Strong Safety Ch. 01

Foreword: This is the last story in the Stanley saga but it is quite a long story (22k words and counting) so I've decided to release it in chapters. This story is quite different from the first two. Primarily it's a slow-building romance so there aren't any sexual interactions in this chapter. Additionally, because of its potential length and some thematic elements, it might fit in the novellas category. (But I'm going to submit it in the romance category.) Thank you to all the readers that have voted and commented (especially those of you that made intelligent comments). I have gone through and eliminated some of the comments that were pathetic or uninspired. I don't mind criticism in the least and I don't really care if you like the characters or not (they are fictional after all) but I don't like the 3-word reviews that don't provoke thought or intelligent conversation.

Obligatory disclaimer: There are no sexual situations between my fictional characters but if there were they would all be between individuals that are 18 years old or older.

I laughed as I read the preseason program: Freshman Liam Stanley SS 6'0" 195 lbs. Not even in my cleats and pads did I stand six feet tall or weigh 195 pounds. I'm almost 5'11" and after a good meal I weigh in at 182 pounds; but hey, that's college athletics. I wish that my profile wasn't just a fantasy. If I were actually the size they listed, then I would be playing in Division 1 in one of the Power 5 conferences. Instead, I'm undersized and relegated to Division 2. It's not all bad; I love to play football and it's paying for my college education.

Class hasn't even started at West Alabama yet but two-a-days were in full swing. Rules don't allow two full-contact practices in one day, so technically one practice is just conditioning but South Alabama heat almost hits harder than 275 lbs. pulling guard. Our mornings are filled with light contact drills, packages and formations reviews, and scrimmages with the scout team. Our afternoons are shorter, just 60 minutes like the games, but the physical effort is at a frenetic pace as we prepare to keep up with all the offenses that have adopted the up-tempo model.

The adjustment has been huge. I was a star in my small Alabama hometown, starting and lettering every year of my high school career. I loved playing in high school. I was about the same size as most of the other guys but I was faster and more aggressive. I love playing safety. In high school, we ran a 4-3 scheme which means that there were typically 2 safeties on the field, designated free and strong. I could play either but I strongly (pun intended) prefer strong safety. It allowed me to cheat up toward the line a little and be involved in stopping the run and short passing game. And deliver some massive hits to the receivers and running backs. I love delivering crushing tackles.

At West Alabama, the defensive scheme changed week to week so adjustments could be made for opponents' talent and schemes. I am a scholarship player so I am hopeful that I can avoid the redshirt label and make it onto the field for some real game experience. The learning curve has been steep coming from a small school but I am confident that once I understand my responsibilities that I will be able to physically compete with the talent at this level.

Tuesday's practices were a beast. The morning session had us working on some of the more exotic packages and plays. There were defensive ends dropping into coverage while different positions were sent on blitzes. It was hard to keep up with who was doing what and super difficult to keep from giving away what we were doing by trying to cheat over. That afternoon practice was pushed to 6:00 pm because the temperature on the field was 114. It wasn't much better at 6 but at least the sun had slipped behind the stands. I was struggling by the time the final whistle blew.

"Men, your effort this evening left a lot to be desired," Coach Turner began. "I know it's hot and humid as hell but in three and a half weeks we kick off and 6 pm down in Pensacola. Last year we had a mediocre season and if you keep putting in mediocre effort then we will have a repeat of last year. You have the talent and we have given you the schemes, now you have to find the desire. I can stand here and try'n motivate you but that won't be enough. You have to decide for yourselves if you're going to be a good enough team or you're going to be a great team. If greatness is what you want then be back here tomorrow ready to work."

After a quick locker room shower, I was back in my dorm room. Everything inside me wanted to get into bed and pass out but Coach Turner's words were still bouncing around my head. So far physical talent had been good enough to help me succeed. If I wanted to win at this level then I would have to demand more from myself. I grabbed my playbook and began reviewing. I should have done this weeks ago when I received it but I had deluded myself into believing I would just know what I was supposed to do and when I was supposed to do it. I had to grow up but I was used to that, so I set a timer to go off in an hour and made myself dig in. My eyes were drooping by the time the alarm went off but I made it through. I was starving and dead on my feet, so I grabbed half of a footlong from my mini fridge scarfed it down, and got ready for bed. Practice would start at 7 in the morning and I wanted to be fresh.

