Munson opens up
Most nights before bed, Patriots backup linebacker Calvin Munson says a prayer.
Every time he leaves the field after a game, he does the same.
So naturally, after one of the chilling moments of his 7-year career last weekend at Green Bay, Munson’s instinct was to take a knee. It was his incidental contact that had leveled rookie cornerback Isaiah Bolden and left him motionless and concussed on the field with 10:29 left. Like the rest of his teammates, Munson watched Bolden lie immobilized on a stretcher and get carted away to a nearby hospital before the game was called.
Few teammates, though, realized Munson’s hit had caused the injury. Initially, he was left alone with his thoughts, a mix of guilt and shock. That is, until Patriots captain Matthew Slater gathered the team in prayer.
Munson joined, then spoke alone with Slater, who was among the few who knew exactly what had happened.
“(Slater) was just like, ‘It was just a football play. It’s hard to know, and you’re probably feeling like you’re blamed for it, but just know it’s a bang-bang play. There’s nothing really you could have done. We’ll just keep praying for him,’ “Munson told the Herald.
Munson, 28, later visited with his parents, who attended the game, and spoke with his fiancee over the phone. He prayed with all of them and again by himself. The prayers continued, even after Patriots trainer Jim Whalen took over for coach Bill Belichick in the locker room post-game to announce Bolden had feeling and movement in all extremities.
Munson listened and felt relief wash over him, especially after Whalen’s follow-up announcement that brought more good news. Though, he didn’t sleep that night in Wisconsin. Munson instead texted Bolden, who quickly replied, and both of them received more support from teammates and staffers as the Patriots retreated to Foxboro.
“My number one concern was that he was doing OK,” Munson said. “I’m just super glad and blessed that he’s doing better.”
In recent days, the waves of comfort have come slow and steady for Munson, easing any lingering guilt. He finally got to visit with Bolden in the locker room Tuesday. Munson said they shared a quick embrace; two players on the roster bubble bound by a moment that went far beyond football and served as a reminder it’s never too late to lean on each other or count your blessings.
“I was pretty beat up that night because no one wants to be part of a play like that,” Munson said “I was just really concerned for him and praying he was OK, and luckily, God answered those prayers because he’s doing better. Much better. Just a lot of emotion that night.”