Beginning of Essay
We all carry snapshots of our loved ones in the wallet of our mind's eye. Grandparents, long lost, are bright-eyed and strong.Parents are wise and caring, children smiling and maybe slightly mischievous. We do not see -- we do not allow ourselves to dwell on -- ....

Middle of Essay
.... Payton's eyes are wide, deer-caught-in-the-headlights wide. But this wild creature, crackling with that quirky, impulsive energy, is very much in control of the moment. The safety, whose job it is to decide which way Payton will go when he finally comes down, is the one who looks stunned and, perhaps, a little frightened. In truth, it is the defender who determines where Payton is going by committing, ever so slightly, to his right. Payton touches down, leans almost imperceptibly left and cuts hard to the right. The safety catches nothing but a lot of air. Payton, blasts of breath pluming through the facemask of his helmet, pressing t ....