Page 11 of The Penalty

The guys work hard for the next few hours, doing more drills and running plays. They’re ready for this game. Hayes is on fire this season, but so is everyone else. We’ve got a solid team, and I’m pumped for this first game.

We all file back to the sidelines, where McKenzie has put her phone down and looks like she’s waiting to talk to someone. I walk straight to my playbooks and start gathering up my stuff.

“Coach, do you have time to answer a few questions?” I hear her ask.

Hayes walks up to her and asks, “You sure you don’t want to ask me anything?”

“Very sure. I’d like to talk to Coach Danvers.”

“He’s too old for you,” Hayes calls with a laugh as he walks with his teammates to the locker room.

My shoulders stiffen. I know he didn’t mean anything by it and that it was only a joke. But for some unknown reason, the comment makes me nervous.

I try my best to play it off. “He’s an idiot.”

“Yeah, I’ve gathered that.”

She unlocks her phone and holds it up. “Mind if I record this?”

Yes, I do mind. I hate doing interviews. I feel like I always say the same damn thing over and over again. But I look into her waiting eyes and realize I can’t say no, so I nod my consent.

“How are you feeling about the upcoming game against Iowa?” she asks once she’s pressed the record button.

“We’re ready. These boys have been working hard and working together as a team really well. I think this is going to be a good season.”

“Do you think your defense is stronger this year? That seemed to be where the team struggled last year.”

“Our defensive coordinator has been working one-on-one with each of our starting defense players, so they’ve definitely gotten stronger this season. And we have a few new freshmen this year who really round out the defense.”

“Is there anything you’re worried about?”

“Not particularly. We’ve been focusing hard on fundamentals and syncing up as a team. But we’ve got some strong players this year, and I really think we have what it takes to make it back to the National Championship and win.” McKenzie smiles and presses the button to end the recording.

“See? That wasn’t so bad,” she says.

“I never thought it would be.”

She chuckles. “Coach, I don’t know if anyone has ever told you this before, but you don’t hide your emotions well. Especially when it’s something you’re not happy with. As soon as I asked for the interview, you looked like you’d rather go clean toilets than answer my questions.”

“Maybe I have a thing about cleaning toilets,” I say with a shrug. Am I making jokes with my daughter’s friend now? Who am I?

“Ha. Yeah, I’m sure that’s your thing.”

“Sorry, I’m just not big on interviews,” I admit. I love being a coach. It’s been so rewarding and has kept me from spiraling after I had to retire from the NFL. But there are certain things I’ll never get used to. Interviews being one of them.

“All good,” she says and then grabs her things from a nearby bench.

We start our walk back to the field house.

“Will you be at the game on Saturday?” I ask. That seems appropriate to ask.

“Yep. I just got my press badge to get me on the field. I’ll be on the sidelines, but I’ll stay out of your hair. The only thing I’ll need is a super quick interview at the end of the game before you head to the press conference.”

“Got it.”

“Thanks again for letting me do this. I was super worried when Professor Moore told me there might be some pushback with the football team. But I’ve always wanted to be a sports journalist and specialize in football, so I was willing to do just about anything to get assigned to the team.”

Pushback. That’s a polite way of saying I’m an asshole, and the students don’t want to work with me. It’s valid, but since McKenzie has my daughter in her corner this year, my hands are pretty much tied. At least that’s what I’m telling myself. “Why football?”