Alright, folks, buckle up 'cause the rookie training camp's third-day skill test is about to kick off.
The field's all cleared out, and Luke's got a whole squad of scouts and QB coaches hanging out behind him. Seriously, there's like twenty of 'em, all crammed into the ten-yard zone in front of the end zone. And, of course, there are a couple of TV guys with their cameras rolling. Joe and his buddies are hustling over to join the party.
On the other side, there's another crew of about twenty coaches and scouts, with wide receivers and tight ends scattered around the end zone. This camp's got twenty-one quarterbacks, forty wide receivers, and twenty tight ends. Everyone's gotta show off their catching skills, and even a few running backs are jumping in to prove they can run and catch. It's a pretty packed scene.
After two days of camp, the tension's still thick. Everyone's hyper-aware of their performance. The ones doing well wanna keep it up, and the ones struggling are desperate to turn things around. So yeah, the pressure's only getting worse.
The skill test's got set routines, so there's not much room for freestyling. Each team’s all about the basics: QB's passing accuracy, WR's catching and route-running, and the cornerbacks' coverage and defense.
These details might not be game-changers, but they can definitely shake up the draft rankings. A top pick might drop a few spots, and a second-rounder could slip to the third. And that means a big difference in signing bonuses. So, every player’s itching to show their best.
Cam and Luke are no different.
Luke can feel Cam's eyes burning a hole in his back. He doesn't even need to look to know it's him. But Luke's not sweating it. He’s zoning in, calming himself. Physical fitness might not be his strong suit, but his passing game is on point. With no defenders to mess with him, his accuracy can really shine. This is his moment to prove himself!
The test kicks off. With three times as many receivers as QBs, each QB's gotta throw to three receivers: short, medium, long, sideline, central, straight, rainbow—you name it. It's a full-on passing ability test.
Four QBs go up first, then it's Cam's turn. The crowd's buzzing.
Cam's at the twenty-yard line, looking all confident and ready to roll. But he's a bit too hyped, and his passes are all over the place. His arm strength is killer, but his accuracy? Not so much. His first three throws are off-target, too much juice on 'em, and the receivers can't keep up.
The scouts are like, "What the heck?" They can't believe Cam's making rookie mistakes.
Cam pulls it together a bit and nails his fourth pass. But overall, he's not killing it. With no defenders, he only completes twenty-two out of thirty passes, and eight of those are shaky. His accuracy's all over the map, and his control needs work.
For a regular QB, this would be decent. But for a Heisman winner? It's a letdown.
Cam's fuming after the test, smacking his fist into his palm, totally pissed.
From Cam to Luke, from number five to number eleven, a bunch of players take their turns. By the time Luke's up, an hour's gone by. Cam's cooled off, but now Luke's feeling the heat.
With Cam's mocking gaze drilling into him, Luke takes a deep breath and steps up. This is it—his moment. If he doesn't crush it now, his pro dreams might be toast, and going back to a regular life might be the smart move, even if the system can't save him.
He exhales, calming his nerves but feeling the adrenaline. Every time he hits the field, he feels that rush, like he was born for this.
Luke looks over at the coaches, gives a nod, and lets 'em know he's ready.
Geep's chillin' with Joe and Carl, not saying much but grinning and motioning for them to check out the QB in front of them: Avalis American. Dude aced the Wonderlic Personnel Test and is pretty much a mystery man. That combo's got everyone curious.
Joe nods and whispers, "His stance is textbook, and he's got this calm vibe. Already looks better than Cam in that department."
Carl rolls his eyes, clearly not impressed. "You serious? He looks like a wannabe trying to get some spotlight. Bet he’s just here to get into an Ivy League school and make some noise."
Geep, staying neutral, smiles and says, "Let's see how his passing game is." But then he stops mid-sentence 'cause the test kicks off.
Snap, drop back, scan, throw—Luke's moves are smooth as butter! And man, that football's spin and arc are on point, landing right in the receiver's hands like it’s nothing. Clean and precise, his game is turning heads.
That eight-yard short pass? Just the warm-up.
In the next twenty-nine throws, Luke's short passes are quick and dead-on, slicing through the air like a hot knife through butter—seriously satisfying to watch. His long passes? Powerful, like he's drawing a bow to shoot an eagle. Rainbow passes, bullet passes, you name it—he nails 'em all, showing off both arm strength and pinpoint control. His medium passes are steady, covering the field like he's got a sniper scope, hitting targets with ease.
Thirty passes, twenty-nine completions!
Best performance out of the eleven QBs tested today! Coaches and scouts are seriously impressed.
What’s even crazier is Luke's precision. Every pass hits the receiver right in the chest, like a textbook example.
The only hiccup? His medium pass accuracy wobbles a bit, with some throws off by half an arm to a full arm's length. One incomplete pass was a medium one, and there were three with slight deviations. But hey, those minor flaws don’t overshadow his strengths!
When it comes to pure passing skills, Luke might just be the most solid QB among this year's rookies. Plus, his cannon arm and spot-on accuracy were a sweet surprise.
After Luke's thirty throws, Joe couldn't resist stepping up. As the QB coach for the New Orleans Saints, he's worked with elite QB Drew Brees and knows passing offense inside out, making him one of the top passing coaches in the league. He wanted to see Luke's long-pass limits.
In the earlier tests, the long-pass benchmark was around forty yards, without pushing it further. The focus was on fundamentals, and their extreme abilities were already noted in NCAA games. But Luke was different, with barely any scouting reports. Everyone at the rookie camp was trying to figure this guy out. So, Joe made the call.
Luke didn't even blink, staying cool and collected. After the QB coach and the WR coach finished chatting on their walkie-talkies, the long-pass challenge was on.
First long pass, and the football soared sixty yards, landing perfectly on the receiver's shoulder, who snagged it smoothly. The crowd was like, "Whoa!" This level of passing was already top-tier, not quite Aaron Rodgers, but close. The real question was: how consistent was it?
Luke then threw five more long passes. By the last one, the football's flight got wobbly, losing its arc. It was clear Luke's physical stamina was lacking, struggling with six back-to-back long passes. Plus, he had just finished thirty consecutive throws.
But out of those six long passes, the closest two were around fifty-five yards, super stable and accurate. The farthest one hit sixty-five yards but was way off, missing the target by two full steps, and the receiver couldn't catch it. This showed that sixty yards was Luke's sweet spot.
For a QB with so-so physical fitness, this was impressive! But remember, this was without any defenders. In a real game, Luke wouldn't have such a comfy passing setup. This meant Luke had clear strengths and weaknesses. So, what's the call?
A familiar sound echoed in Luke's mind: another special task appeared?