Chapter 702: The People's Idol
The San Francisco 49ers' voluntary training camp officially began.
Lu Ke didn't know what it meant to other players, but to him, it meant a new beginning. The glory and regrets of the past season were all in the past. Everything now was a new starting point. He would return to his original intention, cherish every opportunity, seize every second, and fight with all his might to the end.
Because in Lu Ke's not-so-long professional career, every time an opportunity arose, he had to give it his all. He couldn't afford to be complacent or careless. The success of the 2011 season would not blind him. He knew that as an undrafted rookie, he had to be on high alert at all times to prove himself.
With the addition of the three uninvited guests, Lu Ke was unfazed and meticulously completed his daily training tasks. Afterward, he started his daily 10,000-meter speed-change run again.
After being upgraded, the 10,000-meter speed-change run had disappeared from his daily tasks. The system had clearly determined that this training could no longer further improve Lu Ke's physical attributes. It had been replaced with other training related to short-distance explosiveness, turn-back control, and endurance.
But the 10,000-meter speed-change run had become a habit. He would either do it as a warm-up to start the day's training or as a cool-down to end all the training. He would not strictly follow the "10,000-meter" limit. He mainly used the long-distance speed-change run to adjust his body. His body seemed to have fully adapted to the rhythm of running and releasing, exploding and controlling.
The two rookies who had been watching the entire time were completely shocked. Dobbs, on the other hand, just patted their shoulders with a nonchalant expression. "When it comes to endurance and the ability to change speed, no one on this entire team can compare to Bambi, not even Michael Crabtree or Vernon Davis. Logan Newman often jokes that Bambi could compete in the Olympic 10,000-meter race."
Looney and Hampton exchanged glances, their shock and awe completely undisguised.
Dobbs sighed softly, "Now you know why Bambi, an undrafted rookie, was able to shine in the entire league? To be honest, I've never heard of a player who trains so hard. I strongly suspect that Peyton Manning doesn't even work this hard."
In the entire league, Peyton Manning was famous for how hard and how rigorously he trained. Many rookie players who joined the Indianapolis Colts would complain bitterly. But even if the future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning was so hardworking, what could they, as rookies, say even if they were full of complaints?
"Jesus Christ, if it were me, I definitely couldn't do it," Looney said, shaking his head. His face was all scrunched up.
Hampton, however, clenched his fists tightly. "Miracles are created, not talked about." He was also an undrafted rookie, and there was no doubt that Lu Ke was his ultimate goal.
In this year's rookie training camp, Lu Ke's "Cinderella story" was undoubtedly the most popular topic. His experience successfully motivated every rookie player, especially those blue-collar players who had no hope of being drafted. Unlike the natural-born talents, they had to work hard, harder, and even harder to barely secure a spot in the league.
Now, Lu Ke's success had even surpassed the comeback myth of Tom Brady, becoming the biggest role model and goal for rookie players. All undrafted rookies longed to become the second "Lu Ke Skywalker."
It was no exaggeration to say that Hampton even saw Lu Ke as his idol!
Seeing that Lu Ke had finished his daily training and was packing up his equipment and gear, getting ready to leave, Hampton couldn't hold back anymore. He kept winking at his two friends. Then, without waiting for their reaction, he quickly walked toward Lu Ke.
"Bambi."
Hampton blurted out Lu Ke's name. As Lu Ke turned his head to him, he froze. Just like a fan seeing their idol, he blinked his eyes but couldn't say a word. Then he saw Lu Ke's confused gaze on him. "Do you need this training equipment?"
Hampton looked at the agility ladder and cones in Lu Ke's hands, nodded blankly, and even said, "Thank you."
Lu Ke smiled and nodded. "You're welcome. You actually saved me some time. In a bit, I'll have to ask you to return them to the equipment room. Thank you."
Lu Ke put the equipment and gear back on the ground and then pointed to the dumbbell next to it. "Everything?"
This dumbbell was specifically for passing drills. He would hold the ball with his right hand and the dumbbell with his left, maintaining his balance while throwing to correct some balance issues and bad habits in the process. Since it was for a specific training purpose, there was only a single dumbbell, not a pair, and the weight was relatively light.
