Chapter 18

Scooter

When I got up and went back to the huddle for one more play (a QB kneel), I was surprised by all the cheering.

The truth? I was disappointed in myself. I’d been trying to figure out a way to get into the end zone, but I’d stupidly let myself get pinned to the sideline.

That’s not how anyone else saw it though. In the days after the game, teammates and other students told me my run was the highlight of the game. They said I’d pulled a Houdini. I still don’t see what the big deal is. I made a few stutter steps and faked a few guys out. What’s so magical about that?

Every time I tried to shrug these people off though, they said things like “Oh, and he’s modest too!”

That was maybe the weirdest part. All my life, my shyness had been a bad thing. My mom and other teachers had tried to get me “out of my shell.” Now it was just me being humble.

Apparently, in Small Valley one run was enough to make me a star.

Don’t get me wrong. I was glad to prove myself. Jeff had clearly thought I’d get crushed. I think even Coach didn’t trust that I would be able to pull off another great run.

But the hype was way over the top. It was Jeff who had been the star of the game. How could no one see that?

By the middle of the week, it seemed like everybody was insisting that there was some kind of huge running back controversy. People were debating the pros and cons of big vs. small running backs. And then on Thursday, Coach Douglas called the two of us into his office after practice.

“Stoddard, you’re not going to lose your starting job,” he said.

Which made sense to me.

“You’re going to share it,” he said.