The "I think he is dead" Story

It was an ordinary day. We were gathering after school at the Lancaster Train Station for a pick-up football game on the grassy area to the west of the station. The weather was chilly that day, but we still managed to get about 10-12 kids for the game. We were all in elementary or junior high school. Dave G. was the biggest and toughest so everyone wanted to be on his team. On the day of my story I was one of the lucky ones who had Dave on my side. The kids who lived on the east side of Prince Street usually were on one team while the kids from the west were on the other team. Dave and I lived 1/2 block apart so we usually were together, much to my mother's liking. She thought Dave was a bad influence on me. More on that in another story. The game began and we took turns on our team being the quarterback (passer or runner), end (usually the fastest who could outrun the others to the line of pine trees), or a blocker. As I remember, the game was pretty even as it usually was since we divided the players so each team would have a few good and a few bad players. It was the end of the game when something happened that I will never forget. How did I know it was the end of the game? Well we usually played until someone got hurt or it got dark. It was my last play! I was the hiker and the lead blocker for big, tough Dave. I was probably half his size and as skinny as can be. "Hike" he yelled and off we went around the corner with me leading the way. All of a sudden there was Jerry H. and Dick B. in our way. Well, Dave used me as shield as if he were in battle and wedged me between them and him. I was crushed between all of them. I fell to the ground. All I remember was everyone gathered around me and someone said "I think he is dead." I had never had the wind knocked out of me in my life, but I did that day. ALL OF IT! I remember gasping for breath and seeing my life past in front of me (what life I had in that short time). Some people scattered, but some helped me to my feet and my breath started coming back to me. It was the last time I played football at the train station. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.