(S23) - PT 4 - The Butterfly Effect

[Troen]

Written Option: Reflect on one moment in your player’s career (childhood, college, DSFL, or NSFL) where they faced an important turning point - perhaps a season-ending injury, unexpected trade, position switch, or a difficult decision. How did your player’s reaction change the way that their career has unfolded? What ramifications has their choice or circumstance had on their future or on the league?

I think there are two obvious points to consider. In high school, I first played at safety as a freshman and only moved to DE after growing and getting more time in the weight room. So, if I'd stuck with safety that clearly would have changed everything that came after. It also means there's almost no chance I'd have broken my hands in college, the event which actually led to my changed last name and unique playing style of using the cast/club style hand covers. The play I injured my hands on was a line play where I landed poorly after getting tripped by a guard. Were I playing safety instead (and assuming everything else in my life had remained the same to the point that I was on the same team playing against the same team with the same plays which is itself unlikely), there's almost no chance I would have been engaged with the guard and so almost no chance that I would have broken my hands. And so, I'd presumably have remained Troen McBjornson. That might have made my parents happier - they treat the Egghands name as a stage name even though I legally changed it - but I can't help but think it wouldn't have been as good as an outcome. With how things have gone so far, I've won an Ultimini with the Buccaneers and made it to the conference championship with the Copperheads. Would the same have happened if I'd stayed at safety instead? I can only say it seems unlikely.