"Bambi? Bambi, come here." Jim Hubble's voice rang in the locker room. As Lu Ke took the initiative to step forward, Hubble said without pause, "Everyone, pay attention." .Is anyone taking a bath in the bathroom?"
Without Hubble's reminder, Aldon Smith trotted to the bathroom door and said, "Come out, check in! Cheer up, everyone." That joke immediately triggered a burst of laughter in the entire locker room. There was a burst of various swear words in the bustling crowd, which seemed extremely happy.
Hubble, who had a serious expression, couldn't help but smile, which was a positive sign. At least it can be seen that the mood of the coaching staff was not seriously affected at the end of the preseason.
All the players gathered one after another, and Hubble said loudly, "The season is about to begin. We all know that not all players can stay. Although we hope so, the league does not allow it. Fifty-three players The list will be officially released on Saturday morning, please be sure to keep your mobile phone open, otherwise, you will be responsible for the consequences."
Hubble glanced around, trying to say something more, but after all, it was not a skill he was good at. In desperation, he had no choice but to give up, "Bambi, I'll leave the rest to you."
Then, Hubble patted Lu Ke on the shoulder, cast a signal glance at Willis and Akins, turned around and left the locker room, joined the other members of the coaching staff, leaving space for the players. themselves.
…
Outside the door, quarterback coach Kip Chryst and offensive coach Craig Roman were communicating in low voices with smiles on their faces. Offensive line coach Mike Solari came over and asked curiously, " What are you chatting about? Everyone is snickering. Could it be that you just went to the ladies' bathroom to peek?"
"Don't apply your fantasy to us." Kip complained mercilessly.
Craig took the initiative to explain, "I was just asking Kip about Bambi's offseason training. Even I couldn't help but be stunned. In my memory, it seems that even Peyton Manning didn't train like this before. Ruthless; this time back, Bambi's growth rate has greatly exceeded expectations, and his condition is even better than last season."
"Who says it's not? Let me tell you, if other players were as self-disciplined as Bambi, my hair wouldn't fall out so fast." Mike immediately agreed deeply, "Once before, the offensive lineman A tactical variation that even Tim and I had forgotten, but it was Lu Ke who remembered it. God, he is really the player that every coach dreams of."
"And every player hates it." Kip added, and all the other colleagues laughed collectively, "But, you guys, why did everyone miss Bambi in last year's draft?"
"It's precisely because everyone missed him that it's our turn." Hubble's voice rang out, interrupting the chat among the coaching staff, "Let's go, we still have work to complete, fifty-three people The list is really a headache." After saying that, Hubble took the lead and walked away.
"Where's the locker room..." Craig pointed behind him, but he only said half of the question when Kip bumped his shoulder. "It must have been left to Bambi. There's nothing strange about it. Such a thing, He's eager to let go, Bambi can handle it anyway."
As discussed by the coaching staff, Lu Ke is still the captain of the San Francisco 49ers in the 2012 season.
In fact, before the official start of the preseason, the competition for the starting quarterback has been settled.
After passing the test of voluntary training camp and mandatory training camp, Lu Ke's overall strength easily stood out. From tactical understanding to passing touch, from defensive reading to rhythm control, he is mature and experienced, and he does not look like a second-year quarterback at all. ——More importantly, Lu Ke’s hard work and diligence are obvious to all. In just two months, the tactical manual has already been turned over.
That's why the coaching staff sighed: What happened in the first place? In the draft, 32 teams collectively missed Lu Ke. However, this is like the suspense between Tom Brady and Kurt Warner. No one can answer the first two so far, and naturally no one can answer the third one.
So, what exactly is going on in the preseason?
On the one hand, the coaching staff is really testing the abilities and status of the two quarterbacks, Colin Kaepernick and Scott Tolsin, to determine the positions of the first and second substitutes, including those on the special teams team. location in.
On the other hand, the coaching staff is reducing the pressure on Lu Ke, diverting the media's attention, and avoiding too much focus on Lu Ke. The attention and discussion the sophomore has received far exceeds that of his rookie season.
People can be tolerant to rookies, "after all, they are rookies," but they are not willing to be tolerant to sophomores, "because it is already the second year." But in fact, second-year players are more difficult than first-year players, especially after the other thirty-one teams have repeatedly studied and explored these players, the situation has become really difficult.
