When Anthony rolled up to the training ground, it was already like 8:15.
Like clockwork, the day after a game was chill—no hardcore training. Just some light stretching, injury checks, muscle loosening, and then everyone bounced. It was a rare chill moment in the week, assuming they won the game the day before. Nobody likes losing, right?
But yesterday was the season finale. With that game done, the 2011 NCAA season was officially in the books, making today kinda special.
For the past eleven years, this day was all about goodbyes—not graduating college, but saying peace out to football careers.
The pro league is a brutal grind. Over ninety percent of college players don't make the cut for the pros, and only about one percent hit the big time and get remembered.
Usually, players can jump into the draft in their junior year and take a shot at the pros, or stick around for senior year, get more clout, more experience, and then go for the draft. But if they still can't make it after senior year, it's game over for their "pro career."
So, the day after the last NCAA game every year is a day of farewells. The most special and heart-wrenching day.
In Anthony's eyes, the UCLA Bruins were still kinda average. Out of the juniors and seniors, maybe five could get drafted, probably less than three. That means at least twenty players were hanging up their cleats today.
Every player dreams of going pro, sticking it out through college. Even if not a pro football player, at least a pro athlete. But today was the day dreams died, and reality hit hard. A journey of ten, even fifteen years, was ending. Whether they wanted to or not, it was tough to stay chill.
So, this day was always rough and sad for Anthony. It had been like this for the past eleven years.
This year was a bit different. The season ended with the UCLA Bruins ranked fourth, maybe getting an invite to the Rose Bowl, but that was just a maybe. Today was still a day of goodbyes.
Feeling heavy-hearted, his steps slowed down. From a distance, the training ground was already buzzing with noise, laughter, and playful shouts, breaking the morning calm and filling the place with energy, kinda easing the sting of parting.
Anthony couldn't help but grin. This was his favorite training ground, the one he knew best. His steps picked up, and soon, he spotted Luke and John in the middle of the field. They were doing shuttle runs, with Logan and Marcus ready to go, yelling, "Hurry up! Don't let that dude beat you!"
Anthony's timing was spot on. Luke and John were in the sprinting phase, but it wasn't over yet. John, with a slight edge, slapped Marcus's hand hard, and the race continued with Marcus and Logan. Luke was just half a step behind, with Logan close on his heels.
First, there was a short-distance lateral jump, two rounds; then it was Luke and John's turn for quick direction changes; then it was Logan and Marcus's turn for obstacle collisions.
It was a continuous relay race, with Luke and Logan as one team, John and Marcus as another, doing basic training exercises one after another.
These drills weren't just for quarterbacks but were more about footwork, explosiveness, and direction changes, more suited for running backs and tight ends. But as basic training, quarterbacks used them too to work on their footwork and reaction time. So, it was still fair game.
The whole race ended with a forty-yard dash, with Luke and John almost neck and neck at the finish line. John and Marcus won. In speed and direction training, quarterbacks still couldn't match wide receivers, running backs, and tight ends. But surprisingly, Luke was just a hair behind, almost too close to call.
Pretty impressive, for sure.
Watching the four young dudes huffing and puffing, then cracking jokes and messing around, Anthony decided not to interrupt. He turned and walked away. He knew Luke was a grinder, always had been, whether as a sparring partner or a backup. Even after clinching the team's biggest win in almost a decade last night, Luke stayed humble and kept grinding, which made Anthony respect him even more.
He had a soft spot for players like that. Sure, talent's great, but he always preferred the ones who put in the blood, sweat, and tears.
Sadly, Luke's talent was still kinda lacking. Anthony hated to admit it, but it seemed like Black players had a natural edge in physical battles. They just outperformed White players, and Asians didn't even come close.
If he remembered right, Luke was a senior this year too. He wondered what Luke thought about going pro.
Slowly, more UCLA Bruins players trickled onto the field and started their recovery drills. The vibe was super chill and lively. Even the sparring partners were joking around, riding high on last night's sweet victory.
For a bit, everyone forgot about the looming goodbyes. Later, a few seniors huddled up and started talking. John straight-up shared his decision, and the mood got a bit heavy. Finally, Logan loudly reminded everyone that they still had a shot at the Rose Bowl this year. Until the Rose Bowl announced the teams, they couldn't just pack it in; they had to keep training.
Smiles crept back onto everyone's faces.
"Bambi, training's done for today. Are you seriously gonna run through all the basic drills again?" The relaxation training wrapped up quickly, and amidst all the laughter and banter, time flew by. Everyone was getting ready to hit the showers, but they noticed Luke was still diligently working on his quarterback drills. Someone called out to him.
Luke didn't break his stride and replied with a grin, "Just the basics. I'm gunning for the starting QB spot in the Rose Bowl. I'm already behind, so I gotta hustle even harder now."
His straightforward answer made everyone crack up. "Chill out, Bambi! I think last night's game already locked you in as a starter."
"But as a wide receiver!" someone else joked, ribbing Luke, and everyone burst into laughter.
Luke didn't join in the fun. He got distracted while talking, and his moves got sloppy, so the system didn't count three consecutive actions. Refocusing, he nailed all the drills methodically, and the task completion ding echoed in his mind again.
He snagged another basic point. Luke casually tossed it into his field vision, bumping it from fifty-three to fifty-four, inching closer to the passing mark.
After wrapping up one daily training task, another one popped up right on schedule.
Luke skimmed through it, but then his eyes stopped, and he had to double-check. The task cycle was still fourteen days, but now there were five more items, making it thirty daily training tasks. Not only were there more items, but the existing ones had also gotten a tweak.
First change: "Endurance Run, 33,000 feet" was now "Interval Run, 33,000 feet; Task Requirement: Change speed at least five times, sprinting 330 feet each time." Keeping a steady pace in a long run was key, but suddenly changing speeds? That took way more stamina, breath control, and endurance.
Second change: The number of sets for sub-tasks. For instance, weighted squats used to be three sets, now it's five, and the weight had also gone up, matching Luke's current max load. Another example was footwork drills, which jumped from three sets to ten. Clearly, the system wasn't impressed with Luke's footwork.
Third change: Five new training items.
"Obstacle Dodge Training, five sets, three rounds per set;
Three-Cone Drill, five sets, three rounds per set;
Ladder Lateral Run, three sets, three rounds per set;
Ball-Holding Sit-Ups, five sets, twenty reps per set;
Yoga, thirty minutes;
Task Duration: Fourteen consecutive days (0/14);
Task Reward: Basic Point +1."
Luke knew the new training items. They were all advanced footwork drills, each one a grind but super important. But what was up with the last item? Luke thought he read it wrong and checked again. Nope, it was right: "Yoga, thirty minutes."
"Seven? Seven?" Luke called out in his mind. "What's with the yoga? Is it supposed to make me more charming? How does yoga even relate to football? Or am I supposed to be practicing some alien yoga? The kind that turns me into a Super Saiyan?"