"What about the quarterbacks?" Blake asked. Then he saw Adam roll his eyes, which made Blake himself chuckle. "I know, I know, there are too many quarterbacks worth watching this year, but these two starting quarterbacks aren't included."
This year was widely considered a strong year for quarterbacks. Stanford's Andrew Luck, TCU's Andy Dalton, Auburn's Cam Newton, Washington's Jake Locker, Florida State's Christian Ponder, and more. These were all quarterbacks with first-round potential, and it wouldn't be surprising if a top pick came from among them.
The Badgers' quarterback, Scott Tolzien, and the Bruins' quarterback, Kevin Prince, were both considered to be at a fifth-round pick level or lower. The excellent offensive performance of both teams was entirely due to the outstanding performance of their offensive lines and their tactical cooperation. Compared to the quarterbacks, the offensive lines and receivers were much more valuable to observe.
"I'm not talking about the starting quarterback, but the Chinese-American quarterback," Blake said excitedly. "Haven't you heard? In the last game of the season, in the last quarter, the Bruins' starting quarterback got injured..."
Before he could finish, Adam waved his hand, interrupting Blake. "I know, I know. It's a miraculous story that's been repeated countless times. It's impossible to ignore." Adam's expression was calm and unmoved. He glanced at Blake. "Tell me, how many times have you seen a similar situation in all your years in the league? An occasional flash of brilliance in a game, a heroic performance, but in reality, their ability is mediocre and it's gone in a flash."
Blake chuckled. "Are you saying that guy isn't worth paying attention to?"
"In the league, there's no shortage of geniuses, and geniuses are the least valuable thing," Adam said, without answering directly. "The point is, that backup quarterback isn't even a genius."
In the past three weeks, the game between the Bruins and the Trojans had been a constant topic of discussion. That Chinese-American quarterback seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, attracting countless eyes. But the problem was that this quarterback was a senior, but there was no information or history about him. It was as if he had popped out of a rock overnight.
Even if the scouts were interested in evaluating him, they wouldn't even know where to start.
"So you're saying you're not at all curious about how that quarterback did it?" Blake crossed his arms over his chest and looked at Adam with a probing expression. He seemed to be very interested in Adam's dismissive attitude.
Regardless of how much real talent that quarterback had, he was definitely a hot topic. He had emerged out of nowhere as the savior of the Bruins. And the fact that there was no game footage of him before that game made him even more mysterious, as if he was veiled and couldn't be seen through.
The scouts Blake knew were all more or less curious, even if they were just watching for entertainment. But Adam didn't care at all?
Adam shrugged nonchalantly, looking relaxed, comfortable, calm, and composed. After so many years in the league, seeing countless ups and downs, he had learned one very important thing: don't believe in overnight sensations. "Should I be curious?" It was a rhetorical question with a lot of meaning. "If I'm not mistaken, the starting quarterback for the Bruins today isn't that guy who popped out of a rock."
This sarcastic jab made not just Blake, but also the other scouts nearby, burst into laughter. There was a hint of disdain in their expressions. Yes, what's the point of an overnight sensation if you can't even compete for a starting position?
The conversation ended there, and Adam and Blake both turned to look straight ahead, because the game was about to start.
"Everyone, huddle up, around me," Rick Neuheisel shouted, calling for the players to gather. They all huddled around Rick, kneeling on one knee, their eyes blazing. Rick took a deep breath. "Why doesn't everyone put their right hand on the knee of the teammate next to them? Quiet down and listen to each other's heartbeats. Feel the temperature of this moment. Do you hear the shouting outside? Today, it's today!"
Rick's voice was slightly hoarse, and you could feel his tension. He looked around at every person. "For this day, the Bruins have waited for eleven years, and now, we're finally here. But we're not here just to be here. We're here to win, to bring our Rose Bowl home! I will not accept a loss, and neither will the fans outside this locker room!"
The simple words felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, passionately hitting every player's chest. "You all know the procedure from here. I don't want to repeat myself, and I'd prefer not to have to repeat myself! Remember, no one, and I mean no one, is allowed to run wild on our home turf! This is our territory! We are the masters!"
