Chapter 86

My final day of student teaching with John Waters was bittersweet. I'd gotten close to John over the last four months of working together. I knew from Friday's classes, that I would have to address my trip out to Denver in some way if I wanted the class to focus on my final lecture. I began first period with a one minute "football update" before I started the lecture. The kids were smart enough not to ask any more football questions during the lecture.

I kept a close eye on the clock during the lecture. I had one more thing to say to the class and didn't want to be hurried by the bell.

"Today is my final day with all of you," I said a minute before dismissal. "I've loved working with all of you this semester. You've made my student teaching experience a pleasure. Make sure you get ready for the next month's final for the class. I know Mr. Waters is planning a doozy.

"Work and study hard, everyone. I'm living proof that it pays off. One more thing before I dismiss you ... I want someone to let me know when your football team beats Strath Haven next season. I know you guys can do it!"

The class cheered and clapped that pronouncement. The bell rang during their cheers. "Class dismissed!"

"Well done, Kyle," John said as I headed to the back of the room as the kids filed out. "You're going to make a heck of a teacher when you finish with football."

"This is going to be an emotional day," I commented.

"You handled it perfectly," John replied. Kids in our homeroom were streaming in, so I headed to the front again.

I repeated my speeches to start and end class through each class period. Kids stopped by my desk at the end of class each period to thank me and tell me how much they were going to miss me. I was going to miss them too. Who knows? Maybe next winter and spring I could substitute teach after football is over. I would have the proper credentials.

The teachers at the lunchroom had all kinds of questions for me about John Elway, Brian Dawkins, Antwaan Booker and Brady Rasmussen, the most recognizable faces on the Broncos team. I filled them in on my weekend and my plans for the future.

The day flew by. I felt the lectures went well. I would find out Tuesday fourth period when I sat down with Professor Buchanan and John for my final evaluation. John came to the front of the room after I dismissed the eighth period class.

"I've had a dozen student teachers over the years," John commented. "This is always the hard part. It's been a pleasure watching you develop and turn into a teacher, Kyle." He shook my hand. I pulled him into a hug. A handshake didn't begin to express the emotions I was feeling.

"John, I couldn't have had a better mentor than you," I managed to choke out. "Thank you for everything." We held the hug for a few more moments before letting go. I blinked a few times to try to clear my watery eyes. "Keep me updated this fall on the football team. I want to hear how they do."

"I know they will do well," John answered. "I'll send you e-mails every Saturday and let you know how the team played." John gave me a forced smile. His eyes were watery too. "Now get out of here! Go make us proud in Denver."

"I'll do my best," I promised.

I was still a little emotional as I drove down the Schuylkill Expressway to Edberg-Olson Hall. I hadn't worked out since last Wednesday and I needed work desperately. I needed to be in shape. Training started on Friday for me.

Two more of my high school teammates reported signings Monday. Hal Long was signed by the Carolina Panthers. He would be competing with Olindo Mare, the Panthers kicker of the last two years. Mare was in his seventeenth season in the NFL but was very accurate. Hal was going to face an uphill battle to get a job with the Panthers.

Drew McCormick was picked up by the Buffalo Bills. The Bills' top tailback was pretty good, but they weren't deep at running back. Maybe Drew would be able to break in as a special teams player. That might give him a shot someday at being their feature back.

Tuesday morning was nice. I got to sleep later than normal. I strolled down the street to pick up a newspaper. I made a nice breakfast for Penny and me before she headed off for her anthropology final. I headed west for school after breakfast. The drive to the high school wasn't nearly as bad at 9:30 in the morning compared to my normal, rush hour drive. I hung out in the faculty parking lot for a few minutes. Fourth period started at 9:57 AM but my appointment wasn't until 10:10 AM.

John and Professor Buchanan were seated in the back at my ... well, the table in the back of the room. The performance evaluation didn't take long. John and I managed to keep our emotions in check and kept things professional. Professor Buchanan and John rated me as exemplary on all four categories – planning and preparation, classroom environment, instructional delivery and professionalism.

I scored twelve out of a possible twelve. Professor Buchanan assured me that would give me an A+ for this semester. My streak on the Dean's List that went back to my freshman spring would stay intact. I thanked John and Professor Buchanan for all their help this semester before I left.

