When the San Francisco 49ers vs. St. Louis Rams game was over, Lu Ke was being bombarded by media reporters. At the same time, the New Orleans Saints vs. Carolina Panthers game also ended, and Cam Newton was facing a media siege on the other side of the North American continent.
For Newton, this was not a successful season, but it was not a failure either. From the team's perspective, it was a disappointing season. The Carolina Panthers' season record was not good. They lost the last game to their division rival, the New Orleans Saints, with a terrible score of 17-45 and became a backdrop for Drew Brees to set a historic record. They ended the season with a 6-10 record, finishing third in their division and missing the playoffs.
What was worse was a set of data. When Newton lost possession because of his own fumbles or interceptions during a game, he lost all ten games. When he avoided turnovers, he won all six games. In other words, on the young Panthers team, as a quarterback, Newton had to be responsible for the team's failures. His ups and downs led to many disasters. But this was the responsibility a starting quarterback had to bear.
From Newton's personal perspective, it was a season of a powerful rise. In terms of passing, Newton broke Peyton Manning's rookie season passing yards record and became the first quarterback in history to throw for over 4,000 yards in a single season, crushing the doubts about his passing accuracy. Before this, Manning's rookie passing yards record was 3,739 yards, and Newton's final result was 4,051 yards.
The last game was a record-breaking night for Drew Brees, and it was also one for Cam Newton. In terms of rushing, in Week 13 of the regular season, Newton completed three rushing touchdowns in a single game, which also set the record for a quarterback's single-game rushing touchdowns, pushing the ability of a running quarterback to the extreme. The slogan "Superman" was already popular among the home team's fans and became the best compliment for Newton.
For a rookie, this was the most perfect debut of a career. If it wasn't for a certain person.
"Cam, what do you think of the performances of Lu Ke and Andy Dalton this season? Especially Lu Ke, as an undrafted rookie, who has a much better record than you. Some people have questioned that if the draft were to happen again, the Panthers should have chosen Lu Ke as the number one overall pick. Do you have anything you want to say in response?"
"Cam, there have been rumors in the league that your relationship with Lu Ke is not harmonious, and it has been that way since the rookie training camp. May I ask if this has anything to do with Lu Ke's Chinese heritage?"
"Cam, your Wonderlic Test score was only 22, while Lu Ke's was a perfect 50. What do you think about that? Do you still insist that this test doesn't represent a quarterback's ability?"
"Cam, Lu Ke has set countless records as an undrafted rookie. For example, he is the first undrafted rookie to lead his team to the playoffs in his rookie season. Now, he is even considered a candidate for the regular season MVP. As a rookie in the same year, do you have any special thoughts?"
"Cam, who do you think is the better quarterback between you and Lu Ke?"
"Cam..."
An endless stream of topics came like a tide, completely drowning Newton, leaving him breathless. The smile on his face gradually froze, and anger slowly rose to his head. He tried to calm himself down, but the constant chatter didn't give him any chance. So, his rationality broke.
"I am, of course, I am." Newton couldn't help but shout. His voice, out of control, became sharp, and his chest rose and fell like a bellows. Newton was clearly innocent. He just wanted to enjoy the lights, applause, flowers, and cheers.
The season was finally over, and the players were finally relaxed. Although the Panthers didn't make the playoffs, he had a perfect rookie season. This was a perfect start. Everything indicated that he would have a promising and brilliant career, and he would gradually rise to the top. But these journalists wouldn't let him go, and he was inexplicably hit! What was going on? What was going on?
Lu Ke, Lu Ke, Lu Ke! This name was like a curse that haunted him. From the rookie training camp until the end of the regular season, it never went away. It was as if hundreds of thousands of flies were buzzing in his ears. His anger had already exceeded its limit and overflowed. He had to vent, he had to explode. So, his words lost control.
"Everyone knows that the 49ers' excellent performance this season is thanks to Coach Jim Harbaugh first, the defense second, and the two tight ends and two wide receivers who gave their all third. Lu Ke? Jesus Christ, the reason why he's in the public eye is that he has a group of excellent teammates!"
