Another Titans practice came to an end, but for Kenny and Jackson that didn't mean THEIR training had to end. As they grabbed their bags, they looked around. Tommy was picking them up for extra training. Rudy and Freddy had caught wind of the plan and decided to join. Shane was an integral part too, and after he'd helped clear away the equipment, he made his way over.
Tommy had said the extra sessions were important. "You had to be willing to put in more work; you couldn't be afraid to go into overtime."
It made sense to Jackson, and, of course, he was willing to do anything his brother told him if it'd help him get stronger. Plus, the longer the early off-season stretched on, the easier the team practices became.
It was strange because since Christmas less players were showing up to the voluntary sessions, so you'd think the sessions would get more intense with Coach Otsen and the others able to focus more intensely on a smaller group. Maybe they were. Maybe it just felt like practice was getting easier because Jackson and the others were growing more rapidly thanks to their extra-curricular activities.
Surprisingly, Grant and his lackeys were still showing up—though they were always last to arrive and first to leave—and it seemed they would be until summer break. Rudy mentioned how they hadn't last year, but nobody had quit in a week.
'They're scared we're gonna take their place,' Kenny said, as the boys walked towards the carpark.
'Yeah they would be stupid enough to think they can stop us,' Rudy said.
'It's not a competition guys,' Shane said. 'Come on, we're all on the same team here. It's good that you're all driving each other to be better, that's what you should be focused on. Remember, they're not the enemy.'
'Yeah that's easy for you to say,' Rudy said, looking away.
'Shane's right,' Jackson said. 'As annoying as those guys are, they're still Titans at the end of the day.'
'Pfft. If they don't quit after we knock them back to JV next year,' Kenny said.
'Hah, yeah they would.' Rudy said.
Jackson sighed. They were probably right. He didn't expect Grant to be the kind of guy that could handle such a "humiliation". Somebody had to play JV, there was nothing wrong with that. Especially when Jackson and his friends were going to prove you could earn your way up to the varsity roster.
Freddy tugged on Jackson's sleeve, drawing his attention. 'Um … what exactly are we doing, again?' he asked. 'How does your brother usually train you guys?'
'Oh! Uhh, well he doesn't really tell me beforehand. But he's … different … compared to Coach Otsen.'
Jackson looked around at the group. Everyone but Kenny was looking at him expectantly. Tommy had been the one to ask him to bring Shane along that day, and that conversation had led to the suggestion of inviting the Titans' other Receivers too. Jackson hoped that meant Tommy knew not to try any of the weirder training methods. He didn't know if he'd ever live it down if Tommy tried testing Rudy and Freddy's mental toughness. The Clubhouse had been bad enough.
'Different's good,' Shane said, 'and trust me, it won't be anything out of the ordinary. It'll be more like a nice, fun challenge for you guys.'
The focus shifted to Shane. Jackson blinked. 'It sounds like you already know what's happening.'
'Yeah, and that you won't be doing it,' Rudy added.
'You and Tommy sharing some secrets?' Kenny asked. 'I was wondering why you'd be coming along.'
'Any extra practice is worthwhile, and don't worry I'll still be participating,' Shane said, smiling at everyone. 'But yes I've been talking with Tommy, that's why I'm here.'
More questions were on the tips of the boys' tongues, but stayed caged behind clamped teeth as two cars pulled into the lot. Tommy's led the way for a grey pick-up.
Tommy pulled up before the boys, hopping out of his car. 'Heya, hope you boys don't mind but I brought my friend, Carter, along, he'll help us out today.'
Carter rolled down his window, leaning out to give a wave that was really just a raising of his hand, greeting them with a nonchalant, 'Hey.'
His brown hair had a high fade along the sides and was gelled up in the front in an intentionally messy way. He had a small, round head, but otherwise looked like the kind of guy you'd pass by five times on a short walk. One of those guys who had a decent build, and you could tell he played something in high school, but hadn't been keeping up with it.
Jackson recognised him as the starting QB for Tommy's high school team during their senior year … at least Carter had been at the start of their senior year.
Shane walked over to the pick-up, smiling as wide as ever. 'Hey, I'm Shane Spearhead, nice to meet you.' He reached towards the window.