I stopped off at the office to drop off my Conestoga Senior High School Teacher's ID. Dr. Cooper overheard me talking with Pat Green, the secretary at the front desk.

"It's been a real pleasure having you work here, Kyle," Dr. Cooper said when he appeared at the counter. "I wish there was a way we could keep you. You've done an excellent job for us."

"Obviously I am busy next fall," I replied. "Who do I talk to about getting on the substitute teacher list? I wouldn't mind keeping my hand in the classroom a little during the offseason."

"Talk to the district office," Dr. Cooper said. "They will need a recommendation from me, since you have experience at our school already." He chuckled. "The recommendation won't be ANY problem. Good luck out in Denver, Kyle."

"Yes, good luck, Kyle," Pat added.

I headed to Temple for a workout before going home. The weight room was pretty empty. The Temple football players had finals this week and late morning wasn't prime work out time. I headed back to the apartment and had a late lunch.

I took care of adjusting my hotel reservations from a single king bed to two queens at the Staybridge Suites. I made my airline reservations next. I hoped I could fly into State College directly from Denver next Monday. I was meeting Penny and my parents in State College that day. I couldn't find any flights that would get me to State College before mid-morning Monday.

I booked a return flight that left 7:50 PM from Denver and would have me in Philly by 1:24 AM Monday morning. I could crash a few hours and then Penny and I could drive to State College together and meet my parents.

I had a choice of a 7:50 AM or an 11:19 AM departure on Thursday. I choose the later flight. Hopefully that would give Brendan enough time to get down to Philly before the flight left.

I called Brendan next and passed on the flight info I had. He had a light course load this semester since he had done two summer semesters during his time at State. His last final was Wednesday afternoon. I invited him to come down Wednesday night and spend the night at our apartment. Penny's couch folded out into a bed. He was welcome to use it.

I checked in with Jim at the VW dealership. I gave them my flight info. Someone would be at the airport around 2:00 PM to pick me up and take me back to the dealership to complete the paperwork for my new car.

I called Algonquin Provincial Park and made reservations for our trip. I called the outfitters too and set things up with them. Our honeymoon was set.

I did dinner that evening. Penny was studying for Wednesday's final in comparative anatomy. The class was strictly memorization. It was critical for Penny to do well on the final. It was a comprehensive final, so she would need to know everything she had learned since January. I spent my evening quietly studying my playbook. It was critical that I master it too.

I went over to Edberg-Olson Hall after breakfast for my final workout at Temple. I stopped in and thanked Coach Golden for letting me use the facilities this winter. Coach wished me luck out in Denver. I spent the remainder of the day studying the playbook.

Penny came back from her comparative anatomy final around 2:30 pm, burnt out but relieved. She felt she had done well on the exam. We went out to the White Dog Café that evening to celebrate. Penny still had her animal behavior final Friday morning, but she didn't anticipate it being too difficult. She had all of Thursday to study, so she felt she would do well on the exam.

Brendan arrived at our apartment around 9:30 that evening. Penny and I helped him bed down for the night. I don't know how comfortable the pull out bed was, but the price was right for a soon to graduate college student – free.

Brendan and I got up around 7:30 on Thursday morning. Penny was sweet, she made breakfast for us before we headed to the airport. Brendan followed me there, parking beside me in Philly's long term parking lot. We had no trouble getting checked in or through security.

Brendan did a double take when I boarded when they called for the first class passengers. I was settled in my aisle seat when Brendan boarded ten minutes later. He paused briefly in front of me.

"I see how it is, Coach," Brendan teased. "I guess the Broncos are picking up your tab."

"No, I'm paying my way," I replied. "I can afford this seat, thanks to my Nike advance."

"It must be nice," Brendan added as he followed the line of passengers back to economy class. I felt a little bad for Brendan, a two hundred fifty pounder jammed into economy class, but not bad enough to offer to swap seats with him. The Broncos gave him a $2,000 signing bonus. That had to hold him until games started.

I spent the trip studying the playbook. I wore a Broncos polo. I'm sure that contributed to all the fans who recognized me. I politely shook hands and talked with the fans as they stopped by my seat.

