Page 28 of Red Zone Realizations
“You’ll get Dolly, she’s better with new people. I’ll get Reba first and show you.” She brings her hands into the cage; it’s at waist height for her so it’s an easy reach over the plastic walls. “You want to put one hand under their butt and one under their front legs.” She does so to Reba, who easily allows herself to be lifted. She holds the guinea pig toward me. “Ta-dah. Your turn.”
I step up to the cage and put my hands in. Dolly doesn’t even flinch. It’s almost like she’s on my side here, being extra calm to help me out. I put my hands underneath her and she’s so small that there’s plenty of extra room. I scoop her out and bring her to my chest like Audrey did with Reba.
We move back to the maze, and with one hand Audrey puts some parsley at the end where the winner will finish.
“Okay, to the start.” We both kneel down with our respective pig in hand, holding them close to the floor but not letting them go yet. “On your marks,” she says. “Get set… go!”
We both put our guinea pig down at the entrance to the maze and they take off. Their little feet make pitter patter noises as they walk across the cardboard floor. Their squeaks of intrigue are quiet but cute.
I’m a competitive son of a bitch; there’s no two ways about it. “Go, Dolly, go!”
They twist this way and that. Reba hits a dead end, and I yell, “Ha!” but she quickly turns around, heading in the right direction. Dolly is slow and steady, a tortoise doing its best to beat the hare.
But it’s not enough when they round the final turn and Reba gets a whiff of that parsley.
“That’s it, Reba,” Audrey cheers.
Just like that, Reba wins. “You gave me Dolly on purpose ’cause you thought Reba would win!” I teasingly accuse Audrey.
She scoffs. “I did not. It’s true that Dolly is better with new faces. We could have switched if you asked.”
I scoop Dolly up from the maze where she’s still looking for the prize and tuck her into my chest. “It’s okay, girl. You’re still a winner in my eyes.” When I look up from consoling Dolly, Audrey’s eyes are glued to me and full of affection.
Reba might have won the maze, but in the war for Audrey’s heart, I might just come out the victor.
The days I get my full routine in are the best kind.
I love an early start to work because I can eat a second breakfast at the facilities. My protein shake at home only lasts so long.
I dive into the spread. Fruits to eat, fruits to make smoothies. Yogurt with one-million toppings. Pancakes, waffles. You name it—it’s here. Apple juice, orange juice, grape juice, sparkling water, and coffee.
Teammates mill around filling their own plates and cups until we all start corralling toward the big room. Two double doors open into a room capable of fitting one-hundred people. This is where we meet Coach so he can talk to everyone at once. There are tons of coaches here and they all have assistants. The room is jam-packed with an extra fifteen or twenty guys since they haven’t made cuts yet. I scan the room and take in the faces getting more familiar every day. It’s going to suck when they get cut, but that’s a future problem. Youcan’t worry too much about the future in football. You can only work hard today.
If it were up to me, I’d want to keep all the new guys. That’s why I’d be a terrible coach. My exterior is tough, but the inside is gooey.
Speaking of gooey—I spot Colin, who is equally as softhearted as me.
I sidle on up next to him, dropping my bag on the floor. He’s already settled in with a plate piled high with fruit. I snort internally. Quarterbacks don’t need the kind of calories the rest of us do. My plate is nothing compared to Wyatt’s. The O-line takes pride in their heft. It helps to beat the guy across from you if you’re bigger than him.
Colin’s got his notebook out. I get mine and a pen.
We’re just in time for Coach to start. Thank God; the fine for being late is something like eleven-thousand dollars a minute.
“Gentlemen. Welcome to week three of training camp. I hope you’re all settling in and taking care of your bodies.” He pauses to take in the room. “Today we are going to go over the game plan for the week, but first a couple of housekeeping things.” The screen above him changes to the next slide. “If you’re stiff or sore, make sure you’re seeing the training staff. Nothing is too small to have looked at or worked on. They will decide if you need more stretching, more time on the warm-up bike, or ice baths. That’s their job. Let them do it. They can’t help you if they don’t know what’s going on.” The slide changes again. “Monday is meetings. Starting here with everyone, then breaking into small groups for your position. Make sure you are taking legible notes. You might not be in pads, but this is not breaktime. If you are having trouble remembering plays, ask a teammate to help you study. This isyour responsibility in your off time. I’ll say this is especially true if you are fighting for a spot here. Running the wrong route in front of everyone will leave a sour taste in the staff’s mouth. Media is still on Thursdays. Make sure after field practice you grab a shower and head that way. Grace will let you know if this is required of you, or if you are an alternate.” He glances at his assistant. “Did I miss anything?” Jalenski shakes his head no.
“This team has fallen short every season since I’ve been here. And I’m sick of it. I’m fucking sick of it, guys. That ends this year. We have the talent. We just need to get the mindset. One rep, one play, one day, one game at a time. That’s what it takes. We’re going to have a take-it-to-them attitude. I can stand up here and talk shit all day. It’s up to y’all to actually do the work and execute.”
As Coach finishes up, the sounds of guys packing up around me increases. I think about what he said. Taking things one step at a time can apply to a lot in life. It’s no use worrying about the future. Years of therapy continue to remind me of that. I think the same can be applied to Audrey and me. She can’t help but look too far into the future. She’s lost her trust. I have to earn it. I can live in the moment, be thankful for a movie here and a dinner there. Enjoying the time we spend together. That mindset comes with a lot of work. I do a lot to keep it up—journaling, meditating, and yoga. If it’s important in my life, then I work on always improving. And the same can be said for my feelings about Audrey.
The rest of the day goes by in a familiar, steady rhythm, and by the time we are breaking it down in the tight end room to head out for the day, I’m ready to get home.
The house is quiet when I walk in. The housekeepers werehere today, giving the house the clean, empty feeling a hotel room has.
The more time I spend with Audrey, the more alone it feels here. Just me in this big house.
Maybe I should get a dog?
No. That’s not fair to the dog. I travel so much. I would need someone to live here and help me take care of it. My mind immediately goes to Audrey as an answer to that question, but I remind myself that we are justfriendsright now.
