Chapter 953: 952 Real European Emperor

Regarding the three-peat, Li Wei is serious.

As for the offseason training, it’s the same–

Li Wei is especially excited for this year’s offseason.

All of it is thanks to the system. The card draw delivered again!

Over the past six months, the system’s card draws have provided some opportunities, but honestly, the gains were limited, with only one Training Effect Doubling Card standing out:

Five times.

The other cards aren’t even worth mentioning.

Even this five-times Training Effect Doubling Card had limited impact during the season; first, because daily training time is restricted; second, because Li Wei’s physical and technical abilities are already reaching maturity, making any further improvement face inevitable bottlenecks.

So, despite sporadic card-draw opportunities, Li Wei has remained diligent and grounded, focusing entirely on his own efforts. He’s gradually shedding dependency on the system, prioritizing his own training. Even if the system can’t offer better assistance in the future, Li Wei hopes to continue improving through his own hard work.

He firmly believes this is still not his limit.

After all, he’s only been playing football for three years; his peak is likely still far off.

However!

Just when Li Wei thought he could let go of reliance on the system, the system surprised him with a huge reward during its post-Super Bowl card draw.

First, a Recovery Effect Doubling Card: seven times.

No matter if it’s his rookie year or sophomore year, Li Wei deeply understands how grueling the NFL is, where intense clashes place immense strain on both body and mind. The deeper one gets into the playoffs, the more likely they are to face the limits of their endurance.

For this reason, a first-round bye in the playoffs is critically important.

Last season, during the final moments of the American League Championship, players were cramping one after another–even with a wild-card round bye–the team was put on notice.

Now, drawing this seven-times Recovery Effect Doubling Card is an exceptional treasure for Li Wei.

Second, an Injury Risk Reduction Card: 75%–

Game-changer!

The Injury Risk Reduction Card has always been Li Wei’s trump card. For a running back often plagued by injuries, it’s the ultimate cheat code.

Last season, Li Wei narrowly avoided a concussion.

Now, it’s easy to imagine how, after claiming the regular-season MVP title, defensive players will target Li Wei aggressively next season. The threat level of potential injury risks is skyrocketing.

Yet, right now, Li Wei acquires a 75% Injury Risk Reduction Card. What a surprise! An outright game-changing surprise!

This will undoubtedly become Li Wei’s cornerstone of confidence for pushing his limits next season. It may even prove pivotal in redefining his professional football career as a running back.

After all, injuries are the root of all turning points.

Setting aside everything else, the gloom of poor luck during the season’s previous card draws is completely dispelled solely thanks to this Injury Risk Reduction Card.

Right after the Super Bowl, drawing this card has left Li Wei utterly satisfied.

Even if the system only gifted him this one card for all the effort he put into the entire season, it’s already worth far more than enough. Li Wei feels confident enough to launch his campaign for next season’s three-peat. After all, in real life, he’s hitting the jackpot; it’s better not to be too greedy.

But!

Perhaps it’s precisely due to this calm mindset that Li Wei suddenly found himself incredibly lucky during the last card draw opportunity, and he received the ultimate jackpot–

“Template: Barry Sanders (S-level).”

A training template, and an S-level card appears again!

So, who is Barry Sanders?

—-GOAT.

The answer is just that simple.

Of course, GOAT is relative, not absolute. Everyone has their own historical greatest in their hearts. Rarely does any player win unanimous approval.

Sanders, naturally, is no exception. However, there’s no doubt Sanders is one of the most dominant and versatile elite running backs in NFL’s 100-year history.

Barry Sanders, 5.7 feet (173 cm) tall, 200 pounds (91 kg). He was selected third overall in the first round of the 1989 draft by the Detroit Lions and played only ten seasons in the League, retiring abruptly in 1998–a career relatively short compared to other players.

And yet, in those “brief” ten seasons, the level of dominance Sanders displayed was enough to cement his place in the annals of history:

Rushing yards: second all-time, only behind Walter Payton.

Rushing touchdowns: sixth all-time.

Rushing attempts: second all-time.

As of 2022, over 14 years since Sanders retired, these three records still rank in the top ten of the historical lists.

He averaged 1,527 rushing yards per season and 99 rushing yards per game.

Throughout his career, Sanders never had a single season with fewer than 1,000 rushing yards. Across ten league seasons, he recorded ten 1,000-yard seasons. He holds the record for the second-most 1,000-yard seasons in NFL history among running backs.

Add to that one regular-season MVP award, two Offensive Player of the Year titles, six All-America First Team selections, four All-American Second Team selections, ten Pro Bowl appearances, and four seasons leading the League in rushing yards.

Efficient, fierce, consistent.

Sanders delivered highlight-worthy performances season after season for ten unparalleled years, totally redefining people’s perceptions of running backs and bulldozing through the League with unthinkable ability.

“Ten years of nonstop excellence”–this phrase best encapsulates Sanders’ greatness.

Interestingly enough, Sanders’ retirement wasn’t due to injury.

In the 1997 season, Sanders and Green Bay Packers’ quarterback legend Brett Favre shared the regular-season MVP award. In the 1998 season, Sanders still racked up a monstrous 1,491 rushing yards, proving that even at the “old age” of 31, he remained the top running back in the League.

Yet before the start of the 1999 season, in peak condition with no injuries, Sanders suddenly stunned the League by announcing his retirement. His decision sent shockwaves across the League, especially since Sanders was only a little over 1,000 yards away from breaking Walter Payton’s all-time rushing yards record–a feat he could have achieved in just one more season.

But Sanders felt no reluctance. He walked away at the pinnacle of his career.

Sanders, who always valued his privacy and often avoided the media, has never publicly disclosed the true reason for retiring at his zenith. However, widespread speculation among reporters suggests that Sanders was deeply disappointed with the Detroit Lions’ disastrous management team.

An iconic NFL commentator once expressed a poignant sentiment:

“Even a player as extraordinary as Barry Sanders could not salvage the Detroit Lions from this ugly quagmire.”

During Sanders’ ten-season professional career, he led the team to victory in only one playoff game. Just one.

For a legendary player, that’s humiliating and powerless–

Much like what Watt is experiencing now.

In football, an inherently team-oriented sport, such a sense of helplessness gets magnified exponentially.

In the 1998 season, the Detroit Lions finished with a 5-11 record, missing the playoffs yet again. Disillusioned, Sanders announced his retirement in the offseason.

Because of this, even when looking purely at the stats, Sanders fails to occupy first place in most of a running back’s historical leaderboards–after all, he only played ten seasons. Yet, Sanders’ decade-long commitment to consistent and effective performances earned him widespread recognition among experts as the GOAT.

One key detail says it all: In 2019, the American Football League celebrated its 100th anniversary with a series of activities, including selecting the All-Time NFL Team.

It’s easy to imagine how fierce the competition must have been for spots on such a historic roster.

And the running back starters who ultimately prevailed:

Barry Sanders.