The small incident that just happened was insignificant in the football rookie training camp; it would be a miracle if no conflicts or friction occurred. After the commotion subsided, the training camp got back on track, and the rookies systematically began their first day's scheduled activities.
Over the four-day rookie training camp, the first day was dedicated to various basic tests. The camp would test and record every physical asurent of the rookies. This would be the first comprehensive physical test for the rookies before entering the league, and also an important starting point for their professional careers. These data would stay with them throughout their careers.
The 332 rookies were divided into four groups to undergo different tests: physical paraters, Cybex tests, injury evaluations, and Wunderlic tests. After each group completed its tests, they would rotate until everyone had finished all four.
Every player wore an official jersey with a number and position on the front, and the player's na abbreviation on the back. However, the number was not the player's number but a registered number, with no practical aning, just like how every player in a track and field event at the Olympics has a number. It's the sa principle.
"Quarterback, number eleven!"
A voice called out from the front, and Lu Ke responded and walked forward. His chest number was indeed eleven. Perhaps it was a coincidence, or maybe it was luck, but this was the first ti in Lu Ke's career that he was wearing a jersey with his na on it: number eleven on the front, and "K.LU" on the back. The start of his professional career finally felt a little real.
"Take off your shoes and stand on the scale." The first test for the quarterbacks was the physical paraters asurent. In simple terms, it was to asure the players' basic physical paraters such as height, weight, and arm length. For running backs and linen, they also had to undergo a body fat test.
"6.33 feet (193 cm), 187.4 pounds (85 kg)." The United States uses imperial units, such as feet, inches, pounds, and ounces. The yard on the field is also an imperial unit.
After recording Lu Ke's basic physical data, the experienced and calm testing staff couldn't help but look up and glance at Lu Ke, with a look of surprise in their eyes.
Even without saying much, Lu Ke could understand. He smiled and nodded. "Believe , I'm trying."
Weight and muscle have always been Lu Ke's shortcomings, both in the past and now.
When his body was still in a developntal phase, gaining muscle was a difficult problem for Lu Ke. It could be said to be a matter of talent or genetics; his muscle growth rate was always unsatisfactory. After entering college, it basically stagnated. No matter how hard he tried, the results were minimal, which was why he was never able to join a team and could only barely beco a practice player.
Everyone's physical developnt and growth have a ceiling. Once that ceiling is reached, they can no longer continue to grow. Objectively speaking, Lu Ke's height-to-weight ratio was just right for an average person. His BMI was within the normal range, and his muscle mass and body fat percentage were fine, but for a professional athlete, it was still far from enough.
After getting the system, it seed that the "ceiling" was finally broken. In the past six months, with hard training, his weight finally began to increase slowly. From 78 kg to 85 kg, although it was only 7 kg, this was the first ti Lu Ke had seen hope again after entering college.
But this was still not enough.
In a lateral comparison, Cam Newton is 6.43 feet (196 cm) and 245 pounds (111 kg). In addition, elite quarterback Aaron Rodgers is 6.2 feet (188 cm) and 225 pounds (102 kg).
If Cam's weight was a bit too much, often giving him an advantage in head-on physical confrontations, which earned him the nickna "Superman," then Aaron's relatively lean and strong physique and height-to-weight ratio were already the standard for a quarterback.
Based on Lu Ke's height, 95 kg should be the absolute minimum so that a quarterback would not be "knocked down with one push" during head-on collisions and confrontations on the field. But Lu Ke's weight was still only 85 kg, which was really too thin, even fragile. He was still 10 kg short of the minimum standard.
Even for a nimble wide receiver, his weight was still slightly insufficient. In a head-on confrontation, the difference in weight was too great to even form a confrontation. The idea of one force defeating ten skills is probably what this is about.
A quarterback doesn't need to be too strong because it's not a bulldozer-type position, but they do need the ability to protect themselves. The height-to-weight ratio is not a strict requirent, but there is a minimum basic requirent.
Even the staff, who had seen countless rookies, were still surprised, but they didn't say much. They then asured his arm length, chest circumference, and other data, and finally pointed to the transparent ruler on the table. "Spread your fingers out as far as you can."
This was a special test that only quarterbacks needed to take: the length from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the pinky finger when the fingers are fully spread. It was required to be no less than 9 inches (23 cm), because traditional quarterback coaches believed that a asurent below this might an the player was too prone to fumbling.
In fact, modern science has proven this claim to be false. But team coaches and managers are still a bit superstitious and believe to so extent that a quarterback with a large hand can control a football more easily. So, during the rookie training camp, quarterbacks still have this data tested. As for whether the teams believe it and adopt it, that varies from person to person.
