Jeremy Davis just finished a historic college career at Colorado, winning awards and winning back-to-back national championships in his Junior and Senior years. Jeremy was the most prized collegiate player heading into the NAFL, North American Football League; every team wanted him for various reasons due to his unselfish play, being a great teammate, making everyone feel included, his drive and focus, strong arm, great legs/footwork. He was the prototypical dual-threat NAFL Quarterback standing at 6'5" and weighing 220 lbs with black wavy hair that was kinda slicked back to his shoulders, sparkling angelic blue eyes, clean cut only because he couldn't figure out what kind of facial hair he wanted. he had a charming athletic muscular body that even men would stop and admire.
He would be the first overall pick in the NAFL draft; everyone had known that for a couple of years. Most people were surprised that He didn't forgo his senior year and go pro. He wanted to give back to Colorado fans and enjoyed being with his teammates too much, along with wanting to be back-to-back national champions. Everyone expected Jeremy to go to Cleveland as they had the number one pick. In interviews, Jeremy always would say that he would play anywhere that He was selected and would probably play there for the rest of his career as he has that old-school loyalty and style about him. Still, secretly he wanted to be drafted by his hometown team, the Denver Mustangs; Jeremy had dreamed of that since he was little.The night of the draft being in New York was a crazy experience, to say the least. As he was the center of attention heading into the draft. Rumors were flying around that Cleveland was going to trade the pick to multiple different teams, none of which were Denver. As the draft starts, the countdown officially starts, and then silence starts to creep in as a few minutes go by with Cleveland not announcing their pick yet. Jeremy looks down at his phone, and it starts ringing, saying anonymous. Jeremy answers nervously, " Hello. " The mysterious deep man's voice replies, " Hi, Jeremy Davis; this is Bill Lombardi with the Denver Mustangs. I know that is unexpected since we never met with you before the draft; we have made a trade with Cleveland, and how do you feel about being a Denver Mustang? " Jeremy can't believe it; he thinks to himself: " this has to be a dream, this can't be real. " Jeremy barely can get an understandable reply out from sheer excitement: " Yes coach, I I I I've always wanted to be a Mustang since I was a kid. I won't let you down". Lombardi booms back: " Good to hear, Kid; we think you have a great and long career ahead of you, being 21 years old, will lead the Mustangs to several championships. I'll see you at the airport tomorrow. Go celebrate and have fun with your family, " Jeremy, still in shock, says, " I'll make the Mustangs proud for the next 20 years. Thank you for the opportunity, and I will enjoy tonight, but the work for the championship starts tomorrow. "Months later, the preseason is here, Jeremy's first unofficial game as a pro. Even though it's the preseason, Jeremy is focused; he knows he's still a rookie and has to prove his worth to his coaches, teammates, and the fans. He doesn't want to be a bust for his hometown team. Denver gets the ball first. Jeremy runs into the field with the offense. His favorite play gets called, the crowd gets quiet before the snap, Jeremy surveys the defense, everything feels right about this play, and the defense is in line for the offense to have a great play. Jeremy hikes the football and rolls out, looking downfield to see which wide receiver he's going to throw to. He sees his go-to wide receiver wide open downfield; the crowd is going crazy as they see the big play unfolding. As Jeremy throws the football downfield as He releases it, he hears and feels a loud pop in his elbow, at the same time, unbeknownst to him, the superstar all-pro linebacker from the Arizona Phoenix hits Jeremy from behind. Jeremy, already in a lot of pain, feels another pop in his right knee as he's hitting the field. The crowd is going crazy; it was a 75-yard touchdown on the first play of the game. The crowd goes silent as they realize that Jeremy is still on the ground in tremendous pain with the training staff coming out to see him. Jeremy just hears before the training staff gets to him, " Welcome to the Pros Rook. " It will be later confirmed that Jeremy's career and Dream were done.It's been a little over three years since Jeremy's injury. He now detests football and truly wants nothing to do with the sport; it's not because he got injured; it's because he gave everything to football and got nothing back.He felt like he was just thrown away because