"Parys! Parys! Parys!"
The deafening, non-stop cheers and roars surged in the darkness of the night. A furious wind tore the sounds into countless pieces, but it still couldn't stop the excitement on the street. All the players were jumping excitedly, howling and cheering together.
In the spotlight, Willis and the others decisively took off their clothes and boldly ran back and forth on the street. All the other players took out their phones and used the video and camera functions to record this historic moment. The quiet street became the red carpet of a movie premiere.
Now, all that was left was Parys. So, the cheers rose, and all the spotlights fell on Parys. The more he procrastinated and hesitated, the more the attention grew, and things began to spiral out of control.
Finally, Parys gritted his teeth, took off his clothes, and ran frantically down the street.
Justin Smith and NaVorro Bowman, two key players from the defensive team, launched a surprise attack and pulled off Parys's underwear. At this, the entire street erupted. All sorts of howls emerged, just like a vast forest in spring. At the same time, a flood of camera flashes poured down, as bright as day.
Amidst the excitement, Michael Crabtree, Aldon Smith, and Reggie Smith all joined in the fun, taking off their clothes and running naked. The party atmosphere finally reached its climax. There was no distinction between rookies and veterans, starters and reserves. The entire team entered a state of 100% revelry.
In the United States, besides a few 24-hour bars, most bars had a curfew and had to close at the latest by 3:00 AM.
It was just after 1:00 AM, the most lively time for a party, and there didn't seem to be many drunks wandering the streets. But after the San Francisco 49ers made such a scene, the customers from the nearby bars came out to join the fun. The entire area was filled with vitality, and the scene was truly spectacular.
"God, you guys are absolutely crazy," a voice sighed in his ear. After whistling, Lu Ke put down his fingers and turned his head. It was Alex Smith. Lu Ke said with a chuckle, "Don't talk as if you're an old man. College kids these days are a lot crazier."
Alex's mouth curled up, but then he reined it in and shrugged helplessly. "I'm not young anymore."
"Jesus Christ." Lu Ke exclaimed dramatically. After drinking, his emotions seemed to be magnified. He wasn't drunk, but he could still feel his body getting slightly warmer. "If I'm not mistaken, you're twenty-seven today? Or twenty-six?"
"Twenty-seven," Alex replied. He paused for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh. "When you put it that way, it doesn't sound so old."
"Of course. Twenty-seven, that's just starting to get out there in the world," Lu Ke said as if it were a given. "For a quarterback, isn't the golden age around thirty? You should watch Peyton Manning and Drew Brees play. God, sometimes I think they're even younger than me."
Alex was stunned, and his words stopped. The gloom, depression, and loss from tonight welled up in his heart. Ever since he had witnessed the fans' support at the airport, he had felt an indescribable sense of melancholy that he couldn't shake off, even with alcohol. "Have you ever worried about losing your starting position?"
"Of course," Lu Ke said frankly. "Tonight is no exception. We lost the game. Although I have enough confidence in my performance, as an undrafted rookie, and one with not many stats to go off of, every step I take is on a high-wire. So, yes, I'm worried about losing my starting position."
Such an honest answer was something Alex hadn't expected. "But..." But Lu Ke seemed completely unaffected tonight. His confident and calm demeanor always made people envious.
"But worrying doesn't solve problems," Lu Ke said, taking over the conversation. "If I lose my starting position this week, it means the coaching staff has a better option. So what I need to do is put my heart and soul into training, improve my skills, and earn the coaches' approval again. I believe I can win back the starting position."
His confident words were filled with strong determination and vitality. But after a short pause, Lu Ke added, "Someday." This seemed to be a sign of a lack of confidence, and Alex couldn't help but laugh.
The smile lingered on his face, and Alex fell into his own thoughts.
He was only twenty-seven years old. He had only gone through a third, or even just a quarter, of his career. There was still a very long road ahead of him.
Aaron Rodgers, who was drafted the same year, had become one of the top four quarterbacks and had won a Super Bowl. But so what? He also had his own career and was moving forward one step at a time. It was too early to sink or give up now. Far too early.
