Chapter 5
Chapter Five
Butch looked out over the crowd gathered to watch the teams arrive at Halas stadium. With Chicago being so close to Indianapolis, there were plenty of fans wearing Legends gear. Things looked the same as always, but something felt different today. It felt as if something bad was waiting to happen.
As they filed off the bus fans shouted questions and encouragement to the team.
“Go Legends!”
“What’s it like having a female kicker?”
“Is she as pretty as she looks on TV?”
Butch frowned. He knew having that girl kicker on the team was a mistake. He stepped closer to the guy who’d asked if she was pretty and said, “She is, but she’s a bitch and doesn’t belong on the team.”
Coach Alberton bellowed from the doorway, “Sutton!”
“Shit,” Butch mumbled as he stepped inside the stadium.
When they gotten far enough from the door to not be overheard by the fans Coach asked, “Did I just hear you call our kicker a bitch?”
“I, uh, I only meant…”
“We already had this discussion and I thought you understood. Masterson is our kicker. You either deal with it or leave, breaking your contract. Up to you. Am I understood?”
“Yes, Coach.”
With another grumble he caught up with Trey.
“You just don’t know when to keep quiet do you?” Trey asked with a frown. “Shit like that makes the whole team look bad.”
“Well, I sure hope she doesn’t make us look bad today. Sure, she can kick at practice but during a game it’s different. You know it is.”
Three hours later they were lined up in the tunnel, waiting for the introductions. The crowd roared as the hometown team was introduced.
Then it was the Legends’ turn and they trotted out on to the field amid a mixture of boos and cheers, along with chants of “No girls allowed.”
Butch grinned, he’d been right, having a girl kicker was a bad idea.
Rocky
She stepped out of the tunnel and heard the announcer call out her name and position to cheers and not a few boos.
Straightening her shoulders, she trotted over to the sidelines to line up with her teammates.
After the pre-game stuff was done it was game time.
Time for her to show that she belonged in the Gridiron Warriors Football League.
Trey smiled at her, “You’ve got this, Rocky. ”
She watched from the sidelines as the Legends offense took the field.
Periodically she kicked a few practice balls into the net to stay warmed up.
The Legends’ first possession, the Engines defense kept the Legends to one first down.
The second set of downs the Engines stopped them forcing them to punt.
Rocky hopped from foot to foot, hoping she would get the chance to show what she could do.
On their second possession, Trey caught a pass in the end zone for a touchdown! Now it was her turn to show what she could do. The special teams ran out onto the field and she took her place. This was it!
She lined up and took a deep breath. Nodding that she was set, the ball was hiked to Nelson and he set it down with the laces just where she liked them. She kicked it through the uprights! It was good!
She let out a breath and smiled huge as she ran to the sidelines. Trey fist-bumped her and grinned as he headed for the bench to take a much needed break. She’d done it, kicked her very first extra point as a Legend. Adrenalin spiking, she paced behind the bench as the defense took the field.
Both teams were playing tough defense and the score was Chicago twelve, Indianapolis ten with one minute seven seconds left on the clock when the Legends got possession on Chicago’s twenty yard line.
They had less than two minutes to get in the end zone or get close enough for a field goal.
The offense took the field and used their hurry-up offense to drive down the field.
Rocky warmed up, either way she was going to be kicking, whether it was for three points or one point.
She watched as Corey threw a pass to Trey who was tackled on the goal line.
She held her breath as she waited for the refs to determine if it was a touchdown.
Butterflies took over her stomach when they spotted the ball on the one yard line.
With two seconds left on the clock, it was up to her.
Trotting out onto the field, she concentrated on the task before her – kick it through the uprights.
She knew as soon as she kicked it, it would go wide. Something just hadn’t been right. Maybe she’d stepped too short or too long. No matter the reason, they lost. She knew it wasn’t totally on her but it sure felt that way.
Head down, she walked toward the bench. Most of the players said things like, “We’ll get them next time.” Except for Butch. He stepped up next to her and snarled, “Thanks for the loss. I knew having you as a kicker was a mistake.”
