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Chapter 10

Tyler

T here’s a buzz in the auditorium today as the whole team files in to take a seat. I know I’ve expressed how exhausting a season can be, but there’s also the dream of what it can be, too. Each of us feels it, and we know it. If we work hard, train hard, and play smart, this can be our year. Last year, we got so close that we could each taste it, making us even hungrier than before.

Sully plops down on one side of me, and Jonah on the other. Ryder sits next to Sully, and Titan next to Jonah. One by one, everyone who’s a part of the organization rolls in. People are standing against the walls, sitting on the steps. They’re packed in here, and the energy coursing through the air is electrifying. Not all meetings are like this one, just the first one we have each year, and I love it. Eventually, Coach Richter makes his way up to the front, to the mic’d-up podium, and the noise in the room dies down.

“I want every one of you to take a look at that wall and read those words.” He points to his left, our right, and the room remains silent as we do and chills run down my arms. Five words in big, bold black font stare back at us: Victory starts in the heart.

“Every year, we open the new season with those words. I want you to live them, breathe them, feel them deep inside your bones. For the next six months, we’ll all be hitting the grind. Whether you’re in the front office, back office, or in this room looking at boards of X’s and O’s, my hope is that each of you will remember that for this organization, victory is about something deeper, something none of us can see, but something we can all feel with our hearts. Do I want to win the whole damn thing? Abso-fucking-lutely. But victory doesn’t start with the perfect business plan, the perfect game plan, the flashy merch, the flashy plays, or the scoreboard. It starts right here”—he points toward his chest—“in the heart.”

I rub my hands across the top of my thighs and stare at Coach Richter. He’s been our head coach for almost ten years now, and outside of my dad, there is no man who I admire more than him. He brought this slogan to Tampa and made it a living, breathing thing. He lives by his heart, his integrity, and his honesty. He’s the true definition of a leader, and he makes me proud to follow him. Onto the field, into battle, wherever, he’s got me.

“Your heart, that vibrant beating muscle in your chest, is the most important muscle in your body. Not your legs, not your arms, but your heart is where it all begins. It’s where your courage, your grit, and your determination live. We’ve all been at this a long time, there’s not much I can say that you don’t already know, but never forget, the heart is where you decide what kind of player you want to be, what kind of team you want to build, and ultimately what kind of individual you want the world to see and know.”

For some players, it’s so easy to get caught up in the money and the fame. You work your whole life to make it to the NFL, and while some continue to push, others let up on the reins and slip. It’s sad when this happens, but it does.

“Victory is a mindset. It’s about how much you want it—we want it—especially when no one is watching, that fuels us and drives us for the days that they are. It’s about showing up every single day, pushing yourself when you’re tired, injured, angry, and doing your job no matter what, because that’s when the heart takes over. When the heart tells you that no matter the score, no matter the odds, you’re never out of the fight. Victory is earned in those moments.

“Are we playing some tough teams? Yes. But we’re tough, too. Never forget that. I hope this season each of you will challenge yourself, set new goals, ask the person next to you what theirs are, so as a team we can all achieve them together. We rise as a team, and we can fall as a team. But tomorrow when you step out onto that field, remember this: The first and most important victory is within you. It’s the heart you bring to every meeting, every practice, every media day, every game, every moment. I say this every year, and I mean it. Give it your all, give it your heart, and I promise you together from the top to the bottom we’ll find victory on and off the field.”

Coach takes a step back to let us know he’s done, and the room erupts with cheers and the pounding of feet. His cheeks flush a little pink, which they always do, and this just adds to his charm. We all know he hates public speaking, but aside from building and executing the best team he can, it comes with the job.

Stepping back up to the podium, he waves his hands to calm the room. “Now, let’s get down to business. I’d like to introduce a few staffing changes, as well as some new additions.”

One after the other, he introduces the new people. The Tarpons have always made it known that they expect us to treat everyone on staff as equals. It’s not them and us. When we pass someone in the hallway, we’re to say, “Hello.” We’re to offer help, show respect, and whether or not we wear that C on our chest, we’re to all be leaders.

“Next up, we have two new members in our marketing department.” He waves for two people in the front row to join him. There’s a cute brunette who pops up. She’s bubbly in a way that definitely looks like someone who will be in front of the camera for our organization, and a guy with dark skin, who looks like he should be an athlete himself.

“This is Danica and Ross. Get used to seeing them, as they are now in charge of the Tarpons social media as content creators. I’m sure you’ve seen some of the fun things other teams in the league are posting, and well, we’re stepping up our game, and when you see these two and they ask something of you, do your part. If you give them a hard time because you don’t want to be filmed, don’t answer their questions, or in general just be obstinate, you’ll have to deal with me. And trust me when I say you don’t want that.”

Social media. My skin crawls just thinking about the reels and other things they might have planned that we’ve seen other teams doing. Minnesota was the first to go crazy, and while I can agree that it’s great to see these guys, and I’m certain their fans love it, I was always glad it was them and not us. Things I’ve seen are a question of the day at practice, cheesy interviews, game show–style reels, birthday posts, and family highlights—all kinds of stuff, which is fine for most, but I just prefer not to be in the spotlight. I love doing my job, but this stuff makes me cringe.

“And behind me, you’ll see which department is scheduled to be where next. Thanks, everybody, from the bottom of my heart. I really do feel like victory is already ours. Ryder Monroe,” Coach calls out, “come down here and see me before you head out.”

I glance over at him, and his lips press into a thin line. It’s never a good thing when Coach calls for you. There’s instant anxiety that you’re one, being traded, or two, which is even worse, being moved off the fifty-three-man roster. Granted, we’re not there yet, but it is odd that he’s calling on him now.

Ryder stands and nods at him in understanding.