Page 80 of The Quarterback
He stared at Coach. “You’re replacing me.”
“We need a starting quarterback, and right now, you’re not that guy.” Coach sighed, again. “We were waiting to see how you looked when you came back. But I’ve seen enough. Hobbs is being courted by a dozen schools, but he said he’d sign with us today if we could guarantee he was the starter.”
“Are you cutting me from the team?”
“No, Colton. And you’re not losing your scholarship. We’re not taking that away from you. What I want is for you to come back later this season, after you’ve had more time to recuperate. Maybe after some focused rehab. I think we should call a specialist in, too. Were you working out with the schedule the trainers made for you this summer?”
He swallowed. Shifted. “No, Coach. I’m sorry.”
Coach’s eyebrows rose. “Here’s what’s going to happen. I am moving you, temporarily, to the coaching staff. You’re going to assist the quarterback coach. I want you working with Clarence on skills. He’s a hell of a quarterback, but he’s not a Texas quarterback. Not yet. You can help him get there.”
“You want me to help him take my place?”
“Colton… I’m sorry, but this is for the good of the team, which is what I have to think of. What’s best for the hundred guys out there, hungry for another national championship title. You haven’t seen it, because you’ve been throwing balls at the ground, but the whole team is skittish right now. They’ve come back from summer, and their star quarterback is making holes in the grass with his passes. That’s not the foundation of a championship team, Colton. They know it. I know it. You know it, too, deep inside.”
He looked out the giant windows lining Coach’s office and watched the team run drills on the field below. He searched for number 87.Wes, God, I need you right now.
“Clarence reminds me of you, back when you were a sophomore. I think he has your potential. I think you can help him become someone great, if that’s what you want to do. The choice is yours, Colton. You can come back tomorrow and work with the coaches, and Clarence, on the field. Or you can stay at home, and we’ll work something out with the athletic department regarding your place on the team. You can medically retire. No one will think less of you after the injury you had.”
Colton’s eyes slipped closed. He took a breath. Held it. What had happened to his life? He was the best quarterback in the league a year ago. Everything had been set. His streets were paved in gold. He’d had a runway to the NFL. Hell, he’d been invited to the draft.
One year to grow, he’d thought. One year to become something more.
One more year with the people he loved.
He had no one and nothing, now. Not the man he loved or his best friend. He didn’t even have his dreams anymore. Not the fragile dream of a life with Nick, or his dream of playing football.
“Think about it.” Coach’s voice was unusually soft. Almost kind. “Take the rest of today and go home. I know this is hard to hear. It was a hard decision to make. I’m not lying when I say I want to see you back out there later this season. I think you can get there, too. You just need more time.”
Even if he did get back on the field, who would be in the stands to see? A hundred thousand fans filled their stadium, but he only wanted to find one face. The face he’d never see again.
He rose slowly. “I understand, Coach. And I’ll do what’s best for the team. I’ll be here tomorrow to help Hobbs.”
“Thank you, Colton.” Coach stood and held out his hand. It was like four years ago, when he was a wide-eyed kid and he thought his life was finally beginning.
Now his life was ending.
* * *
His phone buzzedwhen he got back to the motel, and he grumbled as he fished it out while shouldering open the door. On the way home, he’d stopped for a bag of ice and a bottle of Tylenol, and he was planning on lying on the ice bag and chewing four Tylenol and staring at the ceiling until his eyes bled. The painkillers wouldn’t do anything for his broken heart, but maybe his shoulder would stop feeling like a cat had clawed it raw from the inside.
He didn’t want to talk to any of his teammates. He didn’t want to hear what anyone had to say about his shitty throws or Clarence Hobbs joining the team.
But it wasn’t a text from his friends. Instead, an email popped up from the school’s internship coordinator.
Please see attached letter from your internship manager. Credit for your placement will be assessed after review of your early termination.
He slumped on the end of the bed and opened the letter.
To whom it may concern:
Please accept this letter as a termination notice of Colton Hall’s internship. Through no fault of Mr. Hall’s, the position he filled came to an end, and Mr. Hall’s internship concluded as of today. Mr. Hall was an exemplary intern. He more than exceeded my expectations in his performance. He has my highest and greatest recommendations in any and all future pursuits and endeavors.
Sincerely,
Nick Swanscott
Executive Vice President
