AOS Celebrity Encounter Tuesday: The Day I Disappointed Az Hakim

I was adequate as a high school football player. I started a few games, caught a couple passes, even ensured that our team would win by 41 instead of 34 with a fourth quarter touchdown once. In the long run, I received my fair share of high fives, pad slaps, and chest bumps. But the glory of my high school days did nothing to save me one afternoon during a game of touch football with current Dolphins wide receiver Az-zahir Hakim.

For several summers during college I worked as a camp counselor with a group of 5-8 year olds. The entire day was spent sitting by the pool and participating in kick ball games which became surprisingly competitive. One afternoon, however, the schedule was changed to include a game of flag football.

Hakim had showed up at the athletic club apparently to participate in a flag football camp as part of a PR appearance on behalf of the Rams. Darius Blevins was also present, but much like his Rams career, he spent the better part of the afternoon on the sidelines, enjoying the game.



The kids were not nearly as exicted about playing football with the Rams as the counselors were. In fact, the kids were down right insubordinate to any activity which did not involve air conditioning or a water. So as they sat in the shade, enthralled more with recent grass clippings then Darrius Blevin stories, the counselors began playing touch football.

With the third overall pick in the draft, Hakim took me. To this day I do not know whether this was based on my perceived athletic prowess or his distrust in the female counselors that remained, we may never know. Now, Hakim had played quarterback in high school, so I was prepared for a west coast offense of short precise passes, but mixed with St. Louis Ram like timing routes. For the most part this was exactly what we got. We were coming out of cuts, turning our heads, and Bam! The ball was there, you'd better be ready.

After a series or two, the defense began playing tight at the line, whereupon Az gave me the sign to go deep. He hiked the ball, with an incredible swim move I gained separation. Noticing the six year old safety doing pirouettes instead of providing adequate over the top coverage, Hakim aired out a perfect spiral. I stretched out my hands all the while thinking about how cool it was to catch a touchdown pass from a former NFC special teams player of the week, when the ball caromed off the whispers of my fingertips. Incomplete.



Shaking my head I scuttled off to pick up the ball and return to the huddle, but before i made it back, Hakim met me half way.

Hakim: What happened there?
Me: I guess I just stopped running.
Hakim (staring into the depths of my soul): That's exactly what you did. Don't let it happen again again.
Me(mumbling, too broken a spirit to speak clearly): Ok.

From that point on Hakim tended to look at his other options. however, I was able to let him down one more time that afternoon. After a fellow counselor hauled in a touchdown pass, we met in the endzone to commence a bob and weave celebratory dance. "Az, get over here!" I beckoned. A succinct, "No," made his opinion and impression clear.