he was damaged goods, and there was no real effort to get him back to play professional football. The team was concerned and wanted to do whatever was needed to get Jeremy back on the field since they had invested much into Jeremy. Jeremy's injuries were pretty significant when it boiled down; after getting multiple opinions, they all concluded that Jeremy tore four of five Flexor Tendons, and his knee was mutilated to describe it the best. He tore his MCL, ACL, and other tendons in his knee; his knee was basically being held together by one ligament.Both of those injuries could be considered a Widowmaker in their own right to a quarterback, let alone a football player. The Flexor Tendon injury ended a couple of legendary Pittsburgh quarterbacks' careers in different decades; the injury zaps your arm strength when throwing the ball and creates tingling and numbness in your hand. Jeremy's surgeon said that he was fortunate to keep his leg as he thought he was going to have to amputate Jeremy's leg due to the damage inflicted on the knee.It was due to Jeremy's determination and fire to get back on the field that the surgeon spent various hours between two surgeries carefully repairing his knee. Jeremy was so desperate to get back to playing football that he wanted to get into rehab right after getting out of surgery, but he listened to the doctor's instructions as he only had one chance to come back. Once he could start rehab, he pushed himself to the limit, giving a thousand percent, under the careful eye of the therapists.The problem was that once he got with the Mustangs' training staff, that's where everything fell apart; he didn't have the zip and explosive throws that he once had. He was lucky to get the football twenty yards downfield, and if he threw too much, his hand would start to tingle and go numb to where he had issues gripping, holding, and feeling the football. He wasn't as agile or fast with his footwork, and he had happy feet. The trainers would tell Jeremy that maybe he should hang it up, that he'll still go down in history as one of the greatest collegiate athletes of all time. He would hear the coaches in their offices say that if Jeremy just lost his arm strength, they could move him to become a wide receiver or if his legs didn't recover that he could be a pocket passer. Still, he lost both, and they couldn't find a position for him to play that would extend Jeremy's career.Over time the doubters grew, and no one ever came to him to encourage him, to be by his side, to say I know you're fighting to come back, and things aren't going your way, but we'll get you there. Instead, all he received was a call to come down to Coach Lombardi's office for a chat.Coach Lombardi would go on to tell Jeremy that the training staff conferred with the doctors and that he would no longer be able to play professional football. Coach Lombardi would continue to say that if Jeremy wanted to keep the money from his rookie contract that he would have to do a favor for him, and if he would do this favor for the Mustangs would also include his fifth-year team option worth 20 million dollars, that would typically only be guaranteed if the team picked up that fifth-year option in a player's third year. If Jeremy didn't do the favor, the Mustangs would go after all the money on his contract and would leave him with five hundred thousand dollars.The favor that was asked of him was to own an indoor football team in Denver, Colorado, and look for hidden diamonds in the rough for the Mustangs to sign. Now Jeremy, of course, could have gone to the players union and filed a grievance, but that could take years to get it resolved with no guarantee that he would win the grievance.After Jeremy spent a year and a half healing and rehabbing, trying to get back on the field, to be told that he would never play professional football again, he didn't have the fight nor the time for a grievance. Jeremy begrudgingly agreed to the deal with Coach Lombardi and the Mustangs to keep all the money from his Rookie contract. Over the next year and a half, Jeremy would get 60 million dollars, including his 5th-year option.In the following year and a half, to be caught up to the present time, Jeremy got the team set up, got a lease with the historic Coliseum in Denver, and joined an indoor football league. That, of course, was only the beginning; next, he did a name the Team contest, got corporate partnerships, and hired a former Mustang as head coach and general manager that Lombardi wanted to have groomed before he joined Lombardi's staff. Jeremy didn't care about grooming a coach for Lombardi as he didn't want to have anything to do with football; he just would've hired Terrell Hillis, an all-pro Running back