His regular players showed up first. He introduced himself and admitted frankly that they had more experience than he did.
“Don’t sweat it,” said Henry Franklin, the defensive tackle. “Each one of us was a bench warmer.” He grinned. “This team used to be racially mixed about half and half. Now Logan and I are the only black players and we’ve got you for a coach. That ought to be good for at least one headline.”
“You got guts,” added Spence Logan, one of the safeties. “Taking on a job like this cold, with no background.”
“I can use all the help you can give me,” said Randy. “I don’t have any illusions about fooling you.”
“In other words, you want us to be nice to the new guys,” said Henry. “Encourage ‘em. Don’t beat ‘em up in practice. Make ‘em feel welcome.”
“They’ll need it,” said Ra
