"I'm notnaive, I'm just surprised at you."
"Why? I could've signed with Tech for nothing, or I could've taken the money. Fifty thousand bucks to an eighteen-year-old idiot is like winning the lottery."
"But still—"
"Every recruiter offered cash, Paul. There wasn't a single exception. I figured it was just part of the business."
"How'd you hide the money?"
"Stuffed it here and there.When I got to Tech, I paid cash for a new car. It didn't last long."
"And your parents weren't suspicious?"
"They were, but I was away at college and they couldn't keep up with everything."
"You saved none of it?"
"Why save money when you're on the payroll?"
"What payroll?"
Neely reshifted his weight and gave an indulging smile.
"Don't patronize me, asshole," Paul said. "Oddly enough most of us didn't play football at the Division One level."
"Remember the Gator Bowl my freshman year?"
"Sure. Everyone here watched it."
"I came off the bench in the second half, threw three touchdowns, ran for a hundred yards,won the game on a last-second pass. A star isborn, I'm the greatest freshman in the country, blah, blah, blah. Well, when I got back to school there was a small package in my P.O.box .Five thousand bucks in cash. The note said: 'Nice game. Keep it up.' It was anonymous. Themessage was clear—keep winning and the money will keep coming. So I wasn't interested in saving money."