In a departure from our normal analysis, and as a change up to the ways we pass the time leading up to the NFL Draft, I would like to share with you all a fictional short story I’ve been working on. I originally started writing this after the game between the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos last season, but felt the desire to finish it now during the offseason. It is eight chapters in length, with each one being fairly brief, but hopefully compelling enough to keep you all reading. I hope you enjoy it.
Previous Chapters: One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six
Super Bowl 73
A short story by Erik Sommers
Chapter Seven
Peyton continues… “I have them too, of course. That neck injury that basically ended my career never really healed all that well. You’ve seen how I have trouble turning my head, so I’m always squaring up to other people and the cameras. Cam’s neck isn’t quite as bad, but his headaches occur more often than mine. Pretty concerning since he played for eight less years, though he did the right thing getting out when he did. Also, Cam is still the same health conscious guy from before. He has been working to keep his brain active, sees a therapist once a month to check on his cognitive function, and gets a yearly CAT scan.”
Roger turns around and locks eyes with Peyton, who casually keeps chewing on the apple.
“I know what you’re thinking. No signs of CTE yet. The specialists at this point believe he is in the clear for that. They believe the headaches are the result of having sustained several concussions, but are treatable. Of course the neck and body pain just comes with the territory when you’re a retired player.”
Peyton gnaws the apple down to the core, and walks over to the trashcan to throw it away. The core hits the bottom of the can with a loud thud, and the lid slowly closes behind it. He saunters back toward the fireplace, speaking along the way.
“Cam looks like he is going to be fine. No thanks to you, Roger. Maybe we could have saved his replacement too if your administration was tougher on illegal hits. We could be playing our Super Bowl in front of a packed house today like the good ole days, instead of a half full stadium witnessing a novelty.”
“I didn’t kill Sean Westmont, Peyton.” Roger spoke firmly but with some hesitation. “He died playing a dangerous game that made you and I a lot of money.”
“Spoken like a true asshole.” Quipped Peyton as he walked along in front of a shelf of pictures and signed footballs. He pauses as he reaches a particular photo near the end of one shelf. “Well, at least you still display your draft day photo of him as a reminder of what could have been.”
Peyton picks up the framed photo off the shelf, leaving behind a well defined dusty outline as he brings the frame over to the bar and wipes it off with a napkin. The picture shows Roger Goodell shaking hands with a young and athletic black man, about the age of 20. The two also hold one corner each of a Carolina Panthers jersey emblazoned with the number “1” indicating their first overall selection. The draft logo in the background shows the year 2021, and there is an autograph in the lower right corner that reads “Sean Westmont” in navy blue marker pen.
Peyton reads aloud with the gusto of a man inspired: “With the first overall pick of the twenty twenty-one NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers select… Sean Westmont, Quarterback, Texas A&M!”
Peyton sits the frame front and center on the fireplace mantle and continues…
“I can still hear the cheers. Westmont was the most exciting multi-threat quarterback prospect since Cam Newton, and the script couldn’t have been written better than he’d be drafted to Cam’s old team. They were of course fortunate to have him after a 3-14 record in the last year of Newton’s contract, where he spent most of the year on IR with a concussion and neck injury before retiring.”
Roger begins to grow visually more agitated. Fidgeting in his chair and firmly shutting his eyes, his fingers gripping at the leather arms. He then lets out a long deep breath before loosening his grip on the chair and repositioning his hands to help him stand back up. He approaches the picture on the mantle and takes a long hard look at it before speaking.
“He was better than Newton. He was everything that team wanted him to be, and the quarterback poster boy that many of the fans wanted. Basically another Cam but without the eccentrics… he hated to lose, but could handle a loss better than his predecessor. I suppose the records he set in his first five years are going to stand forever now… aren’t they? He was brilliant. Incredible stats, a Super Bowl win in his fourth year in the league…”
Roger places his right hand on the front of the picture.
“… If only he could have finished his fifth.”