Chapter One: Day 992 on the Bench

Lin handed it over. Kane wiped his face and tossed it against Lin’s chest as if a breathing equipment rack had always belonged there. “The outside corner cheated half a step before your break,” Lin said. “Give him a double move next time and the window will open.” Kane finally looked at him. “You see plenty from the bench.” Several players laughed. Lin said nothing else. He did see plenty. For three years, he had broken every practice recording into fragments and memorized the habits of more than two hundred defensive backs. He knew who watched a quarterback’s shoulders on third down and whose right foot slowed when fatigue set in. He knew them better than the coaching staff’s reports did. Knowing was not the same as doing.