In the stands.
"Wow!" Lin Shuyuan raised his hands high, clenched his fists, and jumped up. Unable to contain his excitement, he cheered loudly, his eyes filled with disbelief. He couldn't believe the Chinese guy had scored a touchdown! He actually scored a touchdown!
Even though he wasn't a passionate football fan, the scrimmage had just proven that this one-on-one duel was no joke, and scoring a touchdown was unimaginably difficult. And now, a Chinese guy had become the first quarterback to score a touchdown today!
"Wow!" Lin Shuyuan couldn't suppress his excitement and screamed again, "Ahhh!" The excitement, joy, and elation were coursing through his veins. He just wanted to cheer and yell, but in the next second, he realized he was the only one standing and cheering.
Lin Shuyuan looked left and right, asking the other reporters, "Wasn't that amazing?"
A reporter next to him said with a chuckle, "It was amazing, truly amazing! Is this your first time watching a live football game?" He immediately saw through Lin Shuyuan's "amateur" status, which made Lin Shuyuan sheepishly lower his hands. "The charm of a sports game is in being there. Believe me, in a real game, such a brilliant performance would bring the whole crowd to its feet."
"Yeah, that's what I thought," Lin Shuyuan said, sitting down with an excited look on his face. He had originally thought this interview would be boring, but now things were starting to get more and more interesting.
"But the question is, was that a one-off performance, or can it be replicated?" another reporter joined in the discussion.
Then another reporter chimed in, "Yeah, yeah, this quarterback seems to have appeared out of nowhere. It's really incredible. Does anyone know what his background is? Why is there no information on him? This is the twenty-first century, how is that possible?"
"He was a backup at UCLA. In the last game of the season against USC, he came on in the fourth quarter when they were down by three touchdowns and led them to a come-from-behind victory. In the Rose Bowl against Wisconsin, he came on after a television timeout in the last quarter when they were down by one touchdown and led them to a come-from-behind victory," Lin Shuyuan blurted out everything he knew.
Some reporters gasped in surprise. "What?"
Some reporters nodded repeatedly. "Right, we've heard that, but do you have any new information?"
Another reporter asked, "The information I got says that he was just a practice player before his senior year. Is that true?"
"Whoa!" Gasps of surprise rose and fell. Even the well-informed reporters were continuously surprised, and the discussion became more and more lively.
On the sidelines.
"That guy can really throw the ball!"
"Did you see the fourth down? The play design was simple and effective. That's really something."
"He got a perfect score on the Wonderlic Test. That's no joke."
"Complete domination. He completely dominated. Von Miller is so powerful, but he only managed to get one sack."
"What do you think of him compared to the other quarterbacks? I mean..."
...
A constant chattering filled the air. Even without turning around, Cam Newton could feel the stares. The sharp, burning gazes were like needles, and he felt like he was suffocating and about to explode!
Cam clenched his fists, his face ashen and as cold and stiff as a corpse. Extreme anger made his body tremble slightly, and his eyes were fixed on Lu Ke not far away. His swagger and smugness were filled with disgust and hatred. With just a little more provocation, he would use his fists to beat that guy into a pulp!
This was supposed to be his stage! His moment! And now some nobody was stealing his spotlight? The scouts, reporters, and coaches—everyone's eyes were on that guy. Even the players were no exception, all of them looking in his direction!
A clown, that was a clown! Was he the only one who saw the guy for who he really was? Just a shameless, attention-seeking clown!
"Cam? Are you okay?" a voice asked from nearby, but Cam was not in the mood. He waved his hand, pushing the person away, and said furiously, "Get lost!"
At the end of the end zone.
"Did I see that right? Did that quarterback just complete a touchdown on his own?" In the coaches and scouts area, they couldn't help but discuss. The purpose of a scrimmage was to evaluate a player's ability, and now that they had seen it, they needed to share their opinions. "And he did it against Von Miller? If you tell me I'm crazy right now, I'd believe you."
"Elliot, you're not crazy. You should look at his passing technique. Standard motion, proper power, smooth release, clever control. He's definitely a good prospect," said Joe Lombardi. Another coach next to him joked, "Joe, is that why you picked him first?"
