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"It’s a hel of a lot better than Astroturf"

"Agreed," he says, laughing Another plus? Coach Bryson clearly doesn’t care if I use language unbeco of a lady

"I love the stadium," I say "It has a lot of character"

"Yeah--I’ve always felt like it’s alive, you know? Kind of like New York City"

I nod, suys?" he asks

"Definitely! I mean, if they want to meet me"

I can’t help but wonder where the other thirty teauys at Alabama?

"You know, I didn’t tel them they had to come out early today They were beside the to visit"

"Real y?" I say Henry snorts Being on this field is giving me confidence, so I turn and say, "Shut up, Henry! Would you stop being so freaking jealous al the tih, and so does Henry I’o, Woods," Coach Bryson says, beckoning me to walk across the field to the benches Dad and Henry stay behind None of the guys are dressed to play yet, as the gareen and white sweats and they look ready to work out

Another plus? These guys are just as hot as the Alaba quarterback, Todd Phil ips, this buff guy with olive skin, black hair, hazel eyes, and a rugged scar on his jaw, steps up and shakes orgeous and he knows it

"God, you’re beautiful I love your accent," he says, putting an aruys are everywhere Phil ips laughs at et to be her sponsor?"

"Oh, hel no," Coach Bryson responds, pul ing Phil ips away by the hood of his sweatshirt "I wouldn’t let a pig like you within a hundred feet of uys laugh, so I s me a kiss This time, I actual y do catch the kiss, cruround, where I pretend to sto

"Sponsor?" I say, focusing on Coach Bryson again

"Al new recruits get assigned a sponsor on the tea brother, someone to show you the ropes If you decide you want to be part of our tean our freshuys say, "Dauy around The pudgy guy, who I can only assu bounced between al these linebackers and wide receivers

When he final y gets dislodged fro his hair, says, "Nice to ot tiht, I’d love to show you around campus"

"What do youtour of the Alabama newspaper stands and bike racks

"You knohere the best pizza place is, and where our gym is, and where the twenty-four-hourfor a slice of pizza And you’ve gotta try the sreat" I slap Brennan’s shoulder

"Wooo! Brennan’s got hi Brennan’s ass

"How’d you uy

A couple guys stareto decide if I’rateful for the opportunity to raot, Woods?" asks one of the players, who I recognize as a wide receiver According to the Michigan State website, this dude is pul ing nuood as Jake Reynolds’s, so I bet I’l be seeing him at the NFL draft soon He drops a footbal intomy knee a couple ti about fortyfive yards away down near the goal posts Tossing the bal up in the air to myself, I cal out, "Henry!"

I hop back a few steps and hurl the bal down to ht in his hands

"Very nice," Coach Bryson says, and so me around Henry tosses the bal up in the air and Dad catches it When he winds up to throw it back, several of the players jog out because they obviously want to catch Dad’s pass They’re shoving each other, acting like a bunch of boneheads, but they’re boneheads I think I could grow to love, rown up with over the past ten years

Dad launches the bal down the field, but he didn’t ai for the pass, but toThis pass was a sign of respect

Everything about this stadiu about this stadiuht I hope I can win the respect of the rest of the team, if it needs to be won

For the next hour, Phil ips shows me some moves, and I can already tel I could learn a ton from him We run some plays with the wide receivers and we even do a dril where soet the bal off within three seconds Then Henry and I show off our flawless hook and lateral play, Red Rabbit, which total y i his chin, he watches as I do a few handoffs to soives me pointers Unlike when I first showed up at the stadiu me as an equal, which I love in a leader

Final y, Coach Bryson claps a hand on my back "So what do you think?"

It’s like what I told Carter So better I’ive up et to play for a coach and with guys who al respectthe bal to myself, I turn to Coach Bryson "I should explore al my options, but I think you’re my number one choice"

He s me around

Phil ips slaps Brennan’s back and says, "Brennan irlfriend!"

I throw my arm around Brennan, which is difficult, as he’s wel over six-foot-four and h 300

pounds "You don’t have to be so jealous, Phil ips Maybe if you weren’t such a pig, you wouldn’t stil be a virgin"