January 4, 2013
The atmosphere inside Tropicana Field was already at a full boil, with the capacity of 35,000 people almost completely full, waiting for the game where the best high school players gather to begin.
"The Trop," usually used for Tampa Bay Rays MLB games, had been completely modified, swapping the diamond for two goalposts at both ends of the field along with perfectly painted and placed yard lines.
"And we find ourselves at The Trop in St. Petersburg, Florida, where 90 of the best seniors have gathered, including the number 1 player in the country, Wyatt Sterling, who recently confirmed he would play for the Clemson Tigers," a commentator's voice-over was heard while the camera showed different shots of the stadium and players for all the viewers watching the game on television.
"And some others who still haven't made a decision, as is the case with Robert Nkemdiche, the second-best player in the country and number 1 in his position as defensive end," the narrator said as the camera showed Robert who, seeing the camera pointing at him in his black Team Highlight uniform, brought a hand to his helmet while making a deking motion as if rubbing it.
"We also have some heading off to play for a couple of national title finalists, like Robert Foster, who is going to play college football for Nick Saban. And speaking of Saban, recently in one of his interviews, he said he regretted that Sterling decided not to wear the Crimson Tide jersey, opting instead for Clemson orange," the narrator finished as the cameras focused on the two coaches for this game.
For the Black Team (Highlight), in command was an African-American man dressed in a red shirt and matching cap with a friendly smile; it was Herm Edwards, who was invited to coach this exhibition game after last coaching the Kansas City Chiefs in 2008.
In the other corner was Steve Mariucci, who would lead the White Team (Nitro). Wearing a gray athletic shirt, he had a more serious expression compared to Herm, and like him, he had professionally coached NFL teams, the last being the Detroit Lions.
Once that passed, the screen cut to commercials while both teams took their positions, ready to start the game once the referee gave the starting signals.
People watching the encounter on television were seeing a montage that had been recorded hours earlier featuring all the top players in each of the best football positions. In the most prominent part was Wyatt, already in uniform, staring fixedly at the camera with a serious gaze and his helmet tucked under his arm, ready for action. Below, in large white letters, it read: QB #1 Wyatt Sterling – Clemson University.
"And we're back here at The Trop in sunny Florida after commercials. I'm Adam Amin, and joining me is Tom Luginbill," a voice said through the headsets from the upper part of the stadium with the field right behind them. "Tell me, Tom, what can we expect from today's game?" Adam asked, giving the floor to his partner.
"Well, look Adam, the truth is this will be an exciting match with both teams giving their best, but of course, we can't overlook Wyatt Sterling, who will play for Team Nitro and whose opponent will be Robert Nkemdiche, who is the best defensive end in this class. So, the most electrifying part of this encounter will be those two—will Sterling be able to pass the ball comfortably, or will Nkemdiche sack him first?" Adam inquired, generating even more expectation for the game.
"And speaking of those two, we have Darryl Novak with them on the field, so let's go to him," Adam said as the camera shifted, now showing a man with his hand over his ear listening to instructions through an earpiece, with two players in front of him. "Here you have them, guys: Wyatt Sterling and Robert Nkemdiche, players number 1 and 2—one on offense and the other on defense," Darryl said quickly.
"Wyatt, you arrived yesterday and just finished practicing with the rest of the players here in St. Pete. Tell me, what do you want to show the national audience watching us?" he asked, then placed his microphone in front of Wyatt's face.
Wyatt this time wore a white uniform with red lines and the words "All-American" visible on his chest next to the Under Armour logo, with the number "10" below in large relief. "Well, honestly, I just want to give my best, just like my teammates, and of course, the most important thing is to enjoy this game and for all the spectators to enjoy the match," Wyatt responded, receiving a nod from Darryl, who then directed his gaze toward Robert, who was standing next to Wyatt.
"Robert Nkemdiche, a recruit who is still undecided. Tell us, people are going to watch how Robert Nkemdiche plays—tell us what you want them to say about Robert Nkemdiche." After asking his question, he brought the microphone close to Robert.
"I just want to show people who I am and how hard I work. I'm going to give my best from the first minute of the game and give 100% throughout the entire match," Robert said, dressed in his black uniform with the number 2 across his jersey.
"These boys seem ready for the game, guys," Darryl said, taking back the microphone while behind him the camera captured Wyatt and Robert shaking hands and bumping shoulders before each returned to their respective side.
After that, the lineups of all the players were shown on the viewers' screens. The White Team would start on offense, and the Black Team gave the kickoff, which was caught by Keith Ford, a running back who had already signed his letter of intent with Oklahoma. He set off running as fast as he could to gain yards for his team, being tackled at the 34-yard line of his own field, showing a solid return.
Once he stood up, Keith was surrounded by his teammates, receiving pats on the back and helmet as they returned to their bench. "Good job," Coach Mariucci said while still holding his clipboard.
"Offense, take the field!" he said, and immediately the offensive unit that had been previously discussed headed to the field, with Wyatt being the last to enter as he adjusted his helmet and watched the defensive team on the other side also getting into position.
