The Quarterback Ch. 02

Cuddled up close to me, she said, "I wish we could stay like this forever. I feel so safe and loved."

"I feel the same," I said tenderly and kissed her. This started the whole process over again.

After the second time, Charlotte and I just lay with her cuddled into my chest. We talked for many hours about little and big things in our lives. But when I mentioned that I would be leaving in a couple of weeks to attend the Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp, Charlotte began to cry.

"Don't cry," Jason said soothingly. "Tampa's only about two hundred miles away, a three-hour drive. I will be back to see you every chance I can, and you can certainly drive down to see me. Besides, chances are Tampa will cut me anyhow."

"I'm just afraid that if you make the team, you'll forget all about me," Charlotte sobbed. "I know that women chase after football stars."

I laughed. "I am far from a football star. I have barely gotten to play in the last three years. Besides, I am falling in love with you."

The next two weeks were busy for Charlotte and me. We spent very little time apart between our work, social activities, and bedtime. But then the day came when I had to head off for camp. I was truly torn as to whether I wanted to make the team or not. But regardless, it was time for me to resume my NFL career.

The Buccaneers' training camp was as brutal as I remembered each of my previous ones. And I missed Charlotte and was miserable because the coach had banned all wives and girlfriends from the training camp. It was going to be a difficult five weeks.

As the training camp got underway, Tampa made a trade that surprised and worried me. The Buccaneers traded next year's second-round draft pick to Buffalo for Roger Stark. After their Super Bowl appearance, the powers that be in Buffalo had decided that the team was getting old and needed to be rebuilt. So, they began jettisoning their costly veterans. Losing half a dozen high salaries built up their cap space, and they were stockpiling draft picks.

While I was happy to be reunited with Roger, he was a wrinkle I had not anticipated. At the most, Tampa would only keep three quarterbacks. The addition of Roger diminished my chances considerably. I was toying with the idea of just phoning in my training camp time and being satisfied with the $100,000 when they cut me. After all, I had a job and Charlotte waiting for me in Jacksonville. But that was not how I was raised.

I busted my butt every practice because I wanted to make this team. But every day, I felt that I was losing the battle. One day, after playing like shit, I was depressed. I went to the locker room wondering if I should make it easy on Coach Sullivan and tell him just to cut me.

After I showered, I was told Coach Sullivan wanted to talk to me. I figured this would be when he told me I was now expendable with the addition of Roger. But that was not what the coach wanted to talk about. He wanted to reassure me that bringing Roger into camp had not diminished my chances of making the team. I thought he was blowing smoke up my rear end, but I played along.

"Jason, I just want you to know that you have a real chance to make this team," the coach reiterated. "What I am looking for is someone who can perform under pressure. Roger has been doing that for nineteen years. I believe you have the same mental toughness. I want you to show it to me this preseason."

As the camp progressed, I was not setting the world on fire. But then again, Roger and Donny were getting most of the reps with the first team. By the first preseason game, Coach Sullivan had trimmed the quarterbacks to five, and I was one of them.

I got no playing time in the first game, but in the second game, I got to play the entire second quarter and part of the third. I threw for ninety-seven yards and one touchdown. Still, I was not dazzling anyone.

The last preseason game was when I cemented my place on the Bucs team. We were down 27 - 14 going into the fourth quarter. Donny had played the first quarter and threw one touchdown pass. The other touchdown came when a running back from a division three school, broke three tackles and raced fifty-seven yards for the score.

Drew did nothing in the second quarter, and Phil Rankin did nothing in the third quarter. I went in for the fourth quarter, but we went three and out on our first series. But the second time we got the ball, I engineered a seventy-two-yard drive. I capped the drive with a seven-yard toss to a tight end named Greg. I never did learn his last name as he was cut the following day. We traded punts, and when we got the ball back, there were less than three minutes left. If I thought you would put up with it, I would detail the drive. Suffice it to say, we went eighty-four yards and scored when our fullback, Phil Tucker, blasted in from one yard out. We won 28 - 27. However, I knew that tomorrow's headline on the sports page would be about Roger being Tampa's starting quarterback.

