He clenched his fists and clenched his fists again, but the anger still couldn't calm down after all. It was gurgling in his chest, erupting like a volcano.
As one of the few Chinese-American faces on the rugby field, Lu Ke has been working hard to break all kinds of prejudices since he was a child. He continues to prove himself and that Chinese-American players can still become the masters of the game.
In the past three days of training camp, he thought that he had proved that regardless of skin color and race, Chinese players could become excellent rugby players; but obviously, he still overestimated the top management of those teams and also overestimated those athletes. of arrogance and arrogance.
Seattle Seahawks, sooner or later, he will let them understand what it means to be truly powerful! Also, what is true regret?
He quickly left the corridor and hid in the bathroom. Before he lost control of his emotions, he washed his face with cold water. The boiling emotions gradually cooled down. This was only the second interview. Today was an extremely long day and he needed to calm down. If he wants to prove himself, win, and reach the top, he must first join a team, have a stage, and fight for a chance.
Therefore, he cannot lose his mind.
After a short rest and adjustment, Lu Ke returned to the corridor and started today's interview again.
In addition to the Cleveland Browns and Seattle Seahawks, the other thirteen teams include the Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New York Jets, Buffalo Bills and Arizona Cardinals who have frequently changed their quarterback positions in recent years. .
It also includes the Houston Texans, Tennessee Titans, and Chicago Bears whose main quarterback strength has never been satisfactory, and who need rookie quarterbacks every year.
It also includes the New Orleans Saints, San Diego Chargers, and Indianapolis Colts who have outstanding quarterbacks but have been considering substitute players.
Finally, unexpectedly but reasonably, the Carolina Panthers, who hold the No. 1 pick, also extended an invitation. Lu Ke was not the only quarterback who received an interview invitation from them. Four other quarterbacks also received invitations. In addition to Cam Newton, Carolina interviewed six players in total. quarterback. Obviously, they are still considering more possibilities besides Cam.
As for the Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers, neither team has interviewed Lu Ke.
Obviously the last thing the Packers need to worry about is the quarterback. Aaron Rodgers, the quarterback, is at his peak. In the Super Bowl that just ended in February, they defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers and won the first championship in the history of the team. With four Super Bowls under their belt, they are one of the teams that is unlikely to draft a quarterback.
The situation of the 49ers is a little more complicated. The main quarterback Alex Smith was the No. 1 pick in the 2005 draft. The 49ers did not choose Aaron Rodgers that year, but chose Alex Smith. ; However, since 2002, the 49ers have not entered the playoffs for eight consecutive years. The result of the draft that year now seems to be a mistake.
However, Alex may not be the league's top quarterback, but he is still above average. So, they need a quarterback, but they don't need a quarterback that urgently. Not having an interview with Lu Ke was unexpected, but also normal.
Although neither the Packers nor the 49ers were invited, Lu Ke still gained a lot after a whole day of interviews.
The most active among them is the New Orleans Saints.
Their quarterback coach, Joe Lombardi, had a very good impression of Lu Ke. He asked in detail about Lu Ke's college career, daily training, professional plans, etc. After all the ten-minute conversation time was used up, they signaled Lu Ke It's time to leave.
Then there are the San Diego Chargers and Miami Dolphins.
The former’s quarterback Philip Rivers is one of the most solid players in the league, but the Lightning have been looking for a more reliable substitute; the latter has been replaced by Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino. -Marino) has not been able to find a leader to lead the team to victory since he retired.
Lightning's attitude is undoubtedly more cordial and friendly. Not only because San Diego is also in California, it is also one of the areas with the largest number of Chinese immigrants; but also because they have heard about the Rose Bowl's desperate reversal. Strictly speaking, they showed interest in Lu Ke before the training camp. Selecting a backup quarterback is much easier and more abundant than selecting the main four-point quarterback.
However, the interview in the rookie training camp was only about ten minutes of trial and exchange of preliminary intentions. Next, there are still two months until the official draft, and each team will further collect information, further investigate, and further communicate. Therefore, the substantive content of today's conversation is very limited, and the result is naturally impossible to judge.
The whole day's conversation lasted from eight o'clock in the morning to ten o'clock in the evening, and it still never ended. Lu Ke had only participated in fifteen interviews, and he was already feeling physically and mentally exhausted; it was hard to imagine how those top players who were interviewed by thirty-two teams must feel.
