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“Look, every position has their own coach and meeting room. This…” he gestures around us at the small room, filled with a couple of tables and comfy office chairs, all facing a huge screen on the wall. “This is the linebackers meeting room. They sit in here for hours watching tape, discussing plays, talking strategy.”

“Yeah…” I say, not really seeing where this is going.

“Each of these rooms is your responsibility now.”

“By getting them snacks?”

He sighs and pulls a small worn notebook out of his bag, looking at it fondly before handing it to me.

“Guard this with your life,” he says.

There’s nothing on the cover, it’s just a plain notebook, but when I open it, it’s full of lists and scribbles, all in different handwriting, stuff crossed out and added, even notes in the margins.

Tyler reaches over and turns it to a page with LINEBACKER written across the top in all caps.

“This is what you’re in charge of,” he says, pointing at the list.

Gummy Sweets

Capri-Sun drinks

Pringles

Cheetos (Flamin’ Hot)

Vanilla scented candles (not the cheap kind)

“Vanilla scented candles?”

Tyler points to one of the desks, and what I thought was an empty glass, is actually the remnants of a candle.

“They have candles on during their meetings?” I ask.

“Hey, you try sitting in one of these windowless rooms with a load of sweaty guys when they’ve just come back from a run. You’ll be begging for scented candles. Also, it’s some kind of scent therapy shit, something about people staying calm and relaxed, it builds a better mindset.”

“Okay,” I nod. “But these snacks, are they allowed to eat this stuff? Aren’t they on strict diets?”

“You wanna tell a group of linebackers what they can and can’t eat?” He laughs, and I join in when I picture my dad and his appetite.