and Mustang Legend, for various reasons that included Terrell being a diva player, always have his way that's why he was given the job of general manager. All Jeremy cared about regards to the team was that it broke even every year. If the team made a profit, Jeremy would distribute the profits to the local charities in Colorado because Jeremy was doing this for the fans as they were always for him. He didn't want to make money off of something he hated.Jeremy was frugal with his money and didn't want to spend any money on something that he despised, so as Terrell didn't cost him money by the end of the year, Terrell could do anything he wanted football-wise.Jeremy was headed to Omaha for the League meetings; Terrell wasn't happy about not being able to come to the league meetings, but Terrell wasn't an owner, and Jeremy wasn't going to let him make financial decisions for the team, plus it would be nice to get away from the craziness of the team before the hurricane of the season started. He made the nine-hour drive the day before league meetings and got in around 10 pm local time.Jeremy got checked into the hotel and went to the bar for a nightcap since the league meetings were at 7 am lasting into the evening. Jeremy saw his newfound friend Luke Elliott since joining the indoor football league, The Wild West Indoor Football League or WWIF; Luke owned the Omaha Cattlemen. " Hey Luke, Looks like you're having too much fun, " Jeremy projected over the bar's noise." And there's the most depressing man in the world. How are you doing? I wasn't expecting you here tonight." Luke retorted." I'm just ready to get year one of six over with. I'm only here for a nightcap; gotta be ready for the League meetings. " Jeremy replied.Luke laughs and says, " You really are a depressing man. You're talking about owning an indoor football team like a prison sentence. This is a crazy business where there are extreme highs and extreme lows, but it's always fun and interesting. You need to live a little and have some fun. You should stay out with me and have some fun. You need to enjoy these lovely ladies and buy them some drinks. "Jeremy just stares at Luke and says, " The only reason you want me to enjoy these ladies and to stay out with you is that I'm the only one who can get you to drink responsibly, and if I don't stay out, you're going to stay out all night and not get an ounce of sleep. You'll show up drunk to the League meetings and might have a repeat of last year from what I have heard. "Luke grins ear to ear while saying, " Yes, I am, and Yes, You are. " Luke is playing on Jeremy's loyalty to friends, teammates, etc.Jeremy stares at Luke with a disapproving glare thinking that there is no logical reason to stay out except to help a friend and not embarrass himself. Jeremy rolls his eyes and then replies, " Fine, I'll stay out with you, but we're going to do things my way this time. " Then he thinks to himself, " I have a bad feeling about this. "The only thing Jeremy remembers is waking up to the five O'Clock alarm and shutting it off, moaning and groaning, feeling exhausted. Shortly after shuttin
Jeremy and Coach Lombardi get down to the field and start jogging over to Terrell to figure out what the commotion was for. They look around the field and don't see a woman around; they're trying to figure out why Terrell said no women are allowed on the field."What's all the fuss, Terrell? Why did you stop training camp? Shouts Lombardi.Terrell Hillis is huffing and puffing with anger, trying to calm down, stating, "A woman is trying to try out for the team. That's not allowed."Jeremy laughs and says, " I've never said that wasn't allowed; I want to have the best players on the field that the Cannibals can have. Who's the Woman?"Terrell points to the Linebacker, who just lit up the quarterback, then fires back at Jeremy, "It might not be your rule, but it's my rule, and I'm the GM; I make the rules and decisions."Jeremy stares at His coach while contemplating firing Terrell and says, "You're right, Terrell, you're the head coach and general manager, but just in case you don't re
Jeremy pouring himself another glass of bourbon and completely shocked at What he just heard. " What? Why? It doesn't make sense for me to coach you up and refine your skills. I am, was, a quarterback and you're a linebacker. On top of I'm not a coach at all. Why would you want me to be your coach? " Jeremy said in shock.Alexandra replies with inspiration, " It's because I saw how you were when you were rehabbing same trying to get back to playing in the pros, while the training staff looked on TV that you weren't coming back from your injuries and you were wasting their time, but you looked liked no matter what you were coming back, you would do whatever was needed to come back. I know you're not a coach, a linebacker, but you'll treat me like an athlete and a person, not a girl, not a woman. You're not going to take excuses or any crap from me or anyone, you're going to push me to get to the next level, to push me to my limits, to help me grow. I don't think or believe that anyone
