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+---- Thread: *This Summers Road Trip: A Holden Summers Update (/showthread.php?tid=19688)
*This Summers Road Trip: A Holden Summers Update - SemiCharmedMike - 03-03-2020
[div align=\\\"center\\\"]This Summers Road Trip[/div]
[div align=\\\"center\\\"]Catching up with Holden Summers about the draft and more[/div]
[div align=\\\"center\\\"]By Riley Harris[/div]
Here I was again, riding shotgun down the highway with Holden Summers beside me at the wheel. This wasn’t what I was expecting to do this offseason. In fact, I was expecting a nice calm Sunnydale spring with little to no news. I had spring cleaning to do, after all.
But here I was, zooming down Interstate 35 with Ultimini winner Holden Summers.
A year ago I was invited by Holden Summers to join him for a day of draft discussion, exercise and omelette making. The article that resulted from that visit became my most popular and viewed article online. People liked what Holden had to offer and our meeting that day helped people connect with the local star. I never expected to get the opportunity again.
Two days ago my phone rang and it was Holden Summers. He had just been drafted 11th overall to the Austin Copperheads and his spirits were high. He talked briefly about his excitement, but more about how he wanted me to join him on the road as he traveled from Minnesota to Austin, Texas. “A road trip?” I asked in disbelief. “Why would you want to bring a reporter on a multiple day trip?”
*To give the people what they want.* is not what Holden replied with, but it might as well have been. He saw our conversation last offseason as just the beginning chapter of his story. He had a whole novel planned and this road trip would offer him a chance to speak to me and to the public about his last year in Minnesota and what’s to come in Austin.
I was thrilled to oblige.
I met Holden in Minneapolis outside of the studio apartment he rented for the year he spent in Minnesota as a Grey Duck. The building was located on a semi-quiet street within walking distance of a dozen restaurants and shops. If we had time, I may have pushed to try food from a local hotspot, but Holden was excited to get going.
“We have a long ways to travel,” he told me with a grin. “but it’s all going to be on a single road.”
“A single road? Is that a metaphor for the road you’re taking to become a successful football player?” I asked.
“What?” Holden replied as unlocked his car doors. “I’m talking about Interstate 35. It cuts straight down the US. It will take us all the way to Austin.”
I nodded to him slowly. He shrugged and added, “I just think it’s great that the two teams who drafted me are connected by a single road. It’s like fate.”
“Well, it is a very long road.” I said, trying to get a response from him. He delivered.
“Nothing worth anything comes easy.” he answered. He then got into his car and I followed suit.
Holden’s car was dark red and it bled luxury. He told me it was a Genesis G70 3.3T Dynamic and I had to take his word for it. All I knew about the car was that the seat was comfortable. Luckily.
As we merged onto Interstate 35 and made our way out of Minneapolis, I couldn’t help but watch Holden’s demeanor. He was leaving a chapter of his life behind and moving on to what was next. While he acted calm as he drove, I had no doubt that he was thinking about leaving Minnesota behind.
“What was it like being a Grey Duck?” I asked him, finally breaking the silence after a few minutes.
Holden kept his eyes on the road for a few seconds before giving me a quick look. He looked happy. He looked sad. He looked like someone who considered this move as bittersweet. “It was amazing. The team, the GMs, the coaches, the fans. Wow. I was so lucky to have been able to play for them. They helped me hone my skills and they gave me an outlet to succeed. My time with the Grey Ducks will always be important to me. I am not who I am today without who I was with them yesterday.” He spoke.
I sat on those words for a moment before following up, “And how was winning the Ultimini with the Ducks?”
“When I was drafted to the Ducks, I knew that they had just won a championship. And they added me to their team in effort to win another one. As I met the team and began to play alongside my teammates, I realized we had the skill, the talent and the drive to win again. So how was winning the Ultimini? It was awesome. It was unsurprising. It was a start.”
“A start?” I asked.
“The Ultimini, while very important, is just the first step in my career. I am going to win an Ultimus and I’m going to win awards. I’ll be in the Hall of Fame one day.” Holden responded. He had a lot of confidence in his voice but he did not come off as cocky. It’s not like he was saying this to boast about himself. It was like these things were already fact to him and he was just stating things he already knew.
I looked out the window and asked a very serious question next. “So what kind of music do you have for us to listen to?”
Holden didn’t respond. He just flashed his grin at me and hit the car stereo’s ON button. Suddenly, I was transported to the late 90’s. Of course I wasn’t even born then, but I felt the jive anyways.
The song was Semi-Charmed Life and Holden Summers knew every single word.
