Jogging away from the official players' practice field, the adjacent training field came into view.
Unlike the official training facility, which was surrounded by tall office buildings, luxurious, and well-organized to ensure privacy and follow a central plan, the training field about three to four hundred meters away was a completely open space. It was accessible and had an open view. The field itself was relatively simple but still had all the necessary equipment and a flat surface, even better than the one at UCLA.
There were about thirty to forty people scattered on the field, and a quick glance made it impossible to distinguish between staff members and players trying out. There wasn't much noise, and everyone was focused on their own tasks, but there was a subtle, tense, and exciting atmosphere in the quiet air.
After Lu Ke and Scott entered the field, they didn't say anything to each other. They just nodded and then quietly separated to begin their warm-ups in their own ways.
The tryout methods of each team were slightly different, but the content of the evaluation was the same; only the format was different. So, Lu Ke wasn't too nervous. He warmed up in an orderly fashion, but out of the corner of his eye, he couldn't help but discreetly check out his competitors.
Kevin O'Connell, 26, was in his fourth year in the league. He had a mediocre performance with no outstanding achievements and had recently left the New York Jets.
Mark Brunell, 41, had played for teams like the Green Bay Packers and the Washington Redskins. He had been looking for a job since leaving the New Orleans Saints last year and had no plans to retire.
Tom Brandstater, 27, spent his rookie season with the Denver Broncos and had been a practice player on various teams since then. He had recently participated in the Dallas Cowboys' tryout with Lu Ke, but neither of them passed.
Chris Greisen, 35, played in the NFL for two years before going to Australia, where he found a place in the Australian football league and started to get noticed. He came back to the United States this offseason and participated in tryouts with several teams. Lu Ke had met him at the St. Louis Rams' tryout.
Carson Palmer, 32, played for the Cincinnati Bengals for eight seasons before the team selected Andy Dalton in the draft, and Carson was then released. He was now looking for a new team. It's worth mentioning that Carson was the 2002 Heisman Trophy winner.
...
Just a casual glance was enough for Lu Ke to feel the immense pressure.
On one hand, it came from the sheer talent of the veteran players. Carson Palmer and Matt Hasselbeck were quarterbacks in their prime, with experience and impact. Their skills were above average, and after playing in the league for many years, they were ready to play at any time.
On the other hand, it came from the competition's profile. They were mostly experienced free agents, and there weren't many undrafted rookies. Could this mean that the 49ers had no intention of rushing Colin Kaepernick into the starting role? Were they leaning toward choosing a veteran to get through this tough time and wait for Alex Smith to return?
Thoughts swirled in Lu Ke's mind, and he felt his heart racing. He then closed his eyes, realizing he was distracted. He was completely absentminded during his warm-up, and his mind wouldn't stop wandering, which is a huge no-no in competitive sports.
An insufficient warm-up could lead to injuries because the muscles and ligaments haven't been properly stretched and prepared for the physical activity. This is especially true for a physically demanding sport like football. A moment of distraction could lead to an injury. In real life, many athletes get injured in practice because they don't warm up completely before playing.
Letting out a long breath, Lu Ke forced himself to refocus, clear his mind, and start his warm-up from the beginning. It was better to spend a little more time and effort than to be careless.
After finishing his warm-up without the ball, Lu Ke expertly went to the side of the field, picked up a football, and started his simple warm-up with the ball. Lu Ke was already very familiar with this entire process. His muscles had deeply memorized the routine, and once he focused completely on it, his cluttered thoughts disappeared, and his nervousness went away with them.
After about half an hour, a middle-aged man wearing a San Francisco 49ers team jersey walked over.
He wasn't wearing a coach's uniform but a numberless sports jersey, looking more like an athlete. He was about forty years old, a little younger than Mark Brunell, with a buzz cut. His body was still well-built and lean, like an athlete's, and even the way he moved was like an athlete.
On the field, there were athletes everywhere, so no one paid much attention to him. But then, they saw Matt Hasselbeck walk up to him, and the two of them hugged and walked over, laughing and talking, which caught a lot of people's attention.
