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I gripped the ball betweeninto the leather with my nails while the sideline crew ran out to squirt water in the players’to do in this heat, but I waited anyway
Our rookie tight end, James, walked up to me “What did you think of that last play?”
“I think it sucked” I held my helmet under my arm and squirted water on the back of my neck
I could see hi as hard as the rest of the teauy out here
“I’ve been asking for pointers since July,” he started
I didn’t want to hear his excuses or anyone else’s If you played for the American Football Association, you better have the balls to back it up Jaue, the process, and me
“You want advice? Get out there and catch the fucking ball when I throw it” I slaainstelse you need to know?”
He shook his head, running to the line of scrie I didn’t take on projects, and I sure as hell didn’t take rookies underThey had to learn just like the rest of us had
This game wasn’t built on kindness It wasn’t built on friendship It was built on that scoreboard When the clocked ran down to zero the only thing that mattered hat number was next to the Warriors’ name Make catches Block punts Tackle the runner That was their job If they neededon my team
The Austin Warriors were one of the league’s original tearay area with AFA fans There were families in the stadiuenerations
We were a legendary team A team with deep roots A team with history
Warrior football was everything to this town And that eneral The commander of this army
I yelled, scattering the conditioning teaet the hell out of this heat, let’s finish this practice”
I could see I wasn’t the only one The line the heat Droplets of sweat beaded on their noses as they took their positions for the snap We had two h, I could soak in an ice tub for an hour and put this hellish practice behind me
I could forget the iet I practiced for the third day in a row hung over There was too ht I could still taste it in ue was thick But that was part of the Luke Canton package I did whatever the hell I wanted at night, but I performed on the field the next day