Editor’s note: Broncos rookie cornerback Domonique Foxworth is sharing his thoughts and experiences with readers in a weekly journal throughout the season. Foxworth encourages support of the Ambassadors for Literacy program for youth. For more about the program, go to www.ambassadorsforliteracy.net.
Sunday’s last-minute loss to the New York Giants was painful for this team. It takes time to move on from a game like that.
As a team, we didn’t put them away when we had opportunities. As an individual, I didn’t make the plays I know I am capable of making when my team needed it most.
Taking responsibility for errors is sometimes difficult, especially for professional athletes with a whole city watching. Taking responsibility is a value my dad instilled in me when I was young. After losing in the Pop Warner state championship game when I was a 10-year-old, I rattled off excuses while fighting back tears during the ride home. Despite the obvious pain I was in, my dad took this time to teach me a lesson about being a man and taking responsibility. That stuck with me, but by no means makes the loss to the Giants any easier to deal with.
To know you could have made a difference is the most frustrating feeling a player can have. Sunday night and all day Monday, a couple of plays ran on a continuous loop in my head, with varying outcomes. Some of the mental replays had me or teammates making game-saving plays. Then it was back to the agonizing reality we didn’t make those plays and we are 5-2.
Dealing with tough loses like this one never is easy. Different players cope differently. Having a wife and kids to go home to eases the pain for some, or putting your attention on something that is not football-related, such as schoolwork for a college player or volunteering in the community.
But there is no way to truly rid yourself of the disgusting taste of losing besides earning another tally in the W column.
I can’t wait for Sunday.
