The GOAT Returns:Reincarnated to dominated Football again

Tom sat alone on the worn-out wooden bench of the locker room, still processing what had just happened.

Reincarnation.

A new body. A pathetic one-star talent.

A damn system.

And the worst part? He wasn't Tom Brady anymore—at least, not in the eyes of the world.

Now, he was Tommy Bradfield, a nobody. A benchwarmer for the worst high school football team in the state.

He clenched his fists.

In his past life, he had built his career from the ground up, proving doubters wrong year after year. But this? This was starting from an even lower point than he could have ever imagined.

A system screen still hovered in his vision, glowing faintly.

[GOAT SYSTEM - QUEST LOG]

[First Mission: Get Off the Bench!]

• Description: You are currently the backup quarterback for the worst team in the state. No one expects anything from you. Change that.

• Objective: Earn the starting quarterback position.

• Reward: +5 to all stats, GOAT Skill: Pocket Presence (Level 1).

• Failure Penalty: Eternal humiliation.

Tom's eye twitched. "Eternal humiliation? Who writes these things?"

Still, he couldn't deny the rewards were tempting. +5 to all stats would be a huge boost considering his trash-tier physique. And that new skill, Pocket Presence, sounded exactly like what he needed.

Alright. Step one: Get off the damn bench.

Easier said than done.

Practice from Hell

"Bradfield! Get your ass moving!"

A booming voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Looking up, he saw a massive figure glaring at him—Coach Donahue, a grizzled, thick-necked man who looked like he ate nails for breakfast. His beady eyes scanned Tom like he was barely worth his time.

"You're still on this team?" Donahue scoffed, crossing his arms. "Thought you'd have quit by now, seeing as how you suck."

Tom fought the urge to roll his eyes. If this guy knew who he really was…

Instead, he stood up and nodded. "I'm ready to compete, Coach."

That got a few laughs from the other players.

"Compete?" The starting quarterback, Jason Keller, snickered. "Dude, you can barely throw a spiral. Just hold the clipboard like a good little backup."

More laughter followed.

Tom took a deep breath. This was high school all over again. No respect. No faith.

Fine. He'd prove them wrong. Again.

"Alright, maggots!" Coach Donahue barked. "Scrimmage time! First-string offense, you're up! Bradfield, grab some water bottles or something."

Tom exhaled through his nose.

He hated being benched.

But he knew patience was part of the process.

The scrimmage began, and Tom watched as Keller led the offense against the second-string defense. The guy had all the confidence in the world—but his mechanics were sloppy. Footwork was lazy. Read progressions? Practically nonexistent.

Tom could see the gaps in his game. A lifetime of analyzing football had trained his mind to break down plays in real-time.

Still, Keller had the arm strength, and in high school, that was usually enough to get by.

"Alright, Keller, switch out!" Donahue finally yelled. "Bradfield, get in there!"

The moment Tom had been waiting for.

Time to show them who the real GOAT was.

The First Throw

Tom jogged onto the field, gripping his helmet. He took a deep breath, steadying himself.

Alright. Your body's weaker. Slower. But football is played with the mind first.

"Alright, boys," he said, clapping his hands. "Let's run this thing properly."

His teammates just rolled their eyes.

"Like you know what you're doing," the center muttered.

Tom ignored it. He got under center, scanning the defense. Weak pass rush. Cornerbacks playing too aggressive. Linebackers out of position.

Easy.

"Blue 42! Blue 42! Set… HUT!"

The ball snapped into his hands, and for a brief moment, everything clicked. Muscle memory from his past life kicked in. His fingers gripped the laces perfectly, his stance set smoothly, and his eyes read the field in an instant.

He saw his receiver break free.

He reared back and—

THWACK!

The ball wobbled out of his hand like a dying duck and plopped onto the turf 10 yards short.

The field went silent.

Then—

Laughter.

"Oh my god, what the hell was that?!"

"Bro thinks he's an NFL quarterback but throws like my grandma!"

"That was the weakest pass I've ever seen!"

Tom's face burned with embarrassment.

What the hell?!

In his mind, the motion was perfect, but his new body was garbage! His arm strength was terrible, his release was slow, and worst of all—he felt weak.

"Alright, get off the field, Bradfield!" Donahue barked, shaking his head. "Jesus, what a waste of time!"

Tom clenched his jaw.

Humiliating. Absolutely humiliating.

But this wasn't over.

A System That Knows the GOAT

That night, Tom sat alone in his bedroom, replaying the moment over and over in his mind.

He was starting from rock bottom.

He had no elite body. No strong arm. No God-given athleticism.

But he still had his mind.

And… he had the System.

"Alright, System," he muttered, opening up the interface. "What's the deal? Why is my arm weaker than a 12-year-old's?"

A mechanical chime rang in his ears.

[Explanation: Host's current body lacks proper conditioning, muscle memory, and neurological coordination for elite quarterback mechanics.]

[However, Host possesses an advanced Football IQ and experience far beyond this world's talent pool.]

[Rebuilding process will take time.]

Tom exhaled. "So you're saying I suck right now, but I'll get better?"

[Correct. Would Host like to activate Daily Training Mode?]

A new screen popped up.

[Daily Training Mode - Beginner Level]

• Passing Drills (+0.2 Throw Power per session)

• Footwork (+0.2 Agility per session)

• Strength Training (+0.3 Strength per session)

• Film Study (+0.5 Football IQ per session)

• Stamina Workouts (+0.2 Stamina per session)

[Each session can be repeated twice per day.]

Tom's eyes lit up.

So that's how this worked. This wasn't some instant power-up cheat.

This was a grind.

A slow, painful, relentless grind.

A grin spread across his face.

"Perfect."

He cracked his knuckles and got out of bed.

If the world thought he was a loser, then fine.

They could laugh now.

Because he knew something they didn't.

The GOAT wasn't gone.

He was just getting started.

End of Chapter 2