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Some guys nodded, and others, like me, Lucas, and Mack, just looked on with anticipation.
“I’m very pleased to announce that Trent Archer will be leaving his post as the quarterback coach and has agreed to step in as head coach.”
“Thank God!” someone yelled from the back, making us chuckle. Everyone started to clap. Trent was a god among quarterbacks. He had received more than one MVP award and had taken our rivals, the DC Rockets, to the championship before he sustained an injury. Normally we’d all despise the man, and most of us had when we were his opponents, but as soon as he stood on our sideline, we’d have been foolish not to learn from him. He was close to my age, but the guy was an amazing athlete and person.
“We also have hired Coach Tisdale out of Phoenix to be our new kicking coach. There will also be other additions to the staff that we are in the process of finalizing.” Charles glanced out at the room. “We may not have gotten it done last year, but let’s learn from that and move forward. I believe the Thunder will reign supreme this upcoming season.” Hoots and hollers echoed. “To the Thunder!”
“The Thunder!” we all chanted in reply.
Chatter filled the room as my teammates started to make predictions. Some went forward to congratulate Trent, and I was about to do the same when Reese came up to me.
“Collin, can I have a minute?”
I looked at Lucas and Mack, who seemed as surprised as I was. “I’ll catch you guys later.” They nodded and walked away. “Congratulations on your promotion, Reese.”
Despite her being my superior, she never wanted to be addressed formally. No one did. Not even her grandfather, Charles Reese, whom she was named after.
“Thank you.”
When she glanced down, I wondered if my shirt moved thanks to my heart beating wildly in my chest. Being pulled aside by a GM made me nervous. They were sometimes the one who broke the news of a trade or a demotion. With her eyes back on mine, she said, “You’ve been with the team a long time, and I remember your rookie year.”
I rubbed the back of my neck and chuckled. “Seems like a lifetime ago.”
“Yes, it does. But I remember how well you worked with Smythe. I also know how much you respected him.”
“Still do.”
“Yes, of course. As do I. That’s why when I met with him, he was in full agreement with me.”
Confused, I had to ask, “Agreement about what?”
“Before he left, I offered him a spot as an adviser. However, as you know, he moved to Texas to be closer to his family. We went on to discuss the new kicker that will be coming aboard, and that you’d be a wonderful mentor.”
“You want me to mentor the rookie?”
“Yes. Smythe thought you’d be the perfect person for the job.”
Nodding, I exhaled probably a bit too long. “Okay.”
“Great! Just what I wanted to hear. I’ll let you know when Charlie will be here. There’s also—” Her phone rang, and when she looked at it, she held up her finger. “Hey, give me one second,” she announced to the person on the other end. “Sorry, I need to take this. We’ll talk later.” On my nod, and after another smile, she walked away.
Fantastic. I was a glorified babysitter for this kid fresh out of college. I’d been so taken aback, I never asked for his last name. Who knew what I would be getting myself into? It wasn’t as though I didn’t appreciate having a mentor when I first started, but being one was an entirely different story. All I knew was this kid better not be a douchebag, or we were in for a very long season.
Chapter 3
Collin
Groaning, I pulled into the lot of the practice facility. There were only a couple of cars outside, and since I couldn’t sleep, I’d decided to come to the field to get in a workout before I met Charlie. Despite having been mentored, I hadn’t taken on that role before.
My phone dinged, and Lucas’s name appeared on my dashboard.
“Hey. What’s up?”
“Just calling to wish you luck today. When are you heading to the field?”
“Just got here. Going to get some sprints in.”
“And meet Charlie.”
