Bill nodded and we followed him out to the field. The gates were open and fans were filing into the stadium. People wanted to see the new NFL team in action. We tested our microphones with Grayson and with the other coaches. Marcus was calling the plays from upstairs and I would walk the sidelines with Bill.

“Let’s pump the guys up,” Bill said.

We’d practiced them running onto the field twice on Friday. We were making our much-anticipated debut, and nobody wanted to screw it up. Bill and I walked into the locker room. The guys looked at us for words of encouragement. They were brimming with excitement. I was, too.

“We’re here to play ball. We’re not here to showboat or do backflips in the end zone. Does everybody understand me? You have one job for the next four hours. This is what we’ve trained for. We’re all at the start of something great here. Let’s do our jobs and come back with a win.” Bill’s encouragement got the entire team pumped up. We were taking the field in five. I’d never felt energy like this before. “Put your helmets on and let’s get ready to show the Browns and all the fans who we are and what we want. Who are we?” He cupped his hand behind his ear and waited for the team to yell.

“Cheetahs!”

“What do we want?”

“A win!”

He repeated himself until the entire team worked themselves into a frenzy yelling and fist-bumping one another. It was like the end of a rave and I made sure to stay clear. I stood back and waited for them to charge out of the locker room. They lined up in the tunnel, waiting to be introduced to the football world.

I was bursting with pride. I had a good feeling about today. One of the hottest singers, Bristol Baines, was singing the national anthem. A local high school was singing “God Bless America,” and three stealth bombers were going to fly over before the start of the game. My dad texted that he was in the stands even though I told him he could be escorted to me. I would catch up with him after the game.

“Cheetahs! Cheetahs!”