"Because I'm not good at running with the ball. I don't think I can fool the opposing defensive players. The point of the pseudo-pistol formation is to blur their judgment. I just need a moment of hesitation, and after the snap, our passing play can break through. But, as I said, I need to know the movement and position of the defensive players."
In response to Jim's question, Lu Ke first made a self-deprecating comment and then became serious again, expressing his point of view with sincerity. A low murmur of laughter spread throughout the tactical meeting room.
Jim raised his chin and thought about it. "That play is a failure, but your attempt is commendable." Jim smiled and nodded, showing his approval. "You still think the changes in the plays are too simple..." After that, Jim started to analyze the play further, following Lu Ke's idea.
Tactical meetings are always dry and boring, especially when a certain player is always eager to answer every question from the coach and actively participates in every play's discussion. This just makes things worse.
Undoubtedly, Lu Ke was smart and hardworking. He had been on the team for less than a day, but he had already adapted to the team's rhythm. But it was like a bowl of gummy worms full of maggots; it was impossible to like. Colin believed he wasn't the only player who couldn't stand "Mr. Encyclopedia."
After the tactical meeting, the players left the room one after another. Parys stopped Lu Ke and pulled him aside. "...What's your name again?"
"Lu Ke."
"Okay, Luke." Without intonation, he naturally pronounced it with an English accent. Parys frowned and scolded him with a look of displeasure. "We all know you're smart. You got a perfect score on the Wonderlic test, which is great. But on the field, the Wonderlic test means nothing. The professional players here can outsmart you with one hand tied behind their backs. So, you can shut up now and stop pretending you know everything."
A hint of a smile flashed in Lu Ke's eyes. He didn't say anything or argue. He just raised his hands and put them in a gesture of surrender.
Parys was very happy with Lu Ke's reaction. He patted Lu Ke hard on the shoulder. "That's a good boy." Then, he walked off, swaggering his body toward his teammates, laughing as he turned and left.
Not far away, Colin leaned against the wall, silently watching everything. A cheerful, gloating smile finally appeared on his face.
Then, Braylon came running over and said hello. "Hey, Colin, let's go to the practice field together."
Colin's face changed immediately. He turned around in a panic and walked away quickly. But Braylon didn't understand the meaning of that action. He glared at Lu Ke and then quickly ran after him. "Colin, wait for me."
"What a bunch of clowns," Logan said, shaking his head and looking at the bustling crowd heading toward the elevator. It was unclear if he was talking about Braylon or Parys.
He then saw Lu Ke walking up to them. He turned his head. "Bambi, what are you going to do?" Logan, Marcus, and Aldon had all seen Lu Ke's gesture of surrender.
Marcus rolled his eyes so hard that it looked like his eyeballs were going to get stuck. At the same time, he leaned back in an exaggerated way and stuck out his tongue, making a "dead man's face." "Jesus Christ, who do they think they are? They're so good at boasting, but why don't they show their strength on the field? Their mouths are so big, you'd think they were toads."
His ruthless ridicule was clearly aimed at Parys, which made the other guys laugh quietly.
Marcus's expression returned to normal, and he looked at Lu Ke with concern. "Bambi, you're not scared, are you? Are you really going to be a good little boy and do whatever they say? That won't work on the field."
Lu Ke said with a serious face, "I've always been an honest and law-abiding citizen. I've always followed the team's rules and regulations, so why would I go against what the veteran players have to say?" His expression was completely serious, but his words were... complete nonsense.
After he finished speaking, Lu Ke walked on quickly, with a righteous expression that said, "I refuse to be associated with you." Logan and Aldon both laughed and quickly followed him, leaving Marcus standing there alone. "Bambi? You weren't serious just now, were you?" But no one answered him. "Bambi!"
Just five seconds later, Marcus learned the truth—or, to be more precise, fifteen minutes later.
After the tactical meeting, the team went to the practice field to officially start today's tactical drills. The offense and defense played against each other, practicing different plays and combinations.
Although the 49ers currently had three quarterbacks on the roster, Alex Smith was injured and didn't even show up for training camp. So, there were only Colin and Lu Ke. For every offensive play, Jim had the two quarterbacks take turns practicing to make sure that every player understood the plays as much as possible.
"Attack!"