Carter shook hands with him, looking Shane over. 'That makes sense. Tommy's told me a bit about you. Hop in.'
Shane took the only passenger seat in Carter's car, and after Tommy requested the others stop dawdling and get in as well, Jackson took the front seat, leaving Kenny, Rudy, and Freddy to cram into the back. Of course, Freddy ended up squished in the middle, yet each boy still had their complaints, and they didn't stop complaining until the ride was over.
Thankfully that only lasted ten minutes before they spilled out into Sun Crown Park. The main attraction for them, was the narrow soccer field which had a few lights nearby—which were already turning on—and would be a perfectly suitable stand-in for a gridiron.
Kenny, Rudy, and Freddy stretched their legs and backs, feeling as if even five minutes would've been too long all together in Tommy's back seat. As everyone stepped out of the cars, the backseat trio made sure to spread out, needing their space. Tommy and Carter moved over to stand in front of everyone.
'Alright!' Tommy said, clapping his hands together. 'Today's exercise is a simple one, but it's fun. We'll be doing some one-on-ones. You guys, against me … and Shane.'
Shane was still smiling as he walked over and stood between the older boys, though the smile quickly faded. 'This is good for me too, guys. I let the team down because I wasn't comfortable playing so much coverage. I need to be better at this if I'm going to lead you guys to a championship next season.'
'Well put, Shane,' Tommy said, clapping him on the back. 'And it'll be good for you boys to practice against a bigger, stronger opponent which is what most of you will need to get used to if you want to make the jump to varsity.'
Rudy scoffed. Tommy grinned at him and continued. 'Of course, Carter here will be our Quarterback for the day. Now unless anyone's got any questions, go get warmed up.'
The quartet of Freddy, Rudy, Kenny, and Jackson strode towards the field. As they passed the others, Rudy stared at Shane.
'How does Tommy know Carter?' Kenny asked whilst the boys took a jog across the field, getting a feel for the grass and stretching their muscles back out again. 'Are they both at ASU?'
'I don't think so?' Jackson responded. 'I know they played together in high school, but I don't think Carter got a scholarship.'
Carter, Shane, and Tommy were warming up nearby, throwing a ball between them. Tommy smiled; he was close enough to overhear. 'Guys, I did ask if you had any questions. Personal ones are a part of that. Why don't you ask the man himself?'
The warm-ups and stretches stopped, and all eyes turned to Carter. He didn't shy away from the attention, but scratched the back of his head, shifting under all those gazes.
'There isn't much to say. I've got some high school varsity experience. I weren't anything special though.'
'That's selling yourself short,' Tommy said.
Carter grinned sheepishly. 'No-one would've expected me to make the league, or even start in college, not that I needed to go there … besides, I stopped before I had the chance.'
The younger boys shared a few looks, but nobody interrupted, and whilst they didn't ask for Carter to continue, their anticipation filled the air. He had a resigned look—not sad exactly, but certainly not happy either.
'Halfway through my senior year, we're playing a game. Not a heated rivalry, not for any championship, just a regular ass game. It's close, coming down to the final minutes. I scramble out of the pocket up the middle of the field. I seen a guy coming at me, big Linebacker, right? So I need to slide. I'm thinking that, then'—he snapped his fingers—'next thing I know I'm staring up at a hospital ceiling, in a strange, narrow bed with a buncha machines beeping at me.'
Jackson's hands closed into tight fists, trembling; Freddy clasped a hand over his mouth; Kenny's eyes were shut and his breathing heavy; Rudy stared beyond Carter, almost stoic except for his tightly clenched jaw; Shane stared at Carter, solemn and empathetic.
'I've watched the clip a couple times,' Carter said. His voice was quiet, but so was the park. 'I slid. It was a late hit. I don't blame the guy. It's drilled into you, every practice, follow through. But I knew I was done after that game.'
'Was it brain damage?' Freddy asked, hand dropping from his face. 'A haemorrhage?'
