Like many young boys, Aqib Talib always dreamed of being a professional athlete.
His insistence that dream would come true even got him in trouble once.
"I was in the NFL when I was about 6 years old," Talib said as he reminisced about his daydreams, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "I used to be Deion (Sanders). I used to be (Michael) Irvin. We used to write papers -- I got in trouble one time, fourth grade ... fifth grade, one of those grades. We had to write a little, one-page thing on what we were gonna be when we grow up, so I put, 'I'm gonna be an NFL player.'
"So my teacher told me, 'Seriously now. We're writing about really serious jobs.' So I said, 'Just 'cause you're not that talented and you're not goin' to the NFL, that don't mean I ain't goin.' Got me a little in-school suspension for that. I kind of talked back to her I guess. She pulled me into the office. I'll never forget it. And then I said it again, 'Just 'cause you're not goin' to the NFL don't mean I'm not goin.'"
It's a fun, silly story now, but let's give the teacher some credit. Sure Talib proved her wrong, but the odds of earning a chance to play in the NFL are so infinitesimal that any teacher worth his or her salt should encourage children to also pursue other interests outside of sports.
Talib earned his dream. Now he'll have a chance to net another one Sunday by adding a championship ring to his bling.
