Page 76 of Scored

“No, seriously,” I said. “The hit was my fault. I didn’t see it coming, didn’t check my blindside.”

“We need to stop anyone from penetrating the O-line,” Spencer said. “We miss Young at offensive tackle, but each game James is improving. We’ll keep you safe.”

“Hey, man,” Treshawn said, speaking to me. “Damn, the Vikings.”

Everyone agreed.

“Bracket busters,” I said with a grin. “And now they get to play Philly in Philly.”

“The Lions gave the Eagles a run,” Troy said, “but in the end Philly was too tough.”

“I played six years for Green Bay. Cheering for the Lions or the Bears rubs me the wrong way.”

Dijon spoke up. “I’m glad we’re playing inside Sunday afternoon. Lincoln Financial will be chilling Sunday night.”

“I’m happy for your kid brother,” JD said. “But it doesn’t make any difference who wins the NFC. The Coopers are winning the Super Bowl.”

“Fuck yeah.” The general consensus.

Before our position meeting, I went into the locker room and checked my phone. I wasn’t surprised to not see a call or text message from Vee. She told me what a busy schedule she would have.

Putting it back in my bag, I headed toward the afternoon meetings. I was curious about the new plays. This could be advantageous for a new round of strip-play-calling.

CHAPTER 30

Vee

“Quinten Ledger,” Uncle Darin said, “knows he’s in the running for general manager. I believe he should be given a written offer sooner rather than later.”

My cheeks rose, remembering the meetings last week. The first one was with Quinten, Uncle Darin, Aunt Rachel, Grant, and me. The second one was more private—only Quinten and me. The legal department would be working out the fine print once the official offer was made.

There wouldn’t be an announcement about Royce Beasley’s retirement or Quinten’s promotion until after the Coopers’ season. Nevertheless, Uncle Darin was right. We needed to move.

The reason I called the second meeting was due to my curiosity. As a group, we’d asked the big questions. What was his vision for the Coopers? What did he think needed to be changed in the general management and football operations? What could he bring to the position that was missing?

His answers were good.

I wanted to know something more personal. I wanted to know if his heart was with the Coopers. That wasn’t exactly a question with a canned answer. So, I called him to my office late last Thursday afternoon.

“Vee,” Jen said, “Mr. Ledger is here.”

I gave her a smile. “Please send him in.”

Quinten Ledger completed his undergrad at University of Michigan with a prelaw degree. He put law school off while he played for three years in the league. After completing his rookie contract, Quinten went back to U of M for the next three years and completed his Juris Doctor.

A lot of things have changed in the NFL since Grandpa hired Royce Beasley. Currently, there was a highly regulated landscape governed by the NFL collective bargaining agreements, salary caps, and player negotiations. From what Royce said, adding Quinten to our general management team helped bring the Coopers’ front-line negotiations up, especially with his knowledge of law.

Quinten’s first position in football, after law school, was in scouting for Ohio State. He worked his way up in that department. Six years ago, Royce hired Quinten as the director of college scouting. In those six years, he made his way up to assistant general manager. The Coopers would be fools to let him go.

“Ms. Hubbard,” Quinten said as he stepped into my office.

“Mr. Ledger, thank you for meeting with me.”

He was a handsome Black man in his early forties with a shiny, shaved head and a commanding negotiating presence.

After shaking my hand, he took the chair opposite my desk. “I hope you didn’t call me here to let me know you and the others changed your mind about me, that I’m off your list of candidates.”

I smiled. “Not at all. Once Uncle Darin brought Aunt Rachel and me your curriculum vitae, I wondered why we hadn’t either moved you up sooner or you haven’t been snapped up by another team.”