Jim Harbaugh turned and left. Without creating any suspense, he simply announced the starting quarterback and then left the practice field, heading to the press conference. He left the practice in the hands of the offensive and defensive coaches to continue. From now on, they would begin preparing for this week's game with Lu Ke as the core.
"Hey, Bambi, Bambi!" Logan opened his arms and charged at Lu Ke. He jumped high and then, like a koala, hung on Lu Ke and waved his right fist vigorously, yelling, "Yeehaw! Bambi!"
Marcus, Aldon, and Kendall also rushed forward, heavily slapping Lu Ke on the back. The frenzied movements made a series of thumping sounds, and their excessive behavior almost made Lu Ke want to spit blood. Was this a celebration or a brawl?
"Damn it! I'm getting internal injuries, internal injuries!" Lu Ke yelled helplessly. Then he threw Logan off of him. He watched as Logan, like a giant baby, rolled on the ground twice. Logan then sat on the ground and laughed triumphantly, watching Lu Ke, who was gradually surrounded by the crowd. He waved his hands and said, "Go get him, guys!"
In the next second, Lu Ke's vision was blocked because all the offensive players swarmed him, surrounding him in layers. Their faces were all filled with joy. "Congrats, man! It looks like we'll be fighting side by side again this week." Everyone stretched out their arms and patted Lu Ke's helmet and shoulders.
Lu Ke felt like a watermelon that was being tapped to check if it was ripe. He really wanted to yell, "This watermelon is ripe, stop tapping!" But in the midst of the noisy crowd, his voice couldn't be heard, so he gave up.
Every offensive player was there, without exception. Michael Crabtree, Kyle Williams, and Ted Ginn all came up immediately. Although they couldn't be considered friends with Lu Ke, they were still friends with Alex Smith. But at this moment, the distinction between factions had quietly faded.
The atmosphere of the team was changing, little by little.
Even Vernon Davis was no exception. He squeezed into the crowd, grabbed Lu Ke's right hand, and after pulling him closer, he bumped shoulders with him and simply said, "Congratulations."
In the 2005 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers used their first overall pick to select Alex Smith. But in his rookie season, Alex only played in nine games as a rotational backup.
In the 2006 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers used their sixth overall pick to select Vernon Davis. After joining the team, Vernon and Alex became one of the most important duos and grew up together.
In terms of personal relationships, Vernon Davis, Delanie Walker, and Alex Smith were all from the same group of players. Since 2006, they had grown rapidly and gradually became the mainstays of this team. In addition to their relationship on the field, Vernon and Alex were also friends in real life.
So, during the factional struggles in the locker room, Vernon had not hesitated to choose Alex and had even deliberately tripped Lu Ke up during practice.
But after three games, and after today's head-to-head confrontation, even Vernon had to admit that Lu Ke was currently the most suitable choice for the team. Was Lu Ke perfect? Of course not. From a technical and game experience perspective, Alex Smith was the smarter choice. But sports are not a theoretical discussion. In the end, they must be considered in a comprehensive way.
In today's competition between the four quarterbacks, Lu Ke had truly delivered an excellent performance, and it was only natural for him to stand out. As Lu Ke said, the internal conflicts of the team should be left on the training field. As for the outside, they were a whole and needed to unite to win.
Vernon still didn't like Lu Ke because he was Alex's friend, and he couldn't like the player who had taken his friend's starting position. But on the field, he was willing to fight alongside Lu Ke, and this was a small step.
Lu Ke also nodded to Vernon, not saying too much. They didn't need to be friends; being teammates was enough. Then, Lu Ke saw Alex standing behind Vernon.
Alex was still his usual self, not showing any hostility. He was calm and polite, and his whole demeanor was incredibly gentle. At this moment, there was a bitter smile on his face. He generously bumped shoulders with Lu Ke. "That was a really nice pass today. I don't like it, but I have to admit it."
After taking a deep breath, he gradually returned to his normal state and smiled brightly. "We've already won three games. Let's work together to continue this momentum. I'm not sure if you need my help, but if you do, I'm always here. Feel free to come and find me."
Lu Ke and Alex were not friends; that was a given. There was a competition and a confrontation between the two of them. Even if Lu Ke won the starting position this week, as long as Lu Ke's performance wasn't ideal, it was only a matter of time before Alex would take back control of the offense. As a veteran in the league and as the former first overall pick in the draft, Alex was always a force to be reckoned with.
