"Lu Ke, before the season..."
The continuous stream of questions was still going on, but a burst of laughter and chatter came from the hallway. The noisy echoes ricocheted off the walls, instantly drowning out the reporter's question.
Without even turning around, I knew that the rest of the San Francisco 49ers players had started to arrive, and the big group mixed interview was about to kick off.
So, I pointed behind me and smiled at the reporters. "The rest of the team is here, so I'll be going now. You guys can continue." With that, I took a step to leave, but this action immediately caused the reporters to panic. They all swarmed toward me, and a barrage of questions once again drowned me out.
I was stunned, and then I laughed, motioning for everyone to calm down. I raised my right hand and pressed it down, and after the noise subsided slightly, I chuckled. "I thought the questions were over."
"No, of course not!" There were a series of lively denials, and then someone couldn't wait to shout, "Bambi, Bambi! May I ask what it feels like to have been an undrafted rookie and a backup player just three weeks ago, but now you've led the team to three consecutive victories?"
I looked in the direction of the voice and saw Jay Fox in the crowd.
He was Logan's college roommate and was now working for the Los Angeles Times. We had met again at the post-game press conference for the Cowboys' game last week. I didn't expect that Jay would personally come to Cincinnati this week for an away game interview. However, in the previous interview, Jay couldn't get a word in. Rookie reporters also need time to adapt to the rhythm of the workplace.
"Unbelievable." I didn't act humble or say something like, "I still need to work hard." Instead, I honestly admitted the real excitement and joy in my heart. This sincere response also made the reporters smile in a way that said, "I know, you know."
Jay didn't end his question and immediately followed up, "So, were you nervous on the field today? I mean, it was a very intense game with a lot of exciting moments. Also, you were hit hard twice and seemed to be in danger of getting injured. How did you feel about that?"
"I think that's part of the team's secret, right?" I said, looking confused, as if trying to confirm it. "To prevent my opponents from seeing through my tricks and my nervousness, I should keep my mouth shut." I didn't answer directly but responded in a teasing way, which made the reporters all laugh.
"Are you sure you didn't play a full game in the NCAA?" a reporter next to me finally couldn't help but ask loudly.
In the past three games, I had shown a lot of immaturity and inexperience, and the lack of game experience was an objective fact. But overall, my demeanor in the game was really impressive. The bigger the situation, the more I could hold my ground.
In a way, this was also a kind of talent, and it was a talent that couldn't be developed through training, games, or experience.
I shrugged. "If we're in the same parallel universe, then the answer is yes." This time, all the reporters laughed together and were very amused.
As I was talking, the rest of the team had already arrived. Everyone swarmed behind me, patting me on the shoulder and teasing me for "eating alone." I didn't mind. I turned to Logan and Marcus, pointed to Jay in the crowd, and said, "Hey, did you notice? The old friend is here again."
This time, it wasn't just Logan and Marcus. The other players on the team also looked over. "Bambi, is that your old flame?" "No way, Bambi, you have bad taste!" "What's going on, what's going on?" The teasing was endless. Even the other reporters turned their heads and looked over curiously.
Jay Fox, the rookie reporter, became the focus of attention without any warning.
And I, the instigator, slowly walked away from my teammates and the reporters and headed toward the visitors' locker room. The soreness in my right arm came back again. That bullet pass was too aggressive and urgent. The result of a lack of game experience was making reckless choices at critical moments and then suffering the consequences after the game.
It looked like I needed not only an ice bath but also a massage. The only thing to be grateful for was that it was a game day, and the regular training could be put on hold.
Back in the locker room, the backup players and staff came forward one after another to congratulate me, with high-fives, whistles, and cheers. Just like Bobby, the entire team was immersed in the joy of victory. Even the assistant responsible for packing up the equipment was beaming with joy.
Familiar and unfamiliar faces flashed before my eyes like a carousel, one after another. I wasn't sure if it was my imagination, but it seemed that there were more team staff this week, even more than in a home game. There were so many people congratulating me that it felt like there was no end.
