The flight from Texas to Florida was a short journey of only 2 hours and 30 minutes, so Wyatt did not have time to fall asleep during the plane ride.
What he had done was read and continue studying the Clemson Tigers playbook, which he had received by mail days after accepting to play for them.
The book had a purple cover with the tiger paw logo in a bright orange color; inside were a multitude of plays, both offensive and defensive, as well as the role of each player on the field and the corresponding commands.
For a Quarterback, who is the leader and in charge of the entire offense, knowing and understanding the playbook is an indispensable requirement on any team, regardless of your physical talent or how far you can throw the ball.
The commands within it allowed him to transmit his orders in a way that the rival defensive team would have no idea what the maneuver would be—whether they would play by air or by ground; furthermore, for a team to function smoothly, every player must know that book.
"Let's see, Tiger 82," Wyatt murmured while carefully reading the team formation and the passing routes in that set, a highlighter in hand with which he emphasized key words like the number of receivers and who the pass in question was intended for.
He had employed this study technique since his high school playbook, although of course, that book could not compare to the one he held in his hands right now, which was more than twice as thick as the previous one.
"Attention to all passengers, we are close to landing at St. Pete-Clearwater Airport in Florida; please fasten your seatbelts and put your seats in an upright position," came the captain's voice over the plane's speakers, informing them of the upcoming descent.
Upon hearing that, Wyatt stowed the book inside his backpack while adjusting his seatbelt as the plane gradually landed.
With the plane at a complete standstill, Wyatt, along with the rest of the passengers, exited toward the exit and the baggage claim line, and then to the exit where one of the game assistants would be waiting to take him to the hotel with the rest of the players.
Picking up his suitcases and walking through the airport doors, Wyatt was met head-on by the subtropical climate that characterizes the Sunshine State.
Scanning the people waiting outside the airport, Wyatt immediately noticed a person holding a sign that said WYATT STERLING in capital letters.
"Mr. Sterling," the man said once he saw Wyatt approaching, recognizing the face of one of the most prominent high school players today.
"Mr. Sterling is my father; just call me Wyatt," Wyatt said once he was in front of the man, who simply nodded and naturally took one of the suitcases Wyatt was carrying.
"Follow me this way, please," he said, then began to lead the way toward the parking lot where a Cadillac Escalade with Under Armour logos all over it was waiting for them.
Once they were inside and the suitcases were in the trunk, Wyatt couldn't help but notice how luxurious the interior of the SUV was as he took one of the water bottles from the car's cup holder. "And what should I call you?" Wyatt asked with a friendly smile toward the driver, who kept his eyes forward and glanced at him through the rearview mirror.
"Benjamin. Ben for friends," Ben replied, keeping his sight fixed on the road.
"Tell me, Ben, where are we going?" Wyatt asked while looking at the landscape through the window once they left the airport for the highway.
"First, I will drop you off at the hotel where the entire White team is staying," Ben replied in a monotonous voice.
"Have the rest of the players arrived yet?" Wyatt continued with his questions, wanting to know what awaited him once he arrived. "I understand that you are one of the last to arrive, sir," Ben continued responding in his formal tone.
"You can set aside the 'sir,' Ben; it makes me feel old," Wyatt said with a friendly smile on his face. "Understood, si... Wyatt," Ben quickly corrected himself, not being very accustomed to speaking informally with a client.
"And tell me, are you from here, Ben?" Wyatt wanted to know more about his driver as they traveled through the streets of St. Petersburg. "I'm from Alabama, but I work as a driver and private security for several important events," Ben replied, relaxing a bit upon seeing how easy it was to talk to Wyatt.
"Crimson Tide?" he inquired quickly upon knowing where Ben was from. "Roll Tide," he said in response, the characteristic motto of Alabama teams.
"I hope there are no hard feelings for not choosing them," Wyatt continued, joking about the fact that he hadn't chosen Alabama to play. "No problem; either way, we still have AJ McCarron," Ben replied while holding the steering wheel firmly.
Against all odds, AJ McCarron had decided not to declare himself eligible for the 2013 draft, opting to play his final year of college under the command of Nick Saban in search of winning one last national championship before ending his NCAA career and entering the NFL.
"In fact, if you'll allow me to tell you something," Ben began in a conspiratorial tone, immediately capturing Wyatt's attention. "From what I was told, McCarron was about to announce his eligibility for this year's draft, but he was stopped by Saban, who convinced him to stay one more year," Ben finished saying.
"Really?" Wyatt asked, slightly incredulous at the revelation he had just been given.
"It seems Coach Saban believed you would definitely choose to go to Alabama; therefore, when he saw you choose Clemson, Coach Saban didn't have a second-best option, so Coach Saban kept McCarron," Ben said while nodding his head.
