“That’s a month from now.”
“I’m aware of that, but if you’re having twins, one of them is already showing signs of being stubborn. A month from now, you’ll be a little over fifteen weeks, and he or she will be out of hiding by then.”
“Oh my God. This will be the longest month of my life.”
“I know, and I’m sorry. If you have any questions, problems, or concerns before your next appointment, please don’t hesitate to call.”
“I will. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Enjoy the rest of your day.”
I ended the call and tossed my phone to the other side of the bed. I didn’t know what to think or how to feel, so I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.
I stood in front of the massive window, looking down into the weight room. Technically, we could only require the players to work out for eight hours each week for up to eight weeks during the summer, and that included watching film. Thankfully, we had a committed group, and most of them voluntarily put in work.
I spotted Nyeem working out with Jared, another incoming freshman. Although he was a big guy, Jared looked like today was his first time in the weight room. Nyeem took the time to correct Jared’s form and demonstrate the proper way to perform each exercise.
After the conversation I had with Nyeem over the weekend, and what I’d learned about him through research andobservation, I knew he was one of one. I believed that he could be a leader of this team as a freshman, and his actions proved me right.
Knox appeared on my left and stood next to me, mimicking my stance. We watched the team in silence for a few minutes before he said what I’d been thinking.
“We haven’t even stepped onto the field, and I can already see that Nyeem is the truth.”
“You literally pulled the thoughts right out of my head. I’ve been watching him working with Jared for the past ten minutes. Not only is he knowledgeable, but he’s also patient and has a teamwork mentality.”
“Yeah, he’s a leader for sure.”
“Are y’all talking about that know-it-all Kurrie kid?”
Ward appeared on my right, and I had to stifle a groan when I heard his voice. With each passing day, I felt more and more regret for hiring him. I had no doubt the players he coached could learn a lot from him on the field, but I was more concerned about what he’d teach them off the field.
Ward’s attitude left a lot to be desired, and he had no filter. I didn’t have a problem with someone who spoke their mind, but his delivery was horrible, making his message even less desirable.
This had nothing to do with how he handled the players because we’d had very minimal contact with them so far. It was how he communicated with fellow coaches that was a huge problem. Every coach on my staff had come to me at least once with a complaint about Ward.
Their complaints ranged from the comments he’d made about female staff members to the comments he’d made about players while reviewing film. A few of the coaches thought Ward had made up an imaginary competition with the players and didn’t want them to outperform his college numbers.
The season hadn’t started, and I hadn’t had a chance to see how well he worked with the team, but if he rubbed my entire coaching staff the wrong way, I’d be doing us all a disservice if I kept him on staff.
“What makes you call him a know-it-all?” I asked.
“Look at him. He thinks he can direct other players on how to do shit, but that’s what we got strength coaches for. He needs to focus on his damn self and stop trying to show everyone else up.”
“Do you hear yourself? You’re talking shit about an eighteen-year-old boy who ain’t doing shit but helping out a teammate,” I barked.
“And everything he showed him was a hundred percent correct, might I add,” Knox said.
Ward smacked his lips like the bitch he was before saying, “I forgot I can’t talk to y’all about that lil nigga. Y’all been on his dick since day one.”
“You know what? You talk a lot of shit in general, which needs to stop immediately, but you talk shit about Nyeem like you got a personal vendetta,” I said.
“What? I don’t even know the kid, so how can what I say be personal?”
“I don’t know, bruh. You tell me.”
I turned to face him and folded my arms across my chest, waiting for him to admit why he had beef with the son he’d never acknowledged.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I need to head out.”
