Chapter 832: Looking at Each Other
What's going on now?
Without any warning, the team's starting quarterback suddenly appeared. He just said two simple sentences and then went straight into a warm-up. All the players were frozen in place, completely confused. They looked at each other, and no one knew what to do.
More than excitement, it was confusion. The elation of surprise was tinged with a sense of bewilderment. They were full of questions and couldn't find any answers.
Wide receiver Mario Manningham watched Lu Ke's figure fade into the distance, and a feeling of frustration welled up in him. He couldn't help but complain, "Either he's injured or he's been abandoned by the coach and is now the backup quarterback. So he came here today to lead our practice. What else could it be?"
With just two short sentences, he was full of sarcasm and resentment.
You can't blame Mario for this. Or, at least, Mario's feelings are understandable.
Mario is a veteran player. The first criterion for a Hall of Fame nomination is that a player must have played for five seasons in the league. So, generally speaking, after a player has been in the league for five years, they are called a veteran. This is a watershed moment, and this year was Mario's fifth year in the league.
He joined the New York Giants in 2008 as the 95th pick in the third round and officially began his professional career. After a year of polishing and a year of settling, Mario had a breakout season in 2010. He started all sixteen games and finished with an impressive 944 yards and nine touchdowns.
In the 2011 season, everyone had high hopes for Mario, but his performance declined significantly. He not only lost his starting position but gradually became the fourth wide receiver. In fourteen regular season games, he only had 523 yards and four touchdowns. His efficiency and ability were a huge drop-off. In the two games against the San Francisco 49ers last season, he had no notable performance and was practically invisible.
But Mario still delivered a highlight of his career on the Super Bowl stage.
At the time, with three minutes and forty-six seconds left in the game, the New York Giants' offense took the field again to start their final game-winning drive. Eli Manning threw a deep pass to Mario, who was near the sideline. With two defenders covering him, he made an incredible thirty-eight-yard, clutch catch and successfully secured the football before being forced out of bounds.
That drive ended with a six-yard rushing touchdown by Ahmad Bradshaw, which took the lead and secured their championship.
After the season, the New York Giants chose not to re-sign Mario, which made him a free agent, and he eventually signed with the San Francisco 49ers.
Mario's signing sparked a lot of discussion in the media.
In the offseason this season, the league had discussed the San Francisco 49ers' recruitment plans many times. From Randy Moss to Mario Manningham to first-round rookie A.J. Jenkins, it was clear that Jim Harbaugh was not satisfied with the wide receiver lineup. Aside from Michael Crabtree and Ted Ginn, the team's third wide receiver position was always vacant.
Even without the NFC Championship game injury, Kyle Williams had already gradually lost his starting position in the second half of the regular season. The team's offense changed its tactics to focus on two tight ends and two wide receivers.
But that was not enough for the San Francisco 49ers.
It's not that the two-tight-end formation wasn't good enough, but the West Coast offense system was already rich and versatile. Harbaugh and Lu Ke's collaboration created countless sparks, and the variety and versatility of their plays were among the best in the entire league. So, Harbaugh still hoped to fill the wide receiver lineup to have more options in the playbook.
Therefore, General Manager Trent Baalke focused on improving the receiving corps.
But no one expected that Jenkins's growth would be far below expectations, Moss and Lu Ke's chemistry would take a long time to develop, and Mario would get injured early in the preseason, forcing him onto the injured list. This also forced the San Francisco 49ers to go back to the two-tight-end formation to start the new season.
For Mario, it was a huge disappointment.
He joined the San Francisco 49ers with great ambitions, but in the fierce competition within the team, he never received the corresponding attention. Harbaugh and Lu Ke spent more time on Moss. Later, Mario finally earned the third wide receiver position through his own efforts, but he had to miss the regular season because of an injury.
What was even more frustrating was that Moss got a chance to play against the Minnesota Vikings and the New York Giants. Regardless of his final performance, he was at least able to play as a player, which was the best revenge. But Mario could only rest his injury, and it seemed that the New York Giants had completely forgotten about his existence.
There's no harm in a comparison.
Mario was now full of negative emotions. He wasn't targeting Lu Ke or any specific person. He couldn't help but feel resentful toward anyone he met. He was deeply mired in a swamp of self-pity and couldn't get out.
