Jeff Craddock's cellphone rang, and on the other end of the Tarboro High School football coach's line was Todd Gurley.
"I'm ready to come home," Gurley told his former coach.
It was last November and Thanksgiving was days away. The Tarboro Vikings were preparing for a third-round playoff game. The Los Angeles Rams were coming off a thrilling victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football, another check mark on their Super Bowl run.
"You don't want to hang out in L.A.?" Craddock asked his former star running back.