Miami, located in the southeastern corner of Florida, is known for its pleasant climate and open views. It's a place perfect for seaside living, where countless retirees choose to settle down and enjoy their later years, earning it the nickname "God's Waiting Room."
Of course, with the Gulf of Mexico just across the water, its proximity to Cuba and Guatemala has made Miami uniquely intertwined with South America, even earning it the title "Capital of South America." This has given the city a distinct flavor, making it a gathering place for various cultures and ethnicities.
In the 70s and 80s, Miami was once a haven for crime, with countless legends and stories that are still told today.
Now, countless professional athletes choose to reside in the city. Tennis legends Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova have both made Miami their permanent homes. The same goes for many in basketball, football, and other sports.
Every offseason, athletes flock here to spend their long vacations. Parties, celebrations, and more parties—it's the perfect place to relax taut nerves after a grueling season and enjoy the bliss of indulgence.
In that sense, Miami is definitely not the best place for offseason training—
Too many temptations.
However, the reality is quite different. Many athletes still choose to train in Miami.
Beyond the pleasant weather, the beach and ocean serve as perfect training grounds. The sand and seawater provide natural resistance, increasing the difficulty of training in a way that simulates real-game conditions. Plus, with so many athletes vacationing in the area, it's easy to find training partners and set up small personal training camps. All this makes Miami one of the hottest offseason destinations.
"…I like it here."
"Hah, full of temptations. If you're not careful, you might get distracted. One phone call and you could find yourself restless and unfocused, with all your hard work going to waste."
"No, no, no. These temptations are part of the training too."
"Oh? How do you figure?"
"Look, if you go somewhere like Wisconsin with its frigid winters, you're forced to live a monotonous life of just training and your dorm, back and forth. It's easy to stay focused because there's nothing else to do. But here, with so many temptations every day, if you can still maintain focus and train hard, it shows it's truly your choice. It's a test of willpower."
"Hmm… so, is that how you convinced Brittany?"
Mahomes could sense the knowing glimmer in Lance's eyes and voice. He chuckled, scratching his head, looking somewhat sheepish and embarrassed.
"What do you think? Convincing enough?"
Lance pressed his lips together—
In his view, it was not convincing at all.
Going to a freezing place to endure harsh conditions would undoubtedly build more mental resilience; Miami was practically paradise by comparison.
But it wasn't for him to judge.
"What did Brittany say?"
"She agreed, which is why I'm here." Mahomes started rubbing his hands together, practically bursting with excitement and eagerness. "Lance, thank you. Thank you for inviting me to the training camp."
Lance shrugged. "We needed a quarterback. To me, you were the best choice; of course, the fact that we couldn't invite Rodgers was also a key reason."
A casual joke brought a burst of hearty laughter from Mahomes.
The Watt Training Camp consisted of both physical and technical training, covering both offense and defense, with a total of twenty players. Every position was covered, allowing for seven-on-seven games similar to five-a-side soccer matches, ensuring that offseason training would be genuinely effective.
Naturally, players were invited for each position—at least one, sometimes two or three.
Mahomes was Lance's suggestion.
"Trust me, he won't let anyone down," Lance vouched.
In truth, both Watt and Lance had a little bit of selfishness in their choices.
Just as Lance invited Mahomes, Watt wanted to invite his own team's quarterback, Deshaun Watson. Both wanted their quarterbacks—and friends—to grow quickly and show great performances next season.
Unfortunately, Watson declined Watt's invitation, saying he wanted to spend time with his family on vacation.
Watt didn't push him, and Mahomes became the starting quarterback for the camp.
Mahomes could feel the weight of responsibility, and he was eager to prove himself during this offseason camp.
Surprisingly, for the tight end position, Watt invited Travis Kelce.
Lance had initially thought that Kelce, a veteran in the league, would have his own plans for the offseason. And since it was Watt's camp, he didn't want to overstep and invite Kelce himself.
To his surprise, Watt and Kelce were already friends outside of football, and the moment Watt extended the invite, Kelce agreed without hesitation.
Not only that, but Kelce also brought along his brother, Jason Kelce—a Hall of Fame-level center—a true surprise addition.
Bright and dazzling golden sunlight pierced the cloudless blue sky, illuminating the world with pristine clarity. Vast stretches of green were scattered across a sky of endless blue, creating a sense of coolness. Even though it was technically winter, everything felt like summer.
Comfortable, pleasant, enchanting.
No wonder everyone loved Miami. Even Donald had asked Lance if he wanted to purchase property there. Who could refuse paradise?
When Lance and Mahomes arrived at the training grounds, they realized the true surprise lay there—
Cameron Jordan, defensive end for the New Orleans Saints. Over the past decade, he had been one of the most outstanding defensive linemen, consistently top-tier since entering the league in 2011. He was low-key, sincere, dedicated, and hardworking. It wasn't surprising that he and Watt were friends.
Allen Robinson, wide receiver for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was the league leader in receiving touchdowns in 2015, but this season, he tore his ACL in the first game and was ruled out for the season. Coldly cut by his team, he still hadn't found a new team.
It seemed Robinson was on his way back, and he and Watt likely shared plenty of conversations about recovery.
There were many more like them.
From the lineup alone, it was clear that Watt wasn't focused on big names or superstars—he wasn't even necessarily focused on skill. His camp was purely based on friendship. Putting aside competition and victory, it was just a group of good friends training together, improving together, and fighting together.
When the camp ended, Watt's friends would have formed new friendships with each other.
However—
Things weren't that simple. Not everyone was so peaceful and harmonious. Among professional athletes, fiery tempers, arrogance, pride, and stubbornness were all too common, and disputes were always present.
There was one such person right before their eyes.
"Tch."
As soon as Lance stepped onto the field, the person made no effort to hide his disdain and scorn.
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Powerstones?
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