The following morning, the trainer cleared me to practice, although with no contact, mostly just drills. I was listed as doubtful for the game, I knew better, I was going to be ready. By Saturday, I had virtually regained most of my movement, although it was still difficult to get full extension without feeling pain. I was told it would be a game time decision as to whether or not I played.
After meeting with the trainer early, I was told I was cleared to play, but I would not start, Billy would get the nod. I didn't have a problem with that, I just wanted to be out there. Just to be sure I was fitted with an air -cushioned flak jacket, with a thin plastic plate inserted in the rear pocket, protecting my back. It was cumbersome and awkward, I had difficulty moving well, but I had no choice. I was in for a total of three plays in the first half, never catching a ball. We held a narrow 17-14 lead, but would get the ball to start the second half.
Late in the third quarter, we were inside their ten yard line, Coach Cullen was looking for a mismatch, he called my number. I joined the offense in the huddle, Josh knelt down and called the play.
"Delay, X Cross Right, Hook Left, 69 Smash, Toggle Y, Flash.", he yelled, above the crowd.
This was a simple pattern, the first read was the right flat, the second was left at the goal line. The third read was the back out in the right flat. I would stay in tight, blocking anyone head up with me, if I had no one covering me up or on my outside, I would help the tackle with his man. After a three to five second count off in my head, I would simply run a quick post across the goal line.
The ball was snapped, I drove hard on Lester's man, pinning him inside, then broke off middle, turning my head left. The ball was already in the air, so I had to react quickly by pulling it in. I was hit immediately, spun around, then hit again, finally falling into the end zone. I got up slowly, teammates immediately surrounding me to protect me. I was fine, but I passed on the HyperDunk, I wasn't up to it. I picked up the ball and jogged off the field. We scored twice more in the fourth to put the game away, once again Josh had close to four hundred yards.
It took another full week for me to be back to normal, I spent a lot of time with the training staff. Alexis was out of town on business, she would be gone for close to two weeks. She was only gone a few days, I already was feeling terrible, I missed her a lot. I concentrated on football and getting healthy. Three weeks later we clinched our division and a playoff spot with a win, we were 12-0 for only the second time in team history. We were the number one rated offense in football, our defense was at eleven. Josh was on pace to crush the record for total yardage in one season. He only had to average two hundred yards a game for the next four, the record would fall.
Then inexplicably, as these things do, we laid an egg in Houston, getting beat 28-21, our worst performance of the year. Josh threw three interceptions, we fumbled twice. No way you have five turnovers and win in this league, not unless the other teams help you. Our chance for a perfect season was gone, which stunk, but the playoffs were all that mattered. What did change however was how quickly we would secure the home field advantage in the playoffs. If we won two of our next three, we would host the playoffs until we lost, or qualified for the Superbowl, whatever came first. The problem was, if we won our next two, the starters would definitely sit out the final game, it meant nothing. That might cause Josh not to get the record, which he really deserved. He was only six hundred and eighteen yards shy of breaking it, hopefully he would do it.
We went on the road for our next game, which we won easily 45-10, Josh had a banner day, four hundred eighty six yards, four touchdowns. That combined with a loss by the team with the second best overall record in our conference, meant we had home field advantage locked up. Josh was one hundred thirty two yards from the record, we had two left to play.
At practice the following Monday, we were told that the starters would definitely rest the final game of the season, possibly the second half of the game this Sunday. This meant Josh had possibly only two quarters left to get the record, it was going to be a tight squeeze.
At practice that week, all of the receivers kept putting the bug in Coach Cullen's ear. We made sure he knew, we didn't want Josh out until the record fell, no matter what. By Friday, he had heard enough, he called us together as a group and laid into us, although I know it was more for show than anything.
The tension was overwhelming in the locker room before our second to last game. Although Josh had all season long, down played the record to everyone including the press, I knew how bad he wanted. We all left him alone in the locker room, it was quiet and somber.
