Format the following passage properly, for storytelling purposes. Keep it as written, don't change a single word, but improve grammar where necessary.

A gigantic gamble backfired. With less than a minute left, Tampa Bay scored to come within one point of San Diego, and would have almost certainly forced overtime had they simply let Matthew Husted try for the extra point. Instead, they did something almost unthinkable in such a situation: they went for two, only for rookie Trent Dilfer's attemped game-winning conversion pass to Courtney Hawkins to fall incomplete. Having led 23-8 at halftime, the Buccaneers fell to the Chargers by just one point. 53-52. It is perhaps the most stunning of all the "Madden NFL '95" CPU vs. CPU games I have done up until now, not only for the margin of victory but how hard the Chargers fought in the second half, perhaps realizing they were on the verge of losing to a team that finished 6-10 in 1994--a notion that is unconscionable for a team that not only went to the Super Bowl but had one of the very best defensive players in the league, the great Junior Seau. Speaking of which, Seau proved a major factor in the Chargers storming back from certain defeat to knock off the Bucs, recording ten tackles and an interception while sacking Trent Dilfer three times. Natrone Means meant business, finishing with 199 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. Shawn Jefferson was almost automatic whenever a pass headed his way, and finished with 123 receiving yards and two touchdowns. John Carney was almost perfect in the kicking department, going five for six on field goal tries and a perfect four for four on extra point attempts while accounting for 19 of San Diego's 53 points (or roughly 36%). Last but absolutely not least, Stan Humphries fared admirably leading the way for the Chargers to emerge victorious after trailing by 15, going 18 for 49 with 320 passing yards and four touchdowns (though he also had three picks early on, all of which were converted by Tampa Bay into points; in the second half, he did not throw a single interception). Reflecting on the passing of Seau, I remember having one of his jerseys in my middle/high school days, and wore it for a long time until someone reminded me that not only had he passed away, but his death was ruled a suicide. Later studies concluded that Seau, at the time of his death, was suffering from CTE as a result of the damage he sustained on the field. Linebackers tend to get it the worst, as they must always play rough-and-tumble in order to protect their 'money' players. It is hard to believe that he is gone, and ironically when I think of him I think not so much of his work with the Chargers, but the fact that he was not only one victory away from becoming a Super Bowl champion--at the age of 39--but nearly won that title with a team that would have ended the season 19-0. As a member of the legendary 2007 New England Patriots, Seau came within one victory of not only ending his career a world champion, but a member of what would have been only the second team in NFL history to win the Super Bowl with a perfect season, after the also-legendary 1972 Miami Dolphins. Alas, the New York Giants had other plans, and completed an improbable championship run by stifling the number one offense in the league, winning 17-14 with an Eli Manning TD pass to Plaxico Burress with only thirty-five seconds left. To this day, it remains one of the most stunning upsets in the history of the NFL, and by far the biggest upset of the 'salary cap' era that started in 1994. Just as the Giants brought the Lombardi Trophy home to New York, I think about ways in which I could 'bring it home' in my own life. It has been a few days since I seriously buckled down and practiced my monologue for the forthcoming showcase in September. Wanting to make sure I had not forgotten it, I took an opportunity to do an 'impromptu' practice while scrubbing away dirt and grime stuck to an oven door in the dairy section of the Cafe 95 kitchen. It's not the same thing as being on a stage, as I had to focus more on my vocal expressiveness and did not have the luxury of all the free space that the stage affords an actor to move around with, but then again I've begun to limit my movement, operating on the principle that 'less is more.' It is a phrase that our instructor will often remind us of, and as I have watched my fellow performers practice their pieces, I cannot help but be deeply humbled at all they do with what they have. Every performance tells a story. It is as unique to them and who they are as their fingerprints, and just as no two people will ever share an identical set of fingerprints, no two people will ever perform the same song identically. Even for a solo performer, there is no such thing as singing the same song the same exact way on more than one single occasion. The beauty of performance is that you can adjust on the fly, just like a quarterback might do when he realizes that their initial 'Plan A' isn't working. The best quarterbacks always have a 'Plan B,' and in equal fashion, the best performers know how to improvise based on the reactions of the audience. The last time I performed the monologue onstage, I found myself trying things I hadn't tried before. Whether it's altering which lines receive emphasis, or slowing down the flow of cadence and delivery on certain parts of the dialogue, I made my best effort to not rush through the words in a mechanical and robotic way. For me, what matters most is feeling the language. They are not merely words located on a sheet of paper, or displayed on a screen. They are the heart and soul of the author, the results of extended sessions of reflection and introspection. The best writers are able to make it look quite effortless; of course, the category of 'best' is one within which I will never reside, but it was not the goal at any point in time. Writing is a form of self-expression, and I am reminded of that when I see the sun peek gently through my window blinds. Seldom has the sky looked any more elegant, ever so encouraging, infinitely uplifting. The way the light is reflected onto the leaves and the red flowers reminds me that not everything is so bad. There's a lot to look forward to, a lot to be thankful for. The dryer hums atmospherically in the background, the clothes within tumbling and tossing around as if they had a sleepless night. As of late, I have become intimately familiar with what it feels like, having had some trouble getting rest. Realizing I have been fighting fatigue, I reached out to one of the best friends a guy could ask for, the wonderful Sonja Ball. Revisiting what she wrote, my mind is drawn to a certain quote: "Your breath is keeping you alive and paying attention to it through meditation-type self knowledge, can create a separation between you and your thoughts." Scarface of the Geto Boys knew back in 1992 how the mind can play tricks on you, and being in the position I am in, I strive not to be driven nuts by my thoughts, both the good and the bad. Another quote that is quite powerful for me: "We may not be able to continue helping others if we neglect our own inner peace." Reflecting on how deep and poignant her thoughts are, I have a better understanding of the perspectives that have guided Sonja through a long and remarkable life, and are getting her through the tribulations she faces. Despite herself battling fatigue, she took time out of her day to offer her most sincere advice on how to deal with it. I cherish her so much. She's a diamond in the rough.