JUST IN: Coach Steve Sarkisian About to Make Decision That He Might Regret
The Texas Longhorns locker room buzzed with tension. The game against their fierce rivals was hours away, and Coach Steve Sarkisian stood in his office, staring at the whiteboard filled with plays and strategies. His team was solid, but their star quarterback, Jason Ward, had been nursing a sprained ankle all week. The medical team had cleared him for the game, but doubts lingered in Sarkisian’s mind.
“Coach, he says he’s ready,” offensive coordinator Coach Daniels said, leaning against the doorway. “Jason’s been practicing with minimal pain. He’s a fighter.”
Sarkisian sighed, rubbing his temples. Jason was the heart of the team, the kind of player who could turn a game around in seconds. But if he aggravated the injury, the Longhorns’ season might unravel. On the other hand, benching Jason meant relying on their backup quarterback, Kyle Harper—a capable player but untested in high-pressure situations like this.
The clock ticked closer to kickoff. Sarkisian walked out of his office and into the locker room. The players fell silent, looking at him expectantly. Jason stood at the front, helmet in hand, his eyes filled with determination.
“Jason, how’s the ankle?” Sarkisian asked.
“Good to go, Coach,” Jason said firmly. “This game is ours if I’m out there.”
Sarkisian hesitated. He glanced at Kyle, who gave a small nod. The decision was his alone. The weight of the team’s championship hopes, the trust of his players, and his own reputation all bore down on him.
Finally, Sarkisian took a deep breath and said, “Jason, you’re starting.”
Cheers erupted in the locker room, but Sarkisian felt a knot tighten in his stomach. As the team ran out onto the field, he muttered to himself, “I hope I don’t regret this.”
The game was electrifying, with both teams trading touchdowns. Jason’s performance was heroic, throwing two touchdown passes and keeping the Longhorns in the lead. But with two minutes left in the fourth quarter, disaster struck. Jason scrambled out of the pocket to avoid a sack, took a hard hit, and didn’t get up.
The stadium fell silent as medical staff rushed onto the field. Sarkisian stood frozen, his heart sinking. Jason was helped off, visibly in pain. The backup, Kyle, was thrust into the spotlight.
Kyle’s first pass was a shaky incomplete, but then something clicked. He led the team downfield with precision, setting up a game-winning field goal as time expired. The Longhorns won, but Sarkisian couldn’t shake the image of Jason limping off the field.
Later, as reporters swarmed him, one asked, “Coach, do you regret starting Jason today?”
Sarkisian paused, then said, “Decisions like these come with risks. I trusted my player, and he gave everything he had. But yeah, I’ll be second-guessing this one for a while.”
As the crowd dispersed, Sarkisian made a silent promise to himself: never again would he let the pressure of the moment cloud his judgment.