Rick clenched his fist and slammed it down. "This is your game, gentlemen! For the seniors..." He paused for a moment and looked at the youthful faces, especially those of the seniors. "This is your last game! So, no regrets, no sorrow, no hesitation. Let's give it our all! Because this game, you will never forget for the rest of your lives!"
He raised his fist high. "Let's beat them!" Rick shouted excitedly. All the players stood up in unison, shouting, roaring, and yelling. The entire locker room was like a raging sea, with endless, crashing waves.
"Ahhh!" The deafening roars echoed and ricocheted in the locker room. Lu Ke felt his blood boiling. The shouting tore at his throat, hot and intense, as if a sleeping lion was awakening inside him, craving blood, craving a fight, craving a kill! Every cell in his body was responding to the call, eager and ready!
It was like this inside and outside.
The drumbeats became more and more passionate, the shouts became crazier, and the air became more and more heated. As the visiting team, the Badgers took the field first. The entire stadium cheered in unison, welcoming the two teams with the most passionate demeanor.
The Rose Bowl was packed. As the Bruins' home field, more than 60,000 supporters came to show their support for the home team, hoping they could win again for the first time since 1986. The Badgers, as the away team, had nearly 30,000 fans who came all the way to Los Angeles, hoping to witness their team win on their opponent's turf. In addition, there were about 10,000 neutral fans, cheering, celebrating, and partying, all hoping for a spectacular showdown.
But at this moment, the audience didn't care whether they were for the home team or the away team. Everyone was clapping, whistling, and shouting, igniting the passion of the entire Rose Bowl and welcoming the warriors with the most fanatical applause and cheers.
"It's really the last game," John said, feeling like he was suffocating. He was breathing heavily, but his lungs still couldn't get any oxygen. His nervousness made Lu Ke laugh. "Don't worry, once you're on the field, you'll get used to it! Enjoy every second of this game. This is your stage!"
"This is your game too," John said earnestly, patting Lu Ke's chest.
Lu Ke nodded in affirmation, his smile becoming brighter. "Of course, I know. So, are you ready? Let's get some touchdowns." His cheerful words made it sound like he was the starting quarterback and John was the starting wide receiver, as if getting a touchdown was as easy as picking something out of a bag. The two of them exchanged a glance and laughed at the same time.
"Bambi? Bambi!" A voice came from the front. Lu Ke and John looked up and saw the teammates all looking at them. "Bambi, get to the front, and you too, John."
"What's wrong?" Lu Ke was confused. He walked past his teammates and came to the front. He saw Kevin Prince standing at the very front. However, Kevin had also moved aside, ignoring Lu Ke and John with a stiff expression. His eyes were focused on something else, and his body was exuding a fighting spirit.
Lu Ke glanced at Kevin out of the corner of his eye but didn't pay too much attention. He and John walked to the front one after the other. Not just them, but Logan, Marcus, and others were also standing at the front. Logan was waving happily, jumping up and down like a hyperactive flea. "Bambi, come on. The seniors are leading the team onto the field today."
In American football games, it was a tradition for the players to run onto the field. However, there were no strict rules about who led the team. It was up to the team to decide.
The Badgers were led by their offensive team, the heroes who had led them all the way to the Rose Bowl. When it was the Bruins' turn, they chose the seniors.
Lu Ke's spirits soared, not because he was thinking about the last game, but because the overwhelming cheers at the Rose Bowl made his blood boil. He could almost hear the call from the field: Fight! Fight! Fight! The passionate emotion was like a tidal wave, bursting forth with power that could pierce the clouds and crack the stones!
Standing at the front of the line, the seniors bumped fists, exchanged glances, and roared at each other. The fire in their eyes intertwined, and their emotions peaked. Everyone couldn't help but jump up and down, like boxers getting ready to enter the ring, fully activating their bodies.
Suddenly, the coach's command rang out through the air. "Let's go!" The cheerleaders and team mascot at the front of the line ran out, and the players all charged forward, rushing toward the bright light, the deafening cheers, and the boiling field!
The shouts exploded!
NOTE:
New chapters drop five times a day, every Monday through Saturday! Plus, you have the power to unlock more: we'll release five bonus chapters for every 100 votes! Let's get this story moving together.
ANOTHER NOTE:
With some extra free time on my hands, I'll now be increasing the release schedule to 5 chapters per day!