By: Carol Combs
I want to start by sharing that I am by no means an expert when it comes to the game of football but –I am a fan–and part of a family of fans. I am just an Ohio girl, tried and true. And while sports were not the thing we did together as a family growing up, I was raised to support our hometown teams. So, for ME that means a lifelong commitment to the Cincinnati Reds and the Cincinnati Bengals.
17(ish) years ago, when I watched football, it was kind of painful (Bengals fans will understand) and it was always ALL about the score. I certainly wasn’t the fan I am now where Sundays during football season are meant for football and family. Yes, the score is important and yes, I keep track of where my Bengals are compared to my less favorite teams. But…I must admit I love a good story about a team and/or its athletes almost as much as I love it when the Bengals win or simply just take the field! We have some amazingly talented young men in the NFL right now and I (being the momma that I am) almost feel like I am watching a group of kids grow up before my eyes.
In the last two years, I have grown an immense appreciate for the physical ability these men have on the field and the trust they have in one another as a team. I remember watching the game on January 22, 2022- Bengals vs. Titans-It was a BIG game!
Within the first half of the game my favorite Quarterback Joe Burrow got sacked 5 times, that number would eventually turn into 9. In ONE GAME -Joe Burrow- got knocked down 9 times and you know what else he did? He GOT UP 10 TIMES! Spoiler alert the Bengals won that game (19-16…WHO-DEY).
Now you might be asking why have you chosen to focus on this aspect of your favorite QB when there are number of other great stats you could focus on when it comes to Burrow? The answer for me is simple. At a time…in life… when I was getting knocked down at least 9 times a day and having to get back up, I saw someone taking hit after hit after hit and getting back up! Joe Burrow took some pretty darn hard hits that day [and a few others]; we saw him get knocked down NINE times, get back up TEN times AND lead his team to a WIN! The Bengals walked off the field that day with a win, Joe probably walked away with a few aches and pains from all the sacks, and I “walked off” with something too…a new mantra that could not have come at a more perfect time, “Down 9-Up 10”.
I.AM.A.BREAST.CANCER.SURVIOR. As of August 24, 2022!
But on January 22, 2022, I was just past the halfway mark in my chemotherapy treatments where my body was being pumped full of some of the harshest drugs being used to kill the disease inside me. It taxed my mind, body, and spirit. And while I was pretty open with my cancer journey, only a small group of people seen the FULL extent to which treatments were impacting me during this time. There were days I couldn’t make it down our home hallway alone, which was a big shift from the active and busy life I had grown accustomed to living with my kids [and now] husband.
I recognized early on in my cancer journey, there were some parts of it, I had to do on my own.
I was committed to beating cancer which meant I had to give my body the things it needed-rest, food, family, and joy. It just so happened football was joyful, full of game day snacks, something I could do with family while resting, AND it could be done from the bed on days when that was the best I could do. My husband made (and continues to make) Football Sunday’s a full experience complete with Bengals decorations, food, and traditions. During that time, Football Sunday was something I could look forward to each week without stressing “my team” out.
At a time when my body was feeling completely broken and I was fighting like hell for my life, watching football reminded me of the amazing capabilities of our minds and bodies. Each Sunday I would watch the players run, jump, throw and catch a ball with such precision; while also taking some hard hits and trying to outrun/outplay the guy tasked with stopping him. I was in awe of all the plays where the physical demand and unbreakable spirit of the player shined through. “Down 9-Up 10.”
I imagine that much like me and “my team,” Burrow and the Bengals never took the field with the intention of having a “rough game” — but things happen– conditions change -sometimes rapidly – and we must pivot and adapt TOGETHER. As the Quarterback of “my team,” it was hard to depend on others and not be able to show up in my traditional “Carol” way. I learned to trust my body and I learned that I had to trust my team; I had to trust my defensive line and my offensive line. I had to trust that no matter how many times I got knocked down, I would get back up….I had to trust that I would win… and I did!
I am new to the space of being a Breast Cancer Survivor and new to a few other spaces as well. I am learning that a healing journey –of any kind– can at times feel similar to the pain that you are trying to heal from- the things that drop you aren’t only the physical kind. There are good days and bad days, days where I get knocked down multiple times in a single day by fear, pain, grief, and uncertainty but I get back up.
Since January 22nd, I have probably said out loud a thousand times “Down 9-Up 10” because “Down 9- Up 10,” doesn’t just apply to football, or cancer journeys, it applies to life. It isn’t about how many times you get knocked down but rather how many times you get up.
“Down 9 -Up 10.” A lesson from our very own Joe Burrow and our Cincinnati Bengals!
Cincibility 