He threw an interception on our first drive, he short armed the ball, I knew he was feeling the heat. They scored first putting us in the hole, but the offense was right back on the field. Josh put together a good drive, we responded with a touchdown of our own, tying the game at
7-7. One of the equipment managers on the sideline was keeping an unofficial record of the passing yards, so the receivers could keep Josh informed. It was something that we had plotted on our own, no one but the receivers and the equipment guy knew about it. By the end of the first quarter we had a 14-7 lead, Josh had thrown for ninety two yards, there were only forty yards left to go. They went on a long drive to open the second quarter, they took almost eight minutes off the clock, finally scoring and tying the game up. We had a little over seven minutes to make it happen when we took the huddle. We threw on first down, a quick out for nine yards, we were down to thirty one yards. After a quick slant of fifteen, we were under twenty. With the ball on our thirty nine, this drive was going to do it. The fans were out of control, there were signs all over counting the yards down as we gained them. Josh couldn't help but know, everyone knew now.
On first and ten, we ran a delayed counter trap to the rookie, who broke a tackle at the line of scrimmage, shifted gears then ran the ball the length of the field scoring quickly. We regained the lead at 21-14, there were a little over four minutes left on the clock. We never got the ball back, they settled for a field goal as time ran out. We headed into the locker room at halftime, no one knew what was going to happen. Thankfully Coach Cullen put it all to rest early, there wasn't going to be a doubt.
"Josh, I'm leaving the starters in until the record falls, even if it takes the rest of the game. Go out there, relax, get it done, then we move on.", he stated.
The entire locker room erupted in unison, everyone wanted the record for Josh. He just smiled and waved to us, I knew he was a mess inside, but he couldn't show it.
They opened up the second half with the ball, had a good drive going, but then fumbled at our thirty five yard line. The offense took the field, we were ready to get this done. Once again we opened with a quick slant pass reeling off ten yards to our forty five. The next two plays, Scott Douglas ripped off two big runs, getting the ball inside their twenty to the eighteen. Our opponents took a time out, trying to regroup, at least hold us to a field goal. Josh went to the sidelines to talk to Coach Cullen, everyone else milled about in the huddle. Josh returned quickly to the huddle, we were still in a TV timeout. He leaned over and told me quietly, he wanted me on the other end of the record setting pass, no matter what. I looked at him rather stunned, while we were close, for him to intentionally hold the ball and get it to me, meant a lot.
"X Slant Right, Double Pick, Power Option, Waggle Cross, Delay.", he called on one knee.
This was a called pass, in which both receivers on the right would line up outside of me, then on the snap, both ran slants across the field at two different depths about seven yards apart. I would run inside between them to the corner, hoping my man would get caught up in the traffic. By now the entire stadium was on its feet, they were seeing history. Right as Josh started his cadence, they showed us an all out blitz, stacking the line with seven players, possibly eight. I was covered up by the free safety, who was at best six feet tall. Josh immediately called an audible, signaling up and down the line of scrimmage.
"Kill, Kill, Kill. Seventy two, Seventy two.", he yelled, above the crowd.
I put both hands on my backsides, then removed my right first, signaling him I was going inside. I then looked back at Josh, he was pointing up, telling me he was going high with the ball.
The ball was snapped to Josh who was deep in the gun. I collided with the safety, immediately pushing him off to the left, stepping inside of him. They came with the blitz, I headed to the back of the end zone. Josh held the ball as long as he could then threw it up in the direction of the goal post. I had beaten my man inside but I knew this was going to be way up there. My only chance to catch it was to stop, plant my feet then go up, I couldn't do it from the fade motion. I stopped maybe seven yards deep in the end zone, planted both feet, bent both knees then jumped with everything I had. My eyes were glued on the ball, it was there. I felt contact with the defensive player just a split second before I felt the ball in my hands. It started to slip, but I was able to recover, holding it out as I fell to the turf, the safety on top of me. The noise was deafening, the stadium had erupted. I was being pulled up by teammates, everyone was out of control. I was about to start in Josh's direction when I saw the flag on the ground. The defense was signaling to the officials I had pushed off to make the catch. Four officials were conversing in the end zone, two were pointing back and forth, then talking to the referee. While I had pushed off initially at the line of scrimmage, if there was anyone guilty of illegal contact late, it was the safety.