Lu Ke's appearance today became one of his targets. He believed that Lu Ke hadn't given him enough attention. He wasn't some random rookie or nobody. In the past four seasons, he had proven himself on the field. So, shouldn't Lu Ke give him more opportunities during the offseason and in daily practices?
"Even if we're undefeated this season, so what? The coach still has the final say on this team," Mario muttered, full of bitterness.
"Why would they replace Bambi? I don't see any possibility that the coaching staff would replace him," LaMichael James stepped up to defend Lu Ke. "If it weren't for Bambi, we would have lost several games."
Mario wasn't thinking at all. He just said whatever came to his mind, "Then you tell me why he's here? If he wasn't abandoned by the coach, then give me a reason that I'll believe, and I'll shut up. In my opinion, he was abandoned. I've known for a long time that it's impossible for a player like him to earn respect on this team."
In fact, the moment the words came out of his mouth, Mario regretted it.
He had no personal grudge against Lu Ke, but he just couldn't control his emotions. He had been in a slump for too long, and he was getting restless and losing his balance. Now, the words he said were like water that had been poured out. There was no turning back. And he also implied a more serious issue, which was an absolutely unacceptable thing to do.
"A player like him? What kind of player is he? You tell me, you tell me," Joe Looney, a rookie offensive guard from the fourth round this year, couldn't stand it anymore. He raised his chin, his eyes wide, and pressed him for an answer.
Mario gritted his teeth, afraid that he would say something reckless again in a moment of impulse and make a bad situation even worse. But he was also unwilling to show weakness. This feeling was too frustrating. He could only puff out his chest and stand his ground.
Just as the two players were about to clash, Hampton stepped up. "Instead of standing here guessing, we should just get to work. In my opinion, Bambi is the best quarterback on this team right now. No matter what the coach thinks, his coming here to practice with us is a rare learning opportunity."
It wasn't a peacemaking gesture, but a statement.
After saying that, Hampton didn't stay any longer. He ran in the direction Lu Ke had gone and began his official warm-up.
The other remaining players looked at each other, confused and a bit lost. But then, Looney and LaMichael also started to run and warm up. Gradually, everyone joined the warm-up.
Mario stood in place, full of regret.
He was helpless with his own big mouth. He regretted everything he said. If those arrogant words reached Lu Ke, would it mean that he had completely offended the starting quarterback? Then his future with the San Francisco 49ers would be bleak.
The words "disaster comes from the mouth" were the most appropriate description.
Gritting his teeth fiercely, Mario also started to run silently. After all, he had no other choice now.
When tight ends coach Reggie Davis, running backs coach Tom Rathman, and wide receivers coach John Morton arrived at the practice field, they witnessed this scene.
All the players were running in a circle, doing their warm-ups in a disciplined manner. Other than their heavy breathing, there was no other noise. But this sound of heavy breathing was the most beautiful music in the early morning. For professional players, self-discipline and diligence are always the most important keys to success.
But Rathman was confused. He looked at his colleagues with a blank expression. "What are they doing? What's their deal? This is a recovery practice. The focus is on plays, and there won't be any high-intensity scrimmages. They just need to do a simple warm-up. Why are they running laps around the field?"
Reggie and Morton exchanged a look, and finally, Morton couldn't help but laugh. "I think the culprit is the one leading the pack."
Lu Ke.
Among the entire San Francisco 49ers team, no one could match Lu Ke's physical endurance and his ability to suddenly accelerate in the final quarter. He might not be the fastest runner or have the strongest burst of speed, but Lu Ke's stamina and his ability to accelerate again when he's completely exhausted were outstanding.
His daily 10,000-meter interval training was not just for show.
Now, the second-team running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends were warming up with Lu Ke, and no one could outrun Lu Ke, or rather, no one could last as long as Lu Ke.
Rathman couldn't help but put his hand on his forehead. "That's Bambi's daily practice. Do they think it's that easy? Even Vernon and Randy have to concede defeat. What's the point of them joining in on this?"
"Don't stop them. It will ignite their passion for training, and I think that's a good thing," Morton added again.
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