"He was murdering me, just killing me" - When Mookie Betts was adamant about quitting youth football after rough first day

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Mookie Betts has been one of the biggest names in MLB ever since his debut with the Boston Red Sox nearly a decade ago.

While the 31-year-old is known for his grit and determination when he is representing the team, it was very different for the former AL MVP when he first started his journey with another sport.

During his stint with the Red Sox in 2019, Betts shed light on his encounter with a senior pro on his first day on a youth football field in Tennessee.

"I had started playing football and it was the first day I ever put on pads and I was pit against a guy who it was his fourth year," Betts told WEEI.com

The seven-time All-Star struggled to come to terms with the harsh nature of the sport and made up his mind to quit the game.

"He was murdering me, just killing me. So I told my Mom I wanted to quit. This is crazy. If this was what football is I didn’t want to play anymore."

While Betts was adamant to quit, the future Dodgers World Series winner's mother made him understand the harsh lessons of life. He admitted that his decision at the time was driven by emotions and wasn't the right one either.

"It was an emotional decision. It’s not a decision that is necessarily what is right. She told me there was no need to quit. Just because you had a bad day or just because things didn’t go your way doesn’t mean you quit."

Mookie Betts determined to redeem himself after last season's postseason lull

The Los Angeles Dodgers swept their opponents during the regular season but were unable to replicate the same form during the postseason, chasing their second World Series title in the last five years.

Betts was one of the players who received flak for his underwhelming showing during his team's wretched postseason run.

However, the veteran slugger has been a strong performer during the Dodgers' spring training game, especially in the latest outing against the Rockies where he combined with Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman.