Freshman Julien Mendoza knows he’s taking a risk when he dares to step out on the football field, wearing his number 24 jersey, and playing for the Glendale High School freshmen football team. Ranked the third-most dangerous sport in the U.S. according to Discovery Health, football alone is responsible for over half a million trips to the emergency room each year. Knowing the risks and the possibility of accidents, Mendoza says he still loves the sport and enjoys the game.

“It truly is a very dangerous game, but the only way you can protect yourself is to be careful and not hit with your head, that’s for sure. The dangers of the sport is one of the reasons why I do not want to continue football after high school,” Mendoza said.

As a cornerback and playing football for his first year, Mendoza admits that time management is crucial for athletes. With practices sometimes ending at 5:45 p.m., Mendoza says he tries to be careful and not let sports get in the way of school.

“With school and football, you can’t really do both after high school,” Mendoza said. “Usually I do half of the homework that’s due, and do the other half the next day after football.”

While the reputation of the sport may not be the safest, Mendoza says that his actual favorite thing about playing football is the physical contact. “My favorite thing about football is actually hitting others,” Mendoza said. “One of my teammates actually got a concussion this year, but luckily nothing has happened to me.”

With only being a freshman and having three more years waiting ahead of him, Mendoza says he hopes to continue playing for a number of years. “I am definitely planning on playing for the rest of the four years, because it’s really tough to be in football and I won’t be able to continue it after high school,” Mendoza said.