He should pick himself up, put his head down, and train. He should do his best to win back the starting position and earn his own recognition with his own skills. Even if it wasn't with the San Francisco 49ers, there were still thirty-one other teams in the league, and he still had plenty of opportunities.
When he looked at Lu Ke again, the wavering, uneasy frustration and gloom slowly settled down. Alex's brows furrowed, and he asked with interest, "You know, I'll do my best to compete for the starting position. I won't give up easily, right?"
"I know," Lu Ke replied without any hesitation. Then he showed a confident smile. "In fact, I'm looking forward to it." Noticing Alex's puzzled look, Lu Ke continued to explain. "I mean, you're an experienced quarterback, and you have a different understanding of the game and tactics. In this competition, I hope to continue to improve myself. Of course, I mean healthy competition."
As a quarterback, Alex's control of the game was very unique. Reducing turnovers, controlling the tempo, and avoiding risks were all his strengths. In addition, Alex's rich experience and maturity were things Lu Ke didn't have.
Before the preseason, Jim Harbaugh re-signed Alex with a clear intention: he hoped that Alex could use his experience to help Kaepernick grow quickly, and at the same time, act as a link to help Kaepernick integrate into the team's West Coast offense system.
The playbook was a major challenge for every rookie quarterback. If they could get guidance, or even hands-on teaching, from a veteran quarterback, the rookie's growth rate would be greatly improved.
Now, on the San Francisco 49ers' roster, Lu Ke, Scott Tolzien, and Colin Kaepernick were all rookies. They needed Alex's experience and guidance.
Unfortunately, Alex was injured before the preseason, and Kaepernick didn't get enough guidance. His performance in the preseason was a disaster. After recovering from his injury, Alex only officially joined the team's joint practice last week. He had only been back for two weeks and hadn't had time to communicate more with the three rookies.
Alex could feel the vitality in Lu Ke. It was not just a desire to win, but also a desire for strength and growth. As an undrafted rookie, Lu Ke put in more sweat and effort than anyone else. Alex only had to see Lu Ke's daily training to see a lot. He couldn't imagine how much effort Lu Ke put in outside of the training field.
"On Wednesday, if you're willing, we can start training together," Alex said, extending a friendly hand.
In team training, quarterbacks trained with other quarterbacks. On one hand, it was because the training content was the same. On the other hand, it was so they could partner up and do targeted, specialized training. It was through this kind of training that veteran quarterbacks and rookie quarterbacks could communicate and pass on their knowledge.
Lu Ke's eyes lit up. "No problem." For the past two months, Lu Ke's training partner had always been Scott Tolzien. Due to the gap in their skills, most of the time, Lu Ke studied and learned on his own, and Tolzien would only cooperate in specialized training.
"What time do you train?" Without any extra pleasantries, Lu Ke got straight to the point.
Alex chuckled softly. "Don't be so eager, or I'll regret it." Lu Ke spread his hands, showing his innocence. Alex's smile became a little brighter. "7:00 AM. I usually start training at 7:00 AM. But I know you have your own training plan and pace. Just do it your way. We can just meet at the training facility at 7:00 AM."
"Okay," Lu Ke nodded in affirmation. "By the way, after the recovery training on Wednesday, I made an appointment with Kip to watch this week's game footage in the tactics room. Do you want to join us?"
"Heh, two crazy people." Before Alex could answer, a voice intervened and interrupted their conversation. It wasn't just one voice. First, it was Logan, then Marcus, then Vernon and Crabtree. A whole group of people came rushing over.
"You guys aren't talking about playbooks or anything like that, are you? God, you two are so boring. This is a party night! A party! The party is at its peak right now. Come on, let's drink together! Come on, drink! Or, should we play another betting game? This time, let's make the wager even bigger?"
The chattering and commotion all mixed together, and it was impossible to tell who was who. He only felt a noisy ringing in his ears. Then, Lu Ke and Alex exchanged a glance and followed everyone back into the bar. The party night was still not over.
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