Chapter 94 93: Ecstatic
The first round of the draft was over, and the biggest surprise came at the twenty-sixth pick.
The Baltimore Ravens, who were supposed to make their pick, actually ran out of time. They repeated the same mistake the Minnesota Vikings had made in the past, forfeiting their draft slot and allowing the Chiefs, who were originally at the twenty-seventh pick, to jump ahead and choose. During the live broadcast, the moment it was confirmed the Baltimore Ravens had exceeded their time limit, the entire studio erupted. A collective gasp swept across the nation, while Ravens fans let out a wail of despair.
Ultimately, the Kansas City Chiefs selected Wide Receiver Johnson Baldwin, and the Baltimore Ravens followed by picking cornerback Jimmy Smith.
But other than that, the first round of the draft was largely uneventful. Lu Ke's name was not called, nor was Logan's, nor were the names of any of their other teammates.
For Logan, the fact that not a single Tight End was selected in the first round was undoubtedly fantastic news. He was now very likely to be picked in the second or third round. For Lu Ke, however, the fate of the quarterbacks was far more fraught.
As predicted, it was a big year for quarterbacks, and there was no shortage of teams in desperate need of one. A full four quarterbacks were selected in the first round; besides the Carolina Panthers with the first overall pick, the Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Minnesota Vikings also chose quarterbacks.
This meant that the competition for the remaining quarterbacks would only grow more intense, and the teams still in need of one would become increasingly cautious.
On a side note, the insufferably arrogant Richard Sherman, who had proclaimed himself the number one cornerback in the Alliance during the Rookie Training Camp and was constantly at odds with Lu Ke, did not have his name called in the first round either. To be precise, three cornerbacks were selected in the first round, and he was not one of them.
The entire draft lasts three days. The first day is for the first round, the second day for the second and third rounds, and the third day for the remaining four rounds. The level of public attention decreases exponentially with each passing day.
For casual observers just there for the spectacle, the first round was the only focal point worth watching. Even some die-hard fans might not stay glued to the live broadcast, choosing instead to simply wait for the official team announcements of the full seven-round results.
But for the teams, the scouts, and the players themselves, the first round was merely a reality show—at the end of the day, it was still just a "show." The subsequent rounds, however, were their real lives. This was the reality that would alter their destinies.
The next day, Lu Ke and his parents headed over to the Newman house to watch the second and third rounds of the draft.
Less than half an hour after the draft resumed, a groan of frustration erupted from the Newman house.
First, with the thirty-fifth pick in the second round, the Cincinnati Bengals selected quarterback Andy Dalton. Then, with the thirty-sixth pick, the San Francisco 49ers selected quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
"You've got to be kidding me! You've fucking got to be kidding me!" Logan was the first to leap to his feet, roaring at the television screen as if he could pierce right through it and confront someone—though who that someone was, it was impossible to say.
Austin immediately jumped up after him. "What is Trent Balk thinking? Kaepernick? He actually chose Kaepernick? Jesus Christ! We need a quarterback, a *real* quarterback! Passing up an excellent pocket quarterback like Lu Ke to pick a mobile quarterback? Why not just draft a running back instead?"
Even Julia started to ramble, "Are you kidding me? One Newton was bad enough, and now we get a Kaepernick? What in the world is wrong with the Alliance? Have these coaches all lost their minds, treating the NFL like the NCAA to test out players? Damn that Jim Hubble! He spent four years at Stanford and developed Andrew Luck, and now you're telling me he chose Kaepernick? Jesus Christ! I'm so furious!"
Jim Hubble was the new head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. Before this season, Jim had been the coach at Stanford University, and Andrew Luck was his star protégé. Andrew was a typical, traditional pocket quarterback with some mobility, but he was nowhere near the level of an Aaron Rodgers, let alone a Cam Newton.
Incidentally, Colin Kaepernick was the quarterback from the University of Nevada and the epitome of a mobile quarterback: in his recently concluded senior season, he had twenty-one passing Touchdowns and twenty rushing Touchdowns.
The key point was that the San Francisco 49ers had traded up nine spots, swapping draft picks with the Denver Broncos to snatch Colin Kaepernick. This strategy made it clear that after the Fierce Tiger chose Andy Dalton, the 49ers felt the pressure and moved up. This also meant that Kaepernick was their target all along. That was the most shocking part.
Two quarterbacks were selected back-to-back, one of them by the San Francisco 49ers. And still, Lu Ke's name had not been called.
