Luke had no choice but to wear that signed helmet for practice.
Figuring out who did it didn't take a genius like Sherlock Holmes because they weren't even trying to hide.
During practice, Parys kept going on about how Colin came up with the idea, how they hid Luke's helmet, and how they used Kendall to trick him.
Parys kept saying, "We all know that self-righteous Ivy League kid is super cautious. He wouldn't fall for our tricks, but Kendall, that idiot, he definitely wouldn't see it coming. And sure enough!"
Nearby, Colin was grinning like a Cheshire cat, looking all smug. He'd stop now and then to do a little dance or mimic Luke's awkwardness when he got the helmet. Sometimes, he'd even help Parys reenact the prank from this morning.
His over-the-top performance made him look like he was gunning for an Oscar.
Every time they talked about it, everyone stared at Luke like he was a joke, their eyes full of mockery, ridicule, and disdain.
All morning, Luke felt like he was on display, like a 10,000-watt spotlight was on him, inviting the whole world to watch. Even the coaches couldn't help but chuckle when they looked his way.
He couldn't hide or fight back. So, Luke just focused on the training, getting more intense and determined.
In the official practice, Luke didn't hold back; he went all out.
He treated every play like it was the last play of the Super Bowl, catching the defense off guard. Parys and his crew were left scrambling, looking pretty rough. In retaliation, they started fouling, crashing into Luke and sacking him hard, leaving him bruised and battered.
The practice got messy.
It wasn't just between Luke and the defense; the tension between Colin and Luke was heating up too.
Every play, Colin kept a close eye on Luke. A bad pass, a clumsy run, a messy collision—Colin would get the other guys to mock Luke, saying he never got proper training, his tactics were a mess, and he looked like a "stupid duck," as Colin put it.
They got even bolder, openly mocking Luke's helmet. "What's up, superstar? Too busy signing autographs to practice your backpedal?" Or after a failed pass, they'd jeer, "You must love looking pathetic. We're starting to love it too."
The conflict was out in the open. But that's part of competitive sports—raw and brutal, where the strong survive.
Luke didn't bother with his usual comebacks, not just because the helmet felt like a heavy weight, but because he knew that field conflicts had to be settled on the field. Winning an argument wouldn't shut them up.
So, the more they attacked, the sharper Luke's counterattacks became.
As a rookie, Luke's learning curve was impressive. During practice, he was calm and steady, like a veteran. He read the defense's moves, and once he made a mistake, he wouldn't repeat it.
After a hit, he'd come back stronger; after a sack, he'd be more aggressive. The defense was left in shambles. This was just practice, but with Luke going all out, they couldn't keep up.
Even more impressive, when Colin made a pass, Luke would follow with an even better one; when Colin missed, Luke would calmly complete another pass.
Each blow was relentless. The more they taunted off the field, the more ferocious Luke's counterattacks on the field.
Eventually, even Geep had enough. During a break, he pulled Luke aside, "This is practice, ease up a bit. We're working on tactics, not winning or losing. For your own sake, be careful. If you get hurt, it won't be worth it."
Luke nodded, but in the next practice, he kept going hard.
By the end of the morning, the defense was speechless. Two hot-headed players were ready to rush over and teach Luke a lesson, to make this rookie really suffer.
Jim quickly stepped in, "Training is for getting our form right and spotting weaknesses. What you guys just did out there was a joke. In a real game, we’d lose everything, including our pride. This is nothing to be proud of. If you know what's good for you, start reflecting before I lose my temper! It's truly embarrassing."
That last bit really hit home for the players: a rookie quarterback, an Avalis American quarterback, had just schooled the defense in practice? It was hard to swallow, especially since the quarterback looked like a stiff breeze could knock him over, yet they still couldn't beat him. Embarrassing, truly embarrassing.
So, even though they were pissed, they all backed off and slunk off the field.
"Bambi, you're still the coolest!" Marcus ran over, eyes sparkling as he looked at Luke. "Every time you completed a pass, everyone's eyes were glued to your helmet. It felt like a series of slaps, one after another. Those veteran players were completely lost."
Logan, however, shook his head with a regretful expression, "I think the team's condition is really worrying. Look at that defense; they can't even handle a tenth of Bambi's skills. In the regular season, they'll probably be wiped out. And Colin, I think he's more of a running back than a quarterback. His passing accuracy is terrible. Honestly, how did he get drafted in the second round? He's not even good enough to be Bambi's backup."
Even Alton joined in, looking helpless, "Bambi, you could at least give us a heads-up." Alton was on the defense and had truly received a shocking lesson this morning.
Objectively speaking, in passing drills, all the activities and content revolve around the quarterback, which does give the quarterback some advantages. Plus, the defense hadn't fully ramped up their intensity to avoid peaking too early before tomorrow's preseason game, so they had been holding back. This imbalance tilted the scales.
But even so, Luke's all-out, aggressive performance was terrifying, like he was seeing red. As Logan said, Alton couldn't help but wonder who was really the second-round pick and who was the undrafted rookie. The roles seemed reversed.
Looking at his two joking friends, now joined by Alton, Luke frowned and said seriously, "Alton, I didn't expect you to be this kind of person!"
Alton looked utterly bewildered, eyes wide, "What did I do? Tell me, what did I do? This is an injustice, a real injustice." His innocent expression made Logan and Marcus burst into laughter.
"Hey, Luke." Not far away, Kendall stood awkwardly, scratching his head, looking uncomfortable. "About this morning in the locker room, I'm sorry. I really didn't know. My bad."
Luke tapped his helmet with his index finger and chuckled, "Trust me, this is the least of my worries." Playbook, playbook, playbook—that was the real priority.
Kendall finally exhaled in relief, "Honestly, they went too far. What the team needs most right now is unity, and they're still fussing over these little things..." Kendall was clearly a straightforward guy, even hesitant to badmouth others behind their backs. His voice trailed off, and he mumbled a bit, endearingly honest.
"Luke, do you think there will be any trouble because of how you fought back? They..." Kendall followed them towards the locker room, full of concern.
Luke took off his helmet, his head drenched in sweat, as if he had just been pulled out of water. "Tomorrow is the preseason game. The team has more important things to worry about than teaching a freshman a lesson. Trust me, they won't be that stupid."
With that, the rookies burst into laughter, the morning's gloom and frustration completely dissipated.
As Luke said, there wasn't enough time or energy.
The preseason was officially in countdown mode, and the team was in full preparation mode. Even if the veterans wanted to teach Luke and the other freshmen a lesson, there would be plenty of time in the future; there was no rush.
Strictly speaking, they didn't even have time for idle chatter or lunch today. The morning training ended thirty minutes earlier than usual. The players returned to the locker room, quickly showered, changed into their regular clothes, and then boarded the team bus, heading to San Francisco International Airport.
In the afternoon, they flew to New Orleans for the first game of the 2011 preseason, an away game against the New Orleans Saints.
Just a few hours later, all the players had checked into their hotel in New Orleans and then headed to the away training facility to start warming up. The season's footsteps were already upon them.