They must improve their strength and condition. If the improvement cannot keep up with the pace of the league, then the second-year player's decline will be far faster than the rise in his rookie season, and it may even be a cliff-like fall.
On the other hand, the coaching staff is really scared, afraid that Lu Ke will be injured unnecessarily. Mentioning the series of nightmares in last year's preseason, not to mention the coaching staff, even the team's top brass couldn't help but shudder. No one wants a repeat of the past.
In fact, in the third and fourth games of the preseason, Lu Ke took the initiative and asked to play. Against the Denver Broncos, Lu Ke hoped to compete with his idol; against the San Diego Lightning, Lu Ke hoped to further complete his offensive team. Break-in. As a result, everything was blocked by Hubble.
Although everyone knows clearly that it is not advisable to stop eating due to choking, and to truly avoid injuries, retirement is the only way out. Otherwise, injuries in professional games are inevitable, but Lu Ke still failed to play smoothly. ——Only played one quarter in the third game.
From the side, the coaching staff's trust and protection for Lu Ke is slowly establishing Lu Ke's position as the core of the team.
…
In the locker room.
Lu Ke stood in the center of his teammates and raised his voice, "I know there have been a lot of rumors recently, good, bad, positive and negative. Believe me, my college classmates are constantly trying to convey news to me." With this unexpected joke, the players who knew Lu Ke's university major began to boo.
"But I don't care." Lu Ke raised his middle finger towards them, but did not change his gaze or interrupt his speech at all, and continued, "I know what my goal is, and I also know what a team I have. With this kind of team, I still know what difficulties we have to face, but I firmly believe that we are the one with the last laugh.”
"Things of the past, stay in the past."
"Last season, those regrets, those happiness, those missed joys, I hope they all stay in the past, don't hold on to the past and forget the present, otherwise, we will not be able to break through ourselves. I ask you all to focus on the present, for a brand new Work hard for the future, this is my sophomore season, this is also your brand new season, everything is brand new, new teammates, new beginning, new story."
"But the only thing that remains the same is that my goal remains the same."
"I don't care what other people think of my goal, because it is mine, not theirs. I have never questioned such a goal. I firmly believe that I can achieve such a goal! Therefore, I need you to follow me closely. I need your full support. I can't reach the finish line just by relying on me alone. Please be sure to follow me to move forward, fight together, and sprint together!"
"I, Lu Ke, am a 49er. I am a warrior! I am a warrior! I am a fighter! So, besides me, who else is there?"
With Lu Ke's rising words, the atmosphere in the entire locker room began to boil.
Then, Lu Ke raised his right hand high and shouted loudly, with almost no hesitation or hesitation. Logan, Aldon, Marcus, Willis and others all raised their right hands. He clenched his fists tightly and roared along with Lu Ke.
Brooks took the lead and stood beside Lu Ke, roaring at the top of his lungs. The blue-veined thug on his neck burst out with a powerful momentum like a tiger descending a mountain. Along with it, the newly-joined rookie players and free agents also Everyone cheered, including Colin Kaepernick, who had always been reserved.
"We are warriors!"
"We are warriors!"
"We are fighters!"
"There are nine of us!"
Lu Ke's muscles all over his body were tense to the extreme, and he roared crazily, "Tell me, what is our goal...?"
"Super Bowl!"
Lu Ke waved his right arm vigorously, "Super Bowl!"
"Super Bowl!"
Then the entire locker room was like a volcano erupting. Everyone was jumping, cheering and shouting. The roar burst out with earth-shattering shock, shook the locker room mightily, and began to stir vigorously in the Candlestick Stadium. Get up, this also officially announced the start of the San Francisco 49ers' 2012 season.
Lu Ke stared at the grand occasion in front of him and waved his fist heavily. His sophomore season had finally begun.
…
Two days later, the San Francisco 49ers' fifty-three-man roster was released. Some were happy and some were worried.
When Jules Hampton left head coach Jim Harper's office, he couldn't wait to jump up high and kick his feet in the office corridor, making a "snap" sound, just like Like a tap-dancing star from the black-and-white silent film era, his whole body was showing his joy, and his sharp and harsh voice shouted cheerfully, "I'm going to play ball with Bambi! I'm going to play ball with Bambi! Hoho!"
As an undrafted rookie, Hampton managed to stay on the fifty-three-man roster. This is a start.
