Chapter 206 204: Opening up Possibilities
"What, did the Redskins' test give Lu Ke a hard time?" Kip asked curiously.
Vic, however, chimed in. "Compared to Lu Ke, I'm more curious about Cam Newton's test results."
During college, Cam was expelled for stealing a classmate's laptop. The entire Alliance was well aware of this. During the draft, rumor had it that the Carolina Panthers took it very seriously, repeatedly asking about the incident from top to bottom, and even considered not using their first-overall pick on Cam.
"Cam didn't take part in the Redskins' interviews. The Redskins knew they couldn't draft Cam, so they focused on other quarterbacks," Kip explained, as the others all nodded.
Craig finally caught on and joined the conversation. "Lu Ke has always been a diligent and dedicated player, both in high school and college, with no off-field issues whatsoever."
To become a proper football player, Lu Ke put in countless hours of effort in college, never slacking off for a moment, even as a practice squad player. The Brown Bear Team's head coach, Rick Neuheisel, couldn't praise Lu Ke enough. Not only that, but his academic performance off the field was also incredibly outstanding and thoroughly impressive.
But Craig still had to ask, "Lu Ke passed the test, right?"
"Guess what Lu Ke did?" A proud grin spread across Jim's face as he deliberately built the suspense, whetting everyone's curiosity.
"Come on, Jim, we don't have time for jokes right now." Craig rolled his eyes in exasperation and tapped his watch. "Tick-tock, the media will be here any minute."
Jim shrugged, resigned to Craig's lack of humor, but he didn't drag it out. "During the interview, Lu Ke proactively handed an envelope back to the Redskins. Inside the envelope was a hundred-dollar bill and a note." He paused for a second, then two, and only when he saw the impatience and irritation in everyone's eyes did he finish. "The note said: 'Give this back to me after I help you win a Super Bowl.'"
The coaches stared at one another, exchanging glances before a series of curses erupted. "Damn!" "Hell!" "Fuck!"
Craig put his hands on his hips, thought back for a moment, and couldn't help but chuckle, though he also shook his head repeatedly. "So, what does that mean?"
"It means his desire and obsession for victory, his faith and conviction in the game, his vision and belief in his career. He's far more outstanding than we ever imagined." A smile appeared in Jim's eyes, not hiding his pride and satisfaction in the slightest. He raised his right hand, made a fist, and gave it a small pump. "He led us to victory in two games. There's no reason we can't look forward to a third."
In competitive sports, there isn't a problem that a victory can't solve. If one can't, then make it two or three. Two consecutive regular-season wins could be chalked up to luck, coincidence, or skill, but undeniably, they earned Lu Ke plenty of leverage and became the key to him remaining the starter.
The first question on Jim's mind after the second week of the regular season was: Alex Smith or Lu Ke.
As the team's head coach, Jim was never one to sit back and wait. He took the initiative, calling multiple scouts to ask repeatedly about Lu Ke's performance at the Rookie Training Camp. The information from the Washington Redskins was an unexpected bonus.
Unexpectedly, Jim learned that the Washington Redskins had come close to selecting Lu Ke with the 152nd pick in the fifth round of the draft. But at the last second, the team completed a series of trades, swapping picks with the Indianapolis Colts and the Houston Texans, and then swapping picks again with the New Orleans Saints. Amid the indecision, they ultimately passed on Lu Ke.
In the end, the Washington Redskins didn't select a quarterback in this year's draft, continuing to use Rex Grossman as their starting quarterback.
After the new season began, Lu Ke's outstanding performance had become a league-wide phenomenon. However, while the Washington Redskins lamented their missed opportunity, they weren't too regretful. Under Rex's leadership, they had also started the season with two consecutive wins. So, with a relaxed attitude, when people came asking about Lu Ke, they didn't hold anything back and generously shared the behind-the-scenes anecdote.
For the Redskins, it was a regrettable miss; for the 49ers, it was a fortunate encounter.
Even before today, Jim had actually already made his decision.
"But what about the locker room?" Kip voiced his concern. The situation this morning had looked incredibly bad.
Jim's breath caught in his chest as he seemed to sink into deep thought. This really wasn't his area of expertise. But without any prolonged hesitation, he shrugged. "This week, Alex still needs some time to recover and get back into the rhythm of the game. Next week, we'll see in practice who's in better form—Alex or Lu Ke—and decide the starter then."