Jeremy looks at Luke as he's finishing the last bite of his steak and asparagus, knowing that Luke has come up with attractive half-thought-through plans and ideas in the past but always will listen to his ideas. Jeremy shallows his bite and says, " I'm interested in hearing about your " perfect plan " for Alexandra's training. "Luke continues to explain his plan: " Since Omaha is coming down to play Denver in week four of the season, how about I have my coach Mike Jones help you coach Alexander a day before game day? I'll have the team come down a day before if you agree to pay for food and lodging for the team with that extra day in exchange for Mike's help coaching Alexandra. What do you think? "Now a little information on Mike Jones, He was an All-pro linebacker for the New York Titans; he played eleven years in the NAFL for the Titans. Jones was also a nightmare for offenses and an All-American linebacker at the University of Florida State. Mike Jones led the Omaha cattlemen to
Terrell, enraged at Jeremy, sternly says, " I don't know what you're trying to do, but I will not stand for your shenanigans. This is my team, and you're not going to fine me. It would be best if you let me do my job and left me to run the team. "Jeremy, disgusted with Terrell, replies, " Get it through your thick head that it's not your team, it's my team, and I am letting you run the team this year. You're walking on thin ice from now on, I WILL be fining you the bare minimum with possible termination, and if you keep pushing your luck with me, I'll take it to the news outlets that you were fined or fired due to conduct detrimental to the team. You'll be lucky to get another coaching job after that. Now get ready for practice. "Terrell Hillis, huffing and puffing, turns and heads to the locker room, muttering under his breath.Jeremy heads to where Alexandra is sitting at. Once Jeremy gets to Alexandra, he sits down and apologizes, " I'm so sorry for that interaction; you should n
It was April 28, 1998, and Alexandra Jordan was born to Thomas Jordan and Katherine Wells. Thomas was an All-American Quarterback for the University of Mississippi, and Katherine just started law school student recently graduating from the University of Colorado with a bachelor's degree when Alexandra was born. They weren't sure how they would raise a child while in college, but they were bound and determined to make it work.Alexandra always enjoyed being at the games, even when she was a baby. Her dad was a late-round draft pick in the NAFL and bounced around the league for a few years, mainly as a backup. Alexandra never missed a game of her dad's.Her mother became a lawyer and worked up to owning her law firm. Katherine held down the family home base in Oxford, MS, and went to Thomas's games on the weekends.The first spark of Alexandra's love of football came when her dad was with the New York Titans. Alexandra was allowed to go with her dad to practice when she was four years o
While Alexandra is stretching, Jeremy speaks up, saying, " Since I'm going to be coaching you and we're going to be spending more time together. Why don't you tell me about yourself to better coach you. "Alexandra looks up while stretching and replies, " Well, where do I start? " she thinks, considering how much to share with him as she doesn't like nor want to talk about herself.Jeremy sighs and shifts his weight from foot to foot as he thinks about what he wants to know about her. After all, he is trying to be a gentleman and not look or stare at her butt. Jeremy doesn't want her to see him as any other pig of a guy that treats women like objects. Furthermore, he wouldn't look at any other player that way, and he doesn't want to treat her differently based on her gender.There was something about Alexandra that she mysteriously took Jeremy. He also wondered to himself why he was having nightmares about his hit. It's like there was something in his mind banging at a trap door to ge