The man then raised his right hand to signal everyone to gather and introduced himself. His name was Bobby Engram, and he was currently an assistant on the 49ers' offense. Before this offseason, he was a wide receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs.
It was worth mentioning that Bobby and Matt had both entered the Seattle Seahawks in the same year and had worked together for nine years.
The situation was developing in a way that was not favorable to the undrafted rookies, or more accurately, in a way that was favorable to Matt. However, Lu Ke's mindset had already calmed down, and he didn't make a big deal out of it. Among the group of undrafted rookies with exaggerated expressions, he looked out of place.
After that, Bobby began organizing all the tryout players for a physical test, which was the same as the rookie training camp: 40-yard dash, 20-yard shuttle, broad jump, vertical jump, and so on. These numbers were just for basic reference. Then, they did specific quarterback drills, such as footwork drills, anti-collision drills, 3-cone drills, and so on.
By the time Jim Harbaugh, Kip Christensen, and Greg Roman arrived at the adjacent training field, two more hours had passed. The tryout players had already finished all the basic tests and were now doing passing drills. The footballs were flying through the air, and the scene was bustling, even more lively than the official players' practice field.
These three men were the head coach, the quarterbacks coach, and the offensive coordinator, and they were the ones who held the power to decide who would get a spot on the team.
Jim Harbaugh rubbed his temples, feeling a slight headache. He recalled the training situation on the field next to him, and his mind was a mess.
Objectively speaking, Colin Kaepernick's individual ability was commendable. His Wonderlic test score was a solid thirty-seven, which was why the San Francisco 49ers chose him with a high second-round pick in the draft.
But the situation was sudden. In just one week, he had to memorize the entire playbook, train with his teammates, and adapt to the pace of the professional league. This was a lot to ask of anyone.
College football and professional football are two completely different things. They are worlds apart. Even the most talented rookie needs time to adapt and transition. Historically, there haven't been many rookies who immediately became a starting quarterback. Among the four elite quarterbacks today, only Peyton Manning did.
If he had a choice, Jim would want to give Colin more time. But...
His temples throbbed again. Jim took a deep breath and put all his chaotic thoughts aside for a moment, and began to observe the players on the field. There were three quarterbacks trying out on the field at the same time, occupying different corners of the field and doing passing drills. It wasn't a quarterback throwing to a wide receiver, but more like a basketball shot, where the quarterback had to throw the football into a specific basket.
Jim quickly scanned the field, his eyes lingering on each quarterback for a moment. He wasn't just observing the accuracy of their passes, but also their throwing form, the arc of the ball, and their control over the power. His eyes finally landed on one of the quarterbacks.
This quarterback's throwing motion was crisp, clean, and concise. The entire movement was very streamlined, but the use of his arm muscles and core strength was very precise. He was effortlessly throwing the ball thirty and thirty-five yards.
Not only that, but his footwork was light and orderly, and his overall body balance and flexibility were impressive. Of course, the most important thing was his passing accuracy. He threw fifteen passes of about thirty yards in a row, and they all went in perfectly, without him looking like he was putting much effort into it.
This was the sixteenth one.
Jim's eyebrow twitched slightly. The three quarterbacks were training at the same time, and the difference between them was obvious. "Craig?" Jim called out.
Unexpectedly, Craig also patted Jim on the shoulder at the same time. "Look at that quarterback." Jim followed Craig's gesture and saw that it was the same person. "His throwing motion is so smooth and beautiful. His control over the power and the arc of the ball is excellent. His football sense is very good. And with the rainbow passes and bullet passes, and his control over the arc and timing, you can tell that he is a quarterback who plays with his brain. His Wonderlic test score should be pretty good."
Jim couldn't help but nod in agreement. "Who is he? With such a solid foundation, how is he still on the market?" Along with his agreement, there was more confusion. It was only one week until the preseason, and there were still many quarterbacks left on the market, but there were very few quality quarterbacks.
"Lu Ke," Kip answered, not Craig.
Jim and Craig both turned to look at him, their faces full of confusion. "Which Luke?"
"Not Luke. It's Lu... Ke... The Chinese quarterback," Kip added.
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