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     I go to Stone Bridge HS in Ashburn, VA. We are legendary for our football team, which at the time of this post, has won 69 of their last 72 games, one of those being a Virginia State Championship title. Last season, our team made it to the state semifinals. We also had 11 players go on to play Division 1 football, including every member of the defensive line moving on to ACC schools (Virginia Tech, NC State, and Wake Forest). 

     One of the top offensive players all season was wide receiver Ryan Moody, who received and accepted an offer to play at William & Mary. However, this past weekend, Moody was critically injured in a car accident in which the car hit a tree. Moody was not the driver, but nevertheless was in critical condition and forced to fight for his life. He has recovered, but is still in need of medical attention. Word spread of the accident and within just days, a support group for him on Facebook generated over 1000 members. 

     The shock in the community is not what happened, but who it happened to. Moody was the football star of the town, and as a society, great athletes are simply thought to be invincible to injury and misfortune. 

     Then there was the boating incident this past March with NFL players Marquis Cooper and Corey Smith, as well as two former University of South Florida football players; Nick Schuyler and Will Bleakley. In the Gulf Coast, a boat carrying the four men failed to return on schedule, forcing an emergency search by the Coast Guard for the boat. As the nation watched, the initial attitude of everyone, including myself, was that the four men were football players, and could easily survive a day in the water. When the boat was finally found, capsized, Schuyler was the only one found alive. The rest of the men had drifted off, and according to Schuyler, they were unresponsive when that happened. The three men are now presumed dead. 

     This is just another example of how despite these men being hailed as athletes for their entirety of their lives. Despite the obvious physical advantages that these men had, it simply was not enough for three of the four. Those athletes were unable to escape the sheer power of Mother Nature. 

     While athletes are obviously physically gifted, we must never forget, they are also human. These men and women must be protected and must protect themselves both on and off the field. 

**WRITERS NOTE

-At the time of post, Ryan Moody's condition was improving greatly, and he has showed no signs of any permanent damage to his body. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. 

The link to his support group on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=160021411628&v=wall&ref=ts