Gather round children! Once upon a time, there was a big, strong and fearsome NFL linebacker named Lavar Arrington. Lavar was a star in college and then was drafted by the Washington Redskins. He made it to the Pro Bowl because he put the hurt on his opponents every Sunday. But then the rough times came with injuries and a parade of new coaches. But Lavar wasn't bitter. Lavar realized that he was personally responsible when things went well and also when they didn't. Just listen to Lavar now that he's a bartender down the street from the Redskins stadium. In an interview with The Washington Times, Lavar, a former Redskin pro bowler, is quoted:
I believe I would've rivaled Lawrence Taylor if I had gone to Pittsburgh," Arrington says. "If I had played in a defensive system like Pittsburgh's, they wouldn't have been able to stop me. Think about how [coordinator] Marvin Lewis used me in a hybrid 3-4 where I was playing end. I led all linebackers with 11.5 sacks. And then he was gone [to Cincinnati], and my production was gone."
And so, Lavar's "production" and his place in NFL history was robbed. But then, a new chance came with Gregg Williams, another top ranked defensive coach. Surely Gregg could get Lavar's "production" back.
"If Gregg hadn't been corrupted by the front office agenda, I probably would've had a hell of a year with him, but there were too many hidden agendas for me to be successful in that regime..."
Another tough break for Lavar. But Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs surely would recognize Lavar was the next Lawrence Taylor. After all, Gibbs actually coached against the one and only Lawrence Taylor.
I called Joe Gibbs a coward for leaving," Arrington said. "You came in, you made some money for your NASCAR team. No one else is going to say that. I'm sure more people thought I was a [jerk] for saying that. Joe wouldn't call me because he knows. There are a lot of people who know the truth about what went down with me and the Redskins."
And so Lavar the couragous one struggles on. You see, kids, sometimes greatness is short-circuited through no fault of one's own. But kids, the important thing is that you take personal responsibility regardless:
"I'm definitely happy," (Lavar) said. "My wife [Trishia] has made me mature more as a man because of the responsibility that she forces on me. I never took out the trash. I always had other people do things for me. Now, I take my daughter to school, I change diapers.
And they all lived happily ever after.
