Legendary Football Superstar

Man, it was loud. The marching band's blaring tunes bounced off the walls of the bowl-shaped stadium, like waves crashing under the open sky. The crowd was a sea of people, pushing and shoving along the main drag, with vendors hawking souvenirs, popcorn, hot dogs, and team gear on both sides. The line of cars waiting to park seemed to stretch on forever.

Annie Howard stood by the passenger door, her jaw practically on the ground. This was a whole different universe, especially for someone like her who was usually cooped up in an office. Jack Howard's voice snapped her out of it, "What's up? Feeling a bit overwhelmed?"

Annie laughed, "Don't pretend you're a pro at this. It's your first live game too." Even after living in San Francisco for over a decade, they still spoke Avalis at home. Thanks to that, Luke hadn't forgotten the language.

For folks from Avalis, football was a bit of a mystery, and Jack and Annie were no different. When Luke said he was gonna play football, they thought he meant soccer. In the U.S., "football" means American football, but elsewhere, it's soccer. They weren't too shocked at first, but their first time watching Luke's game at school left them totally floored.

Over the years, Jack had turned into a semi-football fan because of Luke, knowing all about teams and plays. Even Annie wasn't clueless about the game anymore. But they'd never actually been to a stadium until today.

This season, Luke made it as a sub for the Bruins. All his hard work was finally paying off, and Jack and Annie were stoked. But with their jobs and the long drive from San Francisco to L.A., catching a game in person was tough.

But the Rose Bowl was different. January 1st was a holiday, so Jack and Annie drove down the day before to catch the game. They knew Luke might not even play, just a tiny dot on the sidelines, but they didn't care. They were there for him.

They followed the crowd towards the stadium entrance. In the middle of the chaos, they spotted a young guy jumping up and down, "Here! Here! Jack, over here!" Before they could respond, he ran over with a big grin, hugging both Jack and Annie. "Welcome back to L.A.! How was the drive? Smooth sailing?"

Back in '97, Jack had moved to the U.S. with his family. To fit in, he picked an English name because his Avalis name was a mouthful. "Titanic" was all the rage back then, so he went with "Jack." Little did he know, that name would stick with him for over a decade.

"Everything was cool except for the parking. But hey, we're from San Francisco," Jack said with a knowing look, making everyone laugh. Parking in hilly San Francisco was a nightmare. "Thanks for picking us up. I told Luke not to worry. The signs are clear; we wouldn't get lost."

The guy who came to greet them was Luke's roommate, Jay. Over the years, Jack and Annie had visited L.A. often to see Luke, and they knew Jay and Logan, Luke's other roommate, pretty well. They were like old friends now, chatting casually. Luke had to stay with his team today, so he asked Jay to help out.

"I know you wouldn't get lost. But for the Rose Bowl, you need a bit of a guide," Jay said with a smirk, leading them to the entrance. After getting their tickets checked, they saw staff in light yellow raincoats directing folks to their seats. They squeezed through the crowded passage, climbed the steps, and suddenly, the view opened up to an epic scene.

The stands were jam-packed, people everywhere, like a stormy sea. The noise was deafening, like a hurricane swirling inside the stadium. The air was thick, pressing in from all sides, making it hard to breathe.

Man, a hundred thousand people packed into that stadium, like a massive ocean where each person was just a tiny drop. The sheer scale of it all made you feel so small, like you could just vanish in the crowd if you blinked. It was mind-blowing, like nothing you could put into words.

Jay grinned, "How's it feel? Even though I've been here a ton of times, it never gets old. Every single time, it leaves me speechless. And tonight? It's the biggest event of the year!" He was just as pumped, soaking in the electric vibe.

"It's incredible!" Annie blurted out, then added with a laugh, "Last time I watched Luke play, it was at his high school field with a bunch of bored moms and noisy kids. Total chaos."

Jay laughed, "Annie, now I see where Luke gets his sense of humor."

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"This is the most amazing thing I've ever seen!” Jack said, his mouth hanging open, looking a bit dazed like his brain had short-circuited.

Imagine standing in the middle of that field, with a hundred thousand eyes on you, showing off your skills, and all those cheers washing over you. Jack tried to picture it, but it was too epic for his imagination to handle.

Jay sighed too, "Yeah, it's just unreal!" He gave Jack a pat on the shoulder, "Come on, let's join the fans! The party's just getting started."

The crowd was like molten lava, ready to blow at any second, buzzing with energy. The stands were jam-packed, no empty seats in sight-though people were still trickling in, finding their spots. The whole scene was larger than life.

"Wow," Adam Klein couldn't help but say. With over thirty-five years as a scout, he'd seen it all, even the Super Bowl. But the Rose Bowl always hit different.

The Rose Bowl is the biggest stadium in the U.S., holding a hundred thousand people, unmatched by any other. Plus, it's one of the most hardcore fan zones, with UCLA, USC, and Stanford fans bringing the heat.

This year's Rose Bowl had two teams making a comeback after ten and eleven years, and it was the Bruins' home game. The hype was off the charts. Even though the game hadn't started yet, the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife.

"Hope we get an offensive showdown tonight," Adam said, crossing his fingers.

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The Badgers had one of the best offenses, no doubt. The Bruins weren't as strong, but they relied on their offense too. But there was more to it.

"So, any promising prospects in these offensive squads?" Blake Simons, sitting next to him, joked. He was another scout, with eighteen years in the league, now sporting white hair and loose skin.

For scouts, it was all about checking out the players. Tonight was a bowl game, meaning the season was wrapping up. Every scout had their draft picks in mind, and they needed to see their top choices in action.

This year's Rose Bowl didn't have many standout talents, so expectations were a bit lower.

Adam chuckled, "These teams' defenses aren't anything special. The Bruins are a bit better, but they rely on overall strength. Chuck Bullough has done a great job this year, turning a weak defense into a decent one. I think Chuck could get a job in the league; good defensive coaches are hard to find."

"Really? What about Justin James Watt? You don't rate him?" Blake asked, curious. The Badgers' defensive end had been killing it, with sixty-two tackles and seven sacks this junior year, making the AP All-American Second Team. Scouts were definitely watching him.

"Does he need more scouting reports?" Adam shrugged, like it was obvious, "Tonight, let's see how many sacks he gets on the opposing quarterback."

"And what about the quarterbacks?" Blake kept probing.