“It began late July last year. I had the COVID delta variant. I spent 40 days in the hospital. It kind of freaks me out to talk about it.

“I started at Patients ER. Then I was transferred to El Campo Memorial Hospital. My lungs were in such bad shape, I was on a breathing machine 24/7. I was getting 32 liters of oxygen at one time.

“I was in ICU on a Saturday evening when a father came in to pray with me. I’ve seen enough movies to know when that happens, it’s not good.

“I lost a couple childhood friends while I was going through my stuff. I saw one of them while I was in ICU. So I was wondering, am I next? Those were very dark days. I felt like I was on an island, and I didn’t have a chance to get off.

“But I gradually started to improve. As I got out of ICU, I started saying, ‘Hey, I think I’m going to survive this. I’m going to fight this. And I’m going to win.’

“When I got transferred to Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital in Pearland, I couldn’t do anything for myself. Basically, I had to start my life over again. I owe those guys so much. They helped me learn how to eat. I had to learn how to walk. I had to learn how to take a shower and brush my teeth — all the basic stuff.

“I busted my butt in physical therapy. My therapist would tell me, ‘OK, that’s it.’ But I’d say, ‘That’s not it. I’m going to do five more reps.’ I really pushed myself.

“After I finally came home, I had a relapse two weeks later and spent five days at Houston Methodist in Baytown. But since December 1st, I’ve been pretty good.

“COVID fog is a real thing, where you forget stuff. And I have some numbness in my right hip area. They say a lot of COVID patients have nerve problems. I also keep my little oxygen machine in the back seat, but I haven’t had to use it for about six months.

“Through the whole ordeal, I had a lot of support, especially from my three sisters and my two boys. And I had a lot of faith. My mom passed in 2018. So during the worst parts, I spent a lot of time praying to her. I also prayed to the man above. It was a tough deal. But I’m here today, and I’m feeling very blessed.”

— Jerry Michalsky

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“I remember when I was 6 years old, my dad would come home from work and we would go out in the street to kick a football. I’m not sure why, but he would always take off his dress shoes and kick barefoot. I guess that’s where I got it. I’ve tried both ways. I just have a better feel for the football when I’m kicking barefoot. Because of some knee injuries and maybe a little favoritism going on, I only got to play one game as a senior at Sterling High School. I tried a 45-yard field goal, and that was it. But I knew I had a strong leg, and I was determined to play college ball. I reached out to a few schools, and I got a chance to try out for Kilgore College. The head coach only needed to see me kick for 20 minutes. He took me back to the field house and typed up a scholarship.”

While kicking as a freshman, a freak injury on an AstroTurf field in the team’s eighth game ended his college career. “Three knee surgeries later, I had missed my window. I felt pretty defeated.”

“Throughout my marriage, I would go out and kick about every six months. I knew I still had it. But my ex-wife didn’t want me to get back in the game. She was afraid I was going to get hurt again. Spring forward to when I was 34. I go through a nasty divorce. Didn’t have anyone telling me what to do anymore. So I decided to start playing again.”

What followed was a 14-year career in semipro football, playing for several teams in the Houston area — the last 10 years with the Texas Red Raiders. “That’s where I made a name for myself. I was known as The Foot. I finished my career with 702 points and played in six or seven all-star games.”

Seven knee surgeries and two neck surgeries finally took a toll, leading to retirement in 2018 at age 48. But after being selected to enter the Minor League Football Hall of Fame on Nov. 18 in Las Vegas, “It makes my knees and my neck feel a little bit better.”

— Jerry Michalsky

The 53-year-old plans to kick in one more game, as part of an all-star team playing a team from Colorado during the Hall of Fame weekend. “They’re not supposed to be able to rush on field goals and punts, so I think I’ll be OK.”

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• ‘I busted my butt’ to recover from COVID

The post ‘The Foot’ kicks his way to Hall of Fame appeared first on The Baytown Project.

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“I used to be a pimp. I used to be a drug dealer. I used to be a gangbanger. I used to be a robber; it didn’t matter whether it was banks or other drug dealers. I’m a three-time loser. That’s a slang word. Anybody who’s ever been to prison, or is from the streets, knows that.

“TDC allows people to be rehabilitated if you have the desire to become rehabilitated. But you cannot go down there playing, because you can lose your life. Or you can come back out not fit for society and fall right back into that cycle. If that’s the case, then you’re holding no space for people who want to change. You’ve got one life to live. You need to decide if you’re going to live it right.

“I’ve been out about 10 years. God’s been good to me. He’s been great. I’ve been spreading the word, allowing people to see how my life has changed.

“People will bump into me and say, ‘Hey, man, is that you? I thought you were …’ They see the new me now. And if they start saying they want me to do something, I’ll tell them, ‘Hold on. Don’t start planting those bad seeds. But how are you doing today, man?’ I read them, good and evil.

“Today, I’m all about wanting to save lives. I want to help lives. I’m not trying to be a role model. I’m trying to be a real model. God bless.”

— Tony Brooks, 41

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The post ‘Today, I’m all about wanting to save lives’ appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“After my divorce, I was mixed up with the wrong people and got into drugs. I finally realized that I needed to get myself in check, so I went into rehab. I finished that, and now I’m attending college for my basics. I hope to go into nursing.

“It’s been rough, for sure. I have my two boys, work and school. I try not to get overwhelmed by it all.

“What helps is that I set goals for where I want to be in six months, where I want to be in a year. I wake up every morning and look at those. When stuff gets hard, I know that even though I might be checking off something small on my list, it’s all about continuing to move forward.”

The post Goal setting key to her recovery process appeared first on The Baytown Project.