This meant the possibility of Lu Ke playing for the San Francisco 49ers had been almost completely extinguished. No team would be foolish enough to select two quarterbacks in the same draft. With only seven rounds, how could they possibly waste two picks on the same position?
At this, everyone became frantic with frustration. Even Lu Zhengze and Jiang Youning were filled with regret. As the man at the center of it all, Lu Ke was, ironically, the calmest. He watched everyone wailing and carrying on with a stunned expression, and a wave of absurd humor washed over him. He couldn't help but laugh.
Seeing Lu Ke's carefree reaction, Logan grabbed a throw pillow and chucked it at him. "How can you still be laughing?"
"What else am I supposed to do? Cry?" Lu Ke's retort made everyone pause. After a moment, they realized he had a point, and the room erupted in laughter.
But soon, good news arrived from the second round. After trading their pick to the San Francisco 49ers, the Denver Broncos, now picking at forty-five, selected safety Raheem Moore from UCLA. Immediately after, they completed another trade, this time with the Miami Dolphins, to pick again at forty-six, selecting Offensive Tackle Orlando Franklin from the University of Miami.
Raheem Moore became the first UCLA player to be selected in this year's draft, finally putting them on the board.
Lu Ke and Logan both leaped up, high-fiving in celebration, genuinely happy for their teammate. However, this joy was merely a prelude, a warm-up for the real explosion of excitement to come.
With the eightieth pick in the third round, the San Francisco 49ers traded up again, making a deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars to move up and select... Tight End Logan Newman from UCLA! He was the fourth Tight End to be selected in this year's draft.
"AHHHH!" The entire house erupted in cheers. Logan threw his hands in the air, screaming and running in circles around the room. No one could catch him. After three laps, he stopped in front of the television, fists clenched, and let out a cathartic, triumphant roar. "AHHH!" Every muscle in his body seemed to join in the wild celebration.
It wasn't just Logan; everyone else was jumping for joy. Lu Ke seemed even more excited than if he'd been picked himself, pumping his fist. "That's what I'm talking about! That's what I'm talking about!" They were all hugging, screaming, and celebrating with one another, the thunderous noise making the whole house seem to vibrate.
Ecstatic. This was the very definition of ecstasy. It wasn't just that Logan had been drafted, and drafted early in the third round. It was because the team that picked him was the San Francisco 49ers—Logan's dream team!
Back at the Rookie Training Camp, Logan's interview with the 49ers had been mediocre at best, and he'd been dejected for a long time, believing he had missed his chance to play for his favorite team. But today, the 49ers had made a swift, decisive move, trading up to snatch Logan before anyone else could. It was, without a doubt, a dream come true.
This was true for Logan, and even more so for Austin. And so, they all completely lost their minds.
Even after all the shouting, Logan's surging emotions hadn't been fully vented. He charged at Lu Ke and crashed into him, clinging to him like a koala. "Bambi! I did it! I did it! I'm a 49er! A 49er!"
The name "49ers" doesn't mean forty-nine people. It's the collective term for the prospectors who flooded into Northern California during the Gold Rush of 1849. After a massive gold discovery in California in 1848, people from all over the world flocked to the Nevada Range near San Francisco the following year to seek their fortunes. These gold prospectors came to be known as the "Forty-Niners." Later, when San Francisco got its own football team, it was named the "49ers," carrying the history and origin of the city.
Today, every player and fan of the San Francisco football team proudly calls themselves a "49er."
But even that wasn't enough to release all of Logan's excitement. He simply ran outside the house and bellowed, "I'm a 49er!" In response, neighbors up and down the street began to cheer. "Congratulations!" "Way to go!" "Go, Logan, go!"
The entire street went into party mode, with every neighbor celebrating with abandon.
Eventually, the celebration wound down, and Logan ran back inside. He thumped Lu Ke on the chest twice. "Dude, you can make it into the Alliance! Believe me, if I can make it, you'll have absolutely no problem! When we meet on the field, I definitely won't go easy on you."
That confident declaration made Lu Ke burst out laughing.
But ideals are one thing, and reality is another. The third round ended with no sign of Lu Ke. On the third day, the fourth and fifth rounds passed, and still, no Lu Ke. In the sixth round, running back Marcus Lynch was selected by the San Francisco 49ers, followed by Defensive Tackle David Carter being picked by the Arizona Cardinals.
Only the seventh round remained.