I waited for Brendan at the gate after I debarked. He came off the ramp from the plane stiff and sore from being squeezed on the plane for four hours. I called Wilder VW to confirm arrangements for our pickup. Rick, the salesman who sold me my new car, said our ride was on the way to the airport. The driver would meet us at baggage claim.

Brendan and I were still waiting for our luggage when I felt someone tap me on the shoulder. "Kyle Martin?" the kid asked politely.

"I am," I acknowledged.

"Good, I thought I recognized you," the kid said. He looked to be eighteen or nineteen. "I'm Joey from Highland Park VW." His employer was fairly obvious. He was wearing a Highland Park VW jacket. Brendan and I talked with Joey while we waited for our luggage to arrive. We found out he just finished his sophomore year in college last weekend. He was the owner's son and helped out wherever needed at the dealership during the summers.

Our luggage popped out of the chute around fifty minutes after we touched down in Denver. We followed Joey out to the parking lot. He led us to a very nice, white 2010 Jetta with black upholstery – mine.

"This is great," I commented as we loaded our luggage into the spacious trunk. "I didn't expect you would come in my new car."

"Why not?" Joey asked as he tossed me the keys. "My dad figured you would enjoy driving your new car, so here it is."

"I don't know my way around Denver yet," I retorted. "Maybe you better drive."

"No, you drive," Joey said. "I can talk you through the directions to Highland Park. It's not hard."

I agreed. Joey volunteered to sit in the back so Brendan had more space. VW's don't leave much leg room in the back seats. I followed Joey's directions out of the airport and headed south. It took a little more than a half hour to get back to the dealership.

It didn't take Rick and me long to finish the paperwork and for me to turn over the check for my new car. Al Wilder and Joe Tynan, the owner, and the rest of the staff gathered for the photo by my new car. I invited Brendan to join us wearing a spare Broncos shirt of mine. The dealership got two Broncos for the price one.

The Google Map directions got Brendan and me over to the Staybridge Suites. We checked in, dropped off our luggage and headed for the Dove Valley. The place was busier than last weekend. Thirty or forty cars were in the parking lot when we got to the Bowlen Centre. I took Brendan inside.

"Good afternoon, Christina," said cheerily. "I brought a free agent with me from Pennsylvania. Brendan, this is Christina Hudak, our team's receptionist."

Brendan greeted Christina. "Christina, this is Brendan Hayden, late of the Penn State University."

"Welcome to Denver, Brendan," Christina said. "Mark was expecting you. I will let him know you're here." Looking back at me, she asked, "Do you remember how to get to the training room, Kyle?"

"I think I do," I answered.

"Do you mind taking Brendan back there?" Christina asked. "You should check with Mark too, Kyle, and see if he needs you to do anything before tomorrow morning."

"Got it," I agreed. "Let's go, Brendan. See you later, Christina."

I took Brendan back to the training room and introduced him to Mark Taylor. Mark sent Brendan for his physical. He sent me to the locker room to draw equipment and clothing. The locker room had changed substantially since last weekend. The big center aisle was filled with temporary metal lockers. Undoubtedly they would be assigned to the free agents. Most of those guys would be here for a few months and then get cut before the regular season started.

I met Chris Valenti, the team equipment manager, there. He issued me the things I would need for the weekend and showed me my locker. I put my things in my permanent locker along the wall and went back to see Chris.

"We need to get you jerseys, Kyle," Chris said when I returned. "Do you have a preference in number?"

"I'd like 87 if it's available," I answered.

"Sorry, that one is taken," Chris replied. "You could ask the player who has it if he would trade." He smiled and chuckled.

"Is that likely?" I asked.

"It's not impossible," Chris allowed.

"Who has 87 now?" I asked.

"That would be Omar Harris," Chris answered. "He might trade if the price was right."

"Price? No, I don't think so," I said, shaking my head. I had no interest in negotiating with Omar. I remembered his attitude toward me at lunch last Saturday. "Is 85 or 82 available?"

"No, they're not," Chris answered. "Most of the 80's numbers are taken. We have spots in the teens."

"18?" I asked.

"That's available," Chris confirmed.

"Put me down for 18," I said.

