Chapter 104 103: A Precious Trait
Ten offensive plays, ten passes, nine completions, over two hundred passing yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions.
What did stats like these mean? It meant that even in a real game, this quarterback's performance would be considered perfect, with not a single flaw to be found.
Of course, this wasn't a real game. First, a team would run far more than ten offensive plays in an actual game—that might not even cover a single quarter. Second, the atmosphere, team-on-team conflict, and overall intensity of a real game were on a completely different level. The scout team was, to some extent, still in a practice mindset rather than a competitive one.
Third, those three long passes for big yardage were gambles one wouldn't dare to take so freely in a real game. An opposing cornerback would only need one good opportunity to completely shut down the quarterback's momentum. And finally, a major reason this rookie quarterback went undrafted was his small sample size of game footage, making it impossible to evaluate his average skill level. Even the short drills at the Rookie Training Camp were far from enough. So, was today's performance enough to change that?
In those ten short plays, Number 11 made the offense look sharp and formidable. But overall, he was too aggressive. Several of his passing choices were overly risky, like he was dancing on a tightrope. This time, he succeeded. In a real game, however, the consequences of failure would be far more severe.
Jim Hubble was very satisfied with the stats and results of those ten plays, but for all the reasons above, that wasn't what impressed him the most.
When facing pressure from the pass rush, Number 11 didn't give up easily. He stubbornly and relentlessly looked for an open man to complete the pass. That kind of tenacious quality was truly rare. That was the first thing.
The best example of this type of quarterback in the Alliance was Aaron Rodgers. He could always find a passing window in the midst of chaos, especially with the Green Bay Packers' god-awful, sieve-like Offense Line. Yet, he consistently managed to lead his team forward. No wonder people always said, "Aaron Rodgers carries the entire team on his shoulders."
The second point was Number 11's ability to read the defense. Across ten plays, he was sacked once, hit twice, and threw under pressure twice. Aside from the sack, his reads on the defense were almost always correct, which caused his completion percentage to skyrocket.
A ninety percent completion rate is nearly impossible in a real game. But in this short, ten-play span, Number 11's defensive reads and execution of the plays were invaluable. This was the second impressive takeaway.
Of course, Number 11's weaknesses were also still apparent. First, his footwork, mobility, and his ability to evade sacks and fight through tackles were still not up to par. Second, his ability to handle physical contact had room for improvement. This was only training-level intensity; it was impossible to imagine what would happen at game-level intensity. His passing accuracy and defensive reads would inevitably decline, but by how much was an unknown variable.
This was the harsh reality that all rookie quarterbacks had to face.
Despite all that, beyond those two impressive points, Jim had unearthed the day's biggest discovery: a perfect score on the Fonderick test. What did that truly mean?
In the entire history of the NFL, only one player had ever gotten a perfect score on the Fonderick test. Lu Ke was the unprecedented second, and the only quarterback to do so. No one knew how important the Fonderick test was for the quarterback position or what effect it could have. But judging from the Rookie Training Camp and today's tryout, this Number 11 was clearly a cerebral quarterback, and a very effective one at that.
Back during the scrimmages at the Rookie Training Camp, Number 11 had been the first quarterback to score a Touchdown. At the time, people were merely amazed and didn't think much of it. But today, Jim had witnessed Number 11 replicate that miracle and even take it to another level. He couldn't help but start thinking more deeply—
'Does a player with a perfect Fonderick score learn the playbook incredibly fast? What about his speed of comprehension and application? And most importantly, at a critical moment in a game, when it's down to the wire, what kind of decision would a quarterback with a perfect Fonderick score make? Was it like that choice on the last play—a sixty-five-yard pass?'
To be honest, exceptionally gifted players were a dime a dozen in the world of sports—not just in football, but in every field. In that sense, genius was the cheapest commodity of all. Geniuses were often too proud and overconfident, squandering their talent and ultimately amounting to nothing. Finding a genius who was also hardworking and persistent was incredibly difficult.
Of the players who became true mainstays in the Alliance, for every ten, maybe one was a once-in-a-generation talent. Another might be a regular genius who was exceptionally hardworking. The next seven would be players with a certain degree of talent who were absolutely dedicated. And the last one was likely a player with mediocre talent who poured a lifetime of effort into becoming a workhorse—they might never make the history books, but they were an indispensable part of the game.
As for those who had talent but refused to work hard? Competitive sports was a gladiatorial arena that relentlessly weeded out the unworthy. That cruel reality played out every single day.
'So, which category does this Number 11 quarterback fall into? Or rather, which one will he become? His strengths and weaknesses are so distinct, even more so than they were at the Rookie Training Camp. Choosing him is a gamble. But is it a high-stakes bet I should make?'