She knew he was just pissed but the words hurt. Coach led them down the tunnel to the visitor’s locker room. Dejectedly, they filed into the room, leaving her out in the hall with the coach.
“Tough luck, Rocky. It happens. We’ll win the next one.”
She nodded and trudged down to the cheerleaders’ locker room. The chatter hit her in a wave when she opened the door. The other women stopped and then cheered.
“We’ve got a female player!”
“You’ll get it next time!”
“Don’t let the assholes get you down. The loss wasn’t just on you.”
She tried to smile but instead a tear ran down her cheek. Gah, she couldn’t let this get to her, she was a professional football player now. Time for her to act like it. She swiped at the tear angrily and declared, “Damn right, it wasn’t.”
They pulled her into their conversations as they headed for the showers, gossiping about which players were the best looking.
“Hi, I’m Tracy,” a tall brunette said as she sat next to Rocky to take off her shoes. “So, anyone special in your life? What do they think about you playing football?”
Rocky smiled as she reached into her bag for her shampoo and conditioner. “No boyfriend right now. My dad loves that I followed in his footsteps but my mom, she absolutely hates it. She’s always harping on me that I won’t catch a husband if I’m playing football with the guys.”
Trish, a cute redhead asked, “So, which player would you date if you could?”
Rocky laughed, “Like I’ve had time to look.” She grabbed her towel and headed toward the showers. “Trey Conners is good looking and he’s the sweetest. I don’t know why he hasn’t already been snatched up.”
“What about Butch Sutton? I saw you looking at him,” Trish said.
“Ugh! He’s a complete asshole. Sure, he’s good looking in that older somewhat scruffy guy way, but nope, not gonna happen in this lifetime.”
Tracy piped up, “No one else has caught your interest?”
“Nope, and it’s against the rules anyway. It would be grounds to break my contract and I won’t let that happen. I worked too hard to get here to jeopardize it over some guy.”
“Good for you,” Trish said as she grabbed her towel. “Here’s to you being the first of many women in football.”
The last of the cheerleaders left and the room was blissfully quiet as she finished putting on her makeup. Couldn’t go out looking like she’d just played in a football game or anything. Sigh.
She was zipping up her bag when someone pounded on the door. “Bus leaves in twenty.”
She would be glad to get home and crawl into bed, she was worn out.
Walling out the stadium doors to the bus she was bombarded by reporters.
“What happened on that last kick?”
“How did it feel to play in your first game as a Legend?”
“Is there someone special waiting for you at home?”
She stopped to talk to the reporter who’d asked how she felt. “It was glorious! I’m disappointed that we didn’t win but we’ll be practicing hard for our next game.”
“What about the nay-sayers who are saying the Legends lost because of you?”
Rocky smiled, she’d been waiting for this question. “I will put my kicking up against any of the other kickers in the Gridiron Warriors Football League. The missed field goal was something that happens to every kicker.”
“Maybe someone needs to put on a competition,” the reporter commented.
Coach Albertson motioned for her to board the bus.
“I’ve got to go.”
“Thanks for answering my questions.”
“Anytime.”
After stowing her bag in the cargo area, she walked down the aisle looking for an empty seat. Spying one about three rows from the back she dropped into it and sighed.
“I can’t believe they’re making us ride back with her,” she heard someone say behind her.
She turned and peeked between the seats. Figures, it was the asshole. He just didn’t know when to shut up. She stood and turned around making sure she had his attention.
“You worry about your blocking. I’ll worry about my kicking.”
“What do you know about blocking?” he asked.
“I grew up watching football with my dad. He taught me everything I know about it,” she said with a smirk.
He looked up at her. “And that means something why?”
She put her knees up on the seat so she could lean over the back. “Because my dad is James Masterson, the best tight end in the league until he blew out his knee.”
“Your dad is James Masterson?” Trey asked? “Man, I’d give anything to meet him.”
She smiled huge. “He’d love that. I’ll set something up.”
“Awesome, can’t wait!” Trey said excitedly.
Butch scowled. “So, your dad was a player back in the day. So what?”
She sat back down, not letting him spoil her mood.