Lu Ke was the one on the field for this practice. It wasn't a pistol formation or a shotgun formation. Lu Ke stood close behind the center, just an arm's length away from the defensive players. This was a close-range pass-rushing drill that required the quarterback to face a strong blitz from the defensive players and complete a short pass while the pocket was constantly shrinking.
Not a medium pass, not a long pass, it had to be a short pass.
At the signal, the center snapped the ball. Lu Ke took a quick step back after receiving the ball, and the entire pocket quickly shrank. The defensive players, led by Parys, were playing with an intensity that was clearly beyond that of a normal practice. They seemed to be playing with a game-like intensity and were determined to teach Lu Ke a lesson.
The speed at which the pocket shrank was faster than expected. In just a breath, Lu Ke was already in a difficult position, but he didn't give up. He continued to take a step back, then decisively ran out of the pocket, moving and running. At the same time, he took in all the receivers scattered on the field and quickly looked for a target.
"BEEP, BEEP," the offensive coordinator, Craig Roman, blew his whistle, stopping the play. This was a short-passing drill from the pocket, which required the quarterback to stay in the pocket. Since Lu Ke had left the pocket, the drill was over.
But Lu Ke didn't give up. Almost at the same time the whistle blew, he quickly found Logan in the crowd and threw a five-yard pass that landed squarely in Logan's hands.
Logan also didn't continue running. He caught the ball with one hand and held it up high, showing it off to the defensive players. Lu Ke clenched his fist hard and shouted, "YES!" He kept cheering himself on, and his tense muscles and bulging veins showed how focused he was.
It was as if this wasn't a practice but a Super Bowl game. He was giving it his all, not letting up in the slightest. Just like when he was a practice player.
Parys stood in place, breathing heavily and staring at Logan and Lu Ke, who were celebrating with high fives. His face looked terrible. They had planned to teach this rookie a lesson, but they ended up getting slapped in the face instead. It was really embarrassing. Anger and shame surged in his chest.
As the coach, Craig was also a little surprised. He mumbled, "This is practice, not a game. I already blew the whistle to stop the drill. What's wrong with him?"
Kip Kahlst, who was standing next to him, smiled. "He's not focused on the drill, he's focused on winning. He has a strong competitive spirit, which is a good thing. Did you forget? On the first day of his tryout, in twenty plays, he completely destroyed the scout team. This ability, this focus, and this dedication are things that not just any player can have."
Craig laughed awkwardly. "I know. But..." He paused for a moment and then looked up at Lu Ke, without hiding his excitement. "I just didn't expect it."
In the U.S., people have a certain impression of Chinese Americans. They are always shy and quiet, humble and low-key, silent and reserved. It seems that they don't even participate in ordinary social activities, let alone actively integrate into the local community.
But clearly, this first-year player was an exception.
Next, Lu Ke's performance completely subverted the 49ers' coaching staff's preconceived notions about Chinese Americans.
This was definitely not an easygoing person. He was fully engaged, determined, and focused. His strong competitive spirit showed his ability to flexibly use plays and to interpret them on his own. In every offensive play, in every drill, he gave it his all. In the afternoon practice, Lu Ke stole a lot of Colin's thunder.
On his very first day with the team, Lu Ke had already clearly drawn a line and set a goal: he wasn't here to be a backup, he wasn't here to sit on the bench. His goal was to be the starter, the absolute starter. His goal was to be on the field, to win games, and he was full of confidence and motivation.
For the coaching staff, they were happy to see this. The competition between the two rookie quarterbacks would increase their motivation. But for the players, it wasn't the same.
Before Lu Ke joined, they had already built the entire practice system around Colin. But now, Lu Ke's enthusiasm and effort had brought in variables and problems. After all, Lu Ke and Colin were two quarterbacks with completely different styles, and their tactical focus was worlds apart.
Was this a good thing or a bad thing? But whether it was good or bad, the competition had already begun. On his first day, Lu Ke had left a deep impression.
Parys didn't like this at all. Not because of the competition between Lu Ke and Colin, but because Lu Ke was challenging the authority and bottom line of the veteran players. If they didn't teach this first-year player a good lesson, their authority might not last for the rest of the season.
The team needed order, and the rookies needed a lesson.
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