The following is the guts of a piece I wrote almost 5 years ago, following the birth of my son Layne. On July 18th, I became a father for the first time. My son Layne entered the world and I couldn't be prouder or happier. In those hazy hours of restless awakeness we share, I look at my big boy and dream for him. As someone whose football career was ruined by injuries, I envision for my son all the glory upon which I missed out. And in my softest voice, with confident and excited tones, this is what I tell my son about football and life. I told Layne, "First of all, you're born into a divided house. Daddy is Ohio State, Mommy is Michigan and your grandparents have those same lines in the sand and flags on their houses. I've seen your grandfather cry twice in his life: when his mother died and when Ohio State won the national title. So every autumn you'll see Mommy and Daddy get all fired up and yell at each other, and that's okay. We still love each other no matter who wins. We both went to Ohio U. and we can share cheering for our Bobcats in the faint hope they finish above .500 for the 5th time in our 32 years. Just remember: we bleed scarlet and the brain is gray; blue is the color of bruises and what stinks in your diaper right now is UM maize. I know that makes me highly unpopular since we live in Michigan, but I'm bigger than most people and you will be too. That will teach you how to handle being different." Then we moved on to the NFL. "Mommy and Daddy are both lifelong Lions fans. That means we understand bitter disappointment, adversity, and coping with being very ordinary. Every Thanksgiving you'll see twenty or more relatives all going crazy for the Lions, drinking beer and fighting for napping space for the Cowboys game. Don't worry though, the Lions almost always win that game and everyone is happy. And as soon as you can understand what you're watching, we're going to show you Barry Sanders and Chris Speilman highlights to show you how to play the game the right way. Appreciate how fleeting and how beautiful greatness can be." "Daddy is also a Browns fan. They're terrible right now and probably will be for a couple more years, but that's what loyalty and devotion is all about. Even though they broke my heart with Red Right 88, then the Drive, then the Fumble, then moving away, I still love them. Just like I'll love you even when you make some mistakes. That's part of life--people and things you love aren't perfect, but you love them anyways. Daddy is from Cleveland, so he knows all about unconditional love for imperfection and standing up for what he deeply cares about. It helps make the taste of victory that much sweeter, if it ever comes." "You're going to be tall, because Daddy is 6'5" and Mommy is 6'2", and you're probably going to be fairly skinny like both of us were when we were kids. That means you'll be a quarterback or a receiver when you play football. Hopefully you'll be faster than me so you don't get so beat up, but playing those positions means you're going to get hit pretty hard. Sometimes it will hurt so much you'll want to cry, like when Daddy got his shoulder broken or his fingertip almost torn off. But you can't cry. Football is weird like that. You can cry from the agony of losing, because that shows you care and gave it your all. But you can't cry from pain, and sometimes you'll have to put the helmet back on and play through the pain. The minute you become afraid of getting hurt you're no longer able to be a good player. That's why we're going to watch guys like Hines Ward and Brett Favre and cheer for them even though we don't really like their teams. They play without fear and have fun doing it. And that's why Daddy shakes his head at guys like Plaxico Burress and Joey Harrington. They're not having fun playing and they play with fear of failure, even though it's that very fear that keeps them from being great. Don't ever be afraid on the field, my son. Daddy can accept if you lose or make mistakes, but I can never tolerate being timid or not having fun when you are playing a game." "When you play, soon enough you'll find that someone will just be better than you. That's okay. Have respect for people that can do things better than you. Don't let it frustrate you, but make sure it motivates you. As long as you give it your best and learn from your mistakes there's not a high school coach in the world that won't want you on their team. Daddy wasn't the fastest or strongest guy, but he played smart and learned how to compensate for his shortcomings. That's another football lesson that will help you in life. That's why Daddy reveres Peyton Manning and Bernie Kosar but has no respect for Ryan Leaf and Ricky Williams. You have to respect the game and your teammates, just like you have to respect your job and your coworkers if you want to be successful. You have to learn to make adjustments and take advantage of what you can do, not dwell upon what you cannot do. " "Finally, my son, I hope you will love football like I always have. Fall weekends are Daddy's favorite times of the year. I promise I'll always be up for a game of catch in the backyard, or a little tackling or a fumble drill. Someday you'll understand why Daddy throws his empty beer cans at the TV and why he watches Monday Night Football with the sound off and the radio on and why Mommy and Daddy yell in joy when a great play happens or the Lions win. Someday I'll walk you to the top of the Horseshoe in Columbus, show you Touchdown Jesus, let you touch the statue of Walter Payton, tour around the Hall of Fame and share with you my memories of my favorite players like Cris Carter and Clay Matthews. You've got a long life of football ahead, and Daddy can't wait to share it with you." Layne will turn five-years-old one month from today, and I?m proud to say he loves football. He?s got a rocket launcher for an arm and naturally catches the ball with his hands. He also towers over most kids his age, but unlike his Daddy he isn?t afraid to throw around his size advantage. One of our favorite activities is a fumble drill. Some things in football have changed (the fall of UM most noticeably), but so many things still ring true five years later. I?ve found football bonds me with my kids more than I expected. I now have a daughter as well; she?ll be 2 in September. My Elizabeth loves football too, and one of the first words she learned was ?touchdown?, complete with arms raised and a big smile. Even though it?s the slowest time of the football calendar, Father?s Day still makes me think of football and how important it is to my family.