A tragic weekend for many NFL players
@RonElFran (1214)
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
September 2, 2018 9:52pm CST
Yesterday (Saturday) was cutdown day in the National Football League. That means that all the teams had to get down to the 53 players they'll have on their rosters during the upcoming season. I've been reading about the cuts with some mild interest. But it just hit me what this really means for a lot of young men.
During the preseason each team had 90 players competing for spots in the final 53. That means that when cutdown day came, 1,184 players were sent home, many of them for good. A lot of guys who only a few weeks ago were excited about their opportunity to play in the NFL, will see their all their hopes dashed, and their pro football careers still-born.
How do you handle it when the dream you've single-mindedly focused on since you were a child is suddenly terminated, never to be resurrected? I can't imagine.
Photo credit: Chris C [NFL News Desk] via flickr (CC BY-ND 2.0)
3 people like this
3 responses
@RonElFran (1214)
• Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
3 Sep 18
I agree. That's the way you have to look at it.
1 person likes this
@Starmaiden (9308)
• Canada
3 Sep 18
That is a sad outcome for the many who had dreams of playing in the NFL, but it shouldn't dash their dreams of playing football. Many can resurrect amateur teams representing their municipalities or districts and compete with with each other State wide. There is more than one way to live a dream.
1 person likes this
@RonElFran (1214)
• Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
3 Sep 18
That's true. There's a new pro league starting that I'm sure some of these players will eventually end up in. But for many of them the dream is not just playing football, but getting an NFL salary (which can be in the millions) and being able to lift their families out of poverty.
1 person likes this
@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
3 Sep 18
It is a sad day for many of those players, but some of them are sent to practice squads. Isn't that separate from the 53 man roster, still keeping some hopes alive?
@RonElFran (1214)
• Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
3 Sep 18
You're right, Valerie. Each team gets to keep 10 players on their practice squad.
1 person likes this
@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
3 Sep 18
@RonElFran I thought that was the case. I've been hearing that term a lot lately.
