Hunter held his breath tightly—
Both being running backs, why was there such a huge disparity in treatnt?
Hunter and Kamara were alike; they didn't deny Li Wei's excellence. Getting picked in the second or third round was not a problem; but they didn't think themselves inferior to Li Wei, nor did they believe that Li Wei deserved a higher pick than Fournette or McCaffrey.
In Hunter's eyes, Li Wei's outstanding performance in the NCAA was credited to the University of Alabama's unparalleled offensive line, as well as Saban's array of strategic deploynts around the ground attack, creating inherent conditions for the success of a running back. Any running back would perform well in that system.
And the draft?
In reality, the draft was also a comrcial performance, to see who could market themselves better. Even though Li Wei was a first-round pick and Hunter was third-round, he didn't believe that represented the real difference in their abilities.
Hunter had made up his mind.
He would prove himself, he would beat Li Wei, he would beco the starting running back.
Thump. Thump-thump.
Hunter was mobilizing all the energy in his body.
"One!"
His calf muscles were a bit tight, Hunter noticed right away, but with a glance from the corner of his eye, he could see the other two steady figures; taking a deep breath, he gritted his teeth and continued to maintain the rhythm.
"Two!"
A period of stiffness, and the only thought in Hunter's mind was to persist, to keep on persisting, just a little longer would be fine. A burst of powerful energy erupted from his body, his gaze fixed fanatically ahead.
Roar roar roar!
The sporadic cheers from the training field grew rowdy as the new recruits rooted for Li Wei and Hunter, while the veterans cheered for Kelce.
In fact, anyone with a clear sight could see that Hunter and Li Wei were budding rivals. Although there were three other running backs on the Kansas City Chiefs, the action of the personnel team picking two running backs in the draft couldn't be more obvious—likely, the starting running back would erge from these two rookies.
Originally, people generally thought that Li Wei, the topic of much discussion, would be the first choice, but now it seed that Hunter was sending a signal; he had no intention of giving up the competition.
The scene suddenly ca alive—
It was, after all, sumr training camp; it was a bit more relaxed.
"Three!"
Hunter clenched his teeth tightly; his goal wasn't lofty, he just wanted to hold on longer than Li Wei. As for the rivalry between newcors and veterans, it wasn't even in his consideration at all; he was just holding his breath, trying to prove himself.
Just a bit longer, just another mont, how could he possibly be inferior to that skinny, weak stick of a guy?
Ah, Hunter didn't even have ti to react when his body tilted without warning and he fell out of view, lying flat and disappearing instantly.
His entire right calf was completely rigid; a spasm of pain erupted in an instant, his knee unable to bend, as a crushing wave of agony overwheld him.
Oh.
A chorus of sighs of frustration reached Hunter's ears, striking like thunder, his heart plumting sharply.
"Cramps! Quick, he's cramping up!"
The on-site dical staff were swift to react, entering the field imdiately to assist, working in an organized frenzy, quickly bringing chaos under control.
"Four!"
However, Rubin hadn't stopped.
Hunter had already recovered; he struggled with the thought of returning to the field, but the dical personnel controlled him in ti, preventing him from resuming training, lest he turn a non-injury into an injury.
It was just dehydration cramps for now, but who knew what would happen next.
Hunter was stunned; watching the figure who was still persisting on the field, he muttered a curse under his breath, frustrated but unable to vent his disappointnt. He slamd his fist onto the ground in brooding anger and lay down straight, staring blankly into the sky.
"Five!"
The sound of soles contacting the ground grew fainter, yet as the air grew quieter, the sounds beca clearer, reminiscent of the breeze on an early sumr afternoon rustling through the greenery.
All eyes were focused on the field.
"Li Wei VS Kelce".
Kelce, tight end, was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round, 63rd overall in the 2013 draft. His older brother, Jason Kelce, is also a professional football player. He entered the league two years before him and played as a center for the Philadelphia Eagles.
In his first three seasons of his career, Kelce was always learning and growing. Despite his solid performance, he did not stand out from the fierce competition in the NFL.
Last season, Kelce finally had his breakthrough. As a tight end responsible for short passing areas, he accomplished his first thousand-yard season with 1,125 yards and four touchdowns, finally catching the public eye. His 634 yards after catch led the league, earning him his first career All-Arica First Team honor.
Unfortunately, he couldn't perform his best in the playoffs for two consecutive seasons.
This year, Kelce also felt the pressure, desiring to perform even better, for a very simple reason. Last season, he had just completed a five-year, forty-six million US dollar contract with the team. He hoped to prove his worth, to show his value.
Might as well start from the first day of training camp.
Kelce didn't pay attention to others, focusing only on himself. The results of his offseason training were slowly showing, and it did not surprise him that he persisted to the end. However, he was slightly taken aback to discover that the last figure competing against him was—
Actually him.
Kelce noticed Li Wei's performance in the rookie training camp; he knew Li Wei was outstanding. But now, up close and personal, he couldn't help but feel his blood boil and his competitive spirit soar. He couldn't lose to the younger generation.
"Six!"
At that mont, Rubin discovered a little surprise.
Kelce's pace had quietly picked up, managing to push on even when his physical strength was close to its limit, clearly driven by sheer willpower.
And what was more astonishing was that Li Wei actually kept up with Kelce.
"Seven!"
Rubin began to quicken the pace as well.
"Eight!"
Under the blazing sun, drops of scorching sweat fell one after another, giving extra moisture to the grass beneath their feet, which was being trampled all the more fiercely. It was clear that both Kelce and Li Wei were biting down hard, sprinting to the end.
Even the onlookers couldn't help but grit their teeth, finding it hard to imagine the state Li Wei and Kelce were in.
Li Wei was persevering.
Competitive sports are just like this. When you're feeling the most difficult, the most tornted, the most vulnerable, on the verge of collapse, from spirit to body ready to fall apart—such monts such thresholds define the line between greatness and excellence.
The more you feel you can't hold on, the more you need to grit your teeth and persist.
Sweat poured down like rain, steam rising, but Li Wei's eyes sparked with a killer instinct—
This was the NFL he had been looking forward to.
Not to compete with Hunter or Kelce, but to challenge himself, his limits, and the higher plane of the impossible.
Front foot, Kelce was speeding up.
Back foot, Li Wei was actually picking up speed again.
Thud, thud, thud, the sound of footsteps beca more and more rapid, as shouts from the depths of the Dantian burst forth with full vigor, echoing explosively over the practice field.
"Hah! Hah!"
Then, it was Kelce's turn to catch up to Li Wei's pace.
Thump. Thump.
Forget the players—even Rubin's heart was pounding uncontrollably, the rhythm getting faster and faster, until their legs could no longer keep up—
Hmph.
With a grunt, Kelce fell to the ground.
However, Li Wei still did not stop!
The field fell silent, with only the rustling of footsteps echoing around.
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