The coaches had until 5 pm the following day to cut their roster to fifty-three players. Coach Sullivan notified everyone by nine that night, and I had made the team. Now the rest of my salary was fully guaranteed. Still, I was only the third-string quarterback. But this year was going to be special.

I headed back to Jacksonville as soon as I got the news from the coach. It was midnight when I arrived at Charlotte's house. I had a key but did not want to scare her by just walking in, so I rang the doorbell. It took three tries before Charlotte came slowly down the stairs with her cell phone. She screamed joyfully when she saw me through the window and opened the door. We made love on the stairs, in the hallway, and finally, in the master bedroom.

Since I had to be back in Tampa by Monday morning, we only had Sunday. Yet, Charlotte and I made the very most of each minute. I now realized that I was deeply in love with her. All the way back to Tampa, I questioned if I really wanted to be there. But once I stepped on the practice field, that thought disappeared.

As I expected, Roger was named as Tampa's starting quarterback, which did not sit well with Donny. He made his displeasure known at every opportunity. But through the first four games, Roger showed that he still had the magic. We won all four games. This did not stop Donny from complaining. Finally, Coach Sullivan had had enough. Donny was traded to Seattle for a fourth-round draft pick in next year's draft. I had suddenly been promoted from third-string quarterback to second-string.

I was content sitting on the sideline watching the games. I talked to Charlotte every night, and she would come down to Tampa every weekend that we were playing at home. As far as I was concerned, Life could not be any better.

Donny had been traded just after our twelfth game, which we lost to Denver. Still, our record was 10 - 2. Even though I had not played a single down, I was happy when Coach Sullivan gave us Monday and Tuesday off. Charlotte was already in town, and she had taken two personal days. I do not think I have ever been happier in my life.

We lost our next game but won the following week, with Roger rallying us in the last two minutes. We now had a record of 11 - 3. We had already won our division and were now playing for home-field advantage in the playoffs. Being the backup quarterback, I had few worries, and Charlotte was not only going to our home games, but she was now traveling to the away games as well. However, the football gods decided it was time to mess with me.

We were in the first quarter of our second to last game when Roger was forced to scramble. There are a fair number of quarterbacks that are very good at scrambling. Roger was not one of them. Still, he was smart enough to know that you got the yardage you could, and then you slid down before some linebacker took your head off. And this is what Roger tried to do. He had picked up seven yards and had dropped down to slide. However, his spikes caught on a piece of turf sticking up, and I could hear the pop from the sidelines. Roger had torn his ACL.

I watched with shock and sympathy as Roger was carted off. Then someone pushed my helmet into my hand. Suddenly, the realization hit me that I was now the quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Even though I thought I was preparing each week as though I would be the starting quarterback, neither my body nor my mind was in game mode. And because I was not completely in the game, it was a disaster. We lost 24 - 3.

The media was brutal about my performance or lack of it. I threw for no touchdowns and two interceptions. One of them was run back for a touchdown. But as bad as I was savaged, Coach Sullivan was treated worse. And when we lost the following week by a field goal, the media started a drumbeat to dump me and said some awful things about coach Sullivan.

Tampa, of course, brought in another quarterback, Tad Huntley, who had been cut by Detroit at the beginning of the season. Immediately, voices began to demand that he replace me as the starting quarterback; coach Sullivan refused.

Even losing the last game of the season, we still had the home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The reason for this was that Seattle lost their last game also. That night and the following day, I finally understood how treacherous the media was. Since I had always been a backup quarterback, the media never gave a damn about me. I could count on my two hands the number of times I was mentioned in an article. It had never bothered me, but now every part of my football skill and manhood was questioned.

I understood the media going after me; I had played like crap. But I did not understand their treatment of our coach. He had taken a troubled franchise and brought us to the playoffs. Now, I fully understood why most of the players mistrusted any kind of reporter.

I was scared to death before the first playoff game, but it turned out that I did not need to be. The playoffs ran like a dream come true. The New York Giants had made the playoffs by winning their division with an 8 - 9 record. Somehow, they defeated the Green Bay Packers to advance. But when they faced us, we destroyed them 48 -3. I threw for three touchdowns and ran for one. Suddenly, the media couldn't say enough good things about me.