After completing the pass on the final play, Lu Ke secretly clenched his fist. He thanked his temporary teammates one by one before turning and walking off the field. The other players remained, waiting for the next quarterback to take his turn.
From a distance, he could see Scott's face filled with astonishment and joy. He exaggeratedly mouthed the words, "Unbelievable! Unbelievable!" before rushing over to give Lu Ke a huge hug. He then lowered his voice and whispered, "Jesus Christ, how come I never realized you were this good back at the Rose Bowl?"
Looking at Scott's sincere, admiring expression, Lu Ke let out a wry laugh and pointed out an important fact. "We're competitors."
But Scott just waved his hand. "Competing against you? I don't stand a chance. If I were the one making the choice, I'd pick you." Noticing Lu Ke's surprised stare, Scott smiled. "I'm aware of my own abilities. The right choice for me would actually be to walk away from the sport, but I just can't bring myself to do it. Even as a backup, I want to leave some kind of mark on this Alliance. So, you could say I have a dream, but not an obsession."
This version of Scott reminded Lu Ke of John Ward. One chose to persevere, the other chose to walk away, but both shared a deep love for the game of football.
"Number Eleven... uh, Lu Ke?" a voice called out. Lu Ke and Scott exchanged a glance, then turned to see Jim.
The person who had spoken was indeed Jim, but he seemed to have gotten lost in thought and didn't say anything further. Immediately after, Kip, who was standing beside him, waved Lu Ke over with a beaming smile.
Lu Ke quickly jogged over. Kip grinned with satisfaction and gave Lu Ke a solid pat on the chest. "That was a nice performance." 'Nice' was an understatement; it was brilliant. But Kip wasn't surprised in the least. Ever since he'd observed Lu Ke's training, he knew this kid was definitely being underestimated.
Lu Ke chuckled and nodded. The past few months since the draft had been an agony and a grind. It was easy to simply say "a few months have passed," but he hadn't slacked off on his training for a single day, progressing one step at a time. Only he knew the true hardship involved.
"How's your body feeling?" Jim interrupted their brief exchange, his question blunt and direct.
Lu Ke hesitated for a moment. "I'm fine."
But Jim didn't believe him. He shook his head. "Don't pretend you're fine. I need to know your physical condition, especially after taking those hits. Even if you lie now, we can schedule a physical exam right away, and the results will be the same." The disparity in his ability to handle physical contact was Lu Ke's biggest weakness—and his most fatal one.
Lu Ke understood immediately. "Trust me, everything's fine."
While Lu Ke's physique still couldn't compare to those freakishly athletic defensive players, nor to a physically dominant mobile quarterback like Cam Newton, he wasn't so fragile either.
In fact, more than the hit he'd taken, Lu Ke was feeling the lactic acid buildup in his right bicep. He had kept his body tense throughout the ten plays, overexerting himself slightly, and his aggressive passing choices had put some strain on his arm. But that was the extent of it.
This was a do-or-die scrimmage, which was why Lu Ke had been constantly taking risks. In an actual game, he obviously couldn't afford to overexert himself so recklessly.
'Right now, I still can't be considered a top-tier quarterback, but I'm working toward that goal.' Lu Ke firmly believed he was on the right path.
Jim looked Lu Ke up and down, a flicker of doubt in his eyes, but he didn't say anything more. He just gave a slight nod. "All the better. Now, jog three laps, and then practice twenty short passes on the sideline." With that, Jim looked away from Lu Ke and turned to the other quarterbacks. "Who's next?"
This time, the quarterbacks were much more eager. At least five of them stepped forward.
Lu Ke, however, paid them no mind and started jogging without hesitation.
He wasn't injured, just sore from the overexertion. Besides, in competitive sports, you play through minor injuries. Every athlete has some small ailment or another; enduring pain to compete is part of the game. For Lu Ke, this was no issue.
As he jogged, Lu Ke saw Matt Hasselbeck take the field and begin leading the offensive unit downfield. Lu Ke pulled his focus back to his running. For him, this was also valuable recovery time.
The tryout was still going, but things had changed slightly. After the first day, eight quarterbacks were eliminated and sent home, leaving only four. The second and third days of the tryout then returned to a more normal schedule.
Small-scale scrimmages were held daily. On the afternoon of the third day, the four remaining quarterbacks played in a full scrimmage, split into two teams to compete against each other. It was a test of their ability to lead a team to victory. The four quarterbacks were:
Matt Hasselbeck, Carson Palmer, Scott Torsin, and Lu Ke.