From the locker room door to my locker, I felt like I had walked for a century. I opened my locker and took off my complicated equipment one by one, getting ready to shower, wash off the sweat, and then get a massage and an ice bath. Even in the short time it took to take off my equipment, people were still coming up to congratulate me.
"Congratulations."
"Celebrate together," I said, untying my shoelaces without even looking up. After taking off my shoes, I sat up straight and saw Alex Smith standing in front of me. The smile on my face lingered, and I was a little surprised.
Alex didn't mind and smiled. "Great game."
In the past two weeks, there had always been a factional struggle within the team. Alex had been in the league for many years and had gradually gotten used to the team's way of doing things. He not only tolerated the existence of factions but also supported them. This was unfair to rookie players, but it was the case throughout the entire league. There was no such thing as fairness.
However, in the past two games, against the Cowboys, I had activated Vernon Davis. Against the Bengals, I had activated Ted Ginn and Kyle Williams. These three were all from Alex's faction.
Of course, objectively speaking, there weren't many rookie players on the team to begin with, and my supporters were limited. More than two-thirds of the players were supporters of Alex or Colin Kaepernick, or even more. So, I had no choice. The game had to go on, and victories had to be won, so I had to use these players.
Even so, my performance was still impressive. In today's game, I had indeed shown leadership.
On that point alone, Alex admitted that he was not as good as me, but he would not give up. The competition for the starting quarterback position would officially start tomorrow.
Words were on the tip of his tongue, and emotions were surging in his chest. Alex had all kinds of thoughts he wanted to express, but he couldn't find the right words or the right way to say them. So, he didn't continue to speak and just repeated, "Congratulations!" The rest would be decided on the training field.
After saying that, Alex left without stopping.
I could feel Alex's hesitation to speak, but I wasn't a mind reader, so I had no idea what Alex was trying to say. Confused and full of questions, I looked at Alex's back, and in the end, I could only shrug and shout, "...Thank you."
I refocused my attention, stood up, and got ready to shower. I draped a towel over my shoulder and picked up my phone. I saw that there were four unread text messages.
Three of them were from Jiang Youning. "Lu Ke, are you okay? Are you injured?" "Lu Ke, after the game, call home." "Lu Ke?"
The simple words showed Jiang Youning's worry and nervousness.
I couldn't help but pat my head. After the victory, the joy had gone to my head, and I had forgotten about this. Lu Zhengze and Jiang Youning must have been watching the game live on TV. With so many hits in today's game, and the team doctor coming on the field twice, they must have been worried sick.
I quickly called Jiang Youning's phone. The call was answered almost as soon as it rang. "Lu Ke? Is that you?"
"Mom, it's me." I could feel Jiang Youning's urgency. I tried to slow down my speech. "I'm fine. Mom, don't worry, I'm okay." On the other end of the phone, I heard Jiang Youning let out a long sigh. She tried to say something, but her voice choked up, and she couldn't continue.
I heard the subtle change in her voice. "Mom, I'm serious. I'm fine. If you don't believe me, we can video chat later. Right now, I'm in the locker room, and there are some R-rated scenes behind me, so I think it's better if we don't."
"Lu Ke!" Jiang Youning scolded me without any real force, and then she laughed. "I'll give the phone to your dad. You can talk to him."
Although both Lu Zhengze and Jiang Youning knew that injuries were unavoidable in competitive sports, and football was one of the most physically demanding sports, watching the games was still a worrisome thing for them.
The call lasted for only three or four minutes. Lu Zhengze hung up the phone, telling me to go get a massage and an ice bath immediately to relax my muscles. If necessary, I should also get a detailed examination from the team doctor. The game was over, but the athlete's "work" was not yet finished.
However, I didn't go to shower immediately. There was one more text message, and the content was very simple: "Bambi, are you okay?"
The simple words contained sincere care. I then dialed another phone number. After about three rings, the call was answered. "My God, Bambi, are you okay?"
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