Mentoring Brandon

MENTORING BRANDON
By RAA049

Chapter 1: There’s More to Life than Football

As years go by, there are certain things that become a blur. Our lives take various paths until we settle on the one with which we feel most comfortable – if ever. As I sit here in my 5th decade, I can not help but wonder if my life today would be better or worse. It would be different, for sure, but can we ever look back and make a determination on a momentary shift in direction.

I do digress, however in this, because today I’m thinking about Brandon, my first REAL love in my life. On how, in a matter of a twinkle of an eye, my life changed when I was 17. It all started as my parents decided that an urban school was something I did not need. My dad had gone to a private school in the midst of the cornbelt – IOWA. As a city boy from Chicago, this
was not something that I had desired or wanted. But, at 17, you have NO rights (at least that is what they told me).

As a sophomore in High School, I was a jock — football player and wrestler — that enjoyed the fruits of that distinction. Oh, I wasn’t an Adonis like the swimmer bodies that the girls all swooned over, but I was fairly attractive and had my share of girls that wanted to go out with the jock crowd hanging around. I did my share of dating, but unlike my friends, my desires were in a different direction. At an early age I knew that the male body was something unique and desirable to me. In the 1960’s however, being “queer” was not exactly something that you broadcast. So, to fit in, I did the “respectable” thing and went on dates with the girls.

Between the summer of my sophomore and junior year, my dad decided that I would get a better education at his alma mater. I don’t think it was the education as much as the trouble that he anticipated I could get myself into if I stayed in the city schools. Chicago, after-all, was experiencing many tensions that history can detail if you are so interested. But, alas, I enrolled at Central Boarding School as a junior, football and wrestling recruit, extraordinaire.

Since football started prior to the beginning of the school term, I lost most of my summer with my friends. At 16 (I turned 17 in September), that is a travesty. Especially since it was an all boys camp and I had some VERY good friends for many years. But that is a different story. Upon my arrival I was greeted by the coaching staff and a team that had been together for 2
years. The new guy on the block was not exactly a welcome site, especially since they had been told that I was All-Conference at a big city school. I knew I had a lot to prove, not only on the field, but also as one of the guys.

That evening I met my roommates. David was the starting offensive guard and had arms thicker than I had ever seen. Tom was a defensive lineman. He had jet-black hair and blue eyes and was quite a hunk. However, I was not exactly sure how a homo was going to fit in with this group. So, I decided that my lust needed to be controlled for the time being.

The first day of doubles was hell, as was usually the case, but I enjoyed them. I was a competitor and I wanted to show these Hawkeye’s a thing or two about football. As a linebacker, I was able to do about anything I wanted in the contact department. And that I did. Within two days I was part of the team and accepted by all.

Then it happened! At the beginning of the second week of practice, the freshman and sophomore players arrived. Unlike the city school I was used to, there was a definite dividing line between the teams and players on the teams. An elitist attitude was very evident to me.

As these guys walked by, my eyes caught site of the most gorgeous boy I had ever seen. His flowing blond hair, his deep blue eyes, about my height (5’9″) and the way he walked just began to drive me wild. I could feel what he was doing to me, as my dick became hard quicker than I ever remembered it rising. Thankfully, my cup kept my secret — at least for that moment.

As the day progressed, I couldn’t stop thinking about #64 in the white jersey. I don’t know what it was about him, but he just wouldn’t leave my mind. The afternoon practice was called as an intra-squad practice. The varsity was going to work with the frosh/soph team in position drills.
Linebackers and the defensive line were going to work together to make sure we all understood the system at all levels.

As we made our way to the field, the coach pointed for me to go left and Tom to go right. As I turned there he was. Number 64 was MY protégé for the day. I was to teach him the system. Make sure that he knew what was expected of the linebackers on our team. He was to take in every word from me as if it were gospel.

And then…there was me. Stopped dead in my tracks, eye to eye with this gorgeous boy. I was tongue tied and mumbling I can’t remember what. All I know is that my heart was pounding and my blood was rushing to VERY specific parts of my body. Being in shorts, with NO equipment on, this time, I had no cup to hide my secret.

I introduced myself. “Hi, I’m Bob.” “Brandon, here,” was his reply.

Brandon! What a beautiful name I thought. I don’t know why, but that name always intrigued me and here I was meeting a Brandon.

As the day went on, I showed him various moves and techniques that the coaches were describing. He shadowed all the moves and I have to say was very good at it. For the next two hours we had the opportunity to talk. He told me he was from a small town in southern Illinois, the oldest of 4 boys in the family, and was here at CBS because his grandfather had attended when he was in High School. He was also a wrestler, which of course I was, but about 3 weight classes lighter. We blocked and tugged on each other for a long time and I have to say, it was the best light practice I had ever had.

After practice, we all went our separate ways. Varsity to the field house and frosh/soph to the main gym locker room. Tom and I showered and dressed and headed back to our room.