Kicker's BBF

2001 was a terrible year for me, to put it simple 6th grade sucked. I had three friends, my first crush, and the first time I had to take a foreign language. If it wasn't for my three buds, I would not have survived. I crashed and burned with the girl and crashed even harder with Spanish. Like girls, I couldn't understand the language to save my life. I was so bad at it that I had to take a summer classes. However, life got better for me once summer started, my family decided to get a dog! I had always wanted one, and we were finally getting one! After much research we decided on a Brittany Spaniel, we went to a breeder and picked out a puppy. We decided to name her Dixie in honor of the Mason-Dixie line, (Im a nerd I know.)

As a puppy Dixie was nightmare, but she was my nightmere. In her first few months she did everything from chew on furniture, to pee all over the place. At first all the neighborhood kids loved her because she was new attraction. But your not cute when you start jumping up on kids and scaring them. After a few months Dixie was "the dog that all the kids were scared of." I felt bad and began to spend more time with her. I felt that since both of us were pretty much losers we would be BBF's.

Dixie was suppose to spend the nights in her cage in our kitchen. That wasn't the case. When everyone was in their room, I would sneak downstairs, unlock her cage and we would go up to my room and she would sleep in my bed. This lasted pretty much daily until I reached High School, when I was too big to share the bed. I have two beds in my room, so she took over the other one. As my friends who spent the night would soon find out, that it was her bed, and they were sleeping in it. My parents eventually let in and allowed Dixie to make her bed in my room.

One day, I was watching the Colts-Steelers playoff game (the famous Mike Vanderjagt wide right kick) at a break I realized it was snowing outside and I went to call Dixie in. Nothing, I went to look for her and saw a flash as she took off and left our yard. I took off. Now, I have always been an athlete and I have always been in good shape, (I have a six pack for crying out loud!) I took off just as fast after her. I sprinted until I caught up with her. My lungs were burning, my eyes watered in the cold but, there is something called heart, and a reason I have survived in the world of college football is because I have a lot of it. I eventually caught up with her and grabed her, yelled at her for a solid five minutes before dragging her back into the laundry room and locking the door.

When I was a junior in high school I made my self a goal that I would be a kicker in college. I wouldn't be able to do it in high school because soccer conflicted. When I first told people about this I just got flat out laughed at. I came home so irritated that I just went in my room and as lame as this sounds vented to Dixie, about how I was going to make it and shove it in their face. Well I was out in my backyard everyday dropping bombs and practicing and so was Dixie. Although she was chasing birds around the yard the connection was there.

As most of you know we got lots of snow this year, and if you know me well enough you know that I LOVE SNOW. Anyways, I was at home after my exams this year for the Dec 18th blizzard after a night of partying with my neighbors (who now love Dixie) I woke up the next morning to 20 inches on the ground. I decided I would go enjoy this snow and went out and began to shovel the driveway. Now poor Dixie couldn't even walk or move in this amount of snow. Once I cleared off the drive way, I saw her charge forward. Not good, I thought to myself, as she sprinted past me and went into the road. I freaked out as she headed towards Sweet Air Road, which is the busiest road in Jacksonville. In my snow gear and boots I took off. My usual 4.9 40 must have been 4.5 that day as I sprinted to save her. I remember not caring about my legs burning or whatever was happening, I just HAD to get to her before a car did. Well long story short I did.

Dixie has been one of best buds since I was in middle school. She is technically the "family dog", but ask anyone, I am her favorite. She may not be a person. But in the end "dog is a man's best friend." For as long as I live, I will always make sure I have canine by my side.