Do you remember the cry of the alarm, waking up at the crack of dawn for the first morning workout in mid-January, when the air is chilly and the grass frozen to a crisp? The wintry weather bites at your toes as you and your teammates run across the dead and beaten brown surface, once called a football field.

Do you remember those brutal lifting sessions in mid march, when the coach's scream in your ear rings louder than the chirping birds - the season, oh so far away.

Do you remember the first day of camp, the savagery, the crack of the helmets, sweat pouring down your body as the unforgiving summer sun chars your forearms to a red crisp, your legs swollen with lactic acid as you run back and forth across the field, the oxygen leaving your lungs as you slip into a foggy daze?

Do you remember the bang of the drums and your resonating fight song, the eye black and high fives. Do you recall the 10 seconds before the opening of the season, staring down your opponent's kickoff return team as you line up in kickoff formation, a torpedo firing in a whistle's notice, a bulldozer about to crash the wall?

Do you remember the falling leaves, the first signs of autumn, the season's midway marker, the heart of league play, the low rising sun, the long sleeved Under Armour?

And then the real season begins...

Do you remember the game planning, the first playoff game, a season of sweat, teamwork, rigorous study, and the hopes of a fan following resting atop your adrenaline soaked shoulders?

Do you remember holding your breath, the clock ticking down, your team headed towards their triumphant destiny, a trip to the championship game a kneel down away from becoming reality?

Do you remember the starting lineups, the roar of the stadium, the painted faces, the energy, the ultimate football environment? Do you remember a moment forever locked in time: jumping in the air, the fans storming the field, the Gatorade shower, the flashing cameras?

Do you remember hoisting the championship trophy above your head?

If you remember all of this, or you don't, this is football, and this is why we play the game.