"That's it, Stanley! Damn son, what did you eat and where did you sleep last night? Whatever it is I want to bottle it," Coach Turner the defensive backs coach shouted.

"I'm going to be more than just good enough, coach."

"I'm proud to hear it but what changes did you make? Because yesterday you looked lost and frustrated and this mornin' you're flowing through the plays and recognizin' your keys."

I was embarrassed to say it but I had to admit it, "I, uh, studied the playbook for an hour last night."

"You hadn't read the playbook?!"

"No sir, I mean yes sir. I had read it just to learn the language but last night I really studied it. I dug into it trying to understand what each play was trying to accomplish and what my responsibilities were to make sure we could execute it."

"You didn't do that in high school?"

"No sir, we didn't have much of a playbook just a scheme with a few blitzes and coverages thrown in. Nothing was written down. We were a small school playing other small schools so it wasn't too complicated."

"How did you know where to be and when to be there?"

"Most of the schools we played against only had one, maybe two, really good players. I just figured they were going to get the ball to him and made it my mission to make that guy miserable."

"Not a bad strategy for high school but it's more complicated here. At this level, you're going against all those guys that were the best on their high school teams. I'm glad to see you're diggin' deeper."

I noticed that the rest of the defense had gathered around us while we were talking. We are a fairly young team, comprised mainly of freshmen and sophomores. I think that they were having the same revelations that I was.

"Hey, you wanna show me what you picked from the playbook this evenin'?" Jimmy asked me.

Jimmy is a sophomore cornerback that's trying to step into a starting role this fall. He hoped, like many Division 2 players, that he would be able to make the jump from D2 to D1 if he made a splash. There was no doubt that he had the physical tools. He was slightly taller than me and had blazing speed.

"Sure Jimmy, we can grab dinner in the cafeteria and go over it."

The rest of the two-a-days went better than I could have imagined. As my understanding of the playbook advanced so did my performance on the field. We finished two-a-days on Friday and by the second week of practice was finished I had moved into the nickelback slot. It wasn't a starting role but I was going to get significant playing time. I was stoked!

"Hey Mom, I got some great news! I am the third DB on the depth chart so I am going to see playing time as the nickelback."

"Wow, honey! That's so great. Grandpaw Rob is going to be so excited to watch you play. He bought season tickets the day you committed to West Alabama. Grandmaw Tina reminded him that it's a 3-hour drive for every home game and he just shrugged. He's so proud of you, Liam. We all are."

"Classes start next week Mom so I'm not going to stay on long; I just wanted to share my news."

"Thank you, sweetheart, I love you. Are you doing okay?"

"Yeah Mom, I'm okay. I love you too and will talk to you again soon. Bye"

"Bye."

Our relationship is still recovering. This past spring, she told me the whole story of my dad's death. I had heard rumors over the years, they were impossible to escape in our small town but now I knew the whole truth. She still blames herself, and I guess to a degree, I do as well. I mostly blame my Uncle Jake. After Mom had told me the story, I sat down with my Grandpaw Rob and Poppee Jim. They had been the two men in my life that had taught me what it means to be a man. Poppee Jim started, "You all right, son?"

"No sir. I'm pissed."

"That's understandable," Grandpaw Rob replied. "Who are you mad at?"

"All of them! I know that dad died before he knew about me but all these years watching mama cry while holding that picture of them. It broke my heart every time I heard her talkin' to it. I don't understand why he didn't fight harder. I mad at her for thinkin' she could just run off with Uncle Jake and Dad would just find someone else. How the hell do you find someone to replace the love of your life? I'm 18 and I know better than that. Dad has been gone for nearly 20 years and she still loves him. And I'm really pissed at Uncle Jake. He stabbed his own brother in the back, motherfucker!" I screamed. "Then he sends some random shit from whatever port he's in like that's going to replace my dad? What kind of son of bitch..."

