Chapter Three: Running with the ball
I got in contact with my surprise benefactor. It was much easier than I thought as he wanted to talk to me. Even though he had retired from the big game, he still was a busy man.
"Rod!" he said as we talked by video.
"Kevin," I said as I was greeted by the man that had changed my life.
We exchanged a few memories of the good old days. I even talked about his professional career. Two playoff appearances with two different teams. One pro bowl nomination. It was something he was very proud of, with good reason.
"I have to ask," I said as things got settled.
"Of course," Kevin nodded.
"Why?" I knew it was something I always asked, but I had to know.
"Ask yourself that, man," Kevin said, shaking his head. "I watched you drop that ball," Kevin said, staring at the screen. "I watched you, you can lie about it, to everyone else, just like you lied about it that day, but I watched you. I was right there!"
I nodded. Kevin was right there. He was on the field less than a few yards away from me in the end zone. If I had caught it, we won, but I dropped it.
"See, that's the same look," Kevin said, shaking his head and pointing at the screen. "Same look when I looked at the ball on the ground and you staring right at me."
"You were, better than me," I said.
"Fuck you!" Kevin shouted. "No, I wasn't, not then! No, you were the man. No one could cover you; no one could tackle you," Kevin shook his head. He was angry. "All this," he said as he turned the camera to show the jerseys, balls, and medals. "All of it, should have been there, on your wall!"
I felt like I was getting yelled at by the coach all over again. "But you were scared," Kevin said. "Then when you faked that injury and coach gave me the ball and told me I had to take your place," Kevin nodded. "I did, I took that shit, and I ran, because I wasn't scared."
"Looks like it worked out," I smiled.
"Don't do that," Kevin shook his head. "Don't make it out like you made the right decision," Kevin said. "It wasn't until I retired, and I got approached to tell my story from the beginning, for a book."
Kevin shook his head. "I got to that point, the championship game, then I realized, my whole career was based on one play, you dropping that ball," Kevin nodded. "If you caught it, the scouts would have been all over you, if you didn't fake your injury, they wouldn't have even looked my way. And that tore me up."
I nodded. It was the reason I did it. "I didn't want it, you did," I replied.
"Bullshit!" Kevin smiled. "Bull fucking shit!" Kevin laughed. "You're so used to telling yourself that, that you're actually believing it. You keep forgetting I was there, I saw the look of fear in your eyes when you looked at those scouts, or when they asked you about going to the draft how you used to run into the bathrooms and puke your guts out."
I shook my head. "Yeah, you can keep telling everybody those lies, but you're looking at the one person that knew that big Rod Griffin was scared of the NFL, he was scared that his skills wouldn't carry with him into the big game, he was scared of the spotlight, but the real thing you were really scared of was, what if you were better, what if you weren't just good, you were the best."
Kevin nodded his head. "Yeah, those eyes just got pretty wide huh?"
Kevin's face was near the screen. "I know the real reasons. You were terrified that you were going to make it, that you would be high up in the draft, that you were going to be a star player, that's what you were terrified of, big Rod, dropped that ball so that scouts and everybody else would think he couldn't make the plays when it counted."
Kevin sat back. "Tell me I am wrong."
I couldn't. Kevin had hit the nail on the head. Since high school, I wanted to play in the NFL, went to college, and balled. I wasn't just good. I was the best at my position. I could catch anything thrown my way.
Then the scouts came, and I was ready. Then one day, we were all watching the Super Bowl, and all the announcers kept saying was the pressure was on these two players.
All my team players were saying how much they wanted it to be them, that they wanted the pressure, the game coming down to them. I sat there thinking about if I was in that position. It terrified me.
"So," Kevin said. His voice broke me out of my trance. "Once I realized it was you, that made my career what it was, I am not a person that likes to owe anybody anything. A simple search and I found you, and then I hired an investigator, it seems you have been dropping the ball, all your life." Kevin shook his head.
"Now, you can't," Kevin nodded. "I am picking the ball and taping it to your hands, you have a great place, paid for, a good job, that you will accept, and you are going to take the damn ball and run with it. Period."
"I don't know what to say," I said.
"Nothing, we are even," Kevin said, nodding his head. "Don't contact me again."
Kevin hung up his end of the video call. I sat there in silence as I wondered if he was right? If all those jerseys and memories should have been mine.
I hardly ever thought about it. Once I left college, I never looked back until now. Seeing Kevin sit in that room with everything behind him made me wonder if I could have done all of it. Could I have made it?
I felt the familiar sensation of my cat rubbing against my leg. "Okay," I nodded as I got up and got her food.
I had a big day tomorrow. I was meeting with Jackson. Kevin was right. From this day forth, no more dropping the ball.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"This way, Mr. Griffin," the lady said as I got to the address given to me.
I followed the young lady down the hall and into a row of offices. "Mr. Kingsley is out of the office at the moment," the lady said. "But he told me to set you up."
"What exactly do we do here?" I asked as we entered a small corner office with a view of downtown.
"We are the superior choice of agents for all athletes, no matter the sport," the lady said.
"Agents?" I asked as I sat down.
"Most," the lady nodded. "Mr. Kingsley has said that you will be talking to those that are undecided, and potentially helping them make the right decision."
I nodded and settled in; the lady that showed me around was named Celeste. She helped me get started. She showed me the ropes and what I was supposed to do.
I took my first phone call to a senior college player, thinking of going pro in Soccer. Like me, when I was in his shoes, he was undecided and weighing his options. It was nice to talk to him about his dreams and aspirations.
It took a few more calls until I got the swing of things. By the day ended, I was more than comfortable with what the company wanted from me.
"How was your day?" Celeste asked as I left my office.
"It was great," I replied.
"Good," Celeste nodded. "If there is anything I can do for you, just let me know."
"Thank you," I smiled.
It was a nice drive back to my condo. Things have been looking up for me since I made the move out here. Even though it had been initially to visit an old college friend, it had changed to a lifestyle change.