Next, we faced the Seattle Seahawks. They had the same record as us, but they appeared to be the better team. But in the NFC Championship Game, they wilted. We beat them 38 - 13. I threw for three hundred and forty-seven yards with two touchdowns. Now it was on to the Super Bowl.

The craziness surrounding the two weeks between winning the NFC and the Super Bowl is unbelievable. Everyone wants a piece of you, and you do not have a moment to yourself. Still, I somehow found time to be with Charlotte. I think those few moments we could spend together kept me sane.

When the big day came, we faced the Baltimore Ravens, who had the best record in the league that year, 16 - 1. They were also eight-point favorites to win the Super Bowl. Anyone who knows anything about betting knows that if the oddsmakers put Baltimore up by eight points meant they were confident that the Ravens would destroy us. That did not happen.

In terms of excitement, this Super Bowl was not very exciting unless you were a Tampa Bay fan. We rolled over the Ravens 35 - 14. I threw for a touchdown and ran one in. That night was one of the best of my entire life. I had been part of the team that had just won the Super Bowl, and now I was cuddled up in bed with the woman I loved.

The next several weeks were a circus, but fortunately, Carl had given Charlotte considerable time off to accompany me. And the first two weeks were wonderful as I was paraded to one event or television show after another. But by the third week, I could see that Charlotte was getting upset. It really began to bug her that the women I encountered continuously fawned over me. As I had mentioned, during the first couple of years in the league, I had gotten my fill of groupies. So, it was annoying for me, but I remained polite and kept my distance. Charlotte was struggling with the women practically throwing themselves at me, and I could see it was making her unhappy.

When I realized that Charlotte was so unhappy, I wanted out of this circus. In truth, I yearned to return to a normal life, which meant my job at the bank. So, I spoke to my agent, Jack Starmer, and told him I wanted out of the ongoing events. Jack was not happy because I was getting paid for most of these events, and he was getting a percentage. But I put my foot down, and Jack finally agreed to end the seemingly endless tour. However, there were still two events, one that could not be canceled, and the other I refused to cancel. One was a contract to do a shaving cream commercial. The other was a visit to a children's hospital.

I explained to Charlotte that I was ending the tour and suggested she fly back to Jacksonville. I planned to follow her in a week once my obligations were complete. I was happy that we had won the Super Bowl, but I was not happy with the celebrity that came with it. I cannot for the life of me understand why anyone would want to be famous.

Finally, I decided to put her mind at rest. I had planned to ask her to marry me when we returned to Jacksonville after the tour. But for Charlotte's last night before flying home, I took her to a fancy restaurant. Once she was seated, I knelt down before her and proposed.

She did not say anything for a full five seconds. At first, I thought she didn't want to marry me, and I was ready to go into panic mode. But finally, Charlotte said barely above a whisper, "Really, you want to marry me?" she had tears running down her cheeks.

"I want to marry you more than anything in the world," I said as I rose and kissed her.

"Oh God, Jason, I love you so much," her voice quivered. "Yes, I will marry you."

After I put the ring on her finger, a roar went up from the restaurant patrons. When the cheering died, the restaurant staff brought us a bottle of champagne and served us a wonderful dinner. That night back in our room, Charlotte was like a woman possessed. We made love until the early hours of the morning. And then, a few hours later, Charlotte caught her flight back to Jacksonville.

The commercial was a pain as I kept messing up my lines. I also had a problem with the girl in the commercial with me. She did not want to understand that no meant no. At one point, while I was dressing in a trailer set up for me, she snuck in and took her clothes off. It was a total ambush, and it totally pissed me off. I literally threw her out of the trailer naked.

The trip to the children's hospital made up for the aggravation of the commercial. I was supposed to be at the hospital for an hour, but I spent six hours there, talking to as many kids as wanted to talk to me. It broke my heart when I heard about each of their illnesses. How could you not be moved when you heard how much suffering they had gone through? I promised to come back to their fundraiser the following year, and I did.