"The bottom line is that Lu Ke is an average quarterback, and everything is because of the system. Let's wait until next season to see. Everything will be revealed. Charles Davis has analyzed it many times. Is no one able to objectively look at this player?"
"Or is it that you used to question us unconditionally because of our skin color, and now you are unconditionally praising him because of his skin color?"
The endless words were sharp, vicious, and violent. After he finished venting, Newton was out of breath but had no idea what kind of trouble he had caused. But the journalists knew. They knew everything.
"Cam, do you mean that you're the only one who performed well on the Panthers? That your teammates dragged the team down?"
"Cam, are you accusing your teammates of not performing well this season, and if they had, the team's record would have been even better?"
"Cam, are your insinuations aimed at Lu Ke's Chinese heritage? Is this related to racial issues?"
"Cam, this season, Lu Ke's quarterback stats are better than yours. Are you denying his excellence?"
"Cam, so you think you're better than Lu Ke?"
A storm of questions came down, giving Newton no room to breathe, let alone fight back. He instantly felt suffocated, and his body began to tremble from extreme anger. The young Newton felt the power of the uncrowned king for the first time today. It was all because of Lu Ke. Everything was because of Lu Ke. If it weren't for Lu Ke, he wouldn't be in this predicament. If it weren't for Lu Ke, he wouldn't be a victim. If it weren't for Lu Ke, he wouldn't be overshadowed! That damn guy!
At this moment, Newton's mind was full of curses and swear words. He clenched his fists so tightly that his body began to tremble slightly. He tried his best to control himself and not curse at the journalists, but when he opened his mouth, his mind went blank. This should have been Newton's moment, but now, the topic of Lu Ke had stolen all the limelight.
Biting his teeth, Newton finally found his voice. Logically, he should have responded to the topic about his teammates first, which was the most important thing. But at this moment, there was only one topic that kept spinning in his mind. He squeezed a few words out from between his teeth, one word at a time. "Are you sure? His quarterback stats are better?"
In the 2011 season, when people talked about rookie stats, Newton was always a member who could not be ignored. This was Newton's confidence. But since the season began, Newton had never looked at the stats of other quarterbacks because he was the leader, and others were just followers. Besides, he had just finished the last regular season game today, and he hadn't even had time to take a shower in the locker room, let alone read the stats. The only thought in Newton's mind right now was that he knew that quarterback was good and that he could see news about him everywhere on the internet and TV. He hadn't looked at that guy's stats, and he wasn't interested. He just took it for granted that everything was because of the hype brought by his Chinese heritage, just like in the rookie training camp.
Now that the journalists had emphasized this repeatedly, Newton blurted it out instantly. But after he said it, Newton regretted it. He shook his head and, without waiting for the journalists' answer, continued. "Everything will become clear. Next year, in the second season, everything will be revealed. Let's see who the better quarterback is then."
After stating his resolve, Newton clenched his teeth and wanted to turn around and leave. But in the end, he couldn't bring himself to do it. This was his moment. After a whole season of hard work, it was finally time to reap the rewards. All the glory, halos, attention, and praise all belonged to him. He couldn't bear to let them go. In his hesitation, Newton was nailed to the spot, and the journalists' questions came again.
Obviously, in other parts of the league at the same time, Lu Ke and Newton were not the only two players who were surrounded by journalists. When the regular season ended, it was time to settle all the accumulation of the entire season. Among them, the performance of the rookies was undoubtedly the most eye-catching because they were the new force in the league, the future of the league, and this was their first year in the league. Next, they would become second-year players and welcome the arrival of new rookies.
Among the more than 300 rookies, the four quarterbacks who won the starting positions this season were the most eye-catching: Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers, the number one overall pick; Blaine Gabbert of the Jacksonville Jaguars, the 10th overall pick in the first round; Andy Dalton of the Cincinnati Bengals, the 35th overall pick in the second round; and Lu Ke of the San Francisco 49ers, an undrafted rookie.
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