'Every concussion is brain damage,' Carter said. 'And there's always lasting damage, no matter how minor it might seem. I know you're asking if I HAD to stop, and the answer's no. I could've kept playing, maybe it was just a fluke. But every concussion you have, it's easier to get another one. Injuries like that are a possibility every play. You go to make the tackle, the ball carrier leads with their head, bang. You're the ball carrier and the defender puts their head down, bang. You go for a catch across the middle of the field—you're not looking at the defence, you're watching the ball, bang. A lot of the time it's accidental. That doesn't change the damage it does to you. After that I realised football wasn't for me.'
Tommy stepped closer, draping an arm around Carter's shoulders. 'There isn't any shame in making that decision. It takes a lot of bravery actually.'
'I'm just lucky my dad could take me on as an apprentice. Heh, didn't even need to go to college.' When Carter finished speaking, his smile had finally reached his eyes.
'Now are we doing this or what?' Tommy asked.
Rudy stepped forward first, jaw still clenched, and Shane matched him. The others cleared out to the sideline, as Carter took the ball and moved to the centre of the field.
'Just raise your hand when you're ready for the ball,' Carter said.
Rudy nodded, getting into his stance. Shane stuck close, intending to press him.
'Set. Hike!'
Rudy jabbed inside then went out. Shane followed and pushed against him, almost knocking Rudy over, though they fought up the sideline. Every step truly was a fight as Shane played physically, as if every yard Rudy progressed was a wound against him.
A couple of seconds had passed, yet Rudy had only gone 8 or so yards. He cut inside, shoving Shane aside, and stumbled away, hand in the air.
Carter fired the pass in. It was a zippy pass, with fast but manageable airspeed, and the placement was right where Rudy wanted it. Yet Shane still got his hand to it first, bumping Rudy off his line as he spiked the ball into the grass.
Rudy tumbled over, rolling through back to his feet. He glared at Shane, then Tommy, who stepped onto the field, cheering and clapping for Shane.
'Hmph. Yeah whatever. You could've told me we were playing prison ball or some shit.'
'The game gets more physical the higher level of competition you go,' Tommy said. 'Plus, the refs won't always throw a flag. Whether they missed it or … well. No use dwelling on it, but now you know what to expect, right? So you'll do better against me?'
Tommy took Shane's place as they reset, Shane handing the ball back to Carter for the next attempt. Rudy was still glaring when he stood opposite Tommy, staring up at him defiantly.
'Set. Hike.'
This time Rudy exploded inside, trying to slip by Tommy, who was having none of it. He rode Rudy all the way, turning what was surely supposed to be a Go route into a Slant, than a Drag. Rudy tried to shrug him off and reverse his momentum, but Tommy was still right on top of him. Rudy stumbled and was driven into the ground. The play over, the victory going to Tommy.
Rudy punched the ground, cursing. Tommy offered him a hand up, checking if he was alright. He was fine, the only hurt thing about him was a bruised ego. Rudy took the hand—there weren't any hard feelings—and Tommy dusted him off before turning to the others.
'Who's next?' Tommy asked.
Jackson took a breath to prepare himself, but in that moment, Kenny stepped forward. Just like with Rudy's attempt, Shane was the first obstacle, and Tommy waited to finish the two-part gauntlet.
Carter called for them to start, and Kenny wasted no time, darting outside, lowering his shoulder. Shane bumped him off his line, but Kenny stayed inbounds, and rushed ahead. He had enough space, so raised his hand.
Carter lobbed the ball over, Kenny turned his head, tracking it through the darkening sky, cupping his hands. Shane lunged, arm thrust over Kenny's shoulder, blocking the ball off, disrupting the catch. The two fell to the ground alongside the ball, rolling to a stop.
Kenny pushed himself up, shaking his head. The pass was on the money, Shane was just too close. But he had to put that out of his mind as he went up against Tommy. It was like failing to jump over a wall, only to realise there was a greater one behind it anyway. Kenny wasn't about to back down.
At Carter's shout he feinted outside and slingshotted in. As he tried to turn upfield, Tommy bumped him further in, but Kenny fought through and eventually straightened. He shimmied out, then cut in, hand raised. Tommy undercut him, easily intercepting the ball.
'NEXT!' Tommy shouted, flipping the ball back to Carter.
Kenny groaned and hung his head, trudging back to the sideline. Freddy was more than happy to let Jackson go before him; he was sitting on the ground staring at Shane and Tommy as if they were a pair of exams.
