Page 131 of Backup Plan

My Penny. My Liora. My boys.

I know they’re not my boys officially, but in so many important ways, it feels like they are. We’ve bonded a lot over the last few days, and it’s harder being away from them than I thought it would be. All of them. My heart is at home while I’m on the practice field, but I also realize that all of this has a renewed meaning for me.

I’m doing this all for them.

I want them to be proud of me.

I want to be a starter so I can show them what I’m made of. I want to lead this team to victory.

I won’t just be second string anymore.

“Say that again?” I ask him.

Tanner clears his throat, and he glances up at the closed door. “I told Coach just before he signed you, and I haven’t told anybody else except my brother.”

I nod. His twin brother, Miller, is a running back for the Storm.

“It’ll be you out there next season,” he says quietly. “This season, you’re here to learn the ropes. It’s my last year. I’m retiring, and I’m going out giving everything I’ve got while I give you everything I know. I love the game, and I’ll always love the game, but I don’t want to risk more injury that I can’t come back from as I turn another year older, especially not after seeing Turner go down,” he says, referring to the previous second-string quarterback whose job I was called in for. “I don’t want to risk not being able to play catch with Luca. I want to be there to coach his practices and to see Lily’s dance recitals. I want to be with Cass as we try for one of our own.”

I nod. I’m right there with him. I don’t want to miss any of that stuff, either, but he’s only been back in the game a short time after tearing his ACL a couple seasons ago. I get where he’s coming from. I’m younger, and I don’t have that injury working against me, an injury where he’s over two times more likely to tear it again than he was before.

It might not happen. It likely won’t. But it could, and that’s enough for him to be ready to hang it up.

And I’ll still have the months we don’t play. Most of February through July, plus most nights. It won’t be easy, but it’ll definitely be easier with my family here at home base with me rather than all the way back in Chicago. Some guys make long-distance work, but it sounds like hell to me.

“Listen, this is what you need to know. Memorize the playbook. Know everyone’s assignment. Be ready to get called up at any time, especially in preseason.”

I nod, and Coach Q, the quarterback coach, walks into the room.

I listen a little more intently as Coach Q talks strategy.

I give my all out on the field.

This is my team. I’m taking it over in one year, and I will not let Jonathan step ahead of me.

I won’t be the backup plan anymore. I’ll just be the plan.

Every snap is my chance to prove this is where I deserve to be.

I’ve always practiced and played like I might have to step in at any time, and there have been plenty of chances for me over the years. But this is different.

This is me showing I have the capability of being a leader on this team.

Coach runs some red zone drills where I build chemistry with my wide receivers and show how accurate my arm is. We run third-down conversion drills where I have to make decisions based on how many yards we have to get the first down. We run scout team drills where we basically scrimmage, and I’m the quarterback on the opposing team while Tanner is the quarterback of the home team.

I’m as precise as I can be on every single drill, every single play, every single snap. This is my moment to show what I can do, and I take it and run with it.

This team is going to be so fucking glad they chose me, and I’m going to prove myself every single day.

I’m ready for it.

My phone rings as I’m heading home from training camp on Friday, and I see it’s Madden calling.

“Hey bro,” I answer through my truck’s audio system.

“How was practice?”

“Brutal, but I killed it.”