Chapter 91 90: Forging Ahead
Another day of training had come to an end. Lu Ke stretched his muscles a bit, then began to pack up the equipment on the field.
Training on the school field during the offseason wasn't something you could just do whenever you wanted. First, he had to get his coach's permission. Then, the coach had to apply to the school. Finally, Lu Ke was responsible for packing up the equipment and cleaning up. Fortunately, professional staff handled the actual field maintenance.
After just six short weeks of training, Lu Ke was all too familiar with this routine—back when he was just a practice player, these tasks were shared between the practice players and the freshmen.
"Hey, young man!"
The call came from the edge of the training field. Lu Ke looked up to see a short, stout figure standing next to an older man with short, gray-white hair. The sun was still a bit blinding, making it difficult to see their faces, but Lu Ke was no fool. The training session had lasted nearly three hours, and these two had been sitting in the stands for just as long. Of course he hadn't missed their presence.
"Gentlemen, how was it? Are you satisfied with what you've seen?" Lu Ke took the initiative, speaking half-jokingly.
The two exchanged a glance and both burst into laughter. The short, stout man quipped, "This one's different."
The older man beside him shrugged. "Didn't I tell you? He's a journalism and communications major, a top student. If he doesn't become a professional football player, he's bound to become an excellent reporter."
"Mr. Kleister, have a little more faith in me, would you?" Lu Ke said again.
The two of them chuckled again. "This is Kip Kleister, the San Francisco 49ers' quarterback coach." Adam made the introductions.
Lu Ke casually tossed the football in his hand into the cart, but he didn't stop cleaning up. He started walking to the side to stack the cones. Anthony, who was also helping clean up not far away, saw the three of them talking. He hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided not to go over. When it came to self-promotion and navigating social situations, Lu Ke was much better at it than he was. There was no need for him to go over and potentially ruin things.
"It's a pleasure to see you again, Mr. Kleister," Lu Ke said, beaming.
Kip looked surprised. "You remember me?" There were over a hundred coaches at the Rookie Training Camp, plus hundreds of scouts. Getting to know every single coach was a nearly impossible task.
"I'm from San Francisco, so I've been waiting for a call from the 49ers. During training, I couldn't help but pay extra attention." Lu Ke's frankness made both Kip and Adam smile. "Unfortunately, this meeting happened much later than I'd hoped."
Kip clasped his hands behind his back, a look of keen interest on his face. "Are the 49ers your home team?"
"No, my second-favorite." Lu Ke's honesty caught not just Kip, but even Adam, completely off guard—
What kind of rookie would make a mistake like that? Bluntly telling the quarterback coach from a team that came to scout him that they weren't his favorite team?
Lu Ke was no Eli Manning, a highly-touted Pride of Heaven who could brazenly reject the team with the number one draft pick, the San Diego Lightning, and declare he would never play for San Diego. Lu Ke was in no position to be picky.
But Lu Ke seemed oblivious. After straightening back up from his task, he looked at the two men with a cheerful smile and said sincerely, "My number one team is the Green Bay Packers."
It was the same for every player. The team of your heart is one thing—a product of childhood memories and nostalgia. The team you play for is another—a matter of career and professional ambition.
Most players play for numerous teams in their lifetime, sometimes more than you can count on two hands, but the team in their heart remains the same from beginning to end. Only a very, very small fraction of players play for just one team their entire career, and eventually, that team surpasses their childhood favorite to become where they truly belong.
But this sense of belonging, of "home," was not something everyone could find.
Kip's eyes lit up. "The Packers are my team, too!" As for the 49ers, he had only just joined the coaching staff this year and had no real emotional attachment, but his favorite team had never changed. "I was born in Wisconsin. I still remember the excitement and thrill of going to Lanbao Stadium to watch a game for the first time as a kid."
Lu Ke paused what he was doing, completely surprised. "The first game I ever watched was when Brett Favre led the team to a last-second victory against the Cincinnati Bengals!"
"Jesus Christ, that was Favre's debut with the Packers! He started his legendary career in his very first game." Kip was astonished, and a huge grin spread across his face. "But that was a game from 1992. How old were you then?"
"I hadn't moved to the United States yet," Lu Ke explained. "Later, I was watching a classic game replay on ESPN, and that was the game I saw. After that, I became a die-hard Packers fan, even though I live in San Francisco." These words made Kip burst out laughing. "But the 49ers are my second-favorite team. The first official game I saw live was at Candlestick Park, the San Francisco 49ers versus the Washington Redskins."
