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ALL SAINTS PLAY

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Contents

Author's Note.........................................................................ixPrologue..............................................................................xiRecently..............................................................................1J.C. Arrives at Sun Life Stadium......................................................3Some of the Saints: Peter, Thomas, and Jude...........................................6Early January: Way Down South in New Orleans..........................................14Two Quarterbacks Bite the Dust and Breakfast with Vince and Guido.....................20Back at Sun Life Stadium and the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly..........................23J. C. and the Hot Dog.................................................................29What Is a Quarterback?................................................................33The Game and a Kidnapping.............................................................34Zoomer Becomes a Sandwich.............................................................40The Reporter, a Prediction, and Motherly Advice.......................................45The Locker Room.......................................................................49Sons of Thunder and a Bolt of Lightning...............................................62The Second Half.......................................................................65The Crowd Is Buzzing!.................................................................69The Traitor and Speaking in Tongues...................................................73Hail Mary.............................................................................78Defense and the Great Flood!..........................................................81Another Sneak.........................................................................87The Saints Kick Off Again.............................................................92The Two-Minute Warning................................................................96The Eagle Soars!......................................................................99Epilogue..............................................................................105Time-Outs.............................................................................111

Chapter One

J. C. sat down by himself, and his gaze immediately affixed upon a nearby cloud that seemed incredibly close. The cloud swirled lazily and aimlessly. J. C. thought, What a heavenly view this is.

J. C. and his father had decided that a very long time had elapsed since his last visit. It seemed like eons. There were many reasons to visit and many reasons not to visit. They debated whether J. C. should visit a couple of sheepherders in a remote village in Tibet or someone named Bruno in the Bronx. Maybe he should attend a significant event like the final baseball game in the World Series in late October. J. C.'s father finally concluded that J. C. should make a guest appearance as a player at the next Super Bowl, which had already been scheduled for early February in Miami, Florida. It would be Super Bowl XLIV. J. C. shrugged his shoulders and agreed that Super Bowl Sunday would be acceptable to him.

One day, during another lengthy conversation with his father, J. C. offered, "Some people will probably question why I would appear at a football game instead of being there for an earthquake, tornado, or hurricane. It's too bad that people don't understand that the almighty powers do not sit around and concoct natural disasters or bus, train, or aircraft accidents. There will be occasions when a cat falls out of a tree and does not land on its feet, and there will be times when a polar bear will fall through a chunk of ice and drown. Throughout the universe, the weather and atmospheric conditions change periodically. As a result, Mother Nature decides whether people are going to have a sunny day, a cloudy day, or another type of day altogether." J. C. focused on his two scarred palms and added, "Things happen in life, and I am well aware of this fact, as I experienced it during my human existence." J. C.'s father reminded him that if he returned to Earth, anything could happen.

J. C. walked away from his father and sat by himself. As far as he could remember, he had always been able to make quick and incisive decisions. J. C. occasionally spoke out loud when there was no one else around who could hear him. He exclaimed, "I'm going to the Super Bowl! There will be thousands of people there, and the game will be watched by millions of people all over the world." Then he suddenly shouted, "Are you ready for some football?" He responded calmly, "Yes, I am." He consistently kept himself in good shape, so there would be no need to work out or lift weights or run long distances. He was ready to go. He was ready to play. He thought about how football teams work extremely hard for many months to earn a victory. He also thought there would be no need for any pomp or circumstance when he showed up for the game. The only thing his team would have to do would be to score one more point than the other team.

Without much further thought, he determined the game should be an exciting one. It would not be a game which had a final score of ninety to zero. J. C. stood up abruptly and declared, "I have to go make plans for Miami! I'm going to the Super Bowl!" He tugged slightly on his right earlobe with his thumb and index finger. The nearby clouds became agitated, almost as if they were initiating plans of their own as they whirled off in a purposeful direction.

J.C. Arrives at Sun Life Stadium

J. C. De Lord, dressed in a plain T-shirt and faded blue jeans, stood with his arms folded on the sidewalk near an intersection just a few hundred yards from Sun Life Stadium (the home of the Miami Dolphins football team). J. C. said he only had three words for me, "Bubba, we're here." He had never played football before, but he was focused on his imminent transformation into a professional football player. J. C. had to make his way into the locker room to suit up for the game. At first glance, it appeared that J.C De Lord was nondescript. Closer scrutiny revealed he was about six feet one, weighed approximately 190 pounds, and possessed an athletic physique. He had piercing light-blue eyes, dark-brown hair, and a short, well-kempt beard that was about half a shade lighter than the hair on top of his head. If you looked closely, there were long- healed scars on the palms of his hands, the tops of his feet, and the upper part of his forehead. Most women would consider him fairly attractive.

The kickoff for Super Bowl XLIV was about an hour away. It had been a dark and stormy afternoon, but this was not unusual weather for Miami, Florida, in early February.

There were thousands of people milling about. It was as if Sun Life Stadium was the beehive and all the people were the bees. There was incessant buzzing coupled with perpetual motion both in and around the "hive." Ticket scalpers were trying to sell tickets at prices so high that most people would have to take out a second mortgage to be able to buy them. It was late afternoon, and J. C. gazed up toward the heavens and spoke softly to himself, "The weather should really be better than this. Mother always said if you don't like the...