I thanked Chris for his assistance and went back to organize my locker. I thought I knew what Chris' chuckle meant. He thought Omar would demand a high price for my college number, if I wanted to get it.

Omar was the top receiver on the team last year. The same team that used their two top draft picks to get a receiver this year. That was a direct slap at his ability to get the job done for the team. Brady told me his evaluation of Omar at breakfast last Saturday. He considered Omar a good #2 receiver. He had good hands and did well catching the ball outside. He got lost in traffic over the middle. He didn't have the speed to get separation on deep routes.

I was going to need to tread lightly. Brady's description of Omar's personality was, "prickly." The 'I'm just here to help out any way I can' mantra Zack taught years ago was going to be used extensively as I worked my way into the good graces of my teammates.

I headed over to the film room to study the playbook and watch video of the Broncos running the plays. Around six o'clock I headed over to the cafeteria to see if they were serving. I didn't know the schedule. I saw Christian Powell seated with three other guys. I grabbed some food and joined them.

"Hey, Chris," I said as I took a seat across the table from my fellow rookie.

"Good to see you again, Kyle," Chris replied. "Have you met these other guys?" I indicated I hadn't. "This is Gabe, Zane and Mike. Guys, this is Kyle Martin."

Gabe Reed, the tight end from Arkansas, Zane Bell, the tall defensive end from Georgia Tech and Mike Woods, the linebacker from UCLA, greeted me.

"When did you guys get here?" I asked as I settled into my seat.

"Last Saturday," Chris said. "Sunday," the others confirmed.

"You've been here all week?" I asked. "Have you finished up finals already?"

It turns out it is common for football team members at their universities to red-shirt their freshman year and stay on campus over summers. All of them graduated last December. They spent the last four months working at a sport training centers to get ready for the combine and draft.

"Anybody see Ryan Jones or Devon Ford?" I asked.

"Ryan flew in from Auburn last Sunday for the day," Gabe said.

"He has a final tomorrow," Chris explained. "He won't be back until tomorrow night."

"Nobody's seen Ford since he was drafted," Zane commented.

"I overheard Coach Reilly [David Reilly, tight ends coach] and Coach Quinn [Mike Quinn, running backs coach] talking," Gabe added. "Devon has classes this week and finals next week. He's not allowed to participate in any OTAs until he finishes school."

Mark Taylor led Brendan Hayden and three other guys into the cafeteria as the others talked about their experiences here in Dove Valley this week. I waved for Brendan and the others with him to join us at our table.

"I'm guessing you're rookies like Brendan," I commented as the three sat down with us. They were.

"Us rookies need to stick together," Chris commented as everyone took seats. He chuckled. "Some of my college teammates warned me about the reception the veterans will give us." Brendan introduced us to the others. The big, very dark skinned man was Dontae Southerland, a rookie free agent defensive lineman from Florida.

"Fritz sends his regards," he said when Dontae and I shook hands.

"Fritz?" Gabe asked.

"Ed Fritz, the QB at Florida, is friends with Kyle from high school," Dontae explained. I nodded my agreement. "You must have had a hell of a high school football team with the two of you on it."

"It was more than those two," Chris said. "Jeremy North played there too ... and that kicker ... uh..."

"Hal Long, from Rutgers" I inserted.

"Don't forget Jake Kring," the slender white guy beside Brendan added. I gave him a funny look. He gave me a smile and extended his hand. "Dustin Brooke, wide receiver from Syracuse."

"Good to meet you, Dustin," I replied as we shook hands.

"As I said, you must have had a hell of a high school team," Dontae said. "What'd you guys win? Three or so state championships?"

"Just one," I said. "We lost in the quarter finals twice and in the semis once."

"How about you, Daquan?" Brendan asked. "You run into any of Kyle's Paradise mafia?"

"Not really," the other muscular black guy answered. "Closest thing I came to Kyle's associates was my team's tight end coach. He was a grad assistant at Penn State." I did a second look at him before I recognized him.

"Daquan Thornhill, right?" I asked. He was a linebacker from Kentucky.

"That's me," Daquan confirmed as he gave us a wink and turned to show his back. "Still got the scorch marks on my back from your first touchdown against my team last fall to prove it too. Never put a linebacker in short zone when Kyle runs a slant."