Jackson stepped up to Shane, bumping fists with him before they settled into their stances. He followed Kenny's lead, darting outside and skirting past Shane that way, and raced ahead with him on his hip. He shimmied inside, then turned out, calling for the ball. Shane battled the ball down and shoved Jackson into the others on the sideline. The boys were a protective barrier, keeping the pair upright and steadying them.
Some sympathetic encouragements trickled over Jackson as he marched back onto the field, coming face to face with his older brother. It wasn't his first time viewing Tommy in such a way, but all the previous brotherly duels had a much more casual air. Jackson could tell Tommy wasn't holding back any longer.
'Nervous?' Tommy asked.
It was a question he wouldn't have asked if he didn't already know the answer. Jackson would've killed for a mirror just so he could see how dumb and frightened he must've looked at that moment. He grit his teeth and glared up at Tommy.
'You're the one who should be nervous.'
Tommy laughed at that and clapped his hands. 'That's the spirit! Let's go, Carter, make this a good one.'
Jackson looked across and nodded at Carter.
'Set. Hike.'
Jackson rushed forward, again aiming for the outside. Instead, he ran into a brick wall. A brick wall that was swiftly pushing him towards the others on the sideline. Jackson scrambled to keep his feet under him. He found Tommy's hands jammed under his armpits, and shoved them aside, freeing himself not a step too soon. He darted up, a straight-line race, and Tommy glided alongside him. Jackson stuttered and feinted, trying to shake free, but nothing worked. Reluctantly, he raised his hand. He'd beat Tommy in the air if he had to.
Of course, that was a hopeless endeavour. Tommy had the clear height advantage, and also the better vertical. All Jackson could do was hug Tommy's hips as he soared up for the interception.
They landed together, Tommy steadying Jackson as they stumbled a bit. 'Better luck next time, little bro.'
Jackson pouted up at him, causing Tommy to laugh and ruffle his hair. He pushed the ball into Jackson's arms. 'Go run this back to Carter.'
Jackson grumbled as he did so, then returned to the sideline. Finally, it was Freddy's turn.
Freddy strutted onto the field, shoulders back, chest out. He looked like he'd figured out the solution to the dual problems staring him down. He was the only one confident in his abilities.
For good reason. Putting those solutions into practice was a lot harder in reality than it was in his head. His first attempts against both Shane and Tommy went nowhere but backwards as they bulldozed him with their presses.
One round was down, and none of the four challengers had looked even hopeful in their attempts to overcome the two juggernauts.
'Come on,' Tommy urged, not even sweating. 'Rudy, you're back up. Don't worry. I've got all night.'
As the night went on, and the boys continued to work under the harsh, artificial lights surrounding the field, nobody beat Tommy. Eventually, Rudy got the best of Shane, freezing him with a stutter-step while hand-fighting, then burst along outside, getting the step to have just enough space for a fading back shoulder catch.
A few tries later Kenny beat Shane as well, faking a Slant, and feinting to the outside before going back to the slant.
Jackson's next attempt saw him conquer Shane too. He earned his reception by skirting past him to the outside, then curling back, leaving Shane wrong-footed.
Freddy was determined not to be the odd man out, and they didn't leave the park until he had his victory … even if it took a few more tries. His was thanks to what Jackson had set up, and after fighting past on the inside, he used a double move to fake a Curl, before beating Shane deep.
The boys had been at it for hours when all was said and done. Carter didn't mind taking Shane home, and Tommy began the task of dropping off all the others.
Jackson slumped in the passenger seat, staring out the windshield. Despite all that effort, nobody had beat Tommy, and even against Shane only Rudy had more than two catches, whilst it would've been over a dozen attempts for every boy.
It was crazy to think about. And supposedly Shane didn't think he was any good in coverage. It felt like he was closer to Tommy in skill than any of them were to him.
Yet Joseph Fale had overpowered and beaten Shane. Then, just a short time later, Tyrese Samuels had beaten Fale. How big—or small—was the gap between someone like Tyrese and Tommy?
"He's good but not that good, and even if he's better than Shane, that just means I know who I have to overcome to be better than HIM."