Perseverance in Sport

Today's blog entry was written by TJ Jones.  TJ is a senior Film, Television, and Theater major and a student in the Social Foundations of Coaching Class. TJ is also the co-captain on the Notre Dame Football team.

As an athlete, I played multiple sports growing up, all the way up till I enrolled in the University of Notre Dame. Regardless of which sport I was participating in at the time, sportsmanship and perseverance were always emphasized and encouraged by my coaches.

There is a running back named Marcus Lattimore that played for the University of South Carolina for the past 3 years. He was the #2 running back in the country coming out of high school and a Top 20 player overall. The expectations for him were literally sky high, and he seemed ready to step up to the challenge.

For the majority of his collegiate career, however, Lattimore was plagued by serious injury. Marcus blew out both of his knees within a year of each other. After coming back from his first knee injury and being the leader on the Heisman list, he blew out his other knee. Only this time doctors told him that he’d never be able to play football again and would be lucky if he was able to walk. This was painful news seeing as he was expected to be a first round draft pick in last year’s draft after exceeding expectations as to how he’d recover from his first knee injury.

When Lattimore hurt his knee a second time, viewers could see that his leg appeared broken in half at the knee, which was turned the wrong way. The clip of the injury was replayed only a couple times because the seriousness of the injury was nauseating to many. Both teams surrounded Marcus on the field as he was lifted onto a cart and driven off the field. All players and fans cheered him on because everyone knew how he had struggled and persevered to overcome his previous injuries. 

Despite being told he may never walk again, Lattimore never let that deter him from achieving his dreams of playing in the NFL. Due to all his injuries he entered the 2013 NFL draft as a junior. His hard work and dedication to rehabbing his leg allowed him work out for teams before the draft, which involved some light running, ladder drills, and weight exercises. This showed scouts that he was determined to be able to play again and to not give up on him. Ultimately, Marcus ended up getting drafted by the San Francisco 49ers, and when asked why he kept persevering, he said it was because one day his children would see all he went through to be successful.

Marcus Lattimore wearing a San Francisco 49ers uniform.

Overall, I think Marcus Lattimore's story shows that athletes can exercise sportsmanship for one another-- even in the heat of battle. When serious injuries happen to nationally known players such as Marcus Lattimore, sportsmanship is not only vital but more common, because every player has a fear of never again being able to play the game they love due to injury. This story also shows how Marcus persevered through his entire ordeal and was still able to achieve his dream of playing in the NFL, which is an example of anything being possible if you just believe in yourself.