Although Lu Ke's professional career was incredibly short, not even long enough to be called a "professional career," in the past few months of tryouts, he had met all kinds of quarterbacks:
Cam Newton, who was ambitious and arrogant; Scott Tolzien, who was open-minded and easygoing; Matt Hasselbeck, who was mature and composed; Colin Kaepernick, who was aggressive and smug... And now, Alex Smith, who was gentle and approachable.
There is never a lack of competition in sports, and healthy competition is one of its greatest charms. A lone star sweeping the field is exciting, but the greatest players in history often come in pairs. The rivalry and clashes between two great players always get the blood pumping.
In the NFL of the twenty-first century, the rivalry between Peyton Manning and Tom Brady made each other great!
Lu Ke is not a great player yet, but on the path to becoming one, there will never be a lack of competitors. The competition between Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick is just the first hurdle in Lu Ke's career. He won't back down or be afraid. Only by openly and honestly defeating his opponents on the field can he move forward with his head held high.
Unlike Colin, Lu Ke chose his own way. He openly welcomed Alex's return and bravely accepted the challenge for the starting quarterback position. "I hope you can fully recover. Welcome back to the field and back into the competition at one hundred percent!"
Alex's eyes paused for a moment, and a slight smile appeared on his handsome face. He nodded slightly. "Thank you for the good wishes." He wasn't the kind of person who was overly aggressive. Even when facing a new generation of challenges, Alex remained calm. After a slight nod, he let go of Lu Ke's hand. "I need to start warming up now. I'll see you on the practice field later."
Lu Ke nodded to show that he understood and then walked past Alex, starting his preparation for today's practice.
Even though Lu Ke had an excellent performance in the first week of the regular season, Alex was now back.
One was a seven-year veteran in the league, and the other was a rookie who had only played one game. It was a difficult choice for any team to make, and it meant that an intense competition was about to begin.
With competition both inside and outside the team, Lu Ke wasn't scared at all. Instead, he was eager and full of energy, starting his training for the day with a sense of anticipation.
When it was time, the first-year players on the team arrived at the training facility one after another and saw a surprising scene:
The team's former starting quarterback, Alex Smith, was back on the practice field. He was systematically jogging, gradually warming up his muscles and getting into a rhythm. His running pace and speed were not fast; they were steady, showing that he was in the recovery phase.
The team's current starting quarterback, Lu Ke, was also on the practice field, rain or shine. He was repeating his interval running training. In just a few weeks, the first-year players had become all too familiar with it: a ten-kilometer run, where eight one-hundred-meter sprints are done at a high speed. It wasn't just a change of pace; it was a full sprint. This type of training was insane, and the rookies had named it "creative suicide."
The two quarterbacks didn't talk to each other or compete. They just focused on their own training. The peaceful practice field, bathed in the morning sun, was full of life and had a strange sense of harmony that made the other players eager to join in the training.
The first-year players gradually started their own warm-up exercises. Logan was standing still, stomping his feet and swinging his arms, but he didn't move. Only when Lu Ke came closer did he join Lu Ke and started running with him. "What's going on?"
Strictly speaking, when you are running, adjusting your breathing is very important. It's best to avoid talking, as it can quickly deplete your energy. But Lu Ke's body had already gotten used to the ten-kilometer run. He wasn't a specialized runner for ten kilometers; the focus was on building endurance, adjusting his breathing, and increasing his stamina for games.
So Lu Ke answered, "Nothing." He noticed that Logan was looking at Alex, and Lu Ke smiled slightly. "Competition. A healthy one."
Logan nodded in understanding. "That's what I heard, too." Alex Smith was a very friendly player. "So, what's your strategy?"
"Stick to my own pace." Lu Ke was speechless and gave Logan a glance. "What else? Were you expecting me to invite three, five women to his room at midnight?"
Logan's eyes widened, and he opened his mouth, giving a look that said, "You know what I mean," which made Lu Ke laugh.
