Auburn football player Michael Dyer, a freshman, looked like he was down on a short but uneventful 4th quarter run in the 2011 BCS Championship Game. But then, Michael Dyer kept running. The Michael Dyer run play set up the game-winning field goal kicked by the Auburn Tigers to defeat the Oregon Ducks in the last seconds of play.

Most thought an Auburn BCS Championship would come from phenom quarterback Cam Newton.

But check out this Michael Dyer YouTube video, and pay close attention to the what the commentators are saying.

In the end, Dyer’s improbable run play kept the Auburn Tigers alive and well within field goal range–and in range of the 2011 BCS Championship Trophy.

Watching this clip, a couple non-football thoughts jump to mind.

Michael Dyer Thought He Was Down and Was Ready to Stop Running
Do you ever feel that way? You’ve pushed through the obstacles in your path. You’ve done your best and you come up short–thinking your best just wasn’t enough. I can identify with that, but sometimes our view is limited. Sometimes we’re a little too close to ourselves.

Michael Dyer’s Auburn Teammates Encouraged Him to Keep Running
They heard no whistle and saw the Dyer’s knee hadn’t hit the ground. Michael Dyer’s body spun over the top of the defender–something his teammates could see better than Dyer. So they yelled for him to keep running for more yards–37 in total to be exact. That’s a monster run in any football game, and it was the key difference in the 2011 BCS title game last night.  Perhaps the MVP award should go to the Auburn sideline.

There are times in life when we’re ready to stop running because we think we’re beat. That’s when it helps to have teammates who can see us better than we see ourselves, and help us keep running. When you think you CAN’T run anymore, look to your sidelines for the teammates who will tell you to keep pressing on until you make it.

Congratulations to Cam Newton, Michael Dyer, Nick Fairley and the entire Auburn University football team on a well-earned victory. And thank you Oregon Ducks for those neon socks and putting up the fight of your lives in a thrilling BCS championship game.