We spent the rest of that first day talking about music and movies all while taking in the surroundings outside the window. His favorite band? Third Eye Blind. His favorite movie? Jurassic Park. His favorite TV show? Friday Night Lights. It was odd hearing these choices from him. They were all older than he was. While Jurassic Park is considered a classic, the other choices have since been filled by newer alternatives within the genres. Regardless, he was passionate about his choices and before the day ended, I was singing along with Semi-Charmed Life with all the lyrics memorized.
The first day of the trip ended as we reached Kansas City, Missouri. We had been on the road for almost 7 hours and we were ready for a break. We booked rooms at the remarkable Raphael Hotel and decided to get some dinner. Once we had ordered, I took the opportunity to ask him some more questions.
“No omelette for dinner?” I asked, starting off with clearly the most important question. Instead, he had ordered a French Dip.
Holden shook his head. “This omelette thing has haunted me this past year,” he said with a small laugh. “I only eat them in the morning though, and I prefer to make them myself.”
“Speaking of last year, have you kept up with what happened to other players drafted last offseason into the DSFL?” I asked.
“I did hear that Norfolk had some issues retaining players. Cal Lidous, who went first overall, even quit on them. I was shocked about that because he seemed like a true competitor.” Holden answered. He had expressed excitement when I had visited him last year when Cal was drafted. Here he seemed a bit disappointed in the fellow player’s exit. “Remarkably,” he continued, “Philadelphia drafted him in the sixth round of the NSFL Draft. I was a bit confused by that move, considering there were other players available who hadn’t quit...but oh well. Maybe they think they can pull him out of retirement.”
He wasn’t wrong. I had heard reports that the Philly GM had actually invited Cal Lidous into the team’s locker room to pull him back into the game. I’m not sure if there had been an official decision made but there was word going around that Cal may return to play a different position.
“A very good friend of yours was also drafted by Philadelphia.” I continued. “Have you talked to Lefty Louis since draft night?”
Holden grinned and nodded. “We talk more than most people would assume. That night we were in text discussing the draft and he was very excited to go to Philly. It was actually one of the teams he hoped to go to the most. He and their general manager really hit it off.”
“Will he be called up to the NSFL this upcoming season or will he remain in the DSFL?” I asked.
“I actually don’t know. I think he’s staying in DSFL to help Kansas City but I don’t believe anything is official.” He answered.
“Were you hoping to be drafted to the same team as Lefty Louis?” It seemed like an obvious question with an even more obvious answer but a good reporter does their due diligence.
“Of course, and there were a few others I would have loved to play with, but sometimes it’s best to forge your own path. Plus, there were two great rookies that I’m friends with who were drafted to Austin with me.” He said as our food was delivered by a smiling server.
“Who are they?” I asked, ignoring the food.
“Riles McTackle and Tree Gelbman. They are both a lot of fun to hang out with. I actually play in a golf league with Riles so we have some history competing against one other. It will be a fun change of pace to work with him.” He took a bite out of his sandwich.
Before we focused on eating, I wanted to ask him one more question. Something relating to Riles McTackle and money. “Details on Riles’ contract came out early this morning. Did you hear what it was?”
Holden shook his head no.
“He signed a three year contract. He got 2.5 million the first year, 2.5 million the second year and...” I paused briefly before finishing my sentence to watch Holden’s face. His eyes locked on mine. “...and 3.1M on the third year.”
“What!” Holden exclaimed. “Are you serious?’”
I nodded and Holden shook his head. The bewilderment that had taken hold of Holden was because of his own contract with Austin. They had also given him a three year contract but it was worth 2.5 million for the first year, 2.5 million for the second and only 3 million for the third. That means Riles’ contract was worth 100K more than his.
“The silly bastard did that on purpose!” Holden proclaimed loudly. He wasn’t mad. He was amused. “It’s good to see that our competitive nature will continue even when we are teammates. He can keep his extra money, though. I’ll just have to show him up on the field.”
The rest of the evening was a quiet one. We finished our meals, shared some laughs and went our separate ways to retire to our hotel rooms. I recommend the Raphael Hotel to anyone who needs a place to stay in Kansas City. The experience is worth the price of admission.
The next morning we met in the lobby of the hotel before checking out. We had an 11 hour drive day ahead of us and Holden was eager to get on the road. I grabbed a quick bagel and followed him to his car.
As I got in I asked, “Are you excited to meet your new teammates?”
Holden clicked his seatbelt into place and answered, “Absolutely. I’ve signed a three year contract to be a Copperhead, I can’t wait to see what the locker room has in store for me.”
“I’ve heard a few of them like to play Werewolf.” I added.
“Werewolf? What?” Holden asked, a puzzled look on his face.
“It’s like Mafia, Town of Salem, One Night Ultimate Werewolf...” I knew what Werewolf was but apparently Holden had no clue. He continued to look confused.
“You should know, given the fact that you’re also from Sunnydale, that werewolves aren’t a game.” Holden said, very seriously. I wasn’t sure how to take this. Yes, there were urban legends in Sunnydale that werewolves existed and that they’ve killed people over the years, but they were just urban legends. There was no truth to the stories.