With everyone in place, Wyatt immediately took his position behind the center, who held the ball ready for the snap while he stared firmly at the players in front of him. "Ready, Hot!" Wyatt shouted, receiving the ball and dropping back while his eyes scanned the field and his line of scrimmage clashed against the Black Team's defense.
Robert managed to break free from the grasp of the offensive tackler in front of him, heading immediately toward Wyatt with the goal of bringing him down and getting the first sack of the game. But Wyatt, seeing this, released the ball quickly, only to be tackled by Robert seconds later.
The ball traced a parabola through the air toward the left corner of the field where Laquon was in position, while the rival cornerback also headed toward him, not wanting him to catch the ball and advance more yards.
Laquon jumped with power, securing the ball firmly between both hands, only to be tackled immediately by the Black Team's safety; still, Laquon secured the ball firmly against his body, refusing to let go.
"And the White Team starts strong with a deep 15-yard pass caught by receiver Laquon Treadwell, ending right at the 31-yard line," Tom's voice told all the spectators who had seen the play.
"Brilliant catch, but we also can't deny that Sterling's pass was masterful, especially because before he threw it, Robert Nkemdiche was heading straight for him and brought him down just as he released the ball," Adam continued, complementing his partner's words.
Rising first, Robert immediately extended his hand down, helping Wyatt to his feet. "Good pass," he couldn't help but add. "But next time I'll sack you before you can do it," was the last thing he said before returning to the rest of his teammates for the White Team's second down.
Wyatt, once on his feet, approached his teammates who had formed a circle, discussing the next play. "Same strategy, boys. All receivers spread out, and I'll handle the rest," Wyatt said with confidence, clapping and breaking the huddle as the players got into position.
"Red 45!! Red 45!!" Wyatt shouted to all his teammates, who simply took their positions.
"Ready, Hot!" Receiving the ball, Wyatt took a few steps back to get a better view of the entire field while his offensive line clashed with the defense at the line of scrimmage.
This time, Robert managed to break through the line of scrimmage more quickly, without the linemen being able to stop him. With no other objective in mind, he immediately headed toward Wyatt upon seeing that he still held the ball in his hands.
But Wyatt had also noticed this, so upon seeing him, he immediately tucked the ball against his body and began to run toward the other corner of the field, forcing Robert to accelerate to try and catch him.
While running, Wyatt paid attention to everything happening on the field as he gradually approached the line of scrimmage, with a cornerback also coming to meet him to block his path. So, while running, Wyatt raised his arm with the ball over his head again, seeing a possible route.
Throwing the ball with power, Wyatt managed to pass the ball to Robbie Rhodes, another of the three wide receivers on the field, who, as soon as he received the ball, spun his body, evading the linebacker next to him as he ran in a straight line toward the end zone.
However, while he was getting open, he didn't see Vonn Bell, the Black Team's safety, approaching in his direction. Bell managed to tackle him just in time after he had managed to advance a few more yards.
"And that is what makes Wyatt Sterling the best dual-threat QB. In a situation where anyone else would have been sacked by Robert, he said no and scrambled out of his protection pocket, running about 5 yards before throwing a 7-yard pass to Rhodes, who ended up running another 4 yards for a total of 16 yards, ending at the 35-yard line," Adam narrated frantically.
"Let's go, White Team!" someone in the crowd shouted, followed by the cheers of the other spectators who were enjoying the match being played.
"You can do it, boys!" shouted one of the mothers of the White Team players who had come to watch her son play.
While the crowd was frantic, the game resumed smoothly, with Wyatt this time handing off the ball to one of his running backs, who managed to break through the line of scrimmage and gain the 4 necessary yards on first down as the White Team moved closer and closer to the end zone.
Having had enough of this, Wyatt decided to finish the offensive drive. As soon as he had the ball, he threw a deep pass that traveled approximately 20 yards and ended up in the hands of Laquon, who managed to shake off his safety and finished running the remaining 11 yards, ending in the end zone without any trouble.
"Touchdown!" Tom's voice was heard as the entire audience went into a complete frenzy, which was only fueled by the scoreboard beginning to blast horns along with the word TOUCHDOWN.
"And just when you thought Sterling only knew how to make mid-range passes or run, he surprises you with a 20-yard launch caught by Laquon Treadwell for the touchdown!"
Finally, the special team came on, scoring the extra point conversion, ending with a score of 0-7.
Once his job was done, Wyatt sat with the rest of his teammates with his helmet on his lap, watching the defensive team come on as the Black Team's offense prepared, led by Christian Hackenberg, who was the second-best QB of the class of 2013, but unlike Wyatt, he was more of a pocket passer.
And so the game reached the end of the first quarter with a score of 3-7, with the White Team in the lead thanks to Wyatt's touchdown. Wyatt stayed on the bench for the second offensive series, giving Shane Morris the opportunity, since as an exhibition match, all players would have the chance to play.
Authors thought's
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