Sometimes you have to take a moment to step back and reflect on things in your life. This is especially true when it comes to being a writer. I was thinking about things the other day, and I remember a good friend of mine from high school.

There was something about Eric. He was they typical jock personified; but he was everyone’s friend. He had all the intensity and passion for sports that any coach or teammate could ask for; but he was the most caring person in the world. He was the tough guy on the football field, hardnosed and ready to “stick it” every chance he got.

I remember the 1994 Panorama at Bill Adams Stadium against Whitley County. There are rules in those games that don’t exist in any other game in the season. The biggest one is on special teams. You cannot hit the return man. All kickoffs and punt returns are dead, meaning the other team starts where they catch the ball.

I guess Eric forgot about that. Or maybe he was just too pumped up and amped up, aching to lay a hit on somebody. I remember watching from the sideline as Gary Miller kicked that ball off to Whitley County. I remember following that ball with my eyes as it flew through the nighttime sky. As it was descending, I remember catching Eric out of the corner of my eye.

He looked like a raging bull. Better yet he looked like a steaming locomotive running down that field. I saw the Whitley County return man looking straight up at the ball coming down. And then, with a bang that rivaled the “shot heard round the world,” I saw Eric pulverize this kid. Yes, it was a bonehead thing to do. What was so fantastic about it that prompted me to tell this story?

It was that moment after Eric got up from the ground that still gives me chills. I remember Eric standing up and the ball finally landing. That’s not a misprint, folks. Number 30 for the Mountain Lions actually outran the ball down the field, had time enough to hit the opponent’s player, AND get up off the ground before the ball got there.

Its memories like these that make me realize that I’ve witnessed some pretty extraordinary things in life, especially in sports. I was watching when Christian Laettner hit the shot in 1992. I was there when Bell County won its first state title in football in 1991 and then again in 2008. But nothing tops those moments that I witnessed and experienced with my teammates. It made it that much more special.

Eric Hendrickson was taken from us a short while after that, and it’s always around this time of year that I have a need to reflect. Those friendships are something that stays with us for the rest of our lives, even if the person doesn’t. It’s people like Eric, and Chris Thompson who has proudly served our country overseas that make every moment of life worth living. See ya’ll next week.

Note: One more week of suggestions to name my column. Email me at coachjamin@bellsouth.net with your suggestions, or contact The Middlesboro Daily News directly at 248-1010.