get a few scholarship offers.”
“I think I heard about her,” Marquis said.
“I take it you still have your eye out for a football position,” the principal said. “You may not stay with us next year…”
Marquis already had the job, but he didn’t think it would be wise to tell his boss he would only be there temporarily.
“That’s fine,” Mr. Walters said before he could answer. “I won’t make you cop to it. But I’m sure you know it’s much too soon to be thinking about next year.”
Marquis wasn’t sure how to respond to that.
“Son, are you aware that you’ve got red flags all over you?” the principal asked him.
Marquis shook his head slightly.
“First let me say that I’m a fan,” Mr. Walters said. “I’ve been impressed with you ever since you were running folks over at Castleberry . I kept up with you a little bit when you were over at LSU. I knew you’d make it to the NFL. You had that speed, son. Watching you run…” The principal shook his head, momentarily lost in a memory. “Thing of beauty. When you got drafted by the Cowboys, I told my wife, ‘That boy is gonna be great !’”
“Thanks. But I guess it didn’t turn out that way,” Marquis said. He was still reeling from the principal’s red flags comment.
“No, it didn’t,” Mr. Walters conceded. “But you know, God has a plan for all of us. I hated that you had to quit, but I know you made the best decision for yourself and your family.”
Yeah, my family , Marquis thought. His ex-wife Pauladidn’t think he made the right decision by leaving football. Sadly, they would probably be together now if he was still playing. They’d be living the dream and living a lie.
“But the trouble you had when you came back,” the principal continued, “you need to know that’s on a lot of people’s minds. They know about your drunk partying. They know about the messy divorce. They know about your arrest. Any kid at this school can google you and pull up your mugshot.”
Marquis sighed silently. He wondered if he would ever get past those dark, infamous nights.
“As you can imagine,” the principal continued, “a lot of parents don’t like the idea of someone with your background teaching their kids. I can go on and on about all of the great things you did in high school and college and during your time with the Cowboys. But they’ll continue to ask, ‘ What about the things he did when he came home ?’
“I’m going to have to answer that question a lot this year,” Mr. Walters said. “And that’s no fun. The last thing a principal wants is to have to convince a parent that their child’s teacher isn’t as bad as they’ve heard. So it looks like we’re both taking a chance this year. Lucky for you,” he said with a smile, “I’m a man who believes in second chances. I believe you’ll love your job so much, you’ll forget all about coaching a boy’s football team.”
Marquis was on edge, but the principal’s smile and his honesty was disarming.
“I don’t think I’ll forget about football. But you might be right,” he replied with a smile of his own.
“I hope I am,” the principal said and rose from his seat.
Marquis stood too. They reached across the desk to shake hands.
“Welcome to the team, Coach Berry ,” Mr. Walters said.
That was the first time anyone ever used that title officially. Marquis liked the way it sounded.
“Thank you, sir. Glad to be here.”
● ● ● ● ● ●
Mr. Walters didn’t have time to give him a tour of the school, but he showed Marquis where his classroom was and introduced him to four teachers on the floor who would be part of his “team.”
After meeting with them, one of Marquis’ new colleagues took him to the athletic center. There he found a state of the art gym and an impressive basketball court. Marquis would rather be on the football field, but there
“I think I heard about her,” Marquis said.
“I take it you still have your eye out for a football position,” the principal said. “You may not stay with us next year…”
Marquis already had the job, but he didn’t think it would be wise to tell his boss he would only be there temporarily.
“That’s fine,” Mr. Walters said before he could answer. “I won’t make you cop to it. But I’m sure you know it’s much too soon to be thinking about next year.”
Marquis wasn’t sure how to respond to that.
“Son, are you aware that you’ve got red flags all over you?” the principal asked him.
Marquis shook his head slightly.
“First let me say that I’m a fan,” Mr. Walters said. “I’ve been impressed with you ever since you were running folks over at Castleberry . I kept up with you a little bit when you were over at LSU. I knew you’d make it to the NFL. You had that speed, son. Watching you run…” The principal shook his head, momentarily lost in a memory. “Thing of beauty. When you got drafted by the Cowboys, I told my wife, ‘That boy is gonna be great !’”
“Thanks. But I guess it didn’t turn out that way,” Marquis said. He was still reeling from the principal’s red flags comment.
“No, it didn’t,” Mr. Walters conceded. “But you know, God has a plan for all of us. I hated that you had to quit, but I know you made the best decision for yourself and your family.”
Yeah, my family , Marquis thought. His ex-wife Pauladidn’t think he made the right decision by leaving football. Sadly, they would probably be together now if he was still playing. They’d be living the dream and living a lie.
“But the trouble you had when you came back,” the principal continued, “you need to know that’s on a lot of people’s minds. They know about your drunk partying. They know about the messy divorce. They know about your arrest. Any kid at this school can google you and pull up your mugshot.”
Marquis sighed silently. He wondered if he would ever get past those dark, infamous nights.
“As you can imagine,” the principal continued, “a lot of parents don’t like the idea of someone with your background teaching their kids. I can go on and on about all of the great things you did in high school and college and during your time with the Cowboys. But they’ll continue to ask, ‘ What about the things he did when he came home ?’
“I’m going to have to answer that question a lot this year,” Mr. Walters said. “And that’s no fun. The last thing a principal wants is to have to convince a parent that their child’s teacher isn’t as bad as they’ve heard. So it looks like we’re both taking a chance this year. Lucky for you,” he said with a smile, “I’m a man who believes in second chances. I believe you’ll love your job so much, you’ll forget all about coaching a boy’s football team.”
Marquis was on edge, but the principal’s smile and his honesty was disarming.
“I don’t think I’ll forget about football. But you might be right,” he replied with a smile of his own.
“I hope I am,” the principal said and rose from his seat.
Marquis stood too. They reached across the desk to shake hands.
“Welcome to the team, Coach Berry ,” Mr. Walters said.
That was the first time anyone ever used that title officially. Marquis liked the way it sounded.
“Thank you, sir. Glad to be here.”
● ● ● ● ● ●
Mr. Walters didn’t have time to give him a tour of the school, but he showed Marquis where his classroom was and introduced him to four teachers on the floor who would be part of his “team.”
After meeting with them, one of Marquis’ new colleagues took him to the athletic center. There he found a state of the art gym and an impressive basketball court. Marquis would rather be on the football field, but there
Similar Books
