Free Web NovelChapter 15: Chapter 10: Training Partner
John turned around and looked at Lu Ke, frowning. He wanted to argue, but under Lu Ke’s open, honest stare, he backed down in the end. He just said, annoyed and dejected, "You’re crazy."
"Yeah, call me crazy." Lu Ke walked over, clutching a football. "I *am* crazy. A Chinese kid dreaming of making a name for himself on a football field dominated by white and black players. I’m crazy for getting thrown around like a punching bag every day, yet still giving it my all, just so I don’t betray my own dream. I’m crazy for sticking with it for eleven years—a full eleven years—and after all this time, I’m still just a practice player...
I’m definitely crazy. I’m at one of the best universities in the United States, and my GPA is outstanding. You know it. We Chinese are a lot smarter than you guys who don’t bother to study; academics are a breeze for me. I could land a fantastic job after I graduate, but instead I turned down an internship with the *Los Angeles Times* to willingly be a practice player here.
So, go ahead and call me a lunatic. I admit it.
But deep down, have you given up? Aren’t you just like me, dreaming of walking out onto this field for real? Didn’t you give your entire youth to football? Are you really content to let it end like this? If you are, then just forget I said anything. Just write me off as some unhinged lunatic."
After saying his piece, Lu Ke ignored John and turned back toward the field. The basic training equipment hadn’t been put away yet, and Anthony was directing the practice squad and the backups to start clearing it. Lu Ke called out, "Anthony, I’ll stay behind and put all this equipment away. I want to get some more training in."
Anthony paused. "All this?" The equipment laid out before them was for specialized skill training, drills the practice squad had no reason to participate in. "You sure?"
Lu Ke nodded earnestly. "Yes, as long as it doesn’t violate team rules."
"That’s not against the rules..." Anthony remembered the stunning pass Lu Ke had thrown yesterday. Before he could say more, a practice squad player packing up equipment nearby started to laugh mockingly. "What a psycho. A practice player putting in extra hours. Anyone who didn’t know better would think he’s the school’s starting quarterback."
"He can practice all he wants; if you don’t have what it takes, you just don’t. I’ve never heard of an Asian who could play football. It’s hilarious. Look at that scrawny frame. One little bump and he’d go flying. HAHAHAHA."
A group of seven or eight guys erupted in laughter. Lu Ke was about to fire back, but Anthony cut in first. "Shut up!"
As an assistant coach, even though he mostly supervised minor tasks, the university’s entire coaching staff consisted of only three members: the head coach, the offensive coach, and the defensive coach. Outside of those three, Anthony had the most authority. At his sharp rebuke, everyone fell silent.
"It’s bad enough you don’t train properly, but why are you running your mouths when someone else is putting in extra work? Or what, do you all plan on staying for extra practice too? How about a 10,000-meter run? Or 20,000?" Anthony’s harsh scolding made the practice squad members avert their eyes, muttering defiant and indistinct complaints under their breath that never formed into actual words.
Anthony paid them no more mind. After a moment of thought, he nodded in approval. "When you’re done with the equipment, go to the security office and give them a call. They’ll come out and help you." The field required daily maintenance and supervision, so it had a dedicated four-person crew responsible for cleaning, organizing, and standing watch at night.
Pausing, Anthony noticed John walking up behind Lu Ke. "John, you staying too?"
John awkwardly turned his head away and scratched it. He tucked his chin in a barely perceptible nod, not giving an answer, but he stopped walking a short distance behind Lu Ke.
"Go get ’em," Anthony said with concern. "But don’t overdo it. Getting injured now wouldn’t be worth the trouble." Then he turned and walked away.
The remaining members of the practice squad glanced between Lu Ke and John, muttering amongst themselves. One of them called out, "John, you sure about this? You look like you’ve lost your mind. Wanna leave with us? We’re heading to a bar for a beer."
John scratched his head, his gaze never quite meeting theirs. After two years on the practice squad, all his inner dreams and pride had vanished. He didn’t quite dare to face them again. "Yeah, just helping him out a bit." John nodded and gestured toward Lu Ke. "Lu Ke needs a hand."
"Alright, your choice." The others didn’t press the issue. On the practice squad, there was no direct competition and no personal stakes, so there was rarely any real conflict—just the occasional complaint or jab. With that, they left the field, laughing and joking as they discussed their plans for the night without a care in the world.
Once he confirmed out of the corner of his eye that everyone else had left, John finally looked up at Lu Ke beside him. "Alright, let’s get started. What kind of training do you want to do?"
