Playing safety for the skins. Against Minnesota, a fast running-back, 21, does well by approaching the line and doing a little out pattern and going all the way with no one covering him. After the first time this happens, I make a mental note to cover him on the line when he does this. It happens again. I don’t understand why the coach doesn’t say anything about this dangerous play. The play happens three times, each time I’m caught off guard. These scores resulting in an embarrasing loss.
Next week we are playing Phily. At one point, the coach does mention the danger of that play to me and I tell him I’m plan to cover him (him??, we are playing a different team??) exclusively on plays like that one. I’m careful to put on my cleats. We walk up to the stadium. We listen to the other team do their prep talk just before the game. We try to walk into the stadium. It turns into a Phily metro station just outside the stadium. We have to wait for the subway. I have my shoes and socks in a small, handled paper bag.
We are taking a bus to the game. I don’t have my shoes on.
There is a couple women at the front of the bus. I ask her what she does. “I take care of shoes and manage things,” she says. I tell her I forgot my cleats. She looks at my bare feet. “It’s OK. Play barefoot” she said. “Yes,” I say, “that’s what I plan to do.”
I’m at my parents’ home, eating cereal and either listening to the radio or watching TV. I wonder when I’m going to get my cleats on and go to the game. The announcer says the game is going to begin after these messages. I’m going to be late for the game, and what about number 21??