American Football: King of the Bay Area

Twenty-one.

A quick glance around revealed a total of twenty-one people in the quarterback group, including Lu Ke himself. For the quarterback position, the number was a bit bloated. No wonder everyone said this was a big year for quarterbacks.

There was no shortage of big-name quarterbacks like Cam Newton, Andy Dalton, and Jack Locke. On top of that, there was another group of talented but lesser-known quarterbacks who were more than capable of serving as backups. With seven rounds in the draft, after all the picking and choosing, it was estimated that at most only half would make it into the Professional Alliance. The other half would be eliminated. The competition was fiercer than imaginable.

As he scanned the crowd, he immediately spotted Scott Torsin—the Badger Team’s quarterback, the Brown Bear Team’s opponent in the Rose Bowl, and also a witness to the miracle that night.

However, Scott didn’t seem to mind the loss that night. He flashed a big smile, waved at Lu Ke, and came right over. ”Hey, are you entering the draft this year too?” Scott looked a little nervous, but he visibly relaxed when he saw Lu Ke. ”I was just thinking, how could the Pac-12 Conference not have a representative this year!”

”Haha, let’s just keep that between us. If anyone else heard that, I’d get my ass kicked.” Lu Ke’s witty and humorous tone made Scott laugh heartily.

The most-watched player from the Pac-12 Conference this year was undoubtedly Stanford University’s quarterback, Andrew Luck. In the Heisman Trophy voting, Andrew had unfortunately lost to Cam Newton, finishing in second place. Many people had been looking forward to Andrew and Cam entering the draft together, anticipating another fierce battle this year.

But, unexpectedly, Andrew, a junior, decided after careful consideration to continue into his senior year and skip this year’s draft. As a result, Cam’s reputation soared, leading to the one-sided spectacle of support from the sidelines.

However, even without Andrew in the draft, the Pac-12 Conference still had a top prospect. Jack Locke from the University of Washington was considered to have first- or second-round talent, with a high probability of being picked in the first. Compared to an unknown like Lu Ke, he was on a completely different level of celebrity.

This was what prompted Lu Ke’s earlier joke. As he spoke, both his and Scott’s gazes shifted toward Jack, who was standing not far away. A clueless Jack followed their line of sight and looked back, giving them a friendly nod. This only made it harder for Lu Ke and Scott to hold back their laughter.

”Looks like you have some self-awareness after all.” A voice cut in from the side, dripping with ridicule, scorn, and a hint of schadenfreude. Without even turning around, he knew who it was. That grating voice was unmistakable. Who else could it be but Cam Newton?

Sure enough, Cam sauntered over to stand before Lu Ke and Scott, a smug smirk on his face. ”Hold on, does anyone even know who this guy is? A quarterback? Jesus Christ, what team’s quarterback are you? Never even heard of them. Did the organizing committee screw up and let in some hillbilly from the sticks? You’re Asian. You sure you know how to play football?”

Of the twenty-one quarterbacks, almost all were the starting players for their respective college teams. The reason was simple: three or four years of starting games gave scouts ample time and material to collect data, which was their ticket to the Rookie Training Camp. Even if they weren’t starters, they were bound to be backups who saw regular playing time, or at least part of the fixed rotation.

Among the three hundred thirty-two players at the Rookie Training Camp, roughly two hundred eighty had made the list this way, which was the most conventional and standard method. The remaining players were selected by the Alliance through different means, such as scouting reports, coach recommendations, and school endorsements.

Players who had previously kept a low profile and then suddenly emerged during the draft process did exist, but you could count them on one hand. This was especially true for the unique position of quarterback, where such cases were exceedingly rare. Lu Ke was clearly one of them, having seemingly come out of nowhere—during the California state selection process, he had scraped by on almost every test, just barely managing to qualify for the Rookie Training Camp.

”I can’t believe we’re actually seeing a player from the ’elite class’ among the rookies this year. What a rarity.” Cam had just used a word like ”hillbilly” to try and humiliate Lu Ke, and Lu Ke chose to retort with the taunt of ”elite class”—most football players came from very ordinary backgrounds, with many hailing from the slums or from farming families in the heartland. In fact, Cam himself came from poverty.

Back in college, Cam attended the University of Florida, but in 2008, he was arrested for stealing a classmate’s laptop. Since it was his first offense, the prosecution didn’t press charges, but the university still banned him from the team for life. He had no choice but to transfer to a junior college. Then, after a year of honing his skills, his outstanding performance on the field once again caught the eye of a major football school. He ultimately chose Auburn University, and that path led him all the way here.