"How about we start with throws from one knee?" Lu Ke pulled a football from a cart, habitually tossing it between his hands. For any ball sport, developing a feel for the ball is crucial. There are no shortcuts; the only way is through years and years of consistent handling and catching.
When he turned around, Lu Ke saw the look of utter bewilderment on John’s face. "Throws from one knee? You... you really are a psycho." This was a quarterback warm-up drill, designed mainly to train a QB to throw using their core and arm strength—without relying on their lower body—in order to correct their throwing mechanics.
But Lu Ke offered no explanation. Instead, he summoned the system in his mind and began playing a demonstration video of the kneeling throw. Mimicking the video, he knelt down on one knee. When he saw John was still standing, he gave him a look. "Aren’t you going to join me? I’m ready."
Seeing Lu Ke’s earnest expression, John just shook his head with a wry smile. He knelt down on one knee directly opposite Lu Ke. Lu Ke stretched his arms a bit, then tossed the football. John caught it effortlessly. A warm-up drill like this was incredibly simple for him, and all too familiar. He tossed the ball right back.
As they tossed the ball back and forth, John gradually got his feel back, reawakening memories from his high school days. He couldn’t help but tap his own shoulder. "You need to drive the throw from here," he said, "Feel the force transfer all the way up from your core." John even began to demonstrate, patting his own muscles to guide the finer points of Lu Ke’s form.
It was impossible to deny that Lu Ke was a quick study. He was willing to learn, willing to ask questions, and willing to accept corrections. He got the hang of it quickly, and their training soon became smooth and fluid. They did five sets of twenty throws each. Discussing, correcting, and practicing as they went took a little longer, but the results were impressive.
Next came single-arm quick releases, then Running Passes at a steady pace, and then quarterback footwork drills. ƒreewebɳovel.com
Before they knew it, an hour had flown by. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, John let out a long sigh. He hadn’t felt this way in a long, long time—not since starting university, it seemed.
Watching Lu Ke, who was still completely absorbed in studying his footwork, John couldn’t help but pause. "Lu Ke, do you really want to be a quarterback?" The moment the question left his lips, John felt like an idiot. A Chinese guy, a practice player, wanting to become a quarterback? It was probably the most ridiculous joke he’d ever heard. With a wave of his hand, he added self-deprecatingly, "Never mind, you don’t have to answer."
"I do." Lu Ke’s reply left John stunned. He stared blankly as Lu Ke nodded again with conviction. "I really do. I want to become a quarterback. Did you see *Inception* this summer? There’s a line in the movie: if you’re going to dream, you might as well dream a little bigger." Seeing the incredulous look on John’s face, Lu Ke couldn’t help but smile. "What, you don’t believe me?"
John simply shook his head.
Lu Ke didn’t try to argue further. Instead, he asked, "If you could choose, what position would you want to play?"
"Wide Receiver." John answered without a moment’s hesitation, the words tumbling out of his mouth. A Wide Receiver is a player whose responsibility during a passing play is to catch the ball. The difference between them and a Tight End is that their duty is relatively simpler: offense, offense, and more offense.
"Then let’s try it out. Maybe you could be an excellent Wide Receiver," Lu Ke said, walking over to the starting line for the 40-yard shuttle. "A forty-yard shuttle?"
John didn’t understand, he just stared at Lu Ke and then chuckled in spite of himself. Done with arguing, he walked over, stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Lu Ke, and got into a runner’s stance. At Lu Ke’s signal, they both shot forward.
The so-called "40-yard shuttle" is a basic drill for Wide Receivers, but it isn’t as simple as running back and forth across 40 yards. From a starting line, you sprint forward ten yards and return; then sprint forward twenty yards and return; then sprint forward thirty yards and return. This type of shuttle drill is an excellent way to train sharp turns and sudden stops, and it’s a tough test of explosive power and sprinting ability over short distances.
It sounds simple, but it’s incredibly difficult. In addition to Wide Receivers, members of the offense and Defense Team also perform this drill, including quarterbacks.
Among Lu Ke’s basic attributes, his speed was a 65, acceleration a 61, and agility a 70. Not top-tier by any means. Plus, his catching stats were low, so he wasn’t necessarily suited to be a Wide Receiver. However, his ability to change direction in short, confined spaces gave him the elusiveness a quarterback needs to move within the pocket, avoiding tackles and sacks from defensive players. It was just that his strength and muscle weren’t developed enough; he could dodge, but he was still too weak to handle direct contact.
As they started running, John gradually realized something: Lu Ke was keeping pace with him every step of the way.