Joe didn't deny it. He nodded and said truthfully, "Yes. His passing technique and fundamentals are very solid."
"Come on, Joe, didn't you see it? His physical abilities are terrible," said Carl Smith, rolling his eyes and complaining. "Look at his weight, and look at his muscle explosiveness. It's pathetic. He should have good speed and vertical jump for his weight and leg length, but his test data wasn't impressive. I don't think he has the makings of an athlete, not even for wimpy sports, let alone football."
Kipp Crust looked up at Carl, whose aggressive tone even carried a hint of violence and contempt. When they first met in the hotel lobby, Carl didn't seem to like Lu Ke. Was it just a personality clash, or was it a racial bias?
Joe calmly met Carl's gaze and said slowly, "Tom Brady's physical test at the rookie training camp was also a mess."
As one of the four elite quarterbacks in the league, Tom Brady's journey was difficult. He was a backup in his freshman and sophomore years, played a full year in his junior year, but then shared the starting position with another quarterback in his senior year, playing on a rotation. In the draft, scouts didn't have high hopes for Tom. His arm strength, speed, and physique were all considered below average among the rookies that year, and his performance in college wasn't particularly impressive either.
In the end, the New England Patriots selected Tom in the sixth round with the 199th pick. At the time, everyone was confused by the choice—many people thought that even in the sixth round, picking Tom was a waste. After entering the league, Tom was only the fourth-string quarterback in his first season.
"Jesus Christ, are you really comparing that Chinese quarterback to Tom Brady?" Carl said, full of disbelief, and even let out a scoff. He turned to look at the other coaches and scouts, who all chuckled along.
Joe didn't seem to mind. "I'm just saying we shouldn't be so certain. The data from the draft isn't everything." All the scouts and coaches were so sure about Tom back then, so were they repeating the same mistake now?
"Joe, are you saying the Saints are interested?" Kipp asked.
Joe shrugged. "Why not? The team needs to add a backup quarterback. Drew needs a successor." He was talking about the New Orleans Saints' elite quarterback, Drew Brees.
However, everyone thought Joe had a point, not because Lu Ke's ability was recognized, but because Drew was still young at thirty-two. This was the prime age for a quarterback. If they were to select a backup or successor now, they could learn from Drew for three or four years and then take over, which would be a perfect fit. This also meant that this "successor" would have to sit on the bench for at least three or four years, which would be quite suitable for Lu Ke.
When Aaron Rodgers was drafted by the Green Bay Packers, he served as Brett Favre's backup for three years.
"Drew Brees' successor?" Carl scoffed. "That's a joke, right?"
"Maybe he's just not a good fit for the Seattle Seahawks," Joe said with a smile, not intending to argue with Carl. The understated tone, however, had a hint of condescending arrogance and confidence that left Carl speechless. He angrily looked away and said no more.
"Joe, are you serious?" Kipp hadn't said anything until now, but he couldn't hold back his curiosity and asked.
Joe chuckled lightly. "Isn't the purpose of a rookie training camp to unearth new talent? If we're stuck in our ways and refuse to open our eyes, only looking at a few players, does the training camp even have a point?" At that, the coaches around him exchanged glances. Everyone had a different idea.
On the field.
Lu Ke's face was beaming with a smile, his eyes filled with excitement and thrill, not only because of his victory in the scrimmage but also because he had found a way to persevere in the face of semi-professional competition, which was a positive sign. Of course, completing the special mission was another piece of good news. "Guys, guys, we have to make some space. The next group of players is waiting to get on the field. This isn't our stage anymore."
His lighthearted and cheerful tone made everyone laugh. They all surrounded Lu Ke, walking off the field and waving to the next group of players with great cheerfulness. "Good luck, brothers!"
The scrimmage continued, but for Lu Ke, the mission had temporarily come to an end. Back on the sidelines, in the crowd, he saw Cam Newton and Richard Sherman, but their eyes were not friendly. He saw Von Miller, JJ Watt, and Aldon Smith, their eyes filled with a fighting spirit.
Finally, he saw Marcus, Logan, Rahim, and David. They rushed over with joyful faces, slapping Lu Ke's back, shoulders, and chest, and shouting excitedly, "Man, you're the man! You're the man!"
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