Friday Night Lights

Tonight I am going to see Friday Night Lights. My son, Matt, has a friend in the movie. His name is Ben Hoskins. Ben has a small part, however, he is experienced with the real "Friday night lights." Matt and Ben played football for one of the best football programs in the state of Texas, Katy High School. Katy has won three state championships since 1997.

When I was in high school, I played football until the day school started my senior year. That year I went through "two a days", and the day I was to start my senior year, we moved. I had played football with the same group of guys since I was in 7th grade. A few of us even started in 4th grade together when Haltom City introduced Pee Wee Football.

I had a very rough time growing up, but one of the toughest was not finishing my senior year at the school district in which I started first grade. My senior year, my last year of football. That year I was even going to get to play more. The year before I only played in four games. I was going to be on the special teams and hopefully get in the game a lot more as a back up. I was small for a football player, but hit tremendously hard. My coach would tell me, "it is not the dog in the fight, it is the fight in the dog."

I have gotten over most of the tough things that happened to me from the time my father died when I was three, until I left home for college. However, I am not quite sure I have gotten over not being a part of those "Friday Night Lights."