To kick off this year’s NFL Monday Night Football, the Seahawks faced off against the Broncos. In the previous offseason, the Seahawks traded their star quarterback, Russell Wilson, to the Broncos. This was his return to the stadium that he called home for 10 years. After the trade, it was a serious discussion on who would be the Seahawks quarterback to start the year. It was between the twenty-five-year-old Drew Lock who was sent over in the trade or long-time backup Geno Smith. After training camp, Geno Smith was named the starter for the season opener. Going into the game the Broncos were a six-and-a-half point favorite and boos poured on Wilson when he jogged out of the tunnel. No one expected Smith to start the game 10/10 on completions and throw a touchdown on the first drive. The Seahawks ended up getting the upset win against Wilson and the Broncos. In the post-game interview, Smith was gracious for the opportunity that he got, and He ended his interview with an all-time quote stating “They wrote me off, but I didn’t write back.”
This determination by Geno Smith is what allowed him to get a chance and he capitalized on it. After being the starter on the New York Jets for the first two years of his career he got injured and wasn’t a starter for another six years. After being cut by the Giants and Chargers, Smith was out of a job for two years. During this time he continued to train and got a job with the Seahawks in 2021. Eventually, his never giving up attitude paid dividends as he became a starter once again in 2022.
Smith’s story inspires me to not quit because it shows that you can do it if you’re up to the work. Everyone says that you can do whatever you put your mind to–-it’s easy to write off, but it’s examples like this that really make me believe anything is possible.
The month of Sept. this year made me want to give up. Being a sophomore hit me harder than I thought it would. I have so much more work now compared to freshman year. I know it will most likely only get worse from here on out, but it was a wake-up call for me that I need to get it together. I also lost one of my family members during this time which just made things a little bit worse. I felt like I wasn’t going anywhere and I just felt stuck. Even though I wasn’t happy with the things going on in my life I knew that I wouldn’t stop trying to be the best person I could be. I heavily relied on music to help me get through the days because I see it as a safe space for me. It helps me think and it really makes it easier to keep pushing through every day.
My parents taught me from a young age that it’s better to fail at something rather than give up. I try to live by that but it’s hard at times to believe that. In times like this, I feel like it would be easier if I just gave up. Sometimes it’s hard to see the positives in certain situations which can be discouraging and make me want to quit. But quitting makes me feel like I’m letting down myself and my family. Giving up loses progress and all the work that you put into something. Giving up doesn’t let you experience the possibilities that are possible if you continue to try and give your best effort. I believe that you should always try your best to give it your best effort and not give in to your desire to quit.