"The 1999 Christmas showdown!" Adam chimed in, a little surprised. "But the 49ers lost that game."
"Yes, but they fought through adversity and forced it into overtime. God, I thought my heart was going to stop." Even though ten years had passed, recalling those moments still made his blood boil with excitement. Involuntarily, Lu Ke stopped packing up the equipment, his eyes shining as he spoke.
At this moment, they weren't a coach, a scout, and a player. They were just three fans.
Kip chuckled. "Is that why you started playing football? As far as I know, football isn't very popular among people of Chinese descent. Even in San Francisco, its popularity in the Chinese Community is pretty low."
"Yes, my father and I actually prefer basketball. The Lakers." Lu Ke's simple answer made Kip and Adam exchange another knowing glance. "But football is a captivating sport. The day I stepped onto the field, I knew I would be an excellent football player."
The confidence and determination in his voice lacked traditional Asian humility and reserve; instead, it had the vibrant energy of an American youth.
"But have you ever considered that maybe your physical gifts are better suited for basketball?" Kip asked sincerely, his gaze shining with earnestness. "Maybe you can't become the next Yao Ming, but you could still carve out a place for yourself in the NBA?"
"That's a possibility," Lu Ke said with a smile. "But becoming an excellent football player is also a possibility."
Kip raised his chin, a hint of a smile in his eyes. He liked the answer, and he liked the way Lu Ke delivered it.
After that, Kip and Lu Ke's conversation continued for a short while. Kip asked detailed questions about Lu Ke's performance in high school, as well as the ups and downs of his college years, including his unrecorded freshman and sophomore seasons.
Even for someone as worldly as Kip, he couldn't help but sigh with admiration. "You know, as a player of Chinese descent, every step you take is making history." Even just winning the Rose Bowl, even just causing such a stir at the Rookie Training Camp, this was all uncharted territory. It wasn't because he was of Chinese descent; it was because of his skill.
Lu Ke shrugged nonchalantly. "Before I make history, I should probably make a career for myself first."
Kip was taken aback for a second by the humorous remark, then he clapped and laughed heartily, nodding emphatically. "I'm really starting to like you." 'But that only made his sense of regret more intense.'
As they were leaving the field, Kip looked back at Lu Ke, who was still packing up equipment, and let out a long sigh to his old friend. "I'm regretting it now. If I hadn't come today, I wouldn't be so reluctant to let him go." He was only the quarterback coach; he was only responsible for training. The team's direction was in the hands of the head coach and the general manager.
"That's your problem, not mine," Adam said nonchalantly, then turned and waddled away. Kip shook his head with a look of resignation and then hurried after him. "Hey, aren't you going to help me out with dinner tonight?"
...
Only after watching Adam and Kip leave did Anthony walk over, asking eagerly, "So? Did the conversation go well?"
"About the same as with the Saints," Lu Ke, the person actually at the center of it all, was much calmer than Anthony. "But don't get your hopes up. The 49ers didn't invite me for an interview before, and this is just an inquiry now. There's no need to get carried away with wishful thinking."
The six weeks of silence hadn't been as calm as they seemed on the surface. Lu Ke had also been through a rollercoaster of emotions: anticipation, joy, anxiety, frustration, disappointment, sadness, and struggle. After all the ups and downs, he cast aside all distracting thoughts and threw himself wholeheartedly into training. Ultimately, skill was the only way to overcome all obstacles.
He needed to stop himself from letting his mind wander. The people around him—Anthony, his parents—were even more nervous than he was.
Anthony was stunned for a moment, then let out a long, resigned sigh. "You... uh, what are your plans? I mean, if the draft results aren't what you hope for?"
Hope was dwindling. As an assistant coach, Anthony understood the inner workings of the NFL all too well. No one was immune to the cruelty of competitive sports.
"Then I'll just give it everything I've got, sprint to the finish, and see what the view is like at the end of the road," Lu Ke said, brimming with confidence. His powerful self-assurance and determination left Anthony stunned, even making him feel a bit inadequate by comparison. Dreams don't just make life bearable; they make it vibrant.
Suddenly, all the frustration and anxiety in Anthony's heart vanished into thin air. He believed in Lu Ke. Or rather, he was willing to believe in Lu Ke, to believe that someday in the future, dreams really do come true.