Two Minute Drill (Bases Loaded Jam Series #2)

Ch. 33: Pro Bowl (Gordon)

Okay, put yourselves in m my shoes. You're an NFL quarterback. So far in your career, you spent most of your first season on the bench. You appeared in two games, but didn't start. You threw for eight touchdown passes and you led your team to two comebacks, but finish winning one and losing the other. That one loss just happened to be in AFC Championship game, the game to get to the Super Bowl. This brings me to ask this question.

Do you believe you are worthy of a Pro Bowl appearance this season?

Well, if you have teammates and friends like Troy Paulson, Kwame Alexander, Jermaine Riley, Albert Stover, and Forrest Browning, you might have a case that you could be. But, that's exactly what happened. Somehow, I ended up in the Pro Bowl, not as a player, but as a supporter. The five players I named were all the team representatives for the Pro Bowl and Troy and Albert would get the start. Preston King was also named, but was unable to make it do to an injury he sustained against Kansas City. He was determined to make it the next year.

So the five pro bowlers and myself went down to Hawaii where the game was to be played. It had been awhile since the Pro Bowl had been brought back to Hawaii and the fans there were glad of its return. It was my first time going to Hawaii and I was glad to be in the state.

All week long, the pro bowlers got the attention and they were glad to be there even if it wasn't for the Super Bowl. Everyone except the Cowboys and Chiefs' players were in attendance because those two teams were partaking in the Super Bowl, which was to be held in Los Angeles. Not being able to make it there was a disappointment.

Somehow though, the attention to me. My first day at the practice field, I was only there to cheer on my guys and support them through the workouts and such. As I walked on the sidelines of the field, I had the sense that everyone was looking at me. Everywhere I turned, eyes were right fixated on me. The players would turn their attention to me while members of the media were also eyeing me. It was like I was the outsider who arrived to the town saloon and no one had seen me before. I felt pretty uncomfortable.

"Is that him?" I heard one of the players, who played for the Steelers say.

"That's him," said another player, who was representing the Jets.

All of a sudden, one player came up to me. I saw a Ravens' helmet with him and a number eight jersey.

"Well, I'll be damned if I didn't see him in person," he said. "It's Gordon Henry. The man who shocked the whole nation. Pleasure is all mine to meet you."

"Thanks Lamar," I replied as I bro hugged Lamar Jackson, the quarterback for the Ravens.

"Whatcha doing out here man?"

"Well, to be honest, I'm just here supporting my guys."

"Oh yeah! Tell you what? Y'all got some tough home boys man." He pointed to Troy. "That Paulson guy? He giving me the creeps already. Stover giving my o-lineman trouble already. Jermaine is a guy I wish I could have on my team. He catching balls in double-team. Like Kwame. He aight. Forrest is pretty funny though I prefer he ease up on the homo stuff. I got nothing against him and those guys, but I'm trying to do my job."

I could only help but smile.

"That's my team for you."

"Yeah, and you know something else. Watching you play man and where you've been, you got the heart. Wouldn't mind facing you in the future. Patrick called me and said after playing you guys, he's a tad bit worried about y'all."

"Patrick said that?"

"Yeah! He's been giving you rave reviews and already, you're becoming the talk of the camp. Look!"