"Lu Ke, before the season..."
The continuous stream of questions was still going on, but a burst of laughter and chatter ca from the hallway. The noisy echoes ricocheted off the walls, instantly drowning out the reporter's question.
Without even turning around, I knew that the rest of the San Francisco 49ers players had started to arrive, and the big group mixed interview was about to kick off.
So, I pointed behind
and smiled at the reporters. "The rest of the team is here, so I'll be going now. You guys can continue." With that, I took a step to leave, but this action imdiately caused the reporters to panic. They all sward toward , and a barrage of questions once again drowned
out.
I was stunned, and then I laughed, motioning for everyone to calm down. I raised my right hand and pressed it down, and after the noise subsided slightly, I chuckled. "I thought the questions were over."
"No, of course not!" There were a series of lively denials, and then soone couldn't wait to shout, "Bambi, Bambi! May I ask what it feels like to have been an undrafted rookie and a backup player just three weeks ago, but now you've led the team to three consecutive victories?"
I looked in the direction of the voice and saw Jay Fox in the crowd.
He was Logan's college roommate and was now working for the Los Angeles Tis. We had t again at the post-ga press conference for the Cowboys' ga last week. I didn't expect that Jay would personally co to Cincinnati this week for an away ga interview. However, in the previous interview, Jay couldn't get a word in. Rookie reporters also need ti to adapt to the rhythm of the workplace.
"Unbelievable." I didn't act humble or say sothing like, "I still need to work hard." Instead, I honestly admitted the real excitent and joy in my heart. This sincere response also made the reporters smile in a way that said, "I know, you know."
Jay didn't end his question and imdiately followed up, "So, were you nervous on the field today? I an, it was a very intense ga with a lot of exciting monts. Also, you were hit hard twice and seed to be in danger of getting injured. How did you feel about that?"
"I think that's part of the team's secret, right?" I said, looking confused, as if trying to confirm it. "To prevent my opponents from seeing through my tricks and my nervousness, I should keep my mouth shut." I didn't answer directly but responded in a teasing way, which made the reporters all laugh.
"Are you sure you didn't play a full ga in the NCAA?" a reporter next to
finally couldn't help but ask loudly.
In the past three gas, I had shown a lot of immaturity and inexperience, and the lack of ga experience was an objective fact. But overall, my deanor in the ga was really impressive. The bigger the situation, the more I could hold my ground.
In a way, this was also a kind of talent, and it was a talent that couldn't be developed through training, gas, or experience.
I shrugged. "If we're in the sa parallel universe, then the answer is yes." This ti, all the reporters laughed together and were very amused.
As I was talking, the rest of the team had already arrived. Everyone sward behind , patting
on the shoulder and teasing
for "eating alone." I didn't mind. I turned to Logan and Marcus, pointed to Jay in the crowd, and said, "Hey, did you notice? The old friend is here again."
This ti, it wasn't just Logan and Marcus. The other players on the team also looked over. "Bambi, is that your old fla?" "No way, Bambi, you have bad taste!" "What's going on, what's going on?" The teasing was endless. Even the other reporters turned their heads and looked over curiously.
Jay Fox, the rookie reporter, beca the focus of attention without any warning.
And I, the instigator, slowly walked away from my teammates and the reporters and headed toward the visitors' locker room. The soreness in my right arm ca back again. That bullet pass was too aggressive and urgent. The result of a lack of ga experience was making reckless choices at critical monts and then suffering the consequences after the ga.
It looked like I needed not only an ice bath but also a massage. The only thing to be grateful for was that it was a ga day, and the regular training could be put on hold.
Back in the locker room, the backup players and staff ca forward one after another to congratulate , with high-fives, whistles, and cheers. Just like Bobby, the entire team was imrsed in the joy of victory. Even the assistant responsible for packing up the equipnt was beaming with joy.
Familiar and unfamiliar faces flashed before my eyes like a carousel, one after another. I wasn't sure if it was my imagination, but it seed that there were more team staff this week, even more than in a ho ga. There were so many people congratulating
that it felt like there was no end.
