+- International Simulation Football League (https://forums.sim-football.com)
+-- Forum: Community (https://forums.sim-football.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=5)
+--- Forum: Media (https://forums.sim-football.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=37)
+---- Forum: Graded Articles (https://forums.sim-football.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=38)
+---- Thread: *Already? (/showthread.php?tid=11733)
*Already? - WannabeFinn - 01-26-2019
It's been a full calendar year since Grayson Kuusela entered the Season 12 Draft as a San Antonio Marshal, and left as a Baltimore Hawk. Drafted with the 7th pick in the 1st round, Kuusela was expected to become a franchise pass rusher for the Hawks. While he had an idea that the Hawks had liked him going into the draft, he wasn't entirely sure if it would be in the 1st round.
"My agent got a call from the guys in Baltimore, and they talked for a bit. They told him that they really liked what they saw on tape and when they watched me at the combine. I guess I must have really impressed them, and I'm just really proud to be a 1st round pick. I've got a lot of special folks in my life to give thanks to."
The defensive end was thrust into a starting position with the Hawks early on in pre-season, and he showed enough promise to keep that spot at the start of the regular season. Kuusela made his NSFL debut on the road against rival Philadelphia.
"We started off the season at Philly, and that was just a crazy experience. My first game was in a hostile environment and I was pretty damn nervous, but once I got onto the field everything kind of settled down."
Kuusela recorded his 1st and 2nd tackles of his career in the 57-28 thrashing of the Liberty.
"I thought I had a pretty good game, and obviously the team as a whole played well. It's not easy to put up that many points on the road, but we found a way. We didn't get to the quarterback that much, but we were able to apply enough pressure to force several turnovers, so we were able to come up pretty big in that regard on the defensive side of things."
Before the joy of winning his first game had worn off, Grayson received a call from the General Manager of the Baltimore Hawks.
"I got a call from Mr. SLM and I'm wondering what this could be about. So I answered and we chatted for a bit, he told me how proud he was of me for making my debut and playing so well. But then he got pretty serious and had a bit of a somber tone to his voice. He told me that I had been traded. I mean, I had played just one game after being drafted to Baltimore.. in fact, I hadn't even played IN Baltimore yet, and I was traded. Pretty hard to see that one coming."
Grayson Kuusela was traded alongside running back Aksel Danielsson to the New Orleans Second Line for veteran defensive back Blackford Oakes. The Second Line weren't looking like competitors, but they were in desperate need of young talent like Kuusela.
"I'm really happy to be in New Orleans now, and I'm glad that they also saw something in me. Oakes is a great player, so to be considered valuable enough to garner him in a trade is something that I consider to be a compliment. But all I could think was... 'Traded? Already?'"
*Already? - iamslm22 - 01-28-2019
Brings a tear to my eye. Miss having you on the squad - it was a super tough choice, but you're gonna star in New Orleans.