The golden sun hung low over the sparse redwood trees, and the morning light was mixed with the cool, pleasant scent of dew. It was not harsh at all and had a refreshing hint of moisture in the air.
"Next. Route 78, twelve yards." Standing to the side, Kip Crichton glanced at the playbook and called out.
This was a basic tactical drill where the quarterback and receivers worked together.
The quarterback would throw the ball according to the play, with precise yardage and location. The receivers—made up of wide receivers and tight ends—would run their routes and catch the ball at the designated spot.
At the same time, the quarterbacks would rotate. Lu Ke, Alex Smith, and Scott Tolzien were all treated equally, taking turns to make passes. The receivers would line up and go one by one.
The main purpose of this arrangement was for tactical training, to ensure that every thrower and catcher could run their routes to the correct location. Therefore, there was no distinction between starters and backups. Whoever's turn it was would go up, ensuring that all players were familiar with the plays. During a game, any player who came on the field could immediately react to the team's plays.
The last quarterback was Scott, who had completed his pass and turned around to give the next quarterback, Lu Ke, a friendly wink.
It was funny how Scott and Lu Ke had such a deep connection. Starting as opponents at the Rose Bowl, they met intermittently until they both ended up on the San Francisco 49ers and became teammates.
As fellow quarterbacks, they did most of their training together. Since the team's training schedule was very strict, Logan, Marcus, and the others could no longer be Lu Ke's practice partners. So, during this time, Lu Ke's daily training missions were completed with Scott's help.
Unknowingly, a certain rapport had developed between the two.
Lu Ke's lips curved into a smile, and he took a step forward. Bobby Engram quickly tossed him the football. Lu Ke caught the ball with both hands, raised his right hand, and was about to throw, but he stopped abruptly because there was no one to throw to.
A twelve-yard pass happens in the blink of an eye. Lu Ke had to see the receiver in his peripheral vision to throw, or the ball would get there before the player. Since Lu Ke didn't see the receiver's movement, he couldn't throw the ball.
The rhythm of the passing drill was very fast. One player would go, and another would come up. When it suddenly stopped, everyone realized something was wrong.
Kip's eyes left the playbook, and he turned around. He saw a commotion among the receivers, and no one was coming up. His eyebrows furrowed. "What's wrong?"
Vernon Davis was supposed to be the next receiver, but he didn't step forward. He was turned around, saying something. When he heard Kip's question, Vernon called out, "Nothing, my hamstring is a bit tight. Let the next receiver go first." After that, Vernon stomped his foot seriously, turned, and walked to the side, giving up his spot.
This was not a big deal on its own.
However, Delanie Walker, who was standing behind Vernon, also had an unwilling, troubled expression. He stood there, looking back and forth, and his movement was as slow as a snail's.
"What's wrong? Did you hurt your hamstring, too?" Kip seemed used to this and asked mockingly with a sarcastic smile.
Delanie raised his right hand. "I... my breakfast... I don't feel so good." Then he pointed to his stomach and walked to the side, muttering, "I'll be fine after I burp. Just give me five seconds." But he had already given up his spot and passed the "hot potato" to the next player.
Kip stood there, his eyes on the next receiver, not saying anything, but his look was asking, 'Do you have a problem?'
Justin Peelle didn't say anything. He raised his right hand, gestured to Lu Ke, then stomped a few times, started, and sprinted out according to the designated route 78.
Lu Ke was not affected at all. He adjusted his steps twice, quickly swung his right hand, and the football was on its way.
After running to the designated spot, Justin stopped, turned around, and caught the football firmly against his chest. It was effortless; he didn't need to do anything. He just put his hands on his chest, and the football came right to him with the perfect amount of force. It was so accurate and easy that it showed how good his touch was.
Justin raised his right hand and gave Lu Ke a thumbs-up in praise.
Kip didn't say anything. He lowered his head and looked at the playbook. "Next. Route 42, six yards."
Alex Smith walked up, and Vernon, who had been stretching his calf, stepped out. He raised his right hand high and said loudly, "I'm ready."