Now, Lu Ke is waiting for the last interview of the day: the Washington Redskins.
The Washington Redskins are a traditional strong team in the league, three-time Super Bowl winners and five-time National League champions. In the past few years, they have been missing a top quarterback to lead them. Although in 2005 and 2007 They have all entered the playoffs, but the overall strength of the team has been ups and downs and it is difficult to stabilize.
In the past four seasons, they have changed three head coaches and the roster has been constantly fluctuating.
Now, their main quarterback, Rex Grossman, is a veteran. He entered the league with the 22nd overall pick in the first round in 2003, but after working hard in the league for so many years, he has always been a substitute. The shooting guard's performance has been good and bad. He led the team to a record of six wins and ten losses last year and failed to enter the playoffs.
When people think of teams in need of a rookie quarterback, the Washington Redskins are always on the list. The team and fans believe that on the road to their fourth Super Bowl, they just lack a top quarterback. Everything is ready and all they need is the east wind.
This year, Cam Newton is obviously the favorite to be the No. 1 pick, and the Redskins probably have no chance. But apart from that, the number of quarterbacks worthy of selection has reached at least double digits. Therefore, the Redskins, holding the tenth pick in the first round, are ready to make a move and met with many quarterbacks today.
After waiting for about forty-five minutes, it was Lu Ke's turn. Under the guidance of the staff, we entered the hotel room. The similar layout, similar decoration, and similar space always gave us the illusion of familiarity. After a long day of interviews, everyone was a little tired.
Despite this, Lu Ke cheered up, straightened his back, and after introducing himself confidently, he sat down on the sofa in front of him and faced the four interviewers' gazes with level eyes.
Sitting on the left should be the team's offensive coach Kyle Shanahan and defensive coach Jim Haslett, and sitting on the right is head coach Mike - Mike Shanahan, and sitting directly in front is team manager Bruce Allen.
It is worth mentioning that Bruce Allen is also the executive president of the Redskins; and Mike Shanahan is Kyle Shanahan's father.
"Thanks for coming to the Redskins interview." It was Bruce who spoke.
As the team manager, he has the power of life and death for all members of the team and is directly responsible to the boss. He is definitely the most direct manager of the team. However, some team managers like to delegate power and choose to trust the team's head coach; while some team managers like to control the overall situation and do everything personally. Bruce seems to be the latter.
"After a long day of appointments, we are all tired, so let's relax and have a simple chat." Bruce had a friendly smile on his face, and his short gray hair, under the influence of hair wax, became tall and high-spirited , his deep gaze was filled with scheming composure.
Bruce seemed to be really just chatting and said casually, "You seem like a mysterious figure. You didn't become a substitute for the team until your senior year. Why were you unwilling to leave UCLA before that? With your Ability, if you choose another school, you may be able to play the main role and win more performance opportunities.”
As a reporter, observing what is happening is one of the necessary skills. During the four years of college, Lu Ke spent a lot of time on the training ground, but after all, he was just a sparring partner. He didn't have to participate in the team's daily games. The advantage was that he didn't fall behind in his studies, and he should complete the internship and actual combat. They all completed their tasks excellently.
Therefore, Lu Ke could feel the temptation in Bruce's words and the consideration hidden behind his eyes. This is not surprising, superiors always reveal such gestures inadvertently in their words and deeds.
"If I say that besides football, my studies are also very important. Is this a qualified answer?" Lu Ke's rhetorical question, with a hint of humor, made people smile.
After chuckling, Lu Ke said seriously, "I did consider transferring, but due to various reasons, the transfer application was not so smooth; on the contrary, at UCLA, I gradually won opportunities. So, I chose to stay.”
Although he didn't say it directly, there was an issue hidden in the words that cannot be ignored in the rugby circle: Chinese identity. It is not only the segregation caused by race, but also the shortcomings in physical fitness. This is twofold.
In comparison, in the open areas on the East Coast and West Coast, ethnic integration is closer and more tolerant. Lu Ke can indeed get more opportunities - but universities on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are also more difficult to enter, such as Harvard University and Stanford University. , and so on.
Bruce retracted his chin slightly, with a look of interest in his eyes, "I need you to answer me a question seriously. What does victory mean to you? Because, in what you just said, I didn't Hearing the relevant information, it seems that football is just an amateur pastime for you."
A fatal blow!