What's more, Aaron Rodgers, who was the same age as Alex, was at the peak of his career and dominating the field. Alex would definitely not surrender and be content with being a backup. If he could, he would naturally want to return to the starting position. So, the competition would not disappear.
In the past two weeks, because of the factional rivalry, the two of them had been a little at odds with each other during practice. But overall, Alex had still shown politeness and respect. Today, Alex had shown an even more open-minded attitude, which earned him a lot of goodwill.
Although Lu Ke had won the starting position today, no one could deny that Alex's experience was indeed what Lu Ke lacked.
In the three games before this, during their preparation, during their interpretation of the playbook, and during their review of the game footage, Lu Ke had encountered many problems, and Kippy Christ was the one he had asked. If Lu Ke could ask Alex, another quarterback, and the leader of the San Francisco 49ers for the past five years, it would naturally be even better.
"I'll go back and make a list. I hope it's not too long," Lu Ke said without any polite refusal. This made Alex freeze for a moment, and then he burst out laughing.
Not far away, Colin Kaepernick silently watched the lively and bustling scene in front of him. His hands were clenched into fists, and he was biting his gums tightly, but he still couldn't vent the anger and frustration that was burning in his chest.
The starting quarterback was Lu Ke, the second quarterback was Alex Smith, the third quarterback was Scott Tolzien, and the fourth quarterback was Colin Kaepernick.
This was the coaching staff's choice.
Scott was not released; he was still on the team's roster. It was clear that the coaching staff was still being cautious about Alex's and Colin's injuries and didn't want to rush things. But Colin's position was even lower than Scott's! He was just the fourth quarterback! This wasn't just a failure; it was a disgrace!
Just two months ago, Colin was the core of the team, the second-round pick in the draft, the center of the entire offense, and the one who carried all the hopes. And Lu Ke and Scott were just backups who had joined the team through tryouts, just undrafted rookies!
Now, the positions had been reversed. The changes in the situation were truly too sudden and too drastic, as if... as if the whole world had been turned upside down, and everything had gone mad.
He took a deep breath, and then another deep breath.
He watched as the offensive players came forward to congratulate Lu Ke. He watched as the rookie players gathered around Lu Ke. In the past few months, everything that Colin had worked so hard to build had completely fallen apart. Even the members of the defensive team were not making any noise or protesting anymore. They were just silently preparing for the next practice, as if they had silently accepted the coaching staff's arrangements.
Even with constant deep breaths, Colin still couldn't control his emotions. This was an ordeal. No, this was a slow and painful execution!
He turned around abruptly, and Colin walked away from the training field in big strides. He had to leave, and he could only leave. If he stayed here any longer, he didn't know what he would do.
After Alex had congratulated Lu Ke, he turned around and saw Colin's fading back, with the number seven on his jersey standing out. Then he saw Parys standing on the sidelines.
Yesterday, Parys had left the field in a fit of rage, but he had only gone to the players' bathroom to take a cold shower. After he had calmed down, he had returned to practice. Naturally, Parys was also at practice today. No more fighting had occurred, but the tense atmosphere had not dissipated.
He looked at Lu Ke, and then he looked at Parys. In the end, Alex walked over and stood next to Parys. "This is the professional level. You need to show professionalism, not act like a hormone-fueled high schooler." After saying that, he didn't give any more explanations. He just patted Parys on the shoulder and then turned and left.
Parys was still standing there, his face constantly changing expressions. In fact, he himself didn't understand how things had gotten to this point.
...
Looking at the endless crowd in front of him, Lu Ke's ecstasy and excitement had been somewhat dampened. It seemed that every one of his friends was happier than he was, especially the rookie players. In a head-to-head confrontation, and a competition for the starting quarterback position, the victory of Lu Ke, who represented the rookies, seemed to mean that the San Francisco 49ers had truly entered a new era.
Of course, this was just the competition for the starting position in the fourth week of the regular season. It was still a long way from being an "era." But who could predict what the future would hold? It was something to look forward to.
Putting away his excitement and joy, Lu Ke said loudly, "Guys, get ready to practice. The coaches have been patient for a long time. I'm not sure how much longer they can wait, so before they explode, let's start practicing."
Amidst the laughter, everyone went back to practice.
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