Then, another figure started running next to him. It was Marcus. "What's going on? Why is Smith back? Wasn't he supposed to be back from his injury next week? Is he already starting recovery training?"
The scene felt familiar, like a rerun. Lu Ke shook his head and suddenly started to speed up, sprinting down the straightaway. The forty-yard dash explosiveness was still Lu Ke's weakness, but a sudden change of pace during a long-distance run had become his specialty.
Marcus and Logan were immediately left behind, watching as Lu Ke ran farther and farther away.
"He's a freak, right?"
"Yes, I'm sure of it."
...
One by one, the players arrived at the training facility, and the practice field became lively. But intentionally or unintentionally, the players on the field were divided into two camps, scattered in two corners of the field. A small number of players were in the middle, making the scene not too clearly divided, but the overall trend was very obvious.
On one side were the rookie players led by Lu Ke, along with a few special teams players. They were a small group and seemed to be isolated in a corner.
On the other side were the veteran players led by Parys Haralson. They were centered around Alex Smith and were scattered across the other half of the field, bustling with activity. More than two-thirds of the defensive players were gathered there, along with all the offensive linemen and most of the special teams players.
In the middle were the receivers, including the wide receivers, tight ends, and running backs. They said hello to Lu Ke and then to Alex and stayed in the middle of the empty space. However, they were still intermittently interacting with Parys's side, and there was almost no communication with the rookie side.
For a moment, it felt like Lu Ke's group occupied one-third of the field, and the remaining two-thirds belonged to another world. In the shadows and sunlight, the contrast between the strong and the weak became clearer and clearer.
In the San Francisco 49ers' current fifty-three-man roster, Alex was an undisputed veteran, with more experience than even Parys. Furthermore, Alex had been the team's starting quarterback for six years. The team's record was one thing, but his connections within the team were another. Even Parys couldn't compare to Alex's influence on the team.
In the first game, the entire team was united and won the game. But before the second game, with Alex's return, the team's atmosphere began to change quietly again.
It was certain that Lu Ke would still be the starting quarterback for the second week's game. This week, Alex was only starting his recovery training. But what about the third week? The fourth week? It was clear that Lu Ke had too few supporters within the team right now. It didn't seem much better than the skepticism he faced from the league.
Looking at the other end of the field, where the atmosphere was lighthearted and lively, it seemed that everyone was convinced that Lu Ke would have to give up his starting position after Alex's return. The entire team revolved around Alex, and everything was harmonious.
If Lu Ke were an observer, he would be happy to see such a harmonious and happy scene. But the problem was that he wasn't.
"Bambi?" Kendall called out softly from the side. "What's wrong? Why is the team's atmosphere so weird today?" Everyone else had figured it out, but only Kendall, who was a bit clueless, hadn't. He looked confused.
"You can't see it? Everyone is taking a stand." Logan gritted his teeth and then "spit." "Crabtree is one thing; he and Smith have always been good friends. But Williams and Ginn are ungrateful. If it weren't for you, they would be invisible on the field. Smith wouldn't have passed the ball to them at all. Williams even got a touchdown!"
Clearly, Logan was strongly contemptuous of the receivers' wavering loyalty.
"Huh? So... what should we do?" Kendall asked with a naive and clueless look.
Lu Ke laughed. "Nothing. We just won't pass the ball to them in the next game." It was meant as a joke, but Kendall took it seriously and nodded intently.
Logan looked at Kendall with envy. "You're so lucky. I'm so jealous of you." Being so naive was a kind of happiness.
Kendall scratched his head shyly, which made everyone laugh.
"Huddle up, all offensive players, huddle up." Kip Crichton arrived on the practice field, gave a quick look around, and yelled out. Then he saw Alex walking toward him, and a smile appeared on his face. "Hey, Alex, how are you feeling? Can you do some passing drills today? Or should we stick to basic recovery training?"
Kip had only joined the team this year, but it was clear that he and Alex had talked many times before and were on good terms.
"No problem. I can do some passing drills to see how the injury is recovering," Alex said with a big smile.
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