They both got done at about the same time. Jeremy came downstairs wearing a sleeveless shirt and grey sweatpants and instantly stopped when he saw Alexandra starting to jog on the treadmill; her leggings emphasized her shape and made her butt stand out.As much as Jeremy was a gentleman, he couldn't resist the tractor beam of her leggings. He shook his body to refocus as he needed to be a coach for Alexandra.As she was wrapping up warming up for training, Jeremy let her know that a buddy of his who was currently playing linebacker in NAFL for Houston sent him a workout that should work for her with some modifications. He gave Alexandra the printed workout to get her thoughts.She examined it and agreed to try it out with some changes, as Cupid sent Jeremy the reps and sets that he used.As they started the workout, Alexandra spoke up, " I thought about this more from yesterday regarding you asking questions about me to coach me better and get to know me. I thought it would only be fa
The Denver skyline shimmered in the crisp October sunlight, the city’s pulse quickening with the promise of a new football era. Alexandra Jordan sat cross-legged on her apartment couch, a mug of coffee cooling between her hands, when her phone buzzed with an incoming call. The name on the screen—Jenifer Walter—sent a flutter through her chest. She took a steadying breath and answered.“Hey, Coach.”“Alexandra, good morning!” Jenifer’s voice was bright but businesslike. “I wanted to catch you before the press conference this afternoon. We’ve got some news.”Alexandra straightened, curiosity piqued. “What’s up?”“We’ve agreed to terms and signed Trisha Steinmetz as our quarterback, along with a couple of other pieces. We’ll be announcing the signings later today. I wanted you to hear it from me first, not the media.”Alexandra’s eyebrows rose. “Trisha, huh? I’m not surprised. She’s a baller, and Jeremy was her QB coach last year. Her game really jumped a level under him.”Jenifer chuckl
The conference room inside the Denver Coliseum was a world apart from the roaring crowds and the echoing footsteps of hopeful athletes. Here, the air hummed with anticipation and the scent of strong coffee. Sunlight spilled through tall windows, illuminating stacks of scouting reports, video tablets, and two thick binders—one marked “JENIFER” in bold, the other “JEREMY.”At the head of the table, Jeremy Davis leaned forward, elbows braced, a familiar spark in his eyes. Across from him, Jenifer Walter sat with her own notepad, her posture relaxed but her gaze razor-sharp. This was the heart of the Colorado Cannibals’ future: two football minds, one vision, and the daunting task of sculpting a 25-player roster that would not just compete, but define a new era.The silence between them was comfortable, broken only by the occasional shuffle of paper or the tap of a stylus. They’d already spent hours debating schemes, culture, and the kind of team they wanted to build. Now, it was time for
Alexandra Jordan’s downtown apartment, perched high above a city lit in electric gold, was a familiar after-practice haven for her best friends—and fellow Denver Outlaws teammates—Heather and Alicia. The coffee table was cluttered with takeout boxes, cans of sparkling water, and the scarred deck of cards they used when deep talks called for a distraction. The TV muttered game highlights into the background, unheeded.Tonight, the air was different. After nearly an hour of mindless TV and the usual banter, Alexandra finally spilled what had been on her mind since her dinner with Jenifer Walter at The Gold Cleat.“So that’s what happened,” she finished, tracing the rim of her glass as she watched Heather and Alicia’s reactions. “Jenifer was…straight with me. And for the first time, it felt like someone really saw what was going on inside my head, not just what everyone expects from me on the field.”Heather, lounged out on the couch in sweats, flashed her a reassuring smile. “It sounds
Downtown Denver pulsed with twilight energy as neon signs flickered alive and laughter spilled out of bustling bistros. Inside The Gold Cleat—part high-end steakhouse, part sports shrine—Jenifer Walter and Alexandra Jordan sat tucked in a corner booth. Polished cutlery and stemless glasses sparkled under golden light. Football memorabilia—framed jerseys, signed balls, old newspaper clippings—climbed the walls. But tonight, the famous faces and heroic headlines faded into the background, leaving just two women, a table of food, and the unfinished business of dreams and wounds.For a while, they just enjoyed the simple pleasure of a hot meal and the company of someone who understood the grind. Jenifer was in her signature sharp black blazer and jeans; Alexandra wore her hair in a simple ponytail, crisp white shirt rolled at the sleeves. They swapped stories—two warriors swapping battle tales.“So there was this one game back in the WFL,” Jenifer grinned, forking into her steak, “third-a