Vernon focused his attention. Bobby passed the football to Alex. Then Vernon sprinted at top speed, quickly swung his arms, came to a sudden stop, and turned to the side, catching Alex's pass accurately.
After slowing down, Vernon whistled and exclaimed, "Old man, you still got it." Then he turned to the line of receivers. "It looks like this guy wasn't just resting for the past month. He did a lot of work." As he teased, he even deliberately wiggled his hips. This playful teasing caused everyone to laugh.
Kip, Alex, and Lu Ke all knew what had just happened.
Let me explain it this way: Vernon and Delanie were both drafted into the league and joined the San Francisco 49ers in 2006. They were both tight ends and had a close relationship with Alex, who joined the league in 2005. Justin was a veteran from 2002 who had played on three other teams before joining the San Francisco 49ers this offseason. He was also a tight end.
In the end, it was about choosing sides. Vernon and Delanie were on Alex's side, while Justin was neutral because he was also new to the team.
Generally, a team only has one tight end on the field. Of course, some formations, like the New England Patriots, use two tight ends, which is quite popular now. But for now, the San Francisco 49ers still use a single tight end formation.
After Lu Ke became the starting quarterback, Logan took Vernon's starting spot and had three touchdowns in the first game. His excellent performance was praised by everyone—the media was much more lenient with Logan.
So, when Alex returned today, this scene unfolded. In fact, it wasn't just with the tight ends; there was a similar rivalry among the wide receivers. Even among the quarterbacks, there was an underlying tension.
When it was Logan's turn, it happened to be Alex's turn to throw.
Kip had called for a short-pass route, but Alex's pass was already there before Logan had a chance to start sprinting. Logan had to try his best to reach out with his hands to catch the ball, but he missed it and almost fell, looking very clumsy.
The players led by Vernon burst out laughing. "Oh, Jesus Christ, Logan, you must have rested too much these past few days. Are your legs weak now? You can't even catch a short pass like that? Hahahaha!"
Logan stood up, ignoring Vernon, and quickly walked over to Alex, asking in a stiff voice, "What's going on? Did I run the wrong route? Or did I start at the wrong time?"
Alex raised his hands in frustration and shook his head. "It's not your fault. It's me. I was too anxious, and my touch was off. My apologies." After saying that, Alex gave Logan another apologetic smile and turned away from the throwing spot.
Faced with Alex's response, Logan felt like he was punching a pillow. He looked at Lu Ke and mouthed, "What the f---?"
Lu Ke shrugged and laughed. "Team culture."
The world of athletes is actually very simple: you are either a friend or an enemy.
Alex was a friendly person, but he was also the team's leader and a representative of the 49ers' veteran players. He was like a flag and had to take a stand with Vernon and his group. This was partly due to the positive competition and power struggle within the team, and partly due to the veterans' need to assert dominance over the rookies.
In private, Alex could be friendly to the rookies, including Lu Ke, and show his personal charm. But on the field, they had to be strict and demanding with the rookies. What's more, Alex and Lu Ke were direct rivals, a "you-or-me" kind of competition.
In these small displays of taking sides, Alex had to stand with his friends. Otherwise, it would be considered a betrayal.
Faced with this situation, neither Lu Ke nor Logan could do anything. Since it didn't affect their training, they could only let it go. The veteran players were just being petty, and the rookies couldn't and didn't need to protest. They just needed to focus on their own training. But the team's factional struggle was slowly beginning to take shape.
When Colin Kaepernick arrived at the training facility, the clock had already passed ten. He was still under concussion protocol and couldn't do regular training. Even his light training had to be done with a professional physical therapist. However, he had received the doctor's approval to participate in the team's tactical meetings.
This was a necessary strategy to avoid falling too far behind the team's progress and to integrate into the team's atmosphere.
As he entered the practice field, Colin only planned to say hello, but then he saw Lu Ke and Alex training on the field. He paused for a moment and watched the training intently.
Gradually, Colin started to realize that something was wrong. He had a bad feeling that there might not be a place for him on the team anymore. Wait, what was going on?
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