When it was time to walk
They dressed me in a Cowboys sweatshirt.
Every step I took was shaky and fragile
Like any virgin to the game.

When I had to talk
I would scream, “Touchdown,”
With every last breath
To be like my Dad.

When it was time for school
I came bragging about the game
What I had done at practice
And what I had seen on TV.

When it was time to feel like a winner,
I stood on the field with a heavy trophy,
Something I had learned to earn,
Something everyone was proud of.

When it was time to do be cool
Wearing my jersey on Fridays was it.
I felt so respected, I felt like a man,
Like I was the best.

But when its time to leave this town--
to take a step into the world,
no one will even know this “man”
no Dad, no friends, not even the kid that played the game.