As many of you have probably read, it is being widely reported that Sherrod Harris left the football team recently, just before what would have been his Senior Year.
Though the story linked above credits his leaving to wanting to focus on academics, which is certainly nothing to admonish him for, I'm sure there are myriad reasons for his decision. And though I'm confident he didn't make this decision lightly, I do hope and wholeheartedly encourage him to reconsider. Otherwise, I think he'll regret it for the rest of his life.
And I actually speak from experience...
I was a walk-on for UT during the mid-90's and after spending a few years of beating my head against a wall on the scout team and having what I perceived as nothing to show for it, I got upset, full of myself and walked into my position coach's office about this same time the summer before my last year. And I announced like I half expected the walls of Belmont to come crashing down, "Coach, if I can't make the two-deep roster this season, then I'm going to quit."
It's not really like me to make ultimatums and I still can't remember to this day why I said it. Fortunately, my coach said something that sent me flying back to a little place called reality. He said, "why do you spend so much time concentrating on what you don't have and start realizing what you do?" And then I sulked off and bitched about it to my best friend on the team who helped send the coach's message a little deeper, "so help me God, if you ever say something that stupid again, I will break my foot off in your ass."
It's good to have friends because if I'd quit, I would have missed one of the best years of my life. No, I didn't make the two-deep roster, but I did get into six or seven games, even had a sack against New Mexico State. Of course it didn't count because we, for some unholy reason, accepted a holding penalty with a 30+ point lead and two minutes remaining - no, I'm not bitter - but I did get on Jumbotron. Plus I had a nice seat on the bench for the Big XII Championship, earned a T-Ring, and you couldn't imagine the doors that's opened.
Now Sherrod has played more and done more for UT than I ever dreamed I could. But the point is, you just don't know what will happen and you never will if you don't stick around. Life doesn't put you on too many stages like DKR, you've got to make the most of the time you've got there because once it's over, you can't go back. Realize now what you have and how many people would give anything to trade places with you. Or you'll spend the rest of your life thinking about what you might have lost.
"You remember the story about the three (guys in China) playing Fantan? This guy runs up to them and says, 'Hey, the world's coming to an end!' and the first one says, 'Well, I best go to the mission and pray,' and the second one says, 'Well, hell, I'm gonna go and buy me a case of Mezcal and six whores,' and the third one says 'Well, I'm gonna finish the game.' I shall finish the game."
Finish the game, Sherrod.