"Been there ... done that ... in practice," Brendan confirmed, laughing.

Chris, Gabe, Zane and I spent the rest of dinner time getting to know Brendan, Daquan, Dustin and Dontae better. They seemed like decent guys. Brendan, Daquan, Dustin and Dontae joined Mark after dinner. They had more things to do to get them ready for tomorrow's practice. Zane, Chris and Gabe headed off to find a quiet area to work on the playbook. I went to the film room to review my playbook and watch film of the Broncos running the plays.

Coach Kovacevic found me there later that evening. "Hard at work, Kyle?" Coach teased when he spotted me.

"Studying the playbook, Coach," I answered.

"Are you looking at the special teams plays?" Coach asked. "You may need to know the return plays."

"I'll do that, Coach," I responded. "Should I look at coverage plays too? Do I need to know them this weekend?"

"You don't need them this weekend," Coach Kovacevic replied. "I'd love to use you on kick coverage, but I know that isn't happening. Concentrate on the returns. I expect the team will practice that on the first full team OTA in a few weeks."

"I'll be ready, Coach," I promised.

"Don't stay too late, Kyle," Coach added before he left. "You got work to do tomorrow."

"I'll be ready to go, Coach," I agreed. I went back to studying. Brendan found me around nine o'clock that evening. We headed back to the hotel. Daquan, Dustin and Dontae followed us back in their rental cars. The five of us agreed to meet downstairs and go out for breakfast before practice in the morning.

Brendan and I bumped into a couple guys, one white and one black, moving into the suite beside ours as we headed to our room. They were our age and looked too fit to be anyone other than football players.

"You guys here for the rookie OTA tomorrow?" I asked politely. I did a double take when the black guy turned to look at me. "Rashad?"

"Oh ... hey, Kyle. How's it going?" Rashad Jones replied. We knew each other from the Big Ten. He played wide receiver for Michigan State. "Hey, Brendan. What's up?"

"Not much," Brendan answered.

"Things are good with me," I added.

"The Broncos signed me on Monday and told me to be on the field Friday morning," Rashad said. "Being a draft pick, you've had time to figure out the situation around here."

"A little," I agreed. "I come out last weekend for my introduction. Brian Dawkins helped me get a car. I had to fly home to finish my student teaching. Brendan and I got in this afternoon and dropped by Dove Valley. Did you just get to Denver?"

"Yeah, Ryan and I got in about an hour and a half ago," Rashad answered. "This is Ryan Williamson, by the way." Brendan and I shook Ryan's hand.

"What school did you play for?" Brendan asked. "I don't remember chasing you around the field when we played Michigan State."

"University of Cincinnati," Ryan answered. "I played for the Bearcats. Were you with Penn State too?"

"Yep ... I was Kyle's teammate," Brendan confirmed.

"Some of the other rookies and us are getting together for breakfast at a quarter to seven tomorrow morning," I said. "You guys are welcome to join us. We're meeting down in the lobby."

"I thought the hotel did a free breakfast," Ryan said.

"They do, but it isn't enough to feed a football player for a day of practice," I said. "I saw what it was last weekend. A muffin and a bowl of cereal won't do it."

"OK, we'll probably catch up to you in the morning," Ryan said. Ryan and Rashad headed for their room. Brendan and I settled into ours.

"Do you remember Ryan from two years ago?" Brendan asked as we settled into bed.

"Not really," I answered. "I remember we played his team at the start of our junior season and blew them out. It wasn't a close game."

"The first half wasn't," Brendan agreed. "The second half was different. Cincinnati's o-line had trouble protecting Ryan the first half. He did better against our Twos. He outscored Jay 21-13 in the second half. If I can't have Jay or Chip here on this team today, I'm comfortable with him as one of our backups."

"Ryan's short for a professional quarterback," I countered. I was four or five inches taller and fifteen or twenty pounds heavier than him.

"I'm not nominating him to be our starter," Brendan replied. "All I'm saying is there are worse quarterbacks that could be tossing you the ball."

"I don't remember much about how he played two years ago," I said. "I'll reserve judgment until I see him throw."