Grandpaw Rob grabbed me. "I know Liam, I know. It's alright son."

"Why? Why in the world did they do it?"

"I'm not sure anybody can answer that question, Liam," Poppee said.

"Your Uncle Jake knew better, Liam" Grandpaw Rob said. "Your mom should have known better. Your dad should've talked to someone. Everyone could've done better. We're sorry that it has fallen on you, but you have to look at this tragedy and see the truth so you can avoid the same outcome. So, take some time and think about all of this. Let all of the anger die down so you can look at it and hopefully avoid ever experiencing something like this ever again."

I stayed with one set of grandparents or the other for several weeks. I think mom expected it but I know that it hurt her. She would call me every few days to check on me and would ask when I was coming home. On the third call, I still couldn't give her a firm answer. "Not sure, Mom. Still tryin' to sort it out. I know that I didn't get to know Dad but I can feel his hurt. I can't imagine telling someone that you have replaced them and they just needed to go away."

"I understand, Liam. I didn't until that night but I understood everything when I heard your daddy's dying whisper. He really had always loved me more than I loved him but now I love him the same way. I will be his wife until the day I die just as he was my husband until the day he died. Whatever you learn from this son, please remember your promises to those that you love and that love you. Even if you stay angry with me forever, Liam, I will love, protect you, and help you. You are my world and the best thing to come out of my life. Enjoy your time with your grandparents. Love you, baby boy, bye"

"Bye, Mom."

I had my own room at Grandpaw and Gandmaw's house as well as at Poppee and Gigi's. For both, I was the only grandchild and would remain as such unless there were great-grandchildren. I was thankful that both sets of grandparents had welcomed me into their homes and hearts. At home, it was just mom and me but all I ever had to do was ask and a grandparent would be available. I stayed with one or the other until June rolled around. I didn't want Mom to be alone over the summer.

It was game week! I fired up as we prepared to travel to Pensacola to take on the 'Nauts. They were a young program but had been very successful from the outset. I think that their location gave them on leg up on recruiting.

I also started classes. I picked West Alabama for its engineering technology course. Poppee had worked for a large manufacturing plant in industrial maintenance until he retired a couple of years ago. He always had the coolest toys, sorry I mean tools, around his house. He would bring home strange parts and let me take them apart. He started my love affair with technology and problem-solving. I hoped to graduate and find a home in the large equipment field. But for the time being, I am going to play football.

Smaller schools have smaller travel budgets so we travel via buses. Jitters, nerves, anxiety whatever you want to call it had my stomach fluttering like a hummingbird's wings. Yes, it's the same game I had been playing since I was 10 years old but it was so much faster and more violent at this level.

Our opponents loved the run/pass option offense, also known as the RPO. Subsequently, we were planning to spend a lot of time in the nickel formation so my playing time was likely to be significant. I couldn't wait to light up their tailback and slot receiver. This kind of game was my time to shine.

After winning the toss, we deferred to the second half. The 'Nauts kneeled down for a touchback and our defense took the field for the season's first play. I had my helmet on and kept in close proximity to the coach. I didn't want to miss the call out for a formation change. Pensacola's offense was impressively in sync for their first drive of the year. I suspected that they had been running this script for at least two weeks. They secured two first downs before we could even get them into a third-down situation. On their sixth snap of the game, we finally had them at 3^rd and six to go. Game time!

Roger Stack, the weak-side linebacker, came off the field as I hustled on. A standard cover 2 zone was signaled in and we were set for the play. My responsibility was the quick slant zone, a go-to play for the 'Nauts. They loved to use their slot receiver to clear the zone and bring their talented wideout underneath. I had been watching this play since Monday.

At the snap, the quarterback pushed the ball to the tailback only to bring it back and laser it to his wideout running the slant. Luck is what happens when hard work meets preparation. The receiver's eyes were on the ball the whole time and he never saw me coming. I was going to ensure he wouldn't lose track of me again. He managed to get the ball almost to his chest when I made contact. Some defenders have a bad habit of leading with their heads. I preferred a good-form tackle to make an impact. With my facemask directly on the ball, I launched upwards exploding through my opponent's chest. His head went back as his feet and the ball went skyward. Jimmie was three yards away moving toward the play when the ball fell toward him. Now Jimmy is not a receiver, but even we stone-handed defensive backs can catch a ball that is floating toward us. He grabbed it from the air and he was off to the races! Jimmy is fast but I'm not sure an Olympic sprinter could have caught him. He was stepping into the endzone as I picked myself up off the ground.

