"Hey, hey! Did you hear? Coach Burns dug up a gem from the school, saying he’s a once-in-a-lifetime talent who’s never played football before. The coach is putting a lot of stock in him, sought him out several times."
"That’s perfect, just let me give him a proper lesson, training day shock education, to show him who’s boss."
"Hahaha."
"Maybe that’s not necessary. We’re actually short on running backs; relying solely on Josh, that freshman, I think our offense might struggle to get going this year."
"Josh is pretty good, Damian’s injury isn’t serious, he’ll be back soon. I don’t think we need any more running backs. What, do you think the coach randomly picked up a vagrant from the street and then made him out to be our Crimson Tide Storm’s savior?"
"A savior, not to that extent..."
"I don’t know what Coach Burns is thinking, when did the Crimson Tide Storm become so casual, letting any Tom, Dick, or Harry join? If my grandpa knew about this, he’d probably drop dead of a heart attack."
"I heard it’s an Asian kid..."
"Really?"
"No way?"
"How come I never knew Asia played football?"
"Idiot, didn’t you hear what was said before? The kid’s never played football before. You’d better shut up, or you’ll lower the average IQ of the whole field."
It was April 2016, with just under half a year to the September kickoff of the new season, but the team was in the middle of spring training camp, the last chance to gather before the summer break.
Rustling sounds swirled among the warming-up players, whispering back and forth. Through the exchanges of glances, the surge of youthful hormones was palpable, each of them too restless to contain themselves, their minds disturbed by the morning’s rumors.
Not just in Tuscaloosa, but across the whole state of Alabama, the University of Alabama football team had an unparalleled popularity. With no other professional league teams, the football teams from the University of Alabama and Auburn University unquestionably captured the hearts of all residents. The viewership for their games even surpassed that of professional matches.
As you can imagine, the players’ pride and euphoria were beyond imagination, every one of them thrilled to be part of the Crimson Tide Storm, especially the locals.
But now, suddenly, an outsider—a monk from elsewhere—
Subconsciously, they grew wary.
However.
Height. Physique. Weight.
More than the outward appearance, what truly caught the eye was his calm and introspective aura, naturally exuding an air of erudition. On the surface, he seemed calm, but Saban could see from the lines of the muscles on his arms and calves, they held power, ready to burst forth.
If anyone underestimated this young man because he seemed somewhat slender or judged him by the color of his skin, they would surely stumble.
Saban knew of Burns’s capability in selecting promising players, having a keener eye than him, not just for running backs but for other positions as well. The bond of trust he had with this assistant head coach was entirely different from that with anyone else.
But on the surface, it was still unapparent.
"What?" Saban withdrew his gaze and called out.
Li Wei repeated his self-introduction, "Just call me Li Wei."
"Li Wei, good," Saban nodded slightly in acknowledgement, avoiding any small talk, and turned to look at the field, "Why don’t we get down to business right now...
After a brief pause, Saban scanned the field and could see on those young and naive faces an array of unguarded expressions: curiosity, inquiry, contempt, amusement, provocation. Young people are always so passionate.
Saban seriously considered that he should indeed see what this young man was made of. Only by understanding the upper and lower limits of his capability and grasping his potential could he make plans for the season—
The running back position, currently held by freshman Josh Jacobs.
Of course, Jacobs secured the role through his performance and strength, and his potential was highly regarded by the coaching staff; but the decision to put a freshman as the main player also revealed the difficult situation of the running back position.
If Li Wei could be a pleasant surprise...
Therefore, he should choose a main player to compete against to see the depth. There was no need to go all out at the start, first to assess the young man’s basic physical quality. The choice of players should be mixed and matched a bit.
Then, Saban made his selection.
"Foster, Humphrey, Allen, Jackson, the four of you step forward."
Roar.
Roar roar roar.
Hearing their names called, the other players immediately began to jeer, with whistles even, their excitement to see the show blatantly aflame.