The guy in the tower heard coach yell for Rogan, the new kid. The guy new Rogan, and knew him to be a god damn juvenile delinquent, always in trouble, mixing it up with teachers or kids in the hallways of the high school which loomed behind him. . He did know, that if a kid mixed with Rogan, the kid had better be ready to mix hard or pay a hard price. He saw Rogan wheel and knock out that punk Scott Word just this week. The kid had cussed Rogan in the quad. A blur of hands later, Word lay crumpled on the concrete. Rogan was a tough assed kid. Metzger, the gym teaching football coach, stood Rogan up against the wall after the incident and 2 days later the same guy, the coach, was calling Rogan’s name.
The guy in the tower, the after noon camera guy for the football team, knew Rogan from his custodial job in the high school. He saw the kid while sweeping the hallways. He screwed down the focus on the video camera on the the 22 kids below, while Rogan, looking confused as hell switched spots with the Moran kid, the starting middle linebacker for the high school team. Practice waned, the last few scrimmage plays to be run and done.
Rogan was not confused, just amazed at his luck. After smacking that doper Word in the quad he figured on a suspension and a severe ass whipping from the old man. Yet all Metzger did was tell him to show for practice. He mumbled something about “seeing how tough Rogan really was.” He found this football thing easy, just a romp on the grass. Now he could hit anyone he wanted. And the harder he hit the more they liked it. And Metzger, the stick up his ass, gym teacher and head coach told him to, said it was OK even.
He took the spot in the middle, a short two step away from the Catania kid, now sweating all over the football, on top of Catania stood the faggotty ass quarterback, Mr. G Q himself, and right behind the QB was Kramer the star fullback. Rogan’s body tingled. Kramer caught his stare and gave a half ass tough guy smile. Rogan knew better; Kramer was a gutless piece of shit and all Rogan wanted was for the faggot QB to hand Kramer the ball.
Signals barked out. The QB looked right and then left. Ball came up and slapped into the QB’s hands. The line, huffing and scratching like bulls, kicked up dirt and moved into blocks. The motion slowed for Rogan. He felt rather than saw Catania’s right foot moving with the snap. His eyes watched Kramer’s and those eyes told Rogan all. Rogan picked this up fast and lowered his right shoulder under the center’s block, he knew the ball was going left, read this fast, faster than thinking about it. His dark eyes saw Kramer reach for the ball and he catapulted his body forward, eyes on the soft white spot of Kramer’s throat below the face mask and above the top of the shoulder pads.
Rogan rolled his hips, came up as hard, as fast as he could over his right knee and exploded the brow of his helmet under Kramer’s chin, coming up fast over his legs driving hard up through Kramer. Through him because Kramer was not there any more. The violence of the hit folded the fullback up like a cheap lawn chair. He was now on his back rolling in pain. Rogan, never having left his feet, ball now in his hands, glared down at Kramer, dark eyes shined, thrill of the hit vibrating. He figured he should so something with the ball, tossed it back to Kramer, bouncing it off his helmet.
“Damn” said the part time video guy, 40 foot up the video tower. He heard the hit, scary hit, cracking loud across the field. The video rolled caught it all.
“I think the son of bitch killed him.” he said.
Metzger, 40 feet below dropped his clipboard, fumbled for his whistle.
The play stopped, practice got real quiet, Kramer’s chest heaved, lungs trying to taste the air that would not come. He writhed in pain. The center got up off his ass, the QB stared down at the big full back. The head Coach knew he found the linebacker he lusted for and all Rogan wanted was the next play.
“Coach, can we move it up so we can run some more plays?” Rogan said.
(Please, your comments are welcome. Did you like, not like, I got tons of stories including college and NFL, just waiting to be penned. )
