“Like you’d ever get drunk.”
He’d learned to stick to his limit the hard way—by puking on the high school football field the morning after a night of carousing. But losing Natalie had made him take leave of his senses for a time. He’d fought the divorce like crazy before admitting to himself that she wasn’t coming back. Then he’d chosen to numb himself with alcohol on a few desperate nights, even if it meant being sick later.
“Beyond getting Natalie back, what else are you planning to do?” Sam asked. “You always have a plan. You’ll go bonkers if you don’t have something to do.”
Most of them thought about what life would look like after football. Sure age was a factor, but every player knew injury could come out of nowhere and end a promising career. Frank Garretty had drilled that into their heads each summer. Blake could still hear his gravelly voice shouting across the freshly mowed football field in his annual speech, the one they referred to as Once Upon A Dare.
Playing professional football is not some fairy tale, boys. It’s hard, exhausting work. You’ll be tested in every way a man can be. There are no daisies and buttercups in this game. If you want everything handed to you like some princess, get off my field right now. If you’re going to play football for me or any coach worth his salt, you’re going to have to dare it all. So, here’s my challenge to you punks. I dare you to be more than you ever imagined…
If one of the campers wimped out during speed drills and made the other kids run an extra five miles after practice, that person had been dubbed Cinderella for the whole week. Jordan had even fashioned a crown once out of shoelaces and paperclips, which Coach hadn’t liked—not one bit.
“I’ve been thinking about it a lot, actually,” Blake said, “and I’m going to start a football camp for kids with intellectual disabilities. Boys only at first. I figure with what I’ve learned from your dad and my brother…” He broke off, choking on his grief for Adam.
“Adam would be proud of you. My dad too. I know I am. How can I help?”
That was Sam—always practical, always willing to lend a hand. “I don’t want to take you away from your dad’s camp.”
“Who says I can’t be involved with more than one camp?” his friend fired back. “Assuming you’re going to limit it to a week like Coach does.”
He was, but even so, he’d been reluctant to ask the guys for help. First, it was flag football. And second, working with healthy kids at football camp was challenging enough, what with the punk attitudes, horsing around, and off-the-field issues. But they hadn’t spent much time around kids with intellectual disabilities, except, of course, for Adam. And they certainly hadn’t coached them. Even he wasn’t sure how it would go.
“Thanks, man,” he said and coughed to cover the emotion clogging his throat. “Yes, it’s going to be a week. I’ve already rented a dorm at the local university here after they agreed to let me use their field.”
Okay, so it wasn’t just a vague plan. He’d drafted the whole thing while he was in Vail and then made a handful of calls with the strict understanding the discussions were confidential. The athletic director of Emmits Merriam University, Tom Hudson, was a big Raiders fan, and the prospect of helping Blake host his first football camp had thrilled him. From there, it had been relatively easy.
He and Kelly were working their way through the list of things they would need, anything from a call for volunteers to supplies. And he had a lead on some medical staff that could help out whenever a physical issue came up for one of the kids. Now that the bridge had been built, the announcement would go out today. He had made his personal plans known to Natalie. Now, he would make his next steps known to the world.
“Sounds like you’re moving forward, all right,” Sam mused. “Not that I’m surprised. You never were one to sit around. What’s your end game, Blake?”
Nothing got past Sam Garretty. “I want to get more involved with the Special Olympics.” But it wouldn’t take up all his time, and that terrified him. Natalie had a full-time job. He would need something else. “Beyond that, I don’t know yet.”
“You’ll figure it out,” Sam said. “And you know all of us will do whatever we can to help out with the camp and anything else you need.”
While Blake had played with many different guys and teams in his career, his football camp family had been a constant in his life. “Thanks, man.”
“Now, when can we come visit? I promised to call the others as soon as I heard from you.”
It didn’t surprise him to hear the other guys had guessed he’d call Sam first. Everyone knew he was the best listener of the group. “Whenever your schedule allows. I’m free.”