Chapter 659: Training Partner
"God, JJ, JJ, I can't breathe, JJ, let go!" Lu Ke, like a drowning man, rolled his eyes and made an expression as if he was about to die from a lack of oxygen. At the same time, he kept slapping Watt's arm. His vivid performance made the people standing next to him look startled.
Watt gave a helpless, wry smile. He wasn't even using any force, just giving a warm hug and lightly patting Lu Ke's back twice. However, his physique was quite muscular, and standing in front of Lu Ke, the size difference was particularly striking, creating the illusion of "Beauty and the Beast" with a little bit of force.
Wait, was that a bad analogy? It felt strange.
"JJ!" Lu Ke was still struggling, seemingly on the verge of collapsing. Watt looked up, trying to defend himself, but he wasn't good with words. In a panic, he didn't know how to speak. In the end, he could only let go of Lu Ke, scratching his head awkwardly, and stood there at a loss.
After Lu Ke stood up straight again, he immediately returned to normal, as if nothing had happened. His calm and composed demeanor was in stark contrast to the chaotic scene. The huge difference was almost at the level of face-changing, and the atmosphere around him instantly changed.
Noticing the shocked and horrified looks around him, Lu Ke even looked around seriously, blinking with an innocent expression. "What's wrong? Is something not right?"
"Screw it!"
The other teammates from the Houston Texans were dumbfounded. They had just been watching the show and now realized they had been pranked. They all started throwing things in their hands and went into a rage. They were all collectively speechless.
Watt stared at Lu Ke with his eyes wide open, grinding his teeth, and said angrily, word for word, "Bambi!"
"What's wrong?" Lu Ke turned his head, looking serious, as if he didn't understand why Watt was calling him or why there was so much commotion. He gave him a questioning look. His sincere expression instantly made all of Watt's anger dissipate. After reaching the height of absurdity, it started to become funny.
Watt opened his mouth, but was speechless. In the end, he dropped his shoulders weakly and gave Lu Ke a thumbs-up.
Logan, who was standing by, walked over with a calm expression, patted Watt's shoulder, and showed a sympathetic look. He said with a heavy heart, "Man, do you see Bambi's true colors now? He's a demon. That whole 'Bambi the deer' thing is a complete facade. Be careful. Don't let him sell you out and then you're counting the money."
After saying that, Logan sighed and shook his head repeatedly, his hands behind his back, looking like a master of the world, and walked away.
Marcus rushed over and hit Logan hard. In an instant, that calm and composed appearance was completely shattered. Logan started chasing Marcus with his fists waving. They looked like kids in a kindergarten.
Watt said meaningfully, "He must have suffered a lot, which is why he has such a deep understanding."
Lu Ke almost broke character. He held back his laughter again and again. It was clear that Watt wasn't as honest and simple as he looked on the outside. This guy was more of a master of disguise than he was!
Watt turned his attention back to Lu Ke and bumped him with his shoulder as a greeting. As a result, Lu Ke exaggeratedly took a few steps back again, causing Watt to roll his eyes. "God, are we still going to be able to have a good time?" His furious yet helpless expression was so funny.
Lu Ke finally took off his mischievous mask and sat down on a nearby chair, showing a relaxed smile. "I haven't heard from you since the divisional game. How have you been?"
"Good," Watt said, sitting directly across from Lu Ke. His muscular body looked like the Hulk, a very powerful visual impact. It was a good thing they were in the first-class lounge, or it would have attracted the attention of ordinary people. "Training, training, and more training. Nothing special."
"As expected. You're a guy who doesn't know how to enjoy life at all," Lu Ke said without any hesitation.
Watt, however, was calm. "Who's the one talking?" They were both training fanatics, so they were basically in the same boat. "Besides, I'm not satisfied with my rookie season performance. The intensity of the league's competition is much more fierce than I imagined. I need to keep improving."
As he spoke, Watt looked at Lu Ke and said very seriously, "Otherwise, the next time I face you, I won't be able to keep up. How am I supposed to sack you then?" His flat tone was full of a cold intensity that sent a chill down Lu Ke's spine.