Simply put, sports problems should be solved with sports solutions. No scheming, no conspiracies—everything gets settled fair and square on the field. When two foes meet on a narrow path, the braver one prevails.
Competition never disappears, and there's only one way to win it: absolute skill.
Two wins were incredibly precious, but in the end, they weren't a Super Bowl.
As an Undrafted Player, Lu Ke still had an incredibly long journey ahead to prove himself. This wasn't just about starting the third game, but every game for the rest of the season. The same held true in reverse: if Alex was chosen as the starting quarterback, he would have to face a constant challenge from Lu Ke.
"If necessary, Colin Kaepernick can also join the competition, if he can pass the concussion protocol." Having made up his mind, Jim opened up all possibilities, his mindset incredibly relaxed. "According to the original plan, Colin was supposed to be our starting quarterback. So let's get back on the original track and see how things develop."
In for a penny, in for a pound. Jim decided to throw the quarterback competition wide open. The three players each had their pros and cons. In this competition, they would have to constantly improve their form and ability to hold on to the starting spot; otherwise, the other two players, watching like hungry tigers, would smoothly take their place.
This would create a virtuous cycle, becoming a driving force for the quarterbacks to push themselves. At the same time, it would liven up the team's atmosphere, letting skill do the talking and silencing all controversy and dissent. In fact, for the rebuilding San Francisco 49ers, for a team still gelling, this might not be a bad thing at all.
"Alex Smith vs. Lu Ke vs. Colin Kaepernick"—an open and honest showdown on the field to decide the starting quarterback. It was simple, brutal, direct, and decisive. All locker room conflicts and arguments would be extinguished. Winner takes all, and the loser becomes... the backup. All conflict would come to an end.
Of course, healthy competition—that was the ideal state. Whether accidents would happen in practice was another matter. It wasn't the best solution, but it was a feasible one.
Craig looked at Kip, Vic, and the others, exchanging a glance. The other members of the coaching staff also traded looks—raised eyebrows, nods, shrugs, open palms. With a sense of resignation mixed with a willingness to try, they gave their assent.
Then, everyone started bantering. "This is the fairest way." "Next week's practice is going to be a show." "Why do I feel kind of excited?" "Now I'm even more curious what this week's game result will be…"
The lively chatter brought the energy back into the room, and the locker room conflict had found a temporary outlet.
Week 3 of the 2011 regular season, the San Francisco 49ers' starting quarterback was officially confirmed. It was still Lu Ke!
In the following practice, Jim immediately announced the coaching staff's decision. Afterward, Kip had a one-on-one talk with Alex, informing him of the plan for next week and hoping Alex wouldn't rush, but would steadily return to regular practice this week to prepare for next week's internal competition.
Soon, the entire team knew about the quarterback competition for week four. All disputes and disturbances temporarily came to a halt. Even Parris was no exception; he temporarily set aside his objections, refocused, and dove into regular practice, beginning preparations for the week-three game.
During the subsequent official media interview, reporters, predictably, immediately asked about the starting quarterback battle. Jim gave a simple and clear answer, "This week, Lu Ke will still be our starting quarterback. Alex has just returned from injury. He went through recovery training last week and is starting on-ball drills this week. We still need to observe his recovery, so for the week three game, our starting quarterback is still Lu Ke."
"What about next week?" The reporters, unwilling to let the story go, pressed on.
Jim wasn't good at dealing with the media, nor did he like it, but he knew the basic rules. "We'll worry about next week when it comes. Right now, the team has to focus on our week three opponent. We still have a lot to prepare for and absolutely cannot let our guard down. The Cincinnati Bengals are not an opponent to be underestimated."
The simple words were effective enough. Even if the reporters wanted to keep digging, his statement was enough to dissuade them. But for the reporters, if one bombshell was gone, there was always another.
"This week's game is against the Cincinnati Bengals. Lu Ke, what are your thoughts?" With the focus off Jim, the reporters locked their sights on Lu Ke.
But this time, they were destined for disappointment.
"For a rookie, every game has to be taken seriously, and every opponent has to be treated the same. I don't have any particular thoughts. I just hope to focus on my preparation and keep this winning streak going." Lu Ke's answer was practically perfect.
But would the media really let it go so easily?