THE ROOKIE (GFL Book I)

Chapter 1: Talent Show

                                             THE ROOKIE

                             Galactic Football League: Book One

                                            by Scott Sigler

                                           scottsigler.com

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This book is dedicated to Coach Irv Sigler, my father, the greatest football coach and greatest man I have ever known.

This book is dedicated to the Junkies, the most rabid fans a writer could ever ask for. Let’s go tailgatin’! 

Also by Scott Sigler

• INFECTED (Infected Trilogy Book I)

• CONTAGIOUS (Infected Trilogy Book II)

• PANDEMIC (INFECTED Trilogy Book III)

• ANCESTOR

• NOCTURNAL

Galactic Football League Series

• THE ROOKIE (GFL Book I)

• THE STARTER (GFL Book II)

• THE ALL-PRO (GFL Book III)

• THE MVP (GFL Book IV)

• THE CHAMPION (GFL Book V)

                                ---------------------------------------

Semifinals of the Purist Nation Football League (PNFL)

Outland Fleet Corsairs (7-2) at Mining Colony VI Raiders (9-0)

Micovi Memorial Stadium

Third and 7 on the defense’s 41.

Micovi’s three tiny moons hung in the evening sky like pitted purple grapes. Their reflected light diffused into the night’s mist, making them glow with a fuzzy magnificence.

Smells of Human sweat, iron-rich mud and the saltwater-like odor of Carsengi Grass filled the frigid air. The endless hum of the atmosphere processor echoed through packed stands, but the players — and the crowd — had long since tuned out its ever-present droning.

Quentin Barnes slowly walked up behind the center, head sweeping from left to right as he took in every detail of the defense. Well, some would call it a “walk,” most would call it a “swagger.” A step left, a half bounce left, a step right, a half bounce right. He stood behind the center, his hands tapping out a quick left-right-left “ba-da-bap” on the center’s ample behind.

From his crouch, the center smiled — the ba-da-bap was the kind of thing other players would tease you for — that is, unless your quarterback was Quentin Barnes. The center smiled because Quentin only did that, did the ba-da-bap, when he saw a hole in the defense. And what Quentin saw, Quentin took.

Behind Quentin, the tailback and the fullback lined up an I-formation. Two wide receivers lined up on the left side, with a tight end on the right.