“Are you worried at all about how the shoulder will respond once the game starts?”
“Not at all.”
“Do you expect any limitations tonight?”
“Nah.”
“You don’t?”
“Nah, ain’t no limitations when the goal is to win.”
I left her standing there and headed toward midfield. As I looked around the stadium one last time before warmups started, I couldn’t help thinking about everything it took to get back here. The frustration… the endless treatment sessions… watching games from the sideline knowing I should’ve been on the field. Tonight all of that was behind me. I had a championship to win.
***
“This is the moment every player dreams about,” the lead commentator’s voice echoed throughout the stadium broadcast. “Thirty-two seconds left. A trip to the Super Bowl on the line. The Seattle Wolves trying to hold on, and the Cannons looking for one last score.”
“Tatum has time... looking over the middle... Samuels has a step...”
“TOUCHDOWN CANNONS!”
The roar hit immediately, loud enough to shake through my chest as I secured the football and disappeared beneath a wave of my teammates racing toward the end zone. Gold towels filled the air. Fans screamed from every section of the stadium, and somewhere above us, fireworks exploded while the giant video boards flashed my name across every screen in sight.
“TITAN SAMUELS WITH THE GO-AHEAD TOUCHDOWN! WHAT A RETURN! WHAT A MOMENT FOR THE CANNON HILLS CANNONS!”
There were still thirty-two seconds on the clock, but that didn’t mean shit.
Seattle got one last chance to answer, and I stood on the sideline with my helmet still in my hand, watching our defense close in like they were just as tired of this game as I was. Their quarterback tried to force something quick toward the sideline, but the ball sailed too far and hit the turf with nobody near it. By the time they lined up again, the clock was bleeding out, and his last desperate pass went nowhere.
“THAT’S IT! THE CANNON HILLS CANNONS ARE NFC CHAMPIONS!”
Confetti exploded from the stadium rafters as players stormed the field. Coaches embraced. Helmets and towels flew through the air. The Cannons were headed back to the Super Bowl.
For weeks, I’d been watching football instead of playing it. Tonight, I was standing in the middle of Cannon Field withanother shot at a Super Bowl win. It felt good… shit felt real good.
Eventually, family was allowed onto the field, adding another wave of people to an already crowded celebration. Cameras followed players from one interview to the next while reporters searched for quotes. Somewhere off to my right, a television crew was breaking down the game-winning touchdown.
My eyes landed on Tink the second I saw her. She was making her way through the crowd with her mama and the rest of our family. The closer she got, the harder it became not to smile. The second she reached me… I pulled her into my arms. For a moment neither one of us said anything. She just wrapped her arms around my waist while I held her against me and let myself enjoy the moment.
The noise around us hadn’t died down. Reporters were still moving through the crowd. Cameras were everywhere, but I didn’t care. My hand settled against her back as I lowered my head and pressed a kiss against her lips. When she finally looked up at me, the smile on her face was impossible to miss.
Before either of us could say anything, a reporter appeared beside us with a camera crew trailing behind her.
“Titan, congratulations. You’re headed back to the Super Bowl.”
“Appreciate it.” I nodded.
“Tonight marked your first game back since the injury, and you ended it with the game-winning touchdown. What does a moment like this mean to you?”
“It’s one of those things you appreciate more when it’s taken away from you.”
The reporter nodded.
“Was there ever a point when you questioned whether you’d be back for this game?”
“Nah… I never questioned if I was coming back… just when,” I answered honestly.
“What’s going through your mind right now knowing you’re headed back to the Super Bowl?”
