Like Any Normal Day
An excerpt from Mark Kram Jr.’s book about the life of Buddy Miley, a high school football star who became a quadriplegic after a game injury. Buddy’s brother Jimmy would later help him end his life:
“Calling out the signals as the P-W defense edged in closer to the line, Buddy leaned over center at the Tennent 40-yard line. The play he called in the huddle was a handoff to running back Mark Dougherty. But Buddy also had the option to run with the ball, and that is precisely what he did as he spotted a hole open up off left tackle. From his safety position, Dippolito chose not to drop back into coverage but to stop any possible run. Buddy dodged him, but Dippolito remembers he clutched a handful of his jersey as Buddy sped by. Six or seven yards up field, P- W defensive tackle Grant Hudson caught him by the foot. But it was Frangiosa who had an angle on him. With an 8- to-10-yard running start, he plowed into him at chest level with the rage that had been building in him since Charters had handed him the game plan. Buddy flipped over and landed on his neck. Under a pile of squirming bodies, Buddy emitted an anguished squeal.
“‘EEEOOOWWW!
“Then… ‘I’m gonna die. I’m gonna die.’