"You'll see, Coach ... er, Kyle," Brendan said. "I studied him more when we played him. He's smart and he's got a good arm." I didn't argue with Brendan. I had my doubts about someone barely six feet tall seeing over professional linemen but I'd find that out this weekend on my own.

Nine guys met in the hotel lobby for breakfast Friday morning. "How about stopping at the IHOP?" Daquan suggested. "I saw it up the street from here."

"You don't want to do that," Christian warned. "I ate breakfast there on Tuesday. The service is slow as molasses. We will be late for practice if we go there. There are some other places closer to Arapahoe [Road]."

"Brady Rasmussen took me to a nice place on the other side of I-25," I suggested. "The food was good and the service was quick." We discussed it a bit and agreed. I gave everyone directions to get to the place. We decided to carpool rather than driving seven cars over. Chris, Zane and I were delegated to drive since we had the most time on the ground in Denver. Rashad and Ryan hopped in the back seat behind Brendan and me.

"What's Rasmussen like?" Ryan asked after we pulled out of the hotel parking lot. "Did the team delegate him to greet you when you came out last weekend?"

"He's a really nice guy," I responded. "I've known him since he was my guide when I was on an official visit to USC five years ago. We stayed in touch over the years. You'll like him."

"I'm looking forward to learning from him," Ryan answered. I led our caravan of cars out to East Arapahoe Road and under I-25 to the restaurant. The restaurant did good business, selling a lot of omelets and skillet breakfasts to us football players. I led the caravan of cars over to the Dove Valley.

"Hey Chrissie," Chris Powell chimed as we walked past the front desk.

"Morning, Christina," I added as we trooped by.

Mark Taylor was waiting out front as we came in. "Ryan Williamson and Rashad Jones, the two of you need to come with me." They hadn't been to Dove Valley yet. I'm sure Mark had some orientation they needed to do. The rest of us headed for the locker room to change and get ready for the day's work.

Brady Rasmussen walked in as I was changing. "I didn't expect to see you here for rookie OTAs," I commented.

"Coach needs an extra QB today," Brady replied. "The rookie QB couldn't show up until this morning. He'll be tied up with orientation and a physical most of the day. Somebody has to line up behind center for you newbies, so I volunteered."

"That's cool," I said. Brady gave me a wink.

"Anyway, I want to see if we wasted our first two draft picks on that hot shot receiver we got," Brady teased. He gave me another smile. "It'll be good to air a few out and see what we can do together."

"I'm looking forward to it," I replied. I finished dressing before Brady.

"I'll see you on the field later," Brady commented as I stood up to head over to the team meeting room. "Coach isn't making me sit through the orientation lecture. I'll see you in an hour or so."

"See you, Brady," I agreed. I headed down the hall to the meeting room. I was the first one in the room. I was about twenty minutes ahead of the scheduled 8:30 start. I studied the playbook while I waited for things to start. More guys arrived and found seats soon after me.

We ended up with twenty-three guys by the time Coach Baldwin and the rest of the coaching staff came into the room. I had time to look the group over while they conferred up front. Most of the guys looked to be twenty-one or two like me, except two.

One was a tall, solidly built black guy who had to be close to thirty years old. He was almost as tall as me and probably carried more pounds than I did. The second guy was slight. I assumed he was a kicker. He looked to be at least twenty-five or six. I assumed they were free agents new to the team, but not rookies in the NFL.

I met the last of the four rookie wide receivers, Stephen Young. Steve played for the University of Miami for two seasons. He opted to go pro after his red shirt sophomore season. He wouldn't turn twenty-one until September, so I wasn't the youngest guy in the room.

"Welcome to the Denver Broncos, everyone," Coach Baldwin announced when he got everyone quiet. "For most of you, today represents your initiation into the National Football League. You will find that the players are bigger and faster, the pace of practices and games are quicker and the hitting is more intense.

"Our team will be going to training camp with twenty-seven new members on our eighty man roster. We will cut down to sixty-five players by August 17th. We will cut twelve more players by August 30th to reach our season opening fifty-three man roster. If you don't give 110% of your best, you will not be here on September 8th when we open our season in Oakland.

"No one ... NO ONE, veteran, rookie draft pick or rookie free agent is guaranteed a spot on this team. You have to earn a place with superlative effort and accomplishment."