Most people do not know this about me, but I played football in middle school and high school. Actually, to be honest, I starting playing football when I was a youngster. However, I rarely “played” at that age. Whenever the coach put me in, I would cry until I was taken out. I hated it, I suspect due to the violent nature of the game. But I also remember rather enjoying the orange slices provided by parents on the sidelines. After two years of moderately serious middle school football, I went to play in high school. By that time, I had a football player’s body — 6’0, 225 pounds, broad shoulders — and, more importantly, a willingness to subject myself to pain because my coaches demanded it of me. By sophomore…