Harbaugh truly was formidable—
Praise, admiration, accolades.
With a few skillful comments, he first threw out a bombshell to distract reporters, then artfully shifted focus, deftly defusing their sharp questions without breaking a sweat.
Harbaugh knew exactly what the media was trying to do—
They had locked onto two rookie players in the Ravens' locker room, hoping to provoke them into challenging Lance, the rising sophomore star leading the league.
A classic media ploy, familiar to all.
One of those rookies was undrafted running back Gus Edwards.
Yet opportunity is unpredictable—
Suddenly, praise swirled around Edwards, inflating his confidence.
His gaze inevitably turned toward Lance.
If you're going to challenge someone, why not challenge the best?
A young player like Edwards was like a firecracker—
A single spark from the media, and you never knew what might explode from his mouth.
The other was Lamar Jackson.
A boy genius raised amid praise and expectations, yet in his crowning college season he had lost multiple times to an unheralded rookie: Lance.
Lance had quietly become an obsession for Jackson.
This had both upsides and risks.
The positive:
After two years of dazzling performances—college and pro—Lance had set a benchmark.
Despite all predictions that he'd hit a sophomore wall, he was still ascending, steadily climbing ever higher.
Jackson, perhaps without realizing it, had begun to emulate Lance.
For now, he was setting aside pride and ego, listening, learning, training with humility and seriousness.
For a natural-born prodigy, this was remarkable.
(No shade at all intended toward this year's top pick, Baker Mayfield…)
But there was a darker side too.
Jackson had been sharpening his blade—fixated on proving himself by defeating Lance.
That drive, unchecked, could tip into irrational obsession and become a mental trap.
Victory didn't always break a mental block.
But defeat?
That almost guaranteed the trap would snap shut.
Harbaugh's greatest fear was the media stoking those flames further.
Thus, when the reporters probed, Harbaugh coolly redirected every question, deflecting pressure off his young stars.
Even so, Harbaugh underestimated the media's ability to stir things up—
Social media.
Even if journalists couldn't trigger drama before kickoff, the viral whirlwind of posts, memes, and commentary was beyond anyone's control.
"One stop."
"Two reads."
In the visiting locker room at Arrowhead Stadium, Gus Edwards was holding his fingers in a delicate pose, swishing his hips in an exaggerated imitation of Lance's running style—
And he nailed it, more or less.
But like all satire, he exaggerated and twisted the details just enough to make it hilarious.
"Graaahh! Beast mode!"
Edwards bared his teeth and shook his head wildly, drool spraying everywhere as he mimicked a werewolf's transformation.
Laughter erupted.
Yet Edwards wasn't done.
He struck a pose—arms spread, stern gaze fixed ahead, heaving his chest in exaggerated breaths while sticking out his rear.
"Edge runner!" a teammate called out.
Edwards immediately hopped on tiptoe, arms curled like a praying mantis, buzzing forward in zig-zag steps, perfectly mimicking Lance's sideline sprinting style.
The room exploded in laughter.
The entire locker room dissolved into chaos—players slapping knees, falling over with laughter.
Then Edwards spotted cornerback Marlon Humphrey watching with a bemused smile.
He locked eyes and called out challengingly:
"Marlon! What do you think? Did I nail it?"
But this wasn't random.
Edwards picked Humphrey deliberately—not out of disrespect, but because everyone knew Humphrey had played with Lance at Alabama and remained one of Lance's good friends.
Their bond was no secret.
And hey, this was pro ball—
College friends became pro rivals all the time.
No hard feelings…
Unless you wanted them.
In that moment, the whole room turned toward Humphrey.
He smiled faintly—caught in the crossfire for simply sitting quietly.
But Humphrey wasn't one to back down.
"Good," he replied calmly. "I'd give it a 93 out of 100."
Then he added pointedly:
"Actually, I think you should try it during the game. Let the rookie see your sense of humor.
I'm sure he'd appreciate it."
Was that praise… or a warning?
Edwards hesitated—unsure how to respond.
Humphrey held his gaze, voice steady but sharp:
"But careful—don't treat Lance like a joke.
Guys who do that tend to become the punchline themselves.
I learned that firsthand in college."
At the memory of his first encounter with Lance back at Alabama, Humphrey broke into a genuine, wistful smile.
Then he glanced over at Lamar Jackson in the corner—
Jackson sat still, stone-faced, sharpening his metaphorical blade.
His dark eyes gleamed with barely restrained fury.
Sensing Humphrey's gaze, Jackson slowly met it.
Humphrey chuckled.
"After all," he said softly, "none of us want to end up the punchline… right?"
----------
Powerstones?
For 20 advance chapters: patreon.com/michaeltranslates