"Race is a big deal, especially in this day in age."

"It can be. But it doesn‘t have to be between us." He said.

She thought about her next words. "Did race play a role in why you broke it off with Jasmine?"

"No," he said. "I was just a dick." He rubbed the beard of his chin and looked off into the distance. "When I really understood that my careers as a football player was over, I pulled away from everything that reminded me of those dreams. I told myself that ...