Chapter 710: Second-Year Player
"Bambi? Bambi, come here." Jim Harbaugh's voice echoed in the locker room. As Lu Ke walked up, Harbaugh said without a pause, "Everyone, focus. Is anyone in the shower?"
Without Harbaugh's reminder, Aldon Smith trotted to the bathroom door. "Out, out! On-the-spot inspection! All of you, get your heads in the game." His playful words immediately caused a burst of laughter. The locker room was filled with a lively barrage of colorful expletives, sounding incredibly cheerful.
The serious-looking Harbaugh couldn't help but smile. This was a positive sign. At least it showed that the coaching staff's mood wasn't severely affected by the end of the preseason.
All the players gathered one after another, and Harbaugh raised his voice and said, "The season is about to start. We all know that not every player can stay, even though we want them to, but the league doesn't allow it. The 53-man roster will officially be released on Saturday morning. Please make sure your phones are on, or you'll be on your own."
Harbaugh's eyes swept over them, trying to say something more, but it wasn't a skill he was good at. Helpless, he gave up. "Bambi, the rest is up to you."
Then, Harbaugh patted Lu Ke on the shoulder, gave a meaningful look to Willis and Akers, and turned to leave the locker room to join the other coaching staff members, leaving the space to the players themselves.
Outside, quarterback coach Kip Crist and offensive coordinator Craig Roman were smiling and talking in low voices. Offensive line coach Mike Solari came over and asked curiously, "What are you guys chatting about? You're all smiling to yourselves. Did you guys go peek into the women's restroom?"
"Don't project your fantasies onto us," Kip retorted mercilessly.
Craig explained, "I was just asking Kip about Bambi's offseason training. Even I couldn't help but be amazed. I don't think even Peyton Manning trained this hard before. This time, Bambi's growth rate far exceeded expectations. His form is even better than last season."
"Who says it isn't? I'm telling you, if all the other players were as disciplined as Bambi, I wouldn't be losing my hair so fast." Mike immediately expressed his deep agreement. "There was one time when the offensive line had a play variation, and even me and Tim forgot about it, but Lu Ke remembered it. God, he's every coach's dream player."
"And every player's nightmare," Kip added, and all the other colleagues burst into laughter. "But seriously, how did everyone miss Bambi in the draft last year?"
"Exactly because everyone missed him, it was our turn to get him," Harbaugh's voice rang out, interrupting the coaching staff's chatter. "Let's go, we still have work to do. The 53-man roster is a real headache." After saying that, Harbaugh took the lead and walked away.
"What about the locker room..." Craig pointed behind him, but before he could finish his question, Kip bumped his shoulder. "It's definitely in Bambi's hands. What's so strange about that? He's probably relieved to get it off his hands anyway. Besides, Bambi can handle it."
As the coaching staff discussed, in the 2012 season, Lu Ke was still the captain of the San Francisco 49ers' warship.
In fact, the competition for the starting quarterback position was already decided before the preseason officially began.
Through the evaluation of the voluntary and mandatory training camps, Lu Ke's overall strength easily stood out. From his understanding of plays to his feel for passing, from reading the defense to controlling the tempo, he was mature and experienced, not at all like a second-year quarterback. More importantly, Lu Ke's hard work and diligence were clear for all to see. In just two months, the playbook was already worn out.
This was why the coaching staff lamented, "What the hell happened back then?" At the draft, thirty-two teams all missed Lu Ke. But, just like the mysteries of Tom Brady and Kurt Warner, no one has been able to answer the first two, so naturally, no one can answer the third.
So, what was the deal with the preseason?
On one hand, the coaching staff was indeed evaluating the abilities and form of Colin Kaepernick and Scott Tolzien to decide the first and second backup positions, including their positions on the special teams.
On the other hand, the coaching staff was trying to alleviate the pressure on Lu Ke and divert media attention, avoiding too much focus on him. The scrutiny and discussion a second-year player endures are far greater than in their rookie season.
People could be lenient on a rookie, "because he's just a rookie." But they were unwilling to be lenient on a second-year player, "because it's his second year." But in fact, being a second-year player is more difficult than being a first-year player, especially after the other thirty-one teams have repeatedly studied and explored these players. The situation truly becomes difficult.
