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+---- Thread: Vincent Sharpei's Offseason (/showthread.php?tid=2257)
Vincent Sharpei's Offseason - Muford - 07-17-2017
And the clock continues to run. Three.... two.... one..... And the referees blow their whistles to signal the end of the game. Another loss racks up for the Baltimore Hawks as they end their season 4-10. All Vincent could do was look on from the sidelines as they were destroyed by the San Jose Sabercats 31-3. An abysmal loss to finish up a horrendous season. Sharpei heads to the locker room distraught on another poor game for himself. Taking himself a nice long ice bath, he looks over the game statistics again, seeing he had only gathered one pancake and allowed one sack. Beating himself up, he plays the game on the TV to see how he could have possibly done more to help the team win.
Sharpei thinks back to the pre-season when the Hawks looked so well, going 4-0 and nothing could bring them down. Sharpei was picked up off the waiver wire right before the pre-season started, and ended up starting all four games for the Hawks in the preseason. He came in with a can-do attitude, and wanted to be the best for the Hawks because they took a chance on him. Vincent wanted to prove early that he was worth the pick-up and was one of the first people at the stadium on practice days, and one of the last ones to leave. On game days Vince would show up, and get film sessions in hours before just to make sure he was going to be making the right plays on the line, and studying his opposition just to make sure that nobody would get a drop on him.
The next day is an early morning for Vincent Sharpei. He starts his day off at 5:00 A.M., preparing breakfast and gets on the stationary bike in his home. While he eats and rides, he goes over film from the night before, analyzing everything that happened and what could go right or wrong. At about 8:00 A.M. after breakfast and watching film, it’s time to hit the weight room. Bench press, leg press, squats, and more. Sharpei is known to spend two to three hours weight lifting, and sometimes longer after a rough loss like they suffered to San Jose. At Noon, its lunch time, and time to hit the neighborhood and go for a run to the nearest park where he will meet his trainer and go over cone, and tire drills to keep Vincent agile throughout the off season.
Sharpei phone rings at about 3:00 P.M., and it’s Kurt Hendrix from the Baltimore Hawks; he asks if Vincent could come to the stadium to conduct their final walk-through for the season. Vincent has no problem with doing so, and heads home to shower and get ready to head to the stadium.
Upon arriving to the Baltimore Hawks Stadium, Vince is greeted outside by Kurt and they begin their walk through. Besides reminiscing and walking around the stadium, they finally hit the field. Standing there at the 50 Yard line, Kurt begins to ask Sharpei about his plans for the future and for the upcoming Draft.
KH: Hey man, how are you feeling? How would you like to return to the Hawks if you fall to us in the Draft?
VS: Kurt, I would have no problem coming here. You guys took a chance on me on the waiver wire, and I feel like I’ve blossomed here in Baltimore, it’s like another home to me. It means a lot that you guys were willing to risk money and a roster spot on a no-name offensive lineman out of the Army, but it means a lot to me that you did.
KH: That’s great to hear man, how were you happy in your role in the offense?
VS: I had no problem with my role, if you guys do decide to draft me, I would like a more definitive picture of where I’d be playing, instead of swapping back and forth between tackle and guard. It’ll help with my developmental process so I can continue to strive to be the best that I can be for the team.
KH: Do you enjoy the atmosphere here, and do you see yourself staying in the gym working like you have been?
VS: To be honest with you Kurt, I do. I love this league and the atmosphere that it brings, and I love the intensity week in and week out against the other teams. I want to be one of the best in the league, Kurt, and I am going to continue to strive to be the best there is. I know that I’ve had a poor year, but I will continue to push and make myself the best person I can be.
KH: That’s good to know Vince, I’m glad we could have this conversation. Let me bring you to your locker and help you clear out.
Kurt and Vincent headed to the locker room, as the memories came roaring back. The first day being here, the pranks, the jokes, the hard work, the dedication, the blood sweat and tears that were shed here. It was going to be a long off-season and nobody knows what is going to happen in the following months.
As Vincent was clearing out his locker, Kurt left the room. Packing up is already a hard thing to do, and nobody likes to do it. Sharpei continued to look around as he was putting the last remaining pictures and cleats from his locker into his bag. He put his hand on his locker, and stood there with his head down, deep in thought. Kurt came up and tapped Vincent on the shoulder, and handed him a football and stated “I know it’s not the best thing in the world, but the guys and I all signed this for you, to remember your first stop.”
Vincent thanked him, and shook his hand. He headed for the exit, and turned around to give the locker room one last look before leaving. Headed to the car, he threw his bag into the trunk, and put the signed football on the seat next to him as he took off from the stadium for what could have been his last time as a member of the Baltimore Hawks. As Sharpei arrived home, he received a phone call from another GM in the league, looking forward to having a face to face with him within the coming days about the draft. Following that call, he received two more calls from GMs, also looking to have a face to face with him. Sharpei started to check out the locations and housing around where the teams have called him, starting that process to figure out where he will be next year and possibly the years beyond.
Most of the time, GMs ask you roughly the same questions, just phrased differently to their own likings to get a better understanding of who you are as a person and what you can bring to the team on every level of play. Vincent has been generating quite a bit of discussion with his statement of willingness to play anywhere, as well as his time he has been putting away into the gym. The draft is slowly but surely coming on us, and in just a few short days we will see where Sharpei and others will land.
(1234 words)
@HENDRIX
GRADED
Vincent Sharpei's Offseason - Noppadet - 07-17-2017
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