This provoked a series of complex emotions in Wyatt. On one hand, he felt flattered to be held in such high esteem by someone like Nick Saban, while on the other hand, he couldn't help but think what would have happened if he had chosen to go to Alabama.
He could already imagine himself in Bryant-Denny Stadium, his name being chanted by more than 50,000 students who had gone to see him play the game that would define the SEC conference title... but the "what if" is something that will never be known, and Wyatt was happy with his choice of Clemson.
Of course, he couldn't deny that the idea of Alabama had also crossed his mind, especially the day he had gone for a visit with his parents and saw the stadium and campus, later having a conversation with Coach Saban about the development plan they had envisioned for Wyatt.
He also remembered the conversation he had with Nick Saban in the latter's office, in which topics such as his position on the field, the facilities, the Crimson Tide training plan, and what the coach expected from him were discussed.
All of that was fine and Wyatt liked it until the moment they began talking about the team and the direction it moved under Saban's command, which sought to be as methodical and disciplined as possible along with one of the best defenses in the entire SEC.
That was something that caused Wyatt to rethink if going to Alabama was the best option for him; after all, for a dual-threat quarterback like him, being in a rigid game system without the option for creativity would completely limit his development and potential.
On the other hand, what Clemson offered him was a more creative system from Dabo, who knew very well how to use the qualities of his players alongside the tactics Wyatt had received from the playbook.
"And we're here," Ben said, pulling Wyatt out of his thoughts. Looking around, he realized they were in front of a hotel where he would meet his future teammates.
While unloading the suitcases from the trunk, Wyatt quickly began the check-in process, which was completed faster than expected thanks to Under Armour having made the pertinent arrangements weeks before the game began.
"Thanks, Ben," Wyatt said, heading back outside once he had received his room key and taking the suitcases Ben handed him.
"One more thing, Wyatt," Ben said, briefly stopping Wyatt as he reached into one of the pockets of the blazer he was wearing, pulling out an elegant cardboard card from inside.
"My card, in case you need any help during your stay," Ben said, giving him a friendly smile for the first time during the entire trip from the airport, while Wyatt took the card and tucked it into his pants with a smile on his face.
"Thanks, Ben," Wyatt thanked as he re-entered the hotel lobby and saw the SUV driving away in the distance.
Heading toward the elevator with all his suitcases, Wyatt pressed the button for his floor.
"And we're here," Wyatt said with satisfaction, quickly leaving the suitcases inside the room and proceeding to flop onto the bed. "It's softer than mine," Wyatt thought once his whole body was completely lying on the bed and the comfortable mattress.
Lifting his gaze from the comfortable pillow where his head rested, Wyatt saw a card with the Under Armour logo detailing all the activities scheduled for this day before the game, which would be played at 5:00 PM Eastern Time.
"I guess I could take a walk around the hotel," was the next thought that struck Wyatt's mind as he stood up and left the room toward the elevator to begin his small tour of the entire hotel.
First, heading toward the top floor of the hotel, Wyatt ended up in the pool area, which was already full of people swimming or lying out in the sun, with women wearing bikinis that left little to the imagination at that moment.
Then Wyatt went to the lobby floor, where the buffet restaurant, some meeting and event rooms, and a game room were located—where Wyatt knew he would spend a few good hours later on.
Descending further to the basement level, Wyatt found one of the rooms he always liked: a fully functional gym with enough equipment to perform a full-body routine.
And it seemed Wyatt was not the only one, because inside the gym, another person could be seen, concentrated on his bench press repetitions at that moment.
"17, 18, uff, 19," he could be heard saying after each repetition as the bar went up and down to the chest level of the person, who, upon reaching number 20, placed the bar in its rack while he stood up and began to wipe the sweat from his forehead with the towel he had beside him.
Feeling a gaze upon him and seeing who it was, he couldn't help but say, "Wyatt Sterling," slightly surprised to find him there. "Yes, and you are?" Wyatt asked, not knowing who the person beside him was.
"Forgive me, Laquon Treadwell," the boy in question said. "Your teammate," he finished saying, then extended his hand.
"A pleasure," Wyatt said, shaking his hand. "What position do you play?" he inquired, looking closely at Laquon, trying to decipher the position. "I'll be your number 1 receiver," he said with a smile on his face.
"I see. So, do you want to go outside to practice?" Wyatt asked him, wanting to see if he could figure out Laquon's habits and how he likes to receive the ball.
"Sure" Laquon said, excited to finally be able to go outside to practice a bit before tomorrow.
"Perfect. I'll see you outside; just give me 10 minutes, okay?" Wyatt said, heading quickly toward his room to change into a more athletic outfit.
And that was how Wyatt spent the rest of the day practicing passes with Laquon, both preparing for the big day they would have tomorrow.
Authors thought's
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