Touchdowns: The Drew Neilson Series (Book 1)

By Neil Kokemuller

Are you looking to be inspired? Do you love sports, romance, action and drama? If so, you will love Touchdowns, the first book in the Drew Neilson series.

Drew Neilson is a well-respected young man who has a lot going for him. He is at the top of his class in school, he is the star quarterback on his high school football team, he has a perfect girlfriend, a great best friend, and a loving, supportive family. When young boys in Yorktown speak of sports heroes, they speak of Drew Neilson, not Michael Jordan or Joe Montana.

Everything seems to be perfect, which can only mean one thing. As he and his family are driving home from church on a Sunday morning, they hear a story come on the radio. It's a report about an accident which has seriously injured Kim, Drew's girlfriend, and killed her parents. Drew's life is sent into a tailspin. His football team in on the verge of their first state championship, but how can they win without their motivational leader?

Drew must dig deep inside himself to come up with some answers-answers about questions that are hard to understand. Can an individual overcome his own emotional struggles to become a better person, and lead his team to victory? Find out, as you follow the life of Drew in this story with non-stop action, and heart-warming detail.

Note: This book was originally self-published in paperback in 1998. April 12, 2014 is its original digital publication date.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Neil Kokemuller
• Release date: Apr 12, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310680267

Neil Kokemuller

Neil Kokemuller has been an active writer and content media website developer since 2007. He wrote regular feature articles for LiveCharts for three years and has been a college marketing professor since 2004. He has several years of additional professional experience in marketing, retail and small business, and he holds a Master of Business Administration from Iowa State University. His writing has been featured in many publications, including: AZRepublic.com Auto Guides AZ Central Business Chron Small Business LiveCharts.co.uk Opposing Views People The Nest Budgeting Zacks Finance Chron Work Global Post Seattle P-I Synonym.com Top5.com

Book preview

Touchdowns

The Drew Neilson Series

Book I

Neil Kokemuller

Copyright 2014 by Neil Kokemuller

Smashwords Edition (Published in print in 1998)

Chapter One

It was fourth down, one yard to go. The Yorktown Knights were in the midst of a timeout. They trailed the Johnson County Giants, 18-13, with three seconds left. Yorktown quarterback Drew Neilson was in an intense discussion with his head coach. One play, one yard, would mean the difference between a state playoff berth, and a long fall in Yorktown.

The Knights came into the game with only one loss. Neilson had carried them all season. The charismatic quarterback was leading the state in passing with more than 2,000 yards. Neilson, a four-year starter, had already signed a letter of intent to play football for the University of Iowa the next year. The only thing he needed to complete his stellar high school career was the elusive state title. His two all state trophies, soon to be three, were more than enough individual honors. The state title was what he wanted.

It was time. Neilson and his troops went onto the field of battle with one thing in mind. TOUCHDOWN! Neilson called the play in the huddle, and both teams took their positions. The play was a simple one. It relied on the heart of Neilson to get the ball into the end zone. The cadence began. On the second sound, the ball was snapped. Neilson faked a dive into the center of the line with his fullback. He turned to his right and took off on a dead sprint. Neilson wasn’t the quickest quarterback ever to set foot on the gridiron, but he was a tough, hard-nosed runner. The first Giant defender approached. Neilson made a hard fake to his left, and then continued to his right, leaving the defender in his wake. Neilson spotted the pylon marking the corner of the end zone. He knew his best hope was to run for it. The only thing standing between Neilson and the playoffs was a pair of defenders. Neilson put his head down, turned his legs into overdrive, and went right at them. It was obvious there was going to be a collision near the goal line. The only question was who would get the best of it? The point of impact came. The Giant defenders later described the look in Neilson’s eyes as the most determined look they’d ever seen. This determination is what allowed Neilson to score the winning touchdown, and put his team into the state playoffs for a second straight year.

The next week of school at Yorktown was filled with anticipation and excitement. Neilson tried to remain calm and keep his mind on his studies. Along with being an all state athlete in three different sports (football, baseball, and basketball), he was also first in his class with a perfect 4.0 grade point average. He was well-liked by everyone that knew him.

