ABSTRACT
Every Sunday and most Monday evenings in the fall of the year I watch football. Watching the quarterback operate is usually a thrill as he takes the snap from the center, steps back into what is known as the pocket while searching for an open receiver. I am always amazed at how they are able to see the entire field and how agile they are. The more experience they build as a quarterback, the better they get at finding their target and eluding tacklers. As they move around in the pocket, it becomes like a little dance, scrambling to avoid defensive players charging the line and then stepping forward, just as they are about to fall into the grasp of trouble. It is as though they can hear the footsteps coming, or maybe they sense the danger through their peripheral vision. In any event, they know the territory. Every so often, however, out of nowhere the quarterback gets blindsided and hit hard from behind. They are sacked, quite often fumbling the ball for a big loss or even a turn over. As a TV observer, you can usually see the linebacker charging his prey, you sometimes get caught up in the drama of the moment and begin to tense up waiting for the ensuing hit that seems inevitable. It must really hurt!
