Of course you do. He’s one of those athletes that we all remember fondly, lamenting his demise like he was a family member taken from us too soon. We should probably show you video of his horrific, career-ending injury right now, but it’s Friday. Why ruin the mood?
Remember Tyrone Prothro?
Much better. And like choosing hand-holding otters over a compound fracture, sometimes it’s easier to remember the heroes as they existed before their demise. The way we think of Bo Jackson in Tecmo Bowl, not Bo Jackson limping his way out of the NFL.
Once a superstar fades, things can get ugly. But for what it’s worth, Tyrone Prothro’s doing just fine these days, and AOL Fanhouse has a great story today checking in with him.
Five years after his career ended on a pass play against Florida, former Alabama wide receiver Tyrone Prothro works as a Regions Bank teller across the street from the Alabama football complex. From 8:30 to 5 each day, one of the most exciting playmakers in Alabama history helps Crimson Tide fans make their checking and savings deposits and withdrawals.
... In a quiet moment's reflection Prothro acknowledges, "I've had my down times." He pauses, speaks louder. "But now when I think about that game, I don't think about that play. I think about everything before it."
Two years removed from graduation, Prothro holds on to a different dream. The 2008 Alabama grad would like to coach football one day.
There’s a lot more there, and it’s worth checking out in full. Prothro’s story is sad enough so that it’s sort of hard to hear him talk. It seems cruel that someone who was once so captivating could end up loafing around behind a bank counter all day. But at the same time, that’s him moving on, and it’s just as important to watch as his old Alabama highlights.
As he’s grown up, his dreams have evolved. He just wrote a book, and one day, he’ll probably be a football coach. That’s a pretty cool inspiration for the rest of us. In life, bad breaks are inevitable, but how we react is what defines us. We can romanticize guys like Tyrone Prothro for what they were, but in this case, it’s pretty cool to think about what Prothro might still become.
See More:
