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+---- Thread: *Kenvald / Jamdrian LeBayers: An Introduction (/showthread.php?tid=42099)
*Kenvald / Jamdrian LeBayers: An Introduction - kenvald - 11-11-2022
Claiming 2x First Gen bonus
Hello ISFL, I come in peace! I figured it could be a good idea to start off my bank account with an introductory piece of media.
Kenvald, The User
I’m not a user completely new to sim leagues, but I’m also no veteran compared to some others around here. Some of you may recognize me from the SHL. Where I’ve controlled the player Sven Yxskaft for what feels like a couple of lifetimes. I also GMed the New England Wolfpack for about an IRL year, I think. No larger success was had, but it was mostly a fun experience nonetheless.
During that tenure I met and talked to dozens of people who were/are also part of the ISFL. Quite literally all of them told me that I should create a player here. I’ve always been curious about joining another league. Hockey I’m very familiar with but when it comes to football most of my knowledge hovers around the names of a couple of good players to have on my fantasy team. I’m originally from Sweden where American Football is barely even a thing, but I’ve learned enough to fool a couple of people since I moved to the US.
Despite the recurring recommendations about joining the ISFL I was always worried about not being able to give enough time to two leagues. Max earning in the SHL took quite a lot of my time. Especially trying to keep that bank account up. At one time half of every single weekend was occupied by my updating duties. I figured I wouldn’t be able to give my ISFL player and team their deserved attention. But at least I can now say that for one short season Sven Yxskaft was the all-time TPE leader in SHL history! I’d like to thank my parents, but more importantly TPE inflation.
So what changed? Well, I hit regression with my SHL player and motivation took a hit. Feelings of an approaching burnout appeared and I disconnected for a bit to try and prevent that. Still earning, but skipping any point tasks that would take more than a minute. And mostly lurking around Discord channels. Even now after becoming more active again I’m a lot more disconnected than I was in any of my first 2.5 years. But I’m very much still active and contributing.
At this point in time it feels right to attempt and rekindle some motivation and discipline for sim leagues. And I’m off to a good start. While coming up with my new player and writing this article I already feel more excited than I have in a good while!
But why am I sharing all of this? Well, if you’re a GM I’d say that you should read the above and probably not risk a 1st overall pick on my player. I have ambitions of max earning here, but I can’t give any guarantees in that area. The only guarantee I can give is that I will at the very least be useful. No inactivity concerns here.
If you’re not a GM then simply consider this a drawn out “hello”. I’m looking forward to exploring a new sim community.
Jamdrian LeBayers, The Player
Trivia: I decided on the name for this player back in May, 2021
Early Years
Jamdrian was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio. He played a lot of different sports in his younger years. His family never traveled much which meant he spent a lot of time at the local sport grounds where he grew up.
In his early teens Jamdrian was playing for his local basketball and football teams. As things were getting more serious for both teams they were taking up all of his, and his family’s, free time. It was decided that Jamdrian would have to make the tough decision of choosing one sport over the other to focus on. Thanks to his height disadvantage at the time, compared to the other players on his basketball team, he ultimately chose to focus on football.
During his high school years he was put on the school football team. He started out as a wide receiver. But as the school team had a lot of wide receivers already he changed to playing as a cornerback to make sure he got consistent playing time. Initially his plan was to go back to the wide receiver position, but Jamdrian ended up enjoying the cornerback position a lot more.
College
Jamdrian’s career continued into his college years after he was accepted into The Ohio State University. As expected he didn’t get much playing time his freshman year. OSU was and still is a powerhouse in the college football scene. There was no lack of talented players in line for the starting jobs. Jamdrian was able to get one start at the cornerback position thanks to the team opting to rest their main starting cornerback because of a lingering injury. Other than that he subbed on for a couple of snaps for a few games through the year. Mostly at the end of already decided games.
Thanks to his consistency when getting time on the field, Jamdrian saw a solid uptick his senior year. He started 4 out of 12 games. At this point he had locked down the slot as his place to be, and he’s quoted as saying “The slot is where I feel most in control. Close to the action while giving me a great overview to react to the play.”
The last two years of Jamdrian’s college career solidified him as the main starting slot cornerback for OSU. He didn’t miss a game and when at his best was considered one of the best slot players in the league. While there are no major cup-winning plays to his name, his consistency in coverage and ability to read the field is what made him stand out.
Overview
The slot is Jamdrian’s home. He’s a smart player who’s able to quickly read plays and excels on simply being in the way. He’s no interception machine(maybe one day?) but it’s rare to see completed passes when he’s in the general vicinity of the ball being thrown. Jamdrian relies more on positioning and agility than speed, but he’s no slowpoke by any means.
Breakdown
The slot corner position is quite different compared to outside cornerbacks. While outside backs have a lot of focus on speed and ball skills, the slot backs need to be more explosive and agile. As they don’t have the sideline to help them contain the opposing players, slot corners need to be ready to defend routes that can cut in any direction.
As mentioned Jamdrian isn’t the fastest player in his draft class. But he has the explosiveness and intelligence to disrupt plays early on. The way Jamdrian views and reads the field makes him an unexpected menace to any opposing offense. He’s strongest at playing pass defense, but has an ability to keep up with running players making cuts and if nothing else makes life a little harder for them. This is an area Jamdrian himself has voiced that he needs to improve in.
The interceptions number is one that hasn’t often been very impressive when looking at Jamdrian’s stat line. As someone who started out playing as a wide receiver you’d think he’d have better hands. But ultimately his focus is on preventing the pass. If he sees a clear chance for an interception he’ll go for it as long as he can make sure the offensive receiver won’t have a chance to sneak in and steal it.
The main reason Jamdrian thrives in the slot is because it gives him the best view of the play as it develops. It was also why he decided to permanently change positions when he was younger. As a wide receiver you run your route, try to beat your defensive back, and hopefully your quarterback gets open to throw you the ball when you’re ready to turn around. You’re not fully aware of the play situation as you’re mainly in your own 1-on-1 battle for most of it. But in the slot position you’re able to take in the movements and looks of 90% of the opposing team, and more importantly their quarterback. You can react in several different ways depending on how the defensive and offensive line wrestling works out. You’re actively part of each and every play even if the ball ends up being grounded early, or sent further up field.
Looking Forward
The next immediate step for Jamdrian is to get a feel for playing professional football. By joining the waiver wire and hoping that at least one DSFL team out there could use a cornerback to help wrap up their season. From this he hopes to grow his understanding of the game even more. It will also give him a chance to compare himself against players close in age and experience. Nothing gives you a better reality-check than playing with and against better players.
There’s still a lot of growing to do. Jamdrian is far away from being good enough for the big league. But he’s dedicated and planning to work with his future DSFL team and teammates to become the best he can be, and a great contributor to his team’s success. There are no teams he’d prefer to go to over any other. Whichever team takes a chance on him is where he will give his all. Jamdrian is simply excited to be given the opportunity to keep playing the sport he loves on a professional level.
RE: Kenvald / Jamdrian LeBayers: An Introduction - Bayley - 11-11-2022
Ken is a fantastic user. Whomever gets this guy will not be disappointed!!
Good luck with your player, Ken!
RE: Kenvald / Jamdrian LeBayers: An Introduction - .simo - 11-11-2022
Welcome to the league mate.