Kobe Bryant once said, "Do you know what 4 a.m. in Los Angeles looks like?"
Everyone knows that athletic competition requires talent.
But in fact, talent is just the entry ticket. Every player who makes it to the professional leagues is a genius. Whether they seem like rookies on the field or not, they're all exceptional—there are small geniuses, once-in-a-decade talents, even once-in-a-century prodigies.
It's a gathering of freaks.
If you want to stand out, hard work and perseverance are the only way.
Success is said to be 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration, and while that 1% can be critical, the professional level has already filtered for the 1% inspiration. What matters now is the 99% effort, the relentless grind that separates the great from the elite, the ones who know what 4 a.m. looks like.
Of course, Lance hadn't yet decided if he wanted to pursue a professional career. The past three weeks of spring training had opened a new door, allowing him to glimpse a whole new world. There was no need to rush into conclusions, but Lance admitted he was curious, starting to explore that possibility slowly.
From team scrimmages to the exhibition game, Lance had been gradually understanding the charm of football, and he couldn't help but feel some anticipation building for the upcoming season.
The football training system he had access to regularly sent reminders—reminders to complete daily training sessions and to be mindful of daily training limits.
"Don't overtrain, don't burn out."
By sticking to daily routines, the progress bar would receive extra bonuses, advancing faster toward that coveted 100%.
Truthfully, this gamified system had made everything tangible. Every day, he could see his progress, and with hidden rewards waiting ahead, even the most mundane of training days became filled with excitement. There was always a new motivation to push himself.
Right now, it was only May. The season didn't start until September—four months away.
In four months, a lot can change.
Lance thought about how his secret weapon had been exposed after the exhibition match. People were likely already studying him, thinking they had him all figured out. But when the time came, he'd show up with new tricks, catching them off guard once again. The thought of seeing the shocked expressions on defenders' faces gave him a small, mischievous thrill, pushing him to keep up with his training.
But for now, the first round of rewards had arrived.
A team scrimmage, an exhibition game—though they weren't official games, for a football rookie like Lance, the competition had been fierce. Combined with the natural boost from his first-time system upgrade, the training grind had led to a breakthrough today.
"100%!"
Calling the system to mind, the deep blue icon shimmered, signaling that Lance had reached the threshold. It meant one thing: time for another card flip.
After a quick breath to steady himself—almost ceremonially—he went for it.
A ripple of light blue waves spread across his vision, followed by a flash of white light. The card turned over to reveal its front: a character.
It wasn't a booster card but another template card.
Lance couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. He had been curious about the third slot on the interface—whether it could hold another booster card or if similar boosts could stack on top of each other.
If the latter was true, could he keep stacking injury prevention cards until the risk was reduced to 0%, effectively eliminating any injury threats altogether?
That curiosity had been driving him to train every day.
Unfortunately, today's card wasn't another booster but a second template card. Still, Lance couldn't complain too much; after all, the last time he flipped a card, he'd gotten an S-tier template and a critical injury prevention boost. His luck had been exceptional.
Even so, the new template in front of him wasn't bad either:
LeSean McCoy (A-tier)
Having already received an S-tier template with Adrian Peterson, seeing an A-tier now felt less overwhelming. But he reminded himself, even an A-tier was still a top-tier athlete, only slightly below the level of someone like Peterson.
But who exactly was LeSean McCoy?
McCoy, born in 1988, was drafted 53rd overall in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. He spent five seasons with the Eagles before moving to the Buffalo Bills last season, where he was still a dominant running back in the league.
Standing at 5'9" (180 cm) and weighing 210 lbs (95 kg), McCoy was slightly smaller than the average bruiser in the NFL—he was even smaller than Lance—but running backs like him still found success in the league by leveraging their speed and agility.
If anyone underestimated McCoy because of his size, they'd quickly regret it once he burned them with his quick feet.
McCoy was a classic "scatback"—a type of running back typically known for being smaller, quicker, and more elusive. These backs used their speed and nimble footwork to avoid tackles and find openings, relying on agility rather than brute strength.
McCoy was particularly known for his lateral quickness, often compared to Hall of Famer Barry Sanders. McCoy himself admitted to growing up idolizing Sanders, watching his games and modeling his style after him.
After entering the NFL, McCoy took only two seasons to find his rhythm. By 2011, he was one of the best.
Though concussions sidelined him in 2012, he made Pro Bowl appearances in 2011, 2013, 2014, and 2015, solidifying his place as one of the top running backs in the league.
Notably, he led the NFL in rushing touchdowns in 2011, in rushing yards in 2013, and became the Eagles' all-time rushing leader.
It was clear—McCoy and Peterson were both elite players in their prime. But how were they different?
Peterson excelled at breaking tackles and powering through defenders, often relying on his strength to bulldoze his way forward.
McCoy, on the other hand, used his speed to avoid tackles and find small gaps in the defense, slicing through with quick, decisive movements.
At this stage, Lance's playing style was closer to McCoy's. He preferred to rely on speed and agility to make plays, even though he could occasionally draw inspiration from Peterson's power running style when needed. For now, though, his ability to withstand heavy tackles was still a work in progress.
This was why, in the game against the Tigers, his edge-breaking plays were so stunning, earning him the nickname "The Edgerunner."
Speed, agility, and finding those narrow lanes—those were his strengths.
With the start of the season fast approaching, Lance needed to sharpen his competitive edge quickly. Focusing on his strengths would yield the quickest results.
Using Peterson's template had been challenging at times, as there were concepts he still didn't fully grasp. But with McCoy's template, things should come more naturally.
Rubbing his hands together in excitement, Lance wasted no time. He immediately dove into the template training mode.
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