When I was 13 my only purpose was to become the star on our football team. That meant 1 Miller King, who was the best 2 at our school. Football season started in September and all summer long I worked out. I carried my football everywhere for 3 . Just before September, Miller was struck by a car and lost his right arm. I went to see him after he c a me back from 4 . He looked very 5 , but he didn ’ t cry. That season, I 6 all of Miller’s records while he 7 the home games from the bench. We went 10-1 and I was named most valuable player, 8 I often had crazy dreams in which I was to blame for Miller’s 9 . One afternoon, I was crossing the field to go home and saw Miller 10 going over a fence—which wasn’t 11 to climb if you had both arms. I’m sure I was the last person in the world he wanted to accept 12 from. But even that chal l enge he accepted. I 13 him move slowly over the fence. When we were finally 14 on the other side, he said to me, “You know, I didn’t tell you this during the season, but you did 15 .Thank you for filling in for 16 .” His words freed me from my bad 17 . I thought to myself, how even without an arm he was more of a leader. Damaged but not defeated, he was 18 ahead of me. I was right to have 19 him. From that day on , I grew 20 and a little more real.