This story appears in the Aug. 12, 2019, issue of Sports Illustrated. For more great storytelling and in-depth analysis, subscribe to the magazine—and get up to 94% off the cover price. Click here for more.
The last day of summer, the last day before football workouts start again, and Jake Fromm is cruising down a back road, one hand on the wheel, singing along with country music on the stereo, his roommate Charlie Woerner riding shotgun. They're heading for the Georgia countryside, east of Athens, to spend their final morning of freedom fishing on their buddy's farm.