Dreams are the last things to die sometimes, so no defeat, no dropped ball, no missed tackle will ever compare to the blow delivered by the head coach that a player will no longer be part of a team.
Its tough, coach Lovie Smith said on Sunday after the first large cluster of roster cuts were made. We all dream about making that game-winning play at the end, or just being on an NFL team. Thats the dream of everybody that comes here."
For some, it is the first time in their sports careers that they have been told they werent good enough. For some it will be the last time because only occasionally does the chance come for leaving entirely on ones own terms.
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Some of them, you have to cut that dream short a little bit, Smith said. Its hard telling him that, but thats a part of it. Eventually they are going to tell all of us that they are going to go a different direction. We all realize that.
Johnny Knox may realize that as well, but the Bears were not making that decision now, placing the injured wide receiver on the physically unable to perform list. Knox still walks with a slight hitch, the result of a gruesome back injury suffered in the Seattle Seahawks game last December.
But he is still holding onto hope of returning to the Bears, even this year, or next. And the Bears, to their credit, are not raining on the parade.
Most definitely, Knox said of plans to play again. It could be six weeks into the season, or later in the season. But well all see.
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I do believe Ill be back on the field. It could be this season, next season, who knows? But Im going to keep striving to get better and get back on the field.