Kalberg-Taylor, a senior football player at Minneapolis Southwest, lost his mother, Tammy Kalberg, in August three days before the start of the season. He already had decided to play football after a four-year hiatus, unsure of what he could offer and never imagining how much he would need the support of teammates.

Everything came together in the Lakers' season-opening victory over Minneapolis Edison. The Tommies' first drive into Lakers territory ended with a Kalberg-Taylor interception and 84-yard touchdown return. After scoring, Kalberg-Taylor touched his new tattoo in tribute.

"I think she set it up," Kalberg-Taylor said of his mother. "On offense you get the ball, defense you don't. But the ball came to me. I think it was set up for me."

Kalberg-Taylor said playing football gives him a welcome mix of support and distraction. Football coach John Biezuns recruited Kalberg-Taylor, a starting point guard on the boys' basketball team, for two years before the young man accepted. Though he last played football in eighth grade, Kalberg-Taylor said he believed the sport would pay dividends on and off the field.

"I just wanted to try it because I didn't want to do anything stupid," Kalberg-Taylor said. "I knew I wouldn't but it's better to be playing and practicing instead of walking around and not having anything to do and then have something bad happen."

Staff writer Brian Stensaas contributed to this report.