The whir of the electric razor buzzed lightly as Jeremy Davis finished trimming his beard in the mirror, his thoughts swirling with anticipation and anxiety. The Denver morning was brisk, sunlight spilling over the snow-capped Rockies and into the window of his high-rise apartment. He straightened his navy tie, tugged the knot just right, and pulled on a tailored charcoal suit—sharp, modern, understated but strong. Today was the day ESPN came to town. Today was another day to set the record straight.His phone chimed—a message from Melissa, reassuring and efficient as always.“Camera crew’s setting up. You’re on at 10. They brought extra lights. Usual interview room.”Jeremy smiled. He could count on Melissa. He could count on Jenifer Walter, too—his new head coach had already spent the morning in the film room breaking down last year’s tape with the Cannibals’ scouting staff. For the first time in a long while, Jeremy felt like the organization was exactly where it should be: at the
Morning sunlight slanted through the office window, splashing across the polished wood of Jeremy Davis’s desk. The Denver Coliseum was waking up, full of purposeful footsteps and distant shouts, but Jeremy still felt like he was living in a half-dream. The last week had been a whirlwind: press conferences, Jennifer Walter’s hiring, and an endless stream of speculation from every corner of the sports world.He sat back in his chair, still savoring the small, quiet moments before his schedule took over. His phone buzzed, vibrating insistently across the desk. Without looking at the caller ID, he picked up—old habits from his coaching days when any call could be a crisis.“Jeremy Davis,” he answered.A familiar, grating laugh oozed through the receiver. “Well, well, Jeremy! Didn’t know you were taking tips from the Pelaratti playbook these days.”Jeremy’s free hand curled into a fist. “Tommy Pelaratti,” he said, his voice flat.“The one and only!” Tommy’s voice dripped with sleazy confid
Jeremy’s office was silent except for the faint hum of the air conditioning and the distant echo of footsteps in the Denver Coliseum’s hallways. He sat at his desk, phone pressed to his ear, heart pounding as he waited for Jenifer Walter’s answer. The world outside might have been spinning with rumors and speculation, but in this moment, everything hinged on a single word.There was a pause—a breath, a heartbeat, a lifetime—then Jenifer’s voice came through, clear and steady. “Jeremy, I’ll take the job. I want to be the Head Coach of the Colorado Cannibals.”Jeremy exhaled, a grin spreading across his face. He kept his composure, but his voice was electric with excitement. “Jenifer, we’re going to do great things together. In addition to being Head Coach, you’ll be Assistant General Manager and have a real say over personnel decisions. I want to say this before anyone in the media or anywhere else gets the wrong idea: I’m hiring you because I believe you’ll lead the Cannibals to great
Jeremy Davis stood at the podium, the glare of television lights painting his suit in harsh relief. The press conference room inside the Denver Coliseum was packed—sportswriters, TV crews, bloggers, and a sea of Colorado Cannibals fans pressed against the back wall. The air buzzed with anticipation, the kind that comes before a storm, and Jeremy could feel every eye fixed on him.He gripped the edge of the podium, steadying himself. “Thank you all for coming,” he began, his voice resonant and calm. “I want to thank everyone at the Wild West Indoor Football League, the Colorado sports fans, and the media for your support and dedication to this team. Today marks an exciting new chapter for the Colorado Cannibals.”A ripple of camera clicks and shifting bodies swept through the room.Jeremy continued, “As many of you know, Terrell Hillis has accepted a position as the running backs coach for the Denver Mustangs in the NAFL. I want to wish Terrell the best in this new opportunity. He’s mo
Jeremy Davis sat hunched over his desk, elbows planted on the polished oak, fingers steepled in front of his lips. The office—his office—inside the Denver Coliseum was a study in contrasts: the world outside was a cacophony of echoing footsteps, distant cheers, and the metallic clatter of preparation, while within these four walls, the air was thick with tension and the scent of old leather and fresh coffee.Melissa perched on the edge of the visitor’s chair, her notepad balanced on her knee, pen poised but unmoving. She watched Jeremy with the kind of concern that only comes from months of shared late nights and early mornings. Across from her, sprawled in the battered armchair, was Luke Elliot, owner of the Omaha Cattlemen and Jeremy’s oldest friend in the league. Luke’s boots were crossed at the ankle, his hat tipped back, a wry smile playing at his lips as he watched Jeremy wrestle with the decision.Jeremy exhaled, the sound heavy in the quiet.“So, here’s where we are,” he said,