Note: Derek Woods, Bluffton University student and Icon intern, recently played in his final-ever college football game. Derek is a Broadcasting and Journalism Major from Springfield,  and was starting safety for the Bluffton University football team. We invited him to write a reflection on his football career.

By Derek Woods
Growing up, I was introduced to sports at an early age. The first sport that I ever played was baseball when I was 6 years old. At this point, my dad thought I was too young to play football. I played just baseball for the next two years. Then, at the age of 9, I officially started my football career for a team called the Little Tigers.

I loved playing football from the start. Not only was I able to be with my friends every day, I was also able to hit others and it was, well, socially acceptable. To me, football was best thing in the world.

From then on, I played football, basketball, and baseball all the way until my sophomore year of high school. My sophomore football season was the first year I was able to become a starting varsity player.

Once I got a taste of those Friday night lights I fell in love with the game like never before. That season was a great learning experience for me and I vowed to go into my junior season of high school better than ever before.I quit playing basketball as well as baseball to train and get ready for football.

I ended up having a decent high school career, which then lead me to be blessed enough to play college football. I decided to attend Bluffton University and also play football. This was one of the best decisions I had ever made.

High school football is great and all, but to me there is nothing like playing college football. Everyone who plays Division III football loves the game and takes it seriously. I also was afforded the opportunity to play for a great man and mentor, Tyson Veidt, head coach at Bluffton.

The things I learned from Coach Veidt will not only help me on the field, but off. Heading into my last game of my senior season at Bluffton, I was as nervous as I had ever been before a game. Not only was it a huge game against our rival Defiance College, but it would also be the last football game I would ever play. I ended up playing my best game of the season and we won in an over-time thriller 27-24.

After the game I was filled with so many emotions. I was happy in a sense that we won the game and finished with our school's first winning record in over a decade. But, I was also sad because I would never have a chance to step out on that field again.

After 13 years of playing football and competing in athletics period I was officially done.

Now, a couple weeks removed from being done, my life is much different. I have a lot more time on my hands, and quite honestly, I don’t know what to do with it. I have started to work out to stay in shape, which is a lot harder to do when you’re not working for something such as football.

The time I had playing football flew by. I can remember my first season like it was yesterday, and just like that, it’s over. No more collisions, no more injuries, no more of the greatest excitement I have ever felt, playing football.

It had to come to an end at some point though, and I am happy to have played for as long as I did.

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