Page 8 of Catch
First question and I already fucked up. “When you have several people vying for the same job, it gets a little stressful when you are waiting for the call.” He sat down satisfied with the answer when more people raised their hands to be next. I knew eventually I would learn all their names, but in the meantime, Bill barked out names.
“Maria.”
She stood and looked at her phone. “Maria Cortez,Sports Illustrated. Coach McCoy, what’s is like being the first female offensive coordinator in the NFL?”
I exhaled and gave the answer I’d practiced. “It’s an amazing opportunity. I hope that I’m not the last. In the last five years, the NFL has opened its doors to female coaches, trainers, referees, owners, and even the first female commissioner. It was just a matter of time before one of us had the title of offensive coordinator.”
“Any pushback?” Her follow-up question was expected.
“None. The players only want to get better and they trust me and the team of coaches within the organization to make that happen for them. I know football and they know that I do.” I clamped my mouth shut and waited for the next question. As planned, they were easy and predictable, and I answered each one confidently. I was on a roll until Duane Spitzer fromUSA Today Sportsbrought up my past before college.
“You went to Oak Grove High School.”
He waited for some sort of confirmation. I nodded. “Yes?” I wanted to say “so what” but that would have been rude.
“You were the first female quarterback in your state. You even took the Oak Grove Pumas to the state championship game where your team put up a good fight but lost seven to twenty.”
“Thank you, Duane, for bringing up a painful memory.” I chuckled and was met with nervous laughter from the group. Itappeared we were all somewhat confused by his line of questioning. “Next question.”
He stood and waved his hand at me and them. “Wait. I’m not done.”
“Duane, we don’t have all day. Final question and then we’re moving on,” Bill said.
I didn’t like Duane. I could tell by his mannerisms and the way he shushed others around him that he was going to be a problem in future press conferences.
“The team has just signed Grayson Moats as the Cheetahs’ starting quarterback.” He didn’t wait for confirmation. He kept talking. “You played against Grayson when you were a Puma, right?”
There was a slight murmur. “It’s a small world. We’re from the same state. And yes, we joked about it the night before he signed.” I glanced over at Bill.
“Sit down, Duane,” he said. He didn’t seem overly fond of Duane either.
Duane waved again. “No, wait. Last question.”
I motioned for him to continue and kept the eye roll in check.
“So, you laughed about it before he signed. Was it awkward seeing his wife, your ex-girlfriend, again after fifteen years?” he asked.
That was a question nobody prepared me for. I tried to breathe. I could feel my lungs clawing for air. I tried not to react. Instead, I looked at Bill for help. He didn’t miss a beat.
“Whatever history Moats and Coach McCoy have was a long time ago. They don’t have any issues. Coach McCoy was a driving force in getting Moats to play for us. Next question,” he said.
Apparently, one scandal per interview was enough because nobody asked the question the liaison prepared me for all morning. The rest of the conference went smoothly. There were even some laughs as we were winding down. Most of the journalists wished me well. I couldn’t look at Duane’s smug face. I exited the conference room and was immediately ushered into a private office. I wasn’t sure if it was for debriefing or just to get me away from the press.Terry, Bill, and the press liaison walked into the room. I waited for them to sit and braced myself for the onslaught of questions.
“Is there any truth to Duane’s question?” Terry asked.
I looked at them. “We were kids. I wouldn’t say we were girlfriends. It was a summer romance. And she wasn’t out so I don’t know how Duane dug that nugget up.” I knew that denying would only hurt my career here. “Her very religious parents didn’t like me and refused to allow us to be together. Did she move on and date Grayson? Yes. Did it hurt? Yes. But we’re all adults now. None of us are giving any thought to who we dated as teenagers.”
Bill dabbed at the sweat on his forehead with a handkerchief. “Did you and Grayson really discuss it?”
“Yes. The night we went to dinner to recruit him. He asked if it was going to be a problem. I told him no. That relationship was a lifetime ago,” I said.
Terry and Bill exchanged a look. “Find Grayson,” Terry said to Bill. Bill nodded and left the room. Terry folded his arms. “Do you think that’s something you should have disclosed when we brought up Grayson the day you started?”
I shook my head, refusing to allow his tone to get to me. “I didn’t. It was a long time ago. Grayson and I talked about it. It was a private moment between us. We’re good.”
He pressed his lips together tightly and nodded. “While we wait for them, let’s talk about your first press conference. How do you feel about it?”
Other than being completely derailed, it was okay. I leaned back in my chair. “I thought it went well. I’m glad nobody brought up the previous coach.”
