loved it.
Anyway, one day when I was just hanging out on the streets trying to figure out my next move to find myself a home. When I saw a high school football team practicing on their field through the fence. I decided I wanted to watch them up closer. I love ball. There was nothing else to do anyway. My girl (who was my Aunt) was working at the bowling alley, and I wasn’t allowed in her brother’s house, so I had to stay on the street until she was done. I could sleep, shower, and eat in the house though and of course give them money when I got paid. Ya, I get it, they did give me a part-time roof, and roof for the baby and his sister. I was still a kid myself, and since I was my Uncle’s nephew, I was not welcome. I wanted to run home. My grandma begged me to come home and leave the child behind. I couldn’t do it, no matter what, at that time. Funny how time can change your pain, isn’t it? Yet also very sad that it does.
Walking into the school, I made my way to the field. I walked, trying not to stand out, and placed myself a couple rows in the stands, so I could watch the team do their thing. As I did, I thought about what I had walked way from. I just walked away from college football. I was to be a prop 48, it was all lined up with the schools needed to play. Instead, I was on a field in Pueblo, Colorado, watching something I walked away from for the love of my Aunt and our baby in her belly. What was I thinking? Love. I guess. Well, looking back, I hope it was love. Yet I know it was slavery on a level no one or not many could understand. She knew me at nine years old. She was my best friend that no one knew about my whole life. She had all the strings attached to me and our soul. We like to call her the puppet master.
Finally, a coach walked over to me and only to tell me to leave. I explained I just wanted to watch football and that I missed it, so was just passing time. He just started at me. Then he spoke, “Man, I don’t know you or what you are going through. If you left college and now sitting in front of me, I feel sorry for you and all. But you have to leave before I call the cops. I’m sorry, but your football dreams are over. Again, you need to leave.” Walking away, I felt like I wanted to jump in front of a car driving by.
I heard again in a year and then for a third time a couple of months later, that my dreams were done. Other people’s choices followed by my lust had taken that all away from me. Not anyone else but us. For many years, I tried to kill my soul every Saturday and/or Sunday as I watched my friends growing up and moving on in life to play in the NFL. They won Super Bowls and became amazing souls that I would see in movies and TV shows. Every time I would turn on anything electronic for entertainment and there one of them was. Heck, even one on Girls Gone Wild.
I could have gone anywhere, it drove us nuts, truthfully. Drove my soul farther down because I was so angry at myself for my choices in life. I drove myself to hell. It wasn’t until failure was more than a reality, did the gift of an amazing area, help find us again. A place we found home and so much more. With that, I never could have imagined what has happened on the football field in Angola that I write about in our book. Still in the book I give to men before the end I just felt a few days ago, about a week it has been.
Walking out of Angola High School, I had just taken my last picture on the field for some time. I do have a little guy, Cody Tagliaferri, learning the game in AKL, so in time. Smiles. As I walked behind the stands, I stopped to look at the grass field that is now turf. I took a minute to breathe the air all the way to my toes, threw out our souls. As we did, our eyes were closed. Opening them, I once again saw all my babies playing ball on the field. From the AKL to middle school to ten years of high school football. I watched them win two sectionals trophies back to back. I watched some struggles as well. Through it all, you could always hear me scream in the stands “let’s go D” and “let’s go O”.
I can see Marcques making a big stop, pushing the linemen back, so a teammate could clean it up in the back field. Or the Tag boys lining up on the field, doing a handshake then praying to father as they pointed to the sky. Wow, that made me proud. Giovanni and his energy running around yelling and screaming but making plays in only a Giovanni way. HaHa. I remember countless young men that are amazing men now or will become them. A group of families that’s souls are bonded to our family, and I know it goes both ways. Your family’s faith in me changed my sons and I, for sure.
Then our last year showed up. What a year it was leading up to it. We couldn’t have imagined what was to come. The people my family would meet and began to have acquaintance with was a blessing, for sure. Andre, I feel, had an amazing senior year as a team player, but very explosive when called upon on a very talented team. He made me scream for sure. Heck, he even wore the number one in honor of me, as I wore ten in the days that I thought I could play a little ball myself.
So with that being said, we want to thank Angola’s staff in every way for all the years. Everything, countless things for my family. Also, thank you, Mr. Thomas and everyone on all of his staffs over the years that helped form my sons. Tags made it to Trine University, a three-year starter. I’m very excited to see what is to come for Andre. I pray college, also. All the joy I have felt was just waiting for me. It is funny how Father will test our will, don’t you think? I do for sure. I like to say he is quite the joker, for sure. Hey you, Tracy, wow, we did it! Thank you baby for stepping up for five lost boys in so many ways. HaHa. High five baby as we just had our third senior night. Thank you. I heard it twice and felt it a million times along the way. What we have just felt, is no one would have ever thought they could, it is nothing short of amazing. Thank you to all the elements of life through Jesus to our Father, for I am very blessed. Thank you. Also thank you to all of you that took the time to read our thoughts, including you Bangladesh. Blessed be, Alhamdulillah, and God bless.
"Stay blessed, stay true to yourself, and always remember, you’re never alone on this incredible journey. Wishing you an abundance of peace, love, and an overflow of good vibes until our paths cross again. Thanks for being a part of this adventure with me. Until next time, Deuces!"
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