With a single, simple comeback, Lu Ke had effortlessly backed Cam into an awkward corner. If someone with ill intent had decided to use that last remark, Cam could have been dragged into another vortex of controversy. But Lu Ke wasn’t finished. ”What’s more surprising, though, is how a player with such a good, ’elite’ education has no manners whatsoever. Not only does he eavesdrop, but he also rudely interrupts others. What is the elite class coming to these days?”

He directed this last question at Scott, completely ignoring Cam. But the other quarterbacks standing around all burst out laughing, not bothering to hide it.

Humiliated and enraged, Cam flew into a rage. He stepped forward and shoved Lu Ke’s shoulder, then used his larger frame to get right in his face. ”Who the fuck are you? You’re a nobody! You got the balls to tell me your name?”

”Which dumbass wants to know?” Lu Ke gave no ground, planting his foot and using the momentum to push back. ”Who the fuck do you think you are? You think I have to answer just because you ask? You think you’re Jesus Christ?”

That lit Cam’s fuse completely. His face contorted with rage.

In early December, after the Heisman Trophy results were announced, Cam had entered the most glorious and brilliant period of his career. He had beaten Andrew Luck, who came from one of the Ivy League Schools, to bag college football’s most important award. That feeling of vindication made him incredibly euphoric. And now in the draft process, he was the undisputed top prospect and didn’t believe anyone could pose a threat to him, not even linebacker Von Miller from Texas A&M University. He was on top of the world, enjoying the best time of his life.

But now, to be shown up twice in a row by this Asian kid, it was infuriating. Involuntarily, Cam clenched his hands into fists and snarled through gritted teeth, ”Coward! You’re gutless! What have you got besides that mouth? I bet you’re not even equipped like a man!”

But Lu Ke didn’t get angry. He laughed. ”I wonder who’s the one that keeps coming over to start trouble, with nothing to show for it but a big mouth. Did you have your mouth buried in some whore’s crotch all night? Is that why it stinks so bad?” Every word was a sharp barb, hurled back at Cam without an ounce of weakness.

At the same time, Lu Ke also clenched his hands into fists, ready to fight at any moment.

”Shut up! Both of you, shut up!” Someone immediately rushed forward, then turned and yelled to the other quarterbacks, ”Quick, pull these two bulls apart! If news gets out about rookies brawling on the first day, our whole Rookie Training Camp will be a laughingstock. You think the media’s gonna go easy on us?”

At his shout, the others swarmed up and pulled Lu Ke and Cam apart.

Lu Ke remained clear-headed the whole time. Cam’s words were completely harmless and had no bite. His trash talk was a whole level below Richard Hillman’s from yesterday. So when the quarterbacks pulled him away, he took two steps back and then unclenched his fists, signaling that he was perfectly calm and there was no need to worry.

That effortless composure of his immediately sent Cam into a wild rage. He struggled violently, and like the Hulk transforming, he indiscriminately shoved aside the quarterbacks who had come to mediate. Back at Auburn University, Cam’s nickname was ”Superman” precisely because of his superhuman physique, a fact he proved again today.

”What the hell do you think you’re doing!” Two staff members hurried over, shouting sternly. ”If you want to drop out of the draft, then get the hell out now! If you want to get kicked out of this camp, just keep acting up!” It wasn’t just the staff; the other rookies all turned to look as well.

Cam’s hot head finally cooled down. He shot a vicious glare at Lu Ke, then turned to the staff members and evened out his breathing. ”It’s nothing, just boys being boys. Saw a lot of old friends here, a little bumping and shoving is unavoidable. After all, this is for football, not basketball.” He even tacked on a joke that wasn’t funny.

One of the staff members rolled his eyes. ”My favorite team is the Los Angeles Lakers.”

Cam’s joke fell flat. He rubbed his nose but didn’t say anything else, quietly walking off to the side. The commotion was over before it had even really started.

Looking back, Cam pointed two fingers at his eyes and then at Lu Ke, his gesture clearly saying, ’We’ll settle this on the field.’

Lu Ke simply raised an eyebrow, gave a disdainful smirk, then turned back to chat with Scott, acting as if Cam didn’t even exist. The gesture instantly made Cam grit his teeth in frustration.

”You’re... gutsy!” Scott couldn’t help but chuckle. ”That’s Cam Newton we’re talking about.”

”What, does he have three arms? Or four legs?” Lu Ke’s retort made Scott blink, and then he burst into laughter. True, he had no comeback for that.