Jim Everett remembers feeling a wave of pride and joy. Surrounded by teammates in the Superdome’s visiting locker room, Everett’s Rams team had just stolen an overtime win. And, in a tradition seemingly as old as the sport itself, coach John Robinson had awarded the game ball to his signal-caller, citing Everett’s grit during a key victory over their NFC West rivals.
Almost 33 years later, that ball still sits on Everett’s mantle. But when he looks at it, it’s not necessarily pride he feels. There is joy, but a different kind. “I laugh about it daily,” Everett says from his Laguna Niguel, Calif., home—cracking up frequently while discussing the topic. “It’s years later and I still laugh, ‘They gave me the game ball?!’”
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