Practices during the week leading up to the Saturday night game were slow and tedious. The Knights were to meet the top-ranked Southeast Lee Cowboys in the first round. The Cowboys had the best defense in the state. They gave up only thirty-nine points during the regular season, and only once had an opposing quarterback thrown for more than one hundred yards against them. Neilson knew that he was facing a great challenge. As a freshman and sophomore, Neilson had sometimes struggled in games where a lot of pressure was placed on him. As he grew more confident, and gained experience, he learned to thrive on pressure and rise to the challenges.

Friday night, the players, coaches, cheerleaders, and fans gathered in the town to hold a pep rally. The crowd created a continuous murmur as each player was introduced, and each said a few words. Neilson was announced last.

I’d like to thank my teammates, coaches, the cheerleaders, fans, and the community of Yorktown. Tomorrow night, we will be representing all of you as we began our march toward the state championship. Win or lose, I want you all to know that each and every player on this team will be holding nothing back. Go Knights!

There was a hush throughout, during Neilson’s message. The crowd listened intently to each word. Neilson was very respected by the people of Yorktown. He was the idol of many youngsters, and the adults were very impressed with his caring and concern for the community’s well-being. It was no wonder that upon hearing his words, there was a momentary pause for reflection, before the crown again burst into a cheer.

Drew and his girlfriend, Kim, a cheerleader, left the pep rally with a good feeling. The two had grown up together. They had been neighbors for their entire lives. They knew everything there was to know about each other. She was the first person Drew went to whenever he needed a friend and a companion. Their relationship was based on the fact that each was able to offer the other an opportunity to learn about him or herself. Drew learned through his experiences that there was more to life than sports. He knew there would always be other options if something were ever to get in the way of his dream of playing professionally.

As they walked the seven block trek to their street, they discussed their thoughts and feelings on the upcoming game. The two often walked together to talk, and enjoy each other’s company. This is it for me, Kim. After this football season, there are no guarantees that I’ll ever have another chance at something this big. I know I’ve got it in me. I want to leave a symbol behind for the younger kids in this town to see. I want them to see what hard work and a competitive spirit can get them.

Either way, I’ll be proud of you, Drew, replied Kim. I know you’re going to give it everything you’ve got. I also know that you are going to leave a reminder that will not soon be forgotten. Those young boys sitting up in the stands love you. They don’t want to be the next Michael Jordan or Joe Montana. They want to be the next Drew Neilson. No matter what, you have made a difference. I hope that you win because you’ve worked hard for it, and you deserve nothing less than the best.

Saturday morning was beautiful. The Neilson family sat at their table to continue a tradition that began when Drew’s older brother Larry started playing football. Drew’s parents, Larry, his sister, Sarah, and he, all gathered for an early dinner at four o’clock on game day. As they ate, there was never any discussion of the upcoming game. These meals were important to Drew. They calmed his tension about the games, and reminded him that no matter what, his family would always be there for him. This meal involved a discussion about Sarah’s junior high volleyball team. Drew was obviously focused on the game, but he still was able to get involved in the discussion. Family was very important to Drew. His family had always supported him. His parents taught him at a young age the difference between right and wrong, and now watched as he made wise decisions.

Drew knew that Sarah looked to him for an example, and respected him. Larry had been Drew’s role model when he was younger. Larry was also highly recruited as a quarterback, but he suffered a severe knee injury in his final high school game. He was never able to play again, and now ran the family hardware business with his father. Drew felt a sense of responsibility to win the title, not only for himself, but also for his brother. Larry was unable to give the town its first football championship. Drew wanted to, not to one-up his brother, but to give him the opportunity to share in the glory.

The final thing the family did together was say a prayer. They thanked God for everything they had, and asked Him for strength. Drew had to leave to catch his five-o’clock bus. The Knights had to travel to Southeast Lee, because the Cowboys had a better record. The team was to arrive at about six o’clock, and would begin warming up a