This time of year and all the football hoopla bring back memories of my attempt at being a “football hero.”

At 5-foot-8 and 110 pounds, soaking wet, I somehow made the freshman team at Central High in Philadelphia. I was put in at practices on defense, mostly at safety, but one time I was put in at linebacker because we were short players. Those guys running the activities at the Roman Coliseum had nothing on Coach Coleman, coach of the cadet football team.