"So, you're telling me this system can turn me into a top football superstar for real?"
Man, this was wild. It felt like a dream, too good to be true. If it wasn't for the dull ache in his muscles reminding Luke that this was all legit, he might've pinched himself just to make sure he wasn't dreaming.
"Yep," Seven's voice chimed in, "as long as you complete all the daily training and tasks."
"Wait, so someone else had this system before me and blew it? They didn't make it 'cause they were lazy?" Luke caught onto the hint. His excitement was quickly doused like a cold shower.
"Correct," Seven confirmed.
Luke let out a sigh. Sure, a bit of talent is great, but hard work is where it's at. There have always been talented folks who wasted their potential and never made it big.
"Alright, pick your position and jersey number."
"Can I switch this system? Like, can I change it to soccer or something? Soccer's pretty huge. If not, basketball would work. I'm a big basketball fan," Luke asked, hopeful. Silence. But Luke didn't mind. He chuckled, not just in his head but with a grin on his face.
Luke was a second-gen immigrant who moved to San Francisco with his folks when he was eight. Even in the 21st century, racism in the U.S. was still a thing. San Francisco was pretty good with ethnic integration, but Luke still felt the sting of exclusion from his classmates. For a long time, he couldn't even make friends with other immigrant kids.
But Luke wasn't the type to just sit back and take it. To change things up, he turned to sports, the universal language, especially for guys. On the field, you're either teammates or rivals, no BS, just pure skill.
Back in Avalis, Luke was on the school basketball team, but his new school in the States didn't care much for basketball and didn't even have a team. So, he went with football, America's favorite sport. Here, football, baseball, ice hockey, and basketball were the big four, with football reigning supreme.
At first, it was just about fitting in, but soon enough, Luke genuinely fell for the game. To outsiders, football might look like a bunch of dudes smashing into each other, but it's way more than that. It's all about teamwork and strategy. A pro team's playbook can be like seven or eight hundred pages thick, and some guys get cut 'cause they can't memorize it or keep up with the tactics.
Oh, and by the way, football players gotta take IQ tests before they go pro.
On the field, every position is like a piece of a well-oiled machine. From offense to defense, special teams to the coaching staff, everything's gotta sync up perfectly to win. It's a sport that values individual skill, team effort, and smarts, which makes it super addictive.
Luke was all in. But, his physical talent was kinda meh, and with the racial bias in football, no one from Sintrellia had ever made it to the NFL, not even as a benchwarmer. So, while football helped him break the ice, it didn't take him all the way.
After high school, Luke got into UCLA and joined the football team.
But during his freshman and sophomore years, he got cut during tryouts. Physical confrontation was his weak spot, and you can't escape that in football. He had the height, but he was lacking in muscle and explosiveness, which kept him off the college team.
It wasn't until his junior year that his dedication and hard work finally paid off. The coaches let him join as a practice player—not an official team member, no promises, and he could be replaced anytime.
He stuck it out for a year. Before he knew it, senior year was here, and he had just one year left to make it as a pro.
Because he wasn't naturally gifted, he had to work harder than everyone else. Every time he hit the field, it could be his last. So, he was always the first to show up and the last to leave. He gave it his all, even in the most boring drills.
He treasured every second on that field! This was his dream, his youth, his life! Eleven years, a whole eleven years, he had been running, fighting, and grinding on that green field. Now that he finally had a shot, there was no way he was letting it slip away.
Football was his number one choice!
Football and soccer actually have a lot in common. Both are about one side attacking and the other defending, with the goal of scoring by getting the ball into the net. The difference is in how you play the game.
In a football game, each team splits into three squads: offense, defense, and special teams. When one team's offense is on the field, the other team's defense is out there to stop them. If the offense screws up, kicks a field goal, or it's kickoff time, the special teams from both sides come out to play.
After the kickoff, the offense gets four downs to move the ball ten yards. If they make it, they get another set of four downs to keep going. If they don't, the other team gets the ball.
Let's break down the offense first. It's all about passing and rushing.
The quarterback is the big cheese on offense and the main target for the defense. He's probably the most crucial player on the team. After the snap, the guys in front of him are the offensive line. Their job is to block the defenders, giving the QB enough time to decide whether to pass or rush.
Passing is like chucking the football, kinda like in basketball, to a teammate who's already sprinted downfield. Rushing is when the QB hands the ball to a running back, who then clutches it tight and weaves through the crowd, running and dodging to gain yards.
During the offensive drive, every run, block, route, and tactic needs to be spot-on. The offensive line's job isn't just to protect the QB but also to clear paths for the running backs and create openings for the wide receivers to run their routes and gain yards.
A pro team's playbook can have up to 20,000 different plays. Yeah, it's that crazy.
Now, let's talk scoring. The football field is 100 yards long, with end zones at each end where you score. Unlike soccer, the "goal" in football is the end zone, which is 75 yards wide and 10 yards deep.
In the game, if an offensive player carries the ball across the goal line or catches a pass in the end zone, they score a touchdown, worth six points. After a touchdown, the offense can go for an extra point by having the special teams kick the ball through the goalposts from the 35-yard line, snagging one more point.
Another scenario is when the offense has used three downs and hasn't moved ten yards but is close enough to the end zone to try a field goal. They can go for it on the fourth down instead of risking a turnover. If the field goal is good, they get three points.
In the end, football and soccer share the same basic goal: keep pushing forward and get the ball across the goal line to score points.
Throughout the game, the quarterback is the undisputed king of the hill.
For the offense, the quarterback runs the show, even more than a midfielder in soccer. The QB's grasp of tactics, their ability to read the defense, and their field vision are key to winning the game. On defense, it's all about figuring out the opposing QB's moves and shutting down their offense.
In soccer, the star could be a forward, a midfielder, or a goalie. But in football, the quarterback is always the main attraction, the heart and soul of the team.
In sports like soccer, basketball, and ice hockey, physical confrontation is huge; football takes it to another level. But the quarterback is a bit different in this rough-and-tumble world.
During the game, the offensive line forms a wall in front of the quarterback. They block the defense, creating a safe pocket for the QB to make decisions and throw passes. They take the hits and the bruises. The QB only faces direct hits if the pocket collapses.
Plus, modern football has a bunch of rules to protect the quarterback, giving them more breathing room. Illegal hits on the QB are a no-go. Once the QB releases the ball, no one can touch them unless they leave the pocket. Hits to the head or below the knees are also off-limits. Break these rules, and you're looking at some serious penalties.
So, the QB doesn't face as much physical confrontation. Usually, quarterbacks aren't the most physically gifted players on the team and might not even hit the average physical standards.
What's more important for a QB are their tactical smarts, game management, and situational awareness. Their passing choices, skills, and footwork are crucial too.
A great quarterback doesn't need to be a physical beast but must have a sharp tactical mind and killer passing skills. Sure, a strong physique can help in confrontations, but it won't help them nail those passes. This makes the QB a unique position, needing more brains and finesse. Of course, having good physical attributes is a nice bonus.
In high school, Luke played as a quarterback. His physical talent might've been lacking, but his tactical smarts, observational skills, and adaptability were top-notch, at least in his high school. But in college, he couldn't snag a star position like quarterback. Heck, he couldn't even get a regular spot and was just a practice player.
Now, he's got a shot at becoming a football superstar. Does he even need to think twice about his position?
"Quarterback," Luke said without a second thought. "Of course, quarterback!"