After the game, we were taken to a small area near the tunnel.
Caleb immediately looked embarrassed.
“I just saw him in the road.”
“And you went after him.”
Caleb shrugged slightly, as if there hadn’t been another choice.
Hayes smiled a little.
“You played football?”
“And you went after him.”
“Before.”
“What position?”
“Linebacker.”
“Good position.”
“The best position.”
Hayes laughed.
“Before.”
Then Caleb’s smile faded.
“I don’t know if I’ll play again.”
Hayes nodded solemnly.
“Maybe you will. Maybe you won’t. You know, football people talk about courage all the time. Usually we’re talking about running into another guy wearing pads.”
He tapped Caleb’s jersey lightly.
“I don’t know if I’ll play again.”
“What you did wasn’t a game.”
Caleb looked up.
Hayes continued, “My mom told me you like one thing about how I play. She says you told her I’m the guy who always goes back for his guy.”
Caleb nodded.
Hayes smiled. “Sounds like you did the same thing.”
“What you did wasn’t a game.”
Caleb didn’t speak.
His eyes filled before mine did.
Hayes reached into a bag and pulled out a pair of gloves.
The gloves he’d worn during his final home game.
He signed one.