They must improve their strength and their form. If the rate of improvement can't keep up with the pace of the league, then the speed at which a second-year player falls will far exceed the speed at which they rose in their rookie season. It could even be a sheer drop.
Another reason was that the coaching staff was genuinely afraid of Lu Ke getting an unnecessary injury. When they thought back to the string of nightmares in the preseason last year, not to mention the coaching staff, even the team's top management couldn't help but shiver. No one wanted to repeat history.
In fact, in the third and fourth preseason games, Lu Ke had volunteered to play. Against the Denver Broncos, Lu Ke wanted to go up against his idol. Against the San Diego Chargers, Lu Ke wanted to further gel with his offense. But Harbaugh blocked him every time.
Although everyone knew that it was not advisable to stop eating for fear of choking, and the only way to truly avoid injuries was to retire, otherwise, injuries in professional games were inevitable, Lu Ke still wasn't able to play smoothly. He only played for one quarter in the third game.
From the side, the coaching staff's trust and protection of Lu Ke were slowly establishing Lu Ke's position as the team's core.
In the locker room.
Lu Ke stood in the center of his teammates and said loudly, "I know there are a lot of rumors going around recently, good and bad, positive and negative. Trust me, my college classmates are constantly trying to send me messages." This unexpected joke made the players who knew Lu Ke's major in college start to cheer.
"But I don't care," Lu Ke raised his middle finger at them, but he didn't look away or stop talking. He continued, "I know what my goal is, I know what kind of team I have, and I know what difficulties we need to face, but I firmly believe that we are the ones who will have the last laugh."
"What happened in the past, let it stay in the past."
"Last season, those regrets, those moments of happiness, those missed opportunities, those joys, I hope they all stay in the past. Don't hold on to the past and forget the present. Otherwise, none of us can break through. I ask all of you to focus on the present and fight for a new future. This is my second season, and this is your new season. Everything is brand newโnew teammates, a new start, a new story."
"But the only thing that's the same is that my goal has not changed."
"I don't care what other people think of my goal, because it's mine, not theirs. I've never questioned this goal, and I firmly believe that I can achieve it! So, I need you to follow my lead. I need your full support. I can't reach the finish line alone. Please, please come with me, fight with me, and sprint with me!"
"I, Lu Ke, am a 49er. I am a warrior! I am a fighter! I am a competitor! So, besides me, who else is?"
As Lu Ke's words grew more and more intense, the atmosphere in the entire locker room began to boil.
Then, Lu Ke raised his right hand high and shouted with a powerful voice. Without any hesitation, Logan, Aldon, Marcus, Willis, and others all raised their right hands, clenched them into fists, and roared with Lu Ke.
Brooks even took the lead and stood next to Lu Ke, shouting with all his might. The veins on his neck bulged, and his voice was as powerful as a tiger coming down a mountain. This led to the new players and free agents who had just joined the team also cheering. Even the always reserved Colin Kaepernick was no exception.
"We are warriors!"
"We are fighters!"
"We are competitors!"
"We are the Niners!"
Lu Ke's muscles were all tensed to the limit. He roared frantically, "Tell me, what is our goal...?"
"The Super Bowl!"
Lu Ke waved his right arm hard. "The Super Bowl!"
"The Super Bowl!"
Then the entire locker room erupted like a volcano. Everyone was jumping, cheering, and shouting. The roaring sound was earth-shattering, shaking the locker room and beginning to reverberate fiercely throughout Candlestick Park. This officially announced the beginning of the San Francisco 49ers' 2012 season.
Lu Ke watched the spectacle in front of him, and he heavily, heavily waved his fist. His second season had finally begun.
Two days later, the San Francisco 49ers' 53-man roster was officially released, and there was a mix of joy and sorrow.
When Jules Hampton left head coach Jim Harbaugh's office, he couldn't wait to jump up high, kicking his feet in the air in the office hallway, making a "clap, clap" sound, like a tap dance star from the silent film era. His whole body was showing his joy, and his sharp, piercing voice happily shouted, "I'm going to play with Bambi! I'm going to play with Bambi! Yoo-hoo!"
As an undrafted rookie, Hampton successfully stayed on the 53-man roster. This was a start.
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