Hampton just nodded haphazardly. "Yes, yes."
Lu Ke showed a confused expression, but in the end, he didn't ask too many questions. He nodded in agreement. "Well then, I'll see you later at the team practice." Afterward, Lu Ke remembered something. "There's an offensive meeting today. Remember to bring your playbook and review it beforehand. Greg likes to surprise us with questions. Good luck!"
If he remembered correctly, this was a running back, and he was an undrafted rookie this year. So, Lu Ke showed his friendliness.
Then, Lu Ke slowed down his pace and walked toward the locker room. He needed to take a shower and then start reviewing the playbook. Although the playbook wasn't a hundred percent new, it had some new plays and most of the play-calling words had been changed. The overall system still retained Jim Harbaugh's West Coast offense, but he still had a lot to learn.
Watching Lu Ke walk away, Looney and Dobbs quickly came over and patted Hampton's back. After witnessing the entire process, they were now laughing so hard that they couldn't even speak. Hampton himself was scratching his head, with a look of depression on his face.
How did things turn out like this? It didn't seem to be what he had expected.
At eight o'clock, the training camp started a new day. After breakfast, Hampton immediately started jogging toward the training field. From a distance, he could see a bustling crowd of fans gathered at the entrance, chirping and shouting the names of their favorite players, asking for autographs and pictures.
This was an official team event.
The fan channel was open every day, not only allowing fans to watch the players train up close but also requiring players to interact with the fans, which was also part of the team's official benefits.
However, fans could only watch basic drills and individual technical drills. These had no secrets and could be made public. But when it came to team tactical drills, the field had to be cleared to ensure that no spies were present.
Hampton ambled through the fan channel. Even though he knew no one would recognize him since he was an undrafted rookie and had very few chances to be seen, he still couldn't help but slow down and imagine a day when he could also receive his own applause and cheers.
"Hey." A shout made Hampton stop. He turned around and saw two young boys, about seven or eight years old, waving official San Francisco 49ers caps. "Where's Bambi? When is Bambi coming out? Is Bambi training today? Where's Bambi?"
Even though it wasn't a shout for him, Hampton couldn't help but smile. "Bambi is right behind you. He and Logan are having breakfast." Hampton walked over and said kindly, "Do you like Bambi too? I do too."
"Yeah, yeah, Bambi's performance on the field is so amazing! Hail Mary! Hail Mary!" the little boy shouted. The small group of fans next to him also started shouting along. It was clear that Lu Ke's influence was powerful, and it had only been one season.
Hampton clenched his fists tightly. "What's more admirable about Bambi is that he never relaxes in his daily training and even works harder than anyone on the team. He's our role model!"
In a daze, Hampton couldn't tell whether he was saying this to the fans or to himself.
"Bambi!" The little boy suddenly screamed. Then a wave of screams and cheers swept over. Hampton instantly turned around and saw Lu Ke standing behind him with a sunny smile on his face. This instantly made Hampton feel like he had been hit by a million-volt shock. Had Lu Ke heard his "confession" just now?
But now, Hampton didn't have the courage to ask. He turned around and fled at the speed of light, instantly disappearing into the crowd on the training field. If he could, he didn't want to show up today.
Lu Ke, who was left behind, laughed to himself. He turned his attention to the young fans next to him. "Hey, everyone, how are you feeling today?"
In an instant, all the fans around them swarmed over. The channel, which had been sparse just moments ago, was now crowded with forty or fifty people. Everyone was scrambling to shake hands with Lu Ke. This wasn't their first time coming to watch the training, but it was always like this. The enthusiasm never seemed to fade.
Lu Ke also enthusiastically and proactively signed autographs for everyone and did his best to answer their questions. He stayed there for almost ten minutes before waving his hand. "I have to go train. We'll talk later."
Then, a wave of cheers erupted. "Go, Bambi!" "Go, Bambi!" "Bambi, you're the best!" The excitement followed Lu Ke like a shadow, all the way to the training field, starting the day's training with a burst of energy.
He casually glanced around and then saw a familiar yet unfamiliar figure. His mood instantly lifted. He couldn't wait to walk over and open his arms wide, welcoming the other person's arrival with a warm hug.
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