Chapter Five: They Need Me to Fall Behind

Kane pulled him upright. “Why give me the target?” “You had single coverage.” “Not afraid I'd take every headline back?” “I want the win, not the headline.” Four plays later, Kane and Lin drew the defense apart. Eli faked toward both and found the tight end for a touchdown. The conversion tied the game; a field goal won it in overtime. No teammate skipped Lin's hand in the locker room. Duke silently cleared the space before his locker. Kane did not smile, but he addressed everyone. “Without eleven, we lost that game.” At three in the morning, Lin was still awake. Six hours after the game, his pulse remained elevated and needles seemed buried in every muscle. At recovery practice, he completed half a run before collapsing to his knees.