"No, that's not necessary," Lu Ke said, respectfully declining. He was being sincere. "I think I'm very easy to sack. Look, the Ravens sacked me nine times. It was a nightmare. So, you don't have to make that your goal. I think it's good as it is. Look, your muscles are already like the Hulk's."
Watt shook his head and started to recall seriously, "That's not it. In the NFC Championship game against the New York Giants, you broke out of three tackles in the last minute and completed a Hail Mary. In the divisional game against the New Orleans Saints, you did a fake run to distract them and completed a twenty-five-yard rushing touchdown. Wait, was it twenty-eight yards?"
Watt actually started listing evidence to prove that Lu Ke was not an easy person to sack.
With his serious demeanor, Lu Ke would not doubt Watt's memory. "Cough, cough," he cleared his throat, forcing himself to interrupt Watt's list, and changed the subject. "The season is already over. Let's not dwell on the past, okay? Now we can look forward to the future and have a great time! What do you think?"
"Hmm, I think so too," Watt said, nodding seriously in agreement. "What about the offseason? Where are you planning to train?"
"..."
Great. After changing the subject, they started talking about offseason training. That's Watt for you.
However, Lu Ke didn't mind, because he was also eager and ready for the offseason. After his first full season, Lu Ke was more clearly aware of his weaknesses and shortcomings. The upcoming offseason would be crucial. He had to plan his training well to prepare for his second season.
"I haven't had time to discuss the details yet. I've only talked to my agent," he said. After all, it had only been less than forty-eight hours since the NFC Championship game. Everything was still in a chaotic state. It was a little too rushed to plan the entire offseason, but Lu Ke had still had his first conversation with Leh-heh.
"If nothing unexpected happens, I might go to UCLA to train. On one hand, they're willing to provide a training ground and welcome me back to my alma mater. On the other hand, my quarterback coach, Kip Crist, is also willing to go to Los Angeles for a vacation. He can follow my training throughout."
"Also, my agent is looking for a suitable strength and conditioning coach and a health consultant. Once the whole team is built, we'll go to Los Angeles together to start the offseason training," Lu Ke explained. He had only a preliminary understanding, but he was already aware that prolonging a career was not a simple matter. The more professional it was, the more specialized it became. An excellent team was very important for a professional player.
Of course, it was also very expensive.
Lu Ke hadn't looked into the details yet, but he had once asked Alex Smith. The weekly training fee for a professional team could be anywhere from thirty thousand to fifty thousand dollars, but that was just the average. For a top-tier private training team like Tom Brady's or Peyton Manning's, the cost could continue to increase without a limit.
If you don't hire a professional agent, it's very difficult to manage these expenses. Especially for rookie players, they often buy a luxury car and waste hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars, then fall into debt. Naturally, their professional training can't keep up.
More importantly, it's difficult for a truly professional and top-tier team to start a partnership without connections. The agent's job becomes extremely important.
Watt nodded in agreement. "My agent is also contacting a professional team. I'm hoping for a private team so they can work with me wholeheartedly and ensure that I can improve enough. The rookie season performance was a disaster, and I definitely don't want to go through that again."
As expected, Watt's demands on himself were almost harsh. Even Lu Ke sometimes felt he couldn't handle it. But having a partner like this can create a positive cycle, where they train together and improve each other's training level.
"Have you found a training ground? If not, you're welcome to come to Los Angeles with me. In our team, Logan and Marcus have already decided to go back to our alma mater to train with me," Lu Ke said, inviting him.
American football is a team sport, and so is training. Excellent training partners are an important way to improve training level. Of course, top-tier training grounds and training partners are not easy to find.
Watt's eyes lit up, and he smiled brilliantly. His whole face came to life. "Are you thinking the same thing? I was just thinking about whether I should invite you to train together. It was very fun training together at the rookie training camp. If you're still missing a defensive training partner, I'd be happy to join. We can create some powerful matchups!"
Suddenly, Lu Ke felt as if he had provoked something he shouldn't have. This didn't seem right. Was it too late to regret it now?
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