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Declan
“Would you stop fidgeting? You need to exude confidence, not nerves. It’s just a reporter. Man up, quarterback.” If Scarlet Kingston is attempting to give me her version of a pep talk, it’s not working.
I met with Hunter last week to discuss all the questions that Chip Martin could possibly ask me today. Belle and I discussed how we wanted to handle the inevitable questions that will come up regarding my personal life, and we decided together that the truth was best, with as few additional details as possible.
Hunter walks into Dad’s office, rubbing his hands together like he just pulled off the ultimate heist. “Dec, my man.” He crosses the room and puts his hands on my shoulders. “We ready to dazzle?”
I shove his hands off. “I’m not a figure skater, man. I don’t dazzle.” I finally stand up and start pacing around the room, impatiently waiting to get this show on the damn road. They scheduled the interview for a Tuesday afternoon and are conducting it on the field. Go figure. I just want to get it over with.
When a phone beeps, I look around the room and see Scarlet checking hers. “It’s time. Remember, Declan, you’re representing the Philadelphia Kings today.”
“I represent the Kings every day, Scarlet.” I pull the door shut behind me a little harder than necessary and head downstairs. When I get down to the field, I see my dad talking to one of the assistants. He agreed to answer a few questions after I’m done.
He squeezes my shoulder as I pass by and nods, silently telling me, “You’ve got this.”
Here’s hoping I do. I fucking hate the press. They hounded me both years I was up for the Heisman. I couldn’t take a goddamn shit without them knowing. Being a college athlete is hard. The pressures are hard, and the expectations you put on yourself are even harder. Add in something like the Heisman Trophy race, and it’s a pressure cooker waiting to explode. And of course, the vultures were circling, just waiting to get a picture of the wreckage.
Standing on the field, I wait for a pretty red-headed assistant to get me mic’d up and then take my seat next to Chip. In his late sixties, he’s an older man who’s been interviewing athletes for the last thirty years. His salt and pepper hair is cut short, and his suit is perfectly tailored. He looks like he could be your wealthy grandpa until he opens his mouth. Then you know you’re in the presence of a powerhouse journalist.
We wait for the light on the camera to turn red before Chip begins to speak into the lens. “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Tonight, we have a special guest with us—Declan Sinclair, the rookie phenom from the University of Notre Dame, who was picked up in the first round of the draft by none other than his own father to be the starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Kings.”
Chip turns to me. “Thanks for taking the time to sit down with me today, Declan.”
“Thanks for having me, Chip.” I smile like Scarlet hammered into me earlier and try to relax. Chip goes through some basic questions that I’ve been asked over the years, warming me up for his heavy hitters.
“So, Declan, tell me what it was like to grow up playing football in the shadow of your father, Joe Sinclair. A football legend in his own right, Joe Sinclair has played professionally, won multiple bowl games as a college coach, and has a championship ring from his previous job as assistant coach for a pro team in California.”
“Well, Chip, Joe Sinclair might be a football legend, but to me, he was always just Dad.” I shift in my seat. “He made sure my brother and I knew we didn’t have to play football if we didn’t want to. He wanted us to play a sport, but he didn’t care what it was. He’s just always believed that being a part of a team would help prepare you for life. We both picked football, and the rest is history.”
“And how did you feel when you were drafted in the first round to your father’s team?”
I look over to where my dad is standing with Scarlet and Hunter before answering, “It was definitely a bit of a double-edged sword. I was so incredibly excited to get drafted by such a great franchise, but I knew the fact that my dad was the head coach would be the bigger news. I’ve worked my whole life to be where I am now. I knew from the time I was in fifth grade that this was what I wanted to do with my life, and I pushed myself harder every year to get here.”
I make eye contact with my dad before I continue. “One of the things my dad made sure to instill in both my siblings and me is that if you’re going to do something, do it well. Give it your all. Joe Sinclair doesn’t believe in half-assing anything. And he definitely passed that on to his kids. If I saw a player I thought was better than me, or if I played a team that beat mine, it never made me want to quit. Instead, it always made me push harder. Be better. It was hard at first,” I tell him, “listening to everyone talk about nepotism and how I didn’t fairly earn my spot on the team, but I’ve had to live up to being Joe Sinclair’s son my whole life. Having people talk about it isn’t really anything new.”
I look away from Chip and directly into the camera. “But my brother Cooper gave me some great advice that I took to heart.”
Chip smiles. “Oh yeah? Can you share with us what he told you?”
“He told me to win. That would be the only thing to change the conversation.” I smile back at him and remember that day at the beginning of the summer. The day I met Belle.
“And did it? Change the narrative?” Chip asks.
“Not exactly. But I think people will always talk about the fact I play for my dad because it hasn’t been done professionally before.” Okay, this isn’t going too badly.
Chip leans toward me. “And what do you say to those people, Declan?”
I smirk. Scarlet warned me not to, but I can’t help it. “I don’t say anything. My job is to be a good quarterback and to win games. I hope those people love watching them and talking about them as much as I love playing them. Everyone’s entitled to their own opinions, Chip.”
I take a sip of water as Chip shifts topics. “So, Declan, new city, new team, new love?” He lifts a picture from the table set up next to him. It’s of Annabelle and me from the night of Senator Cabot’s fundraiser. “Tell me about your relationship with Annabelle Hart. I believe you’ve gone on record to say she’s a good friend, but now sources are saying that you’re living with her. Could there be wedding bells in your future, Declan?”
I smile and shake my head. “Sorry, Chip. I’m not commenting on anyone else’s business.”
Chip laughs. “But I’m asking you about your relationship, Declan. Come on... Your fans want to know if you’re off the market.”
“It’s safe to say I am very much off the market.”
After the interview, I sit down in Dad’s office with Hunter and Scarlet. “How the hell did they know I was living with Annabelle? Seriously, it’s only been a few weeks. I haven’t even officially given up my apartment yet.”