"11.5 inches." The testing staff recorded the data and carefully reviewed Lu Ke's overall data. To be honest, Lu Ke was a natural quarterback. His height was just right, his limbs were long, his proportions were perfect, his body was coordinated, his posture was flexible, and his hands were large. However, his weight was insufficient, and weight was a factor that couldn't be ignored. In a physically demanding sport like football, weight and muscle are crucial.
The staff couldn't help but give a friendly suggestion. "If you want to be an excellent quarterback, you should gain so weight."
Lu Ke put his shoes back on and said with a smile, "Thank you!"
When he turned around, Cam's smiling face ca into view, with an unfriendly smile. "Bambi, Bambi, Bambi! Hohoho, Bambi is going to venture into the big forest. Oh, what's he going to do? There are wild beasts, tigers, lions, and cheetahs everywhere. Bambi is going to cry and go ho to his mommy."
Three steps away, Scott gave an apologetic smile. In their conversation just now, he talked about the Rose Bowl and Lu Ke and accidentally ntioned the nickna "Bambi." Cam, who was standing nearby, obviously had "supernatural hearing" or a habit of eavesdropping on others.
Lu Ke, however, waved his hand dismissively, completely ignoring Cam's taunts and ridicule. He walked over to Scott and said with a chuckle, "Even in February, the flies are still buzzing."
Physical confrontation was Lu Ke's shortcoming, and it had been since high school. Not to ntion comparing himself to a player as strong as a bull like Cam Newton, even compared to the average college level, he was still far behind. Otherwise, he wouldn't even have had the chance to be a practice player during his freshman and sophomore years.
It's true that football is closely related to physical confrontation, but this sport is far more than that, especially for a quarterback.
Cam's taunts were just childish; Lu Ke had beco accustod to them and didn't take them seriously over the years. He stood on the side at ease, chatting with the other quarterbacks about the upcoming tests. Cam, who was being ignored, quickly beca bored and reluctantly shut his mouth. But his mocking gaze lingered, following Lu Ke like a shadow.
After the physical paraters were asured, the quarterback group proceeded with the Cybex test. This was a very professional test specifically used to determine a player's flexibility and joint mobility. It was especially crucial for evaluating players with injuries or a history of injuries, and coaches and evaluators paid close attention to the data from this test.
Before the official test, players would first warm up on a stationary bike, then sit on the testing system and do three warm-up exercises before they were allowed to begin the official test. The entire test lasted for five minutes and the results were presented in a table, including professional data such as body characteristic diagrams, relationship curves, and the best repeated values. The official league doctors would conduct a first-round evaluation, and then the evaluation results, test results, and results of other tests would all be recorded.
In Lu Ke's sports career so far, he had never had any serious injuries, only minor sprains or strains. His overall health was excellent. Of course, he hadn't played in any gas during his four years of college and had only been a practice player for one year, so this was to be expected.
According to the system's evaluation, his injury resistance index was a solid 77 points. It wasn't top-tier, but compared to Lu Ke's physical fitness, this data was already excellent. This was crucial for extending a professional career—of course, the prerequisite was that he had a professional career.
The third test was the injury evaluation, which complented the Cybex test. If the Cybex test checked a player's current condition after an injury, the injury evaluation was a judgnt of their injury history, recovery status, and the possibility of future injuries.
NFL teams are very concerned about the injury status of players they are interested in. No team wants to sign a player who is injured or prone to injury. The entire evaluation process included X-rays and a physical examination to assess injury history and current status. For players who had been injured before, the evaluation process was even more rigorous.
A very small number of players were found to have injuries they were unaware of during the physical examination. A thorough and comprehensive examination would be conducted at the training camp to ensure the players' health and injuries, which was the basis of everything.
Lu Ke completed this evaluation easily, with no problems. Cam, on the other hand, received special attention. On one hand, he was a popular player, and multiple teams wanted to have a comprehensive understanding of his situation. On the other hand, he had missed the entire season in his sophomore year due to an ankle injury, which was also a key area of focus.
In addition, the injury evaluation also included a urine test to check whether players had used illegal drugs or stimulants.
Finally, the quarterback group began the last part of the basic tests, the Wunderlic Test. Although this test was very important for every player, its importance for quarterbacks was undoubtedly the most significant.
For quarterbacks, the importance of this test even surpassed the physical tests and injury evaluations. It was the most important tool for teams to evaluate a quarterback's potential and ability!
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