From the locker room door to my locker, I felt like I had walked for a century. I opened my locker and took off my complicated equipnt one by one, getting ready to shower, wash off the sweat, and then get a massage and an ice bath. Even in the short ti it took to take off my equipnt, people were still coming up to congratulate .
"Congratulations."
"Celebrate together," I said, untying my shoelaces without even looking up. After taking off my shoes, I sat up straight and saw Alex Smith standing in front of . The smile on my face lingered, and I was a little surprised.
Alex didn't mind and smiled. "Great ga."
In the past two weeks, there had always been a factional struggle within the team. Alex had been in the league for many years and had gradually gotten used to the team's way of doing things. He not only tolerated the existence of factions but also supported them. This was unfair to rookie players, but it was the case throughout the entire league. There was no such thing as fairness.
However, in the past two gas, against the Cowboys, I had activated Vernon Davis. Against the Bengals, I had activated Ted Ginn and Kyle Williams. These three were all from Alex's faction.
Of course, objectively speaking, there weren't many rookie players on the team to begin with, and my supporters were limited. More than two-thirds of the players were supporters of Alex or Colin Kaepernick, or even more. So, I had no choice. The ga had to go on, and victories had to be won, so I had to use these players.
Even so, my performance was still impressive. In today's ga, I had indeed shown leadership.
On that point alone, Alex admitted that he was not as good as , but he would not give up. The competition for the starting quarterback position would officially start tomorrow.
Words were on the tip of his tongue, and emotions were surging in his chest. Alex had all kinds of thoughts he wanted to express, but he couldn't find the right words or the right way to say them. So, he didn't continue to speak and just repeated, "Congratulations!" The rest would be decided on the training field.
After saying that, Alex left without stopping.
I could feel Alex's hesitation to speak, but I wasn't a mind reader, so I had no idea what Alex was trying to say. Confused and full of questions, I looked at Alex's back, and in the end, I could only shrug and shout, "...Thank you."
I refocused my attention, stood up, and got ready to shower. I draped a towel over my shoulder and picked up my phone. I saw that there were four unread text ssages.
Three of them were from Jiang Youning. "Lu Ke, are you okay? Are you injured?" "Lu Ke, after the ga, call ho." "Lu Ke?"
The simple words showed Jiang Youning's worry and nervousness.
I couldn't help but pat my head. After the victory, the joy had gone to my head, and I had forgotten about this. Lu Zhengze and Jiang Youning must have been watching the ga live on TV. With so many hits in today's ga, and the team doctor coming on the field twice, they must have been worried sick.
I quickly called Jiang Youning's phone. The call was answered almost as soon as it rang. "Lu Ke? Is that you?"
"Mom, it's ." I could feel Jiang Youning's urgency. I tried to slow down my speech. "I'm fine. Mom, don't worry, I'm okay." On the other end of the phone, I heard Jiang Youning let out a long sigh. She tried to say sothing, but her voice choked up, and she couldn't continue.
I heard the subtle change in her voice. "Mom, I'm serious. I'm fine. If you don't believe , we can video chat later. Right now, I'm in the locker room, and there are so R-rated scenes behind , so I think it's better if we don't."
"Lu Ke!" Jiang Youning scolded
without any real force, and then she laughed. "I'll give the phone to your dad. You can talk to him."
Although both Lu Zhengze and Jiang Youning knew that injuries were unavoidable in competitive sports, and football was one of the most physically demanding sports, watching the gas was still a worriso thing for them.
The call lasted for only three or four minutes. Lu Zhengze hung up the phone, telling
to go get a massage and an ice bath imdiately to relax my muscles. If necessary, I should also get a detailed examination from the team doctor. The ga was over, but the athlete's "work" was not yet finished.
However, I didn't go to shower imdiately. There was one more text ssage, and the content was very simple: "Bambi, are you okay?"
The simple words contained sincere care. I then dialed another phone number. After about three rings, the call was answered. "My God, Bambi, are you okay?"
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