7 - nothing West Alabama. The score remained the same for the rest of the first half. Our offense was struggling to find traction but so were the 'Nauts. Because we deferred the opening quarter, we were set to receive to open the second half. I was on the receiving team when I got my first real welcome to college football.

The ball flew over my head and I retreated with my fellow up-backs to form the wall in case there was to be a return. These had become less and less frequent since the rules had changed to create more touchbacks. I had just gathered with my fellow blockers when I was blindsided. Apparently, the receiver that I leveled earlier took exception to my hit and wanted to return the favor. His vengeance was costly. He was flagged for a blindside hit that cost his team 15 yards and I got to sit the rest of the game after I failed concussion protocol.

We ended up winning 10-7. It wasn't pretty but a win is a win. I was thrilled with the win and bummed because of my situation. I would have to sit out all football-related activities for 3 days which meant I probably wouldn't be traveling with the team the next week. Not that next week was going to be fun, the team would be headed to Fayetteville, Arkansas to take on a SEC school. It was likely to be a really tough weekend but it would be one of the few times I could play on TV.

We got off the bus really late, almost 4 AM. I hesitated to call but I had made a promise and those are meant to be kept. "Grandpaw Rob, sorry it's so late."

"Liam! I'm so happy to hear from you. I was worried that you were hurt after we didn't see you in the second half."

"See me? You guys were at the game? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Of course, we were there! My grandson had his first college football game and not only that but you were the difference maker. That hit you laid made the highlight shows, kiddo. We are so proud of you. Then we saw that cheap shot on the return and I thought your mama was going to get arrested for assault. We had to hold her down in the bleachers!" he laughed. "Seriously, you doin' okay?"

"Yes sir, but I failed concussion protocol after the hit so I'm going to be out for most of the coming week."

"Liam, I'm serious about this; you take care of that head of yours. Football is fun but your degree and career will depend on your noggin."

"Yes sir, I will do what they tell me to do. I going to go to bed. Love you Papaw, good night."

"Good night, kiddo. Love you too."

Class, treatment, meetings, repeat. Class, treatment, meetings, repeat. The next week was so mundane and boring without practice. I cleared protocol on Wednesday but as I had guessed, I wouldn't be on the travel squad. Which sucked even more because it was one of the few times a year when the team got to fly on a chartered jet. I would be stuck here in Livingston while the team was getting a taste of the big time. I would get to watch them on Saturday. It wasn't one of the marquee matchups so it was relegated to the 11 AM matchup. That meant my morning and early afternoon were covered but I wasn't sure what I was going to do that evening.

The team boarded the busses for the airport Friday afternoon. Even those of us not traveling with the team were there to see them off. I gave Jimmy a bro hug and told him I would be watching when he scored. "Got one last week, gonna get two this week. 'Fore long the coach gonna have to play me both ways just to get the ball in my hands" he laughed.

The game went as you would expect. We got crushed. It wasn't close from the opening kickoff to the final buzzer. Final score 49 - 10, Arkansas. They ran the clock in the fourth quarter and our guys left the stadium without fanfare. The athletic department met its objective, more money for the athletics program, and our coaching staff met one of its objectives, there weren't any major injuries. It would have been great to win but avoiding injuries was more important for our own team goals.

I was slightly disappointed in the outcome. Yeah, yeah it was expected but that's why they play the games. Every once in a while, a D2 school gets to thump their chests and brag about whipping a D1 school. I had quietly hoped that it would be our turn this year.

Now it was 3 o'clock on a Saturday afternoon and I had nothing to do. Football hadn't left much time for socializing with anyone other than my teammates and most of them were in the Ozarks. I decided to visit the student center to see what I could find on the announcement board. Yeah, I know I'm lame.