Boone, you've alluded to this sideline hit a couple of times lately, but I am not familiar with the story. Can you share?
Pretty simple story. Covering the mid-November home game against the Oakland Raiders in 2005 (this was Norv's 'homecoming' game) for Extremeskins per usual. I was an old-pro on the sidelines by this point and guess I'd gotten complacent. I was standing on the sidelines taking pictures, Brunell and the Skins offense were driving down the field. I had a great shot, zoomed in on Brunell as he threw it to the reciever who was running his route directly at me. It was perfect, Brunell sharply focused, ball in the air, and WR about to catch it all in the same frame.
I got the shot. It's likely somewhere in the Extremeskins archives somewhere.
The rest is a blur.
Camera still to my eye, I heard this pounding drum-like sound I later realized was the Oakland safety chasing the WR receiver out of bounds at full speed. I was right next to the official with the down marker. I remember him jumping suddenly to the left, and then I was hit by a truck.
The official had jumped out of the way because the Raiders safety was about to knock him the hell out. Instead, he hit me at full speed.
I 'came to' about 10 feet away, on my ass, with a couple of Redskins reserves asking me if I was okay. The safety had run right through me, forearm to the forehead. Funniest thing is, I had this remnant of a cord around my neck - and I eventually realized that it was part of the lanyard for the digital audio recorder that only moments before had been hanging from it around my neck and was now 50 feet away. It looked like shark week when the great white steals the bait.
I'm pretty sure I had a full-blown concussion ...as I kind of sleep-walked through the rest of the game/assignment. When I got home that night, my 12 year old daughter asked what was wrong with my face. I told her.
'Cool!' she said.
Almost made it worth it, but the headache I had for 2-3 days was something.
First thing I did after I got home that night? Checked the dvr to make sure the game tape hadn't recorded me getting wiped out. That was my biggest concern
Bottom line - you really can't appreciate how violent the game really is, how truly big and powerful the players who make it to NFL football at this level are, until you take a hit like that. Wow.
It was hard to keep the camera up to my eye during plays after that. Far as I know, I'm the only fan coverage guy that's gotten laid out during a game, although I think Murf has come close on a couple of occasions.
Btw...we lost to the ****ing Raiders that day, that I DO remember, one of the most painful days in an otherwise refreshingly great season.
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