Aspen's POV
Jessie🍁: So you're gonna be running the ball a lot today?
Me: Yeah
Me: The running backs all came down with the flu earlier today and we weren't able to promote anybody from the practice squad since we missed the deadline
Emma🦈: Well it looks like you're getting a massage tonight.
Me: A naked Massage?
Emma🦈: 😂 😂 😂
Jessie🍁: If you're lucky.
"WE'RE HERE." Someone shouts so I text my ladies good bye then I put my pre-game playlist on and turn my music up in my AirPods.
When we stop outside AT&T Stadium, I stand up, button the top button on my green suit, grab my leather duffle bag, then I follow my teammates off our bus and down to our locker room.
Today is the divisional round of the playoffs and we're playing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Once in our locker, I head to my locker then I put my duffle in my locker, hang up my suit jacket, and take off my rings.
After I take my rings off, I grab my pink sports bra, my undershirt my compression shorts, and my shorts then I head to the bathroom area of the locker room and step into one of the toilet stalls.
Once in the toilet stall, I take off the rest of my suit and my boxers then I put on my compression shorts, my sports bra, my short, and my undershirt.
I then grab the suit stuff I wore, return to my locker, and hang my suit up in my locker.
After my suit is hung up, I put my hair up into a bun/ponytail style thing then I grab a ball and head out to the field.
Once on the field, I take a quick look around the stadium then I walk around the field while playing catch with the fans.
After I complete one lap of the stadium while playing catch, I hand the ball off to one of the equipment people then I look for my friends and family in the stands.
Once I find my family I wave at them then I head back into the locker room.
When I get back in the locker room I head to my locker then I take off my shorts and put on my football pants first, with my right leg going in before my left leg.
After my pants are on, I sit down in the chair in front of my locker then I put on my right sock, my left sock, my right cleat, and my left cleat in that order.
Once the bottom half of me is ready, I put my right arm sleeve on, then my left arm sleeve on, then I put on my headband.
When that's done I put my shoulder pads and white jersey on with my right arm going in before my left, then I put on my helmet and follow my team out onto the field.
Once on the field, my teammates and I run through our stretches, our warmups, and our pre-game play running then we head back into the locker room for a quick chat from the coaches while we get a some fluids in us.
When told to, I follow my team out of our locker, down the tunnel, and onto the field.
After everyone is on the field, the national anthem begins so I drop down to a knee then I stay there for the duration of the anthem
When the anthem ends, Will and I throw to each other to warm up while the coin toss is happening.
Once the coin toss ends, I stand with Will, Dak, and the QB coach by the bench and relax as the Bucs kickoff.
"Have fun." Dak says as he hands me my helmet after the kick off sails out of bounds for a touch back.
"I will." I say then I grab my helmet and jog onto the field.
Once on the field my teammates and I huddle up
"Alright fellas." I say. "We're gonna do a lot of passing today."
"Sweet." A few of the wide receivers say.
"But I may still call a few draw plays or run if I see a hole."
My teammates nod so I call a play then we all break the huddle and get to our positions.
Once I'm in my position, which is in the shotgun, I look over the defense.
Looks like I'm running this ball
"Green 17." I say as I survey the defense. "Green 17 set hut."
When I say hut, my center snaps the ball to me, then I act like I'm surveying my options.
Once the space to my right is wide open, I tuck the ball into my right arm then I sprint towards the right and head to the end zone.
Around our 35 yard line, one of the Buccaneers linebackers approaches so I do my best to bait him in to tackling me.
At the last possible Moment, I stick my foot in the ground, spin around the linebacker, who I now realize is Devin White, then I continue sprinting to the end zone as I hear the crowd roar.
Around the opposing 20 yard line, one of the Bucs safety's closes in on me then he tries to go low and take out my knees so I stiff arm him into the ground and keep on running.
Seconds later I cross into the end zone for our first touchdown of the game.
After I score, I do my usual Black Panther X celebration then I celebrate with my teammates.
"You speedy bitch." CeeDee Lamb says.
I chuckle at what my friends say then all of us walk off the field as the field goal unit jogs on.
"We'll take this." One of the equipment people says as he takes my football.
I wanna keep my first playoff touchdown ball.
"We'll paint it up and put it in your locker." The equipment dude says
"Thanks." I say then I take off my helmet, sit down on the bench, and drink some gatorade. "Well that was fun."
"Don't over work yourself now." Coach Mike says.
"No promises coach." I say. "I make no promises at all."