“You don’t believe werewolves are real..?” I questioned him.
“Let’s just say that I’ve experienced a lot of weird things back in high school. Things that no one can explain. There were deaths. Werewolves should be taken very seriously.” Holden said.
“Okay, so you won’t be playing Werewolf.” I added quickly.
Holden got quiet as he drove down the freeway. We were back on Interstate 35 and I the trip suddenly felt long. I didn’t expect a question about a social game to be taken so seriously by Holden. Werewolves can’t be real. Ghosts, vampires and monsters aren’t real.
Or are they?
A few minutes later, Holden broke the silence with an unexpected and much needed joke.
“What is a werewolf’s favorite day of the week?” He asked me.
I had no idea. “I don’t know. What?” I replied.
“Moonday,” he answered, his smile returning to his face.
I laughed and said, “If this whole football thing doesn’t work out for you, you could always be a comedian.”
“Now that’s funny,” Holden added. The werewolf conversation brought up something very real within Holden. He often portrays himself as a jolly laid back individual with a lot of ambition, but this was a glimpse at more beneath the surface. There was pain there, and it must have stemmed from the loss of people he cared about. The fact that he was able to compose himself so quickly and lighten the mood was a testament to the type of man he is.
He continued, “Werewolf or not, I am very excited to spend time with my teammates, get to know them and work hard with them to win another championship. You know, it’s interesting. I’m a firm believer in superstition and I feel like the Copperheads might be also.”
“How do you mean?” I asked, wondering where he was going with this.
“Last offseason, I was drafted by the Grey Ducks who had just won the DSFL Championship. Which team just won the NSFL Championship, the Ultimus?”
“The Austin Copperheads.” I answered.
“The Grey Ducks drafted me with the first pick in the second round, 7th overall. Who just drafted me with the first pick of the second round in the NSFL draft?” He continued.
“Well since the Copperheads drafted you, I’m going to say the Copperheads.”
“Exactly! And both of those picks, the Grey Ducks pick and the Copperheads pick, were traded to them! Do you see it now? I was drafted by a championship team with the first pick in the second round from a pick that was traded to them...TWICE!” He flashed a grin at me before looking back at the road.
“Wow, that is pretty remarkable. Very similar.” I said.
“History likes to repeat itself. I’m about to make a prediction here, are you ready?” Holden didn’t just ask this question. He also pulled off the road and parked. This was a serious moment and he wanted to give me his full attention.
I nodded. “Hit me.”
“The Copperheads are about to win the Ultimus again, going back to back with me on their team. It will be just like the Grey Ducks winning back to back with me on THEIR team.” He stated. He looked so sure of himself. “Before you say anything, it’s NOT because I think I will singlehandedly win it for the team. I just think history likes to repeat itself and so far things are looking VERY similar to last offseason and the DSFL draft. Copperheads are Ultimus winners again. Book it.”
I offered Holden a small chuckle as he started driving again. Too much laughter here and I could have offended him. Not enough laughter and he’s would have thought I didn’t care enough about his prophecy. The truth is, I wasn’t sure how to take his prediction. The Austin Copperheads are a very good team and they absolutely have the skill to repeat. Though I can’t ignore the fact that the other teams in their division got better. Can a team win a championship based on superstition? Can Holden’s NSFL draft similarities promise the Copperheads another Ultimus?
I have no idea, but it’s a fun idea to ponder.
One of the last things I wanted to talk to Holden about were his new managers; JKortesi81 and Moore Moody Mooty. “Have you had much discussion with the Copperhead managers?”
“Oh yeah. They both seem like great guys. Funny enough, I don’t think I talked to either of them before the draft. I knew which teams really wanted me and it kinda feels like Joe and Mooty were playing hard to get!” Holden laughed again as he passed a car on the highway. “No, no. I’m just kidding. I talked Joe and I actually also talked with AdamS. I believe he was the former GM. Regarding Mooty, he contacted me but I forgot to reply! I’m surprised they still drafted me.”
This trip with Holden Summers was an unexpected and wonderful experience for me. Last summer when I had met with him, he was at the beginning of his career. This time, Holden Summers was planting himself into the NSFL storybooks. I can only imagine the level of success he will find in the future.
Holden continued talking about his new man’s hefts, “They both seem very committed to winning the game and they are supporting me as a linebacker. I really like the position and while I’m willing to change positions for the team, I’m glad it looks like I get to keep getting sacks.” Holden paused for a moment and turned down the music. He then continued, “I really wanted to be part of an engaging locker room with managers who are there to lead and support their players. My experience so far has been nothing short of that. They’ve been great. Everyone has been great.
“And I’m excited to be part of the Austin Copperheads.”