There was also another surprise for me. As I moved to one of the top floors, I found Tabor waiting for me by the elevator. He looked about the same as in high school but seemed super nervous.

"Jason, could I talk to you for a second?" he asked tentatively as he stuck out his hand.

I smiled at my one-time friend and pulled him into a hug. "Hey, it's great to see you, Tabor. Are you still with Gina?"

Tabor shuffled his feet and looked even more nervous. "Ah, yeah, we got married."

"Congratulations, that's wonderful," I said as I released him. "Now, what can I do for you."

"Well, you see, umm, we've got a little boy, TJ, and he's sick."

"Nothing serious, I hope?" I asked, but I knew it had to be serious if the boy was in this hospital.

"He has cancer," Tabor said quietly and then added. "But we're hoping the chemo treatments will cure him."

"I'm sure it will," I said with deep concern. "So, what is it that I can do?"

"Ever since I told TJ that I played football with you in high school, he has decided that you are his favorite player. If it isn't too much trouble, could you stop by his room and maybe give him an autograph?"

"I would be thrilled to do it. Give me ten minutes, and I'll be there."

Ten minutes later, I arrived at TJ's room with a ballcap, a football, and a jersey. I peeked my head in the room to make sure it was the right one and saw Gina sitting next to a skinny boy without any hair and the saddest eyes. Tabor stood behind his wife, looking so tired and beaten down.

"Hey," I said brightly, "I understand someone in this room named TJ is a football fan."

TJ's eyes suddenly lit up, and he struggled to sit up. Gina rose and helped him to a sitting position while I took a chair next to him.

"I understand you are my number one fan, so I brought you a few things. I hope you like them?"

Then I autographed the cap and the ball naming TJ as my number one fan. The smile I got warmed me but made me want to cry. Why did kids like TJ have to suffer so much?

"Did my dad really play football with you?" TJ finally asked with a timid voice.

"Not only did we play football together, but your dad was the best running back I ever knew. If he had not gotten injured, I have no doubt that he would have made it to the NFL."

"Really?" he asked before looking over at his father. For the first time that day, I saw Tabor smile.

"Absolutely," I answered. "Now, I have got a deal for you. I want to take you, your mom, and your dad to a football game. And I want to take you into the locker room so that you can meet some of the players. But to do that, you have to get better. Can you do that?"

TJ's head bobbed up and down as his smile grew wider.

"I'm going to write our deal on this jersey, so you know it is for real."

I wrote, "I promise to take TJ and his mom and dad to a professional football game once he gets better." Then I signed it.

TJ hugged the jersey to his chest as I glanced at my watch. Then I saw my agent mouthing that I would miss my flight if I did not get going.

"I'm sorry to cut this visit short, but I've got a flight to catch," I said as I grabbed my notebook out of my pocket. I wrote out my cellphone number and asked Tabor for his.

"Let's keep in touch," I said as I handed him my number. Just before I left, Gina gave me a kiss on the cheek.

"I can't begin to thank you," she said with tears streaming down her face. "This is the first day that TJ has smiled in months."

I just nodded and left.

I took the red-eye back to Jacksonville, which got me in at six in the morning. I got an uber to my condo, showered, and changed before heading to the bank. I got there just after seven; besides security personnel, there was hardly anyone around. I hurried to my office and began digging through the material that had built up during my absence. I knew it was unimportant because everyone knew I was away. Still, I figured it would help bring me up to speed.

At eight, Kelly popped her head into my office and squealed when she saw me sitting at my desk. She gave me a bear hug and welcomed me back. It felt great to be back at my job, where I could just be an average nobody. However, I was deluding myself because a little before nine, I was summed to meet Carl in the server room. I assumed it had to do with the acquisition of the twelve branches recently acquired just before I left for the football season. Their computer system was not compatible with ours. I knew Carl planned to upgrade Century's entire computer system rather than just jerry-rig the twelve branches into our existing system. I assumed I would be updated on any changes made or changes that would be made. Yet, that was not what Carl wanted to see me about.