I know how he feels. I’m sure there are plenty of you who probably have felt it, too, at some point in your lives.

When Baltimore Ravens kicker Tyler Loop failed to make a successful field goal during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers last week, there were cheers from the Pittsburgh crowd and pure disbelief from the Baltimore fans.

While I am a Steelers’ fan, my heart dropped for young Tyler Loop. He was put in a position that his other teammates could not accomplish during four periods of the game. It was up to him to win the game with a 3-point kick. Instead, the ball he booted failed to make it through the uprights. End of game, the Steelers won.

In that instant, I felt that kid’s despair. I, too, have dropped to my knees after making a mistake during my reporting days that I felt would end my career, and any confidence I would ever have again in my ability to do my job.

I won’t go into the details — it’s still too painful for me to talk about. However, I wish I could relay a message to Tyler Loop. I would tell him that it was only through forgiveness that I was able to continue in my job for many more years after my blunder. I received forgiveness and the blessing from the person who was affected by my error.

Only then could I heal, even if I will never forget the past. Now I can only wish that there are enough people in Baltimore to help Tyler Loop regain his footing as a Baltimore Raven and extend their hands to a young man still stinging today.

And then, more than anything, I pray Tyler Loop can forgive himself. Trust me, that is the hardest part. It’s not easy to part the dark cloud when others won’t let you see the sunshine. Many will say it was just a football game. Get over it. But that’s not easy for a 24-year-old rookie trying to find his way in the game of football.

I was glad to hear that he is “leaning on his faith” to continue in his chosen career. He sounds like a pretty good guy who just needs a few more practice days — and not being kicked when he is down.

Heather Ziegler can be reached via email at hziegler@theintellligencer.net.