Page 63 of Everywhere You Look

Kira McKenna-Yates: I think the children are living the best lives they possibly can. They have my brother and Luke to thank for that, as well as their mother for leaving them with the person she knew would love them most in the world.

Ms. Mason:James, can you tell us what you do for work?

James Adler: I am a full-time husband to my beautiful wife, Georgie. I also teach fitness classes at Spin Sync here in the city, I own the San Francisco Redwoods football team.

Ms. Mason: Did you own the team when Luke Cannon was still a part of it?

James Adler: I did. Our first year was Luke’s last.

Ms. Mason: How did you find working with Luke?

James Adler: It was a rough year all around. The team was going through changes, both administrative and on the field. Luke’s injury the season prior kept him on the sidelines, which was frustrating for him. It was frustrating for all of us.

Ms. Mason: Did Luke ever take his frustration out on the team?

James Adler: On the team? No.

Ms. Mason: How about you, then? Did Luke ever take his frustration out on you?

James Adler: Dan Elliot–the Redwoods head coach at the time–felt some of the brunt of Luke’s frustration.

Ms. Mason: And why do you think that is?

James Adler: Luke wanted to retire. His injury took him out of the game, and he was doing all the right things. The surgeries, the physical therapy, but it wasn’t working. He couldn’t play, and he wanted to be done. I wanted to keep him on for the last year of his contract in hopes that he’d make a recovery and re-sign.

Ms. Mason: Did Luke ever make you feel threatened or unsafe?

James Adler: No.

Ms. Mason: Did his actions make you question the safety of your team and staff?

James Adler: No.

Ms. Mason: Would you describe Luke as someone who is combative, angry, or unpredictable?

James Adler: Not at all.

Ms. Mason: Is Luke the kind of person you would trust around your children?

James Adler: My kids love Luke. Every Friday, he’s all they talk about since they know they’ll see him at ballet class. He’s my son’s favorite person to practice his lifts with. Luke is on the approved list of babysitters, for sure.

Ms. Mason: Is Luke the kind of person you would work with again?

James Adler: Considering he just signed a multi-year contract to come join my coaching staff, that would be an enthusiastic yes.

Ms. Mason:Mr. Lawson, you had one hell of a rookie season with the San Francisco Redwoods, didn’t you?

Breaker Lawson: Please, call me Breaker. And yeah, it was a trip, to say the least.

Ms. Mason: You were brought on as a third-string quarterback, correct?

Breaker Lawson: Yes.

Ms. Mason: And yet, you ended up starting in thirteen of the seventeen regular season games, as well as the Redwoods playoff run that season, right?

Breaker Lawson: Yes, ma’am.

Ms. Mason: Why is that?

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