- - - - -
"Fuck." I hear someone say when the Bucs kicker converts their PAT with a 49 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
Now we're down 42-41.
We would be tied, but our kicker sucks.
I wish Coach Mike would let me kick.
"That's too much time on the clock." I mumble as I grab my helmet.
"What?" Coach Mike says.
Coach Mike and I were talking about our next drive
"I said they left too much time on the clock." I say then I stand up and hobble to the other end of the bench while the Bucs kickoff.
I've had to run a lot today and my legs feel like jelly.
We definitely need to draft and trade for new linemen.
"You alright Aspen?" Erin Andrews asks as the ball lands. In the end zone for a touchback.
"Yep." I say. "Meet you in the end zone in four plays."
"Let's go Asp." One of my linemen says then I follow my teammates onto the field and into the huddle.
"We have no time outs left." I say as I look at the receivers. "So get what yards you can then get outta bounds."
The receivers nod so I call the play then we all break the huddle and get to our positions.
Once I'm in my position, which is in the shotgun, I look over the defense.
"Green 17." I say as I survey the defense. "Green 17 set hut."
When I say hut, my center snaps the ball to me, then I survey the field.
A second later I see Amari is gonna be open so I throw the ball ahead of him.
Moments later the ball arrives in Amari's hands then he keeps running his post route for a few more yards and gets out of bounds at our 49 yard line.
Once Amari steps out of bounds, the linemen and I jog up to the 49 yard line.
"COMET." I shout then everyone gets in position. "COMET."
Comet is one of our audible calls for one of our pass play.
Once I'm in my position, which is in the shotgun again, and everyone else is in their positions, I look over the defense.
"KILL KILL KILL." I shout.
Comet isn't gonna work.
"SATELLITE." I shout then everyone adjusts their positions. "SATELLITE."
Once everyone is in their new positions, I survey the defense.
"Blue 52." I say as I survey the defense. "Blue 52 set hut."
When I say hut, my center snaps the ball to me, then I survey the field.
Just like I planned, CeeDee beats his defender off the line so I throw him the ball then my favorite wide receiver runs down the field.
Right before he's tackled, CeeDee runs out of bounds at the Buccaneers 35 yard line then I walk down field.
As I'm walking to the new line of scrimmage, I look up at the clock and see we only have 25 seconds left.
"QUASAR." I shout then everyone gets in position. "QUASAR."
Once I'm in my position and everyone else is in their positions, I look over the defense.
"Blue 52." I say as I survey the defense. "Blue 52 set hut."
When I say hut, my center snaps the ball to me, then I survey the field.
A few seconds later I see Dalton Schultz, my tight end, running free along the seam so I throw the ball down field to him
Seconds later the ball falls into Dalton's hand then he runs towards the end zone.
Close to the goal line, one of the Buccaneers tackles Dalton which causes my teammates and I to run to the new line of scrimmage.
"SOLSTICE." I shout as I notice we have less than fifteen seconds left then everyone gets in position. "SOLSTICE."
Once I'm in my position and everyone else is in their positions, I look over the defense.
"Blue 52." I say as I survey the defense. "Blue 52 set hut."
When I say hut, my center snaps the ball to me, then I wait for someone to get open.
As I'm waiting, I notice one of the Bucs linemen get free and start running towards me so I scramble out of the pocket while continuing to look for an option.
Seeing nobody open, I sprint towards the corner of the end zone.
As I'm approaching the goal line, I notice a bunch of Buccaneers coming towards me so I lower my shoulder then I jump towards the end zone.
While I'm in the air, I get slammed into which causes me to go spinning then I land on the ground.
After I land on the ground, I turn my head and see the ref signaling a touch down meaning we've won 47-42.
"FUCK YEAH ASPEN." I hear one of my teammates say then I'm helped up and swarmed in hugs.
After all of my teammates hug me, I take my helmet off and hand it to an equipment person then I tuck the game ball into my arm and walk over to the Bucs.
Once I get to the Bucs, I shake hands with some of the Bucs players then I shake hands with Tom Brady and talk with him for a few seconds.
All Tom says is congrats and good luck.
When I finish with Tom, I swap jerseys with one of my favorite wide receivers, Mike Evans.
After Mike and I swap Jerseys, we take pictures together holding the others jerseys then we dap each other up one more time before I head off to locker room.
Once I'm in the tunnel to the locker room, I'm met by Micah Parsons and CeeDee Lamb who help me to the locker room.
That massage from Emma and Jessie is gonna feel fucking amazing.
"So who do we play in the NFC Championship?" I ask.
"The Green Bay Packers."