“His name is Craig Henderson. He’s the head coach of the San Diego Storm.”
Frowning, I glanced at Owen. He was as clueless as I was. But if it was about rugby, I’d entertain it.
“Is that a rugby team? I have to say I’ve never heard of them.”
“No,” he chuckled. “The Storm is part of the NFL. You know, the National Football League in the United States. Have you heard of it?”
I took a sip of my beer and nodded. “Yeah. But why would he want to talk to me? I don’t play that kind of ball.”
“We know, but we think a full-back of your caliber, just might be a perfect match for the NFL. We’ve been watching you for a while. You’re a fierce competitor, and my brother thinks you’d make a hell of a safety. He lost a player to an injury, and he thinks you might be a great replacement.”
My eyes widened, and I looked at how much of my beer I’d consumed. Not drunk enough. “I don’t know, mate. I gotta be honest with ya. I’m kinda in some hot water right now.”
Mark laughed. “Oh, we know. I’ve been following your career. I coach rugby in Italy. That’s what got my attention. I can assure you my brother would never take a chance like this if he didn’t think it was the right move.”
I continued to stare at him, trying to put the pieces of this together. “I know nothing about American football.”
“You don’t have to. But the thing is, your intensity and intuition for where the ball is make you an ideal candidate. And your level of play isn’t illegal in the NFL. It’s expected. Within reason, of course.”
Now I was curious. This bloke didn’t look like he was trying to pull a fast one. And my suspension from the league wasn’t a secret.
As if he could read my apprehension, he smiled and continued.
“I understand this might sound fishy. I get it. But this is a genuine offer,” he said, sliding a card to me. “Here’s his number.You can verify everything on the internet. The player he has to replace this season is a former rugby player, Jayse Flannery. There’s a chance it’s a career-ending injury. You can verify everything online.”
He glanced at his phone, then back at me. “I’m going to text him and let him know I found you. If you’re still around at midnight, give him a chance to explain. It’ll be seven a.m. in San Diego.”
Picking up the card, I read it. Looked legit.
I turned back to Owen, who was scrolling on his phone. “Mate?”
He knew I was looking for his advice. If he thought it was a bad idea, he’d tell me. But his face confirmed everything the American had said, but more.
“Those guys make ten times what we do. What do you have to lose? It’s only a conversation.”
I swallowed the excitement that was building inside me. He was right. I had nothing to lose. But I also wasn’t an idiot.
Turning back to Mark, I nodded. “Yeah. I’ll definitely think about it.”
Chapter 3
Carson
There are times when a person reflects on their life and wonders what the hell they were thinking. And today was going to be one of them.
I was unprepared for the miracle Coach Henderson was going to ask me to perform with a hotheaded, smooth-talking, pain-in-the-ass Australian rugby player. Had I known the guy was going to turn my world upside down, only to flip it over before stomping on it until I didn’t recognize myself anymore, I may have said no.
But who was I kidding?
I wouldn’t do that to my coach, no matter what he asked of me. That’s who I was. A Type-A personality with a preference for routine in my life. Mister structure and order, and everyone knew it.
I could take a joke and talk shit with my teammates with the best of them. But I was also a fixer. If I had a defensive player who was struggling with something, I fixed it. And my coaches knew it.
So when I received a call from Marilyn, the coach’s assistant, the second week of July, asking if I was available to meet, I assured her I was. Without hesitation, I slid into myRangeRoverand headed to the stadium, ready to see what they needed me to do.
As the captain of the defense, I took my job very seriously. It was our job to get the ball back in Lennox’s hands without giving up too many points. It was a point of pride for me to mentor the younger guys who joined our team. And since the rookies were coming on board soon, I assumed what Coach needed was for me to form a plan to help them acclimate to our style of play.
But I was wrong.
