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+---- Thread: *Confurius joins the Bondi Bay Buccaneers (/showthread.php?tid=52308)
*Confurius joins the Bondi Bay Buccaneers - Commaperiod - 07-14-2024
Confurius woke up the day after the Prospect Bowl ready to put that putrid performance behind him. He had been humbled. Though his size and strength exceeded most of his competitors and teammates, all of the technique that he’d studied and practiced in the wee hours of the morning and into the night under the blazing flourescent lights of the gym, simply did not seem to click during the games. Unable to get proper leverage against the opposing prospects, he’d barely managed a dozen pancakes over the six game series. It was embarrassing. He gave up barely any sacks, which was good, but cold comfort in the face of other linemen who’d managed nearly double his pancake total. At least he was validated in his promise to Thaddeus to keep his quarterback’s protected in the face of the rush. Mostly.
He was distraught. He was sure that his poor performance would tank his draft stock. Before the Prospect Bowl, he was confident that his size and skill would land him as a first round pick. His dedication to practice and his community of teammates seemed to lock him in as a top notch candidate. There was no shortage of impressive offensive linemen in this year’s draft class, so if he’d had any doubts it was more that he’d slip to the second round in favor of that insultingly othering term, “skill positions.” If nothing else, he knew he would be disappointed if he wasn’t the first offensive lineman picked in the draft.
When he first entered the league during the DSFL season 49, the Bondi Bay Buccaneers were the team to pick him up off of waivers and give him a home to play in. He had played a handful of games with them before the season ended, getting to know his “mateys” in the locker room and the humor and wisdom of the general managers, Whovian & Triceracop. He’d taken to the collaborative arts of counting, joining his teammates in volleying back and forth the simplest of tasks that nonetheless required discipline, lest a small slip ruin the momentum of the whole team. It is an excellent metaphor for being part of a team in a sport like football, where each part of any given play is critical to the successful overall execution of their efforts. As with any skill, it took mistakes to learn and improve.
As the draft approached, he was scouted by some excellent locker rooms. The jovial nature of the Minnesota Grey Ducks kept a broad smile on his face and him in consistent chuckles as he got to know and practice with them. The Norfolk Seawolves were graceful and patient when he ruined their counting streak and he found a particularly close connection with one their general managers. He didn’t get a chance to spend any time in their locker room but Confurius had a couple great conversations with ShahDude of the Kansas City Coyotes. He really wasn’t sure where he would end up and felt fond of each locker room in which he’d participated, in different ways.
He’d heard some discussion among players that sometimes new recruits were asked to switch to different positions. Though most of the scouts inquired about his willingness to do so, he figured his six foot five, 365 pound build would keep him in his offensive line role.
On draft day, like his fellow prospects, he was anxious and excited. With only eight teams in the DSFL, there weren’t that many picks to get through the “skill players” in the first round. As the picks came, his heart wavered a bit as other positions proved more important to the drafting teams. Two safeties were selected in the first two picks, followed by a cornerback. Evidently, teams needed additions to their secondary more than they needed to protect their quarterback and create holes for the backfield. It was hard to blame those making the picks. He’d met Saruta, Bachira, and Abenduct during the Prospect Bowl. Not only were they excellent players, you could tell they would be inspirational additions to any locker room they joined. The first wide receiver followed, drafted by his home team, the Bondi Bay Buccaneers. Even his first team hadn’t opted to draft him in the first round. Then the first quarterback was drafted to the New Orleans Second Line. Erickson was no slouch and Confurius thought how great it would be to play with him if he remained with the Buccaneers. Confurius had been impressed while playing opposite Jack Cannon in the Prospect Bowl. Again, he couldn’t fault the general managers, but it was a bit hard to be past half-way through the first round and his name hadn’t been called. His friend Victoire Absolue went next, which he cheered whole-heartedly, though it was yet another safety in the first round.
As the next general manager began the introduction of the next pick, it sounded like they’d be moving away from the trend thus far and perhaps were ready to select a lineman. Confurius cracked his knuckles, shifted in his chair, and waited with rapt attention.
They did indeed select a lineman, as did the next team, but on the other side of the ball. Waters and Dailey had already established themselves as fierce competitors and hilarious conversants in the time he’d spent with them during the Prospect Bowl. Once more, he couldn’t begrudge the talent of the choices, but the first round closed with those selections, and his name had not yet been called.
Another cornerback, another quarterback, and then his Guadalajara Guardians teammate No Pix at pick number 11. Confurius was glad to see No Pix’s Prospect Bowl bouncebacks garnered him a second round pick. He was a good guy and a pleasure to protect on the field and chat with off of the field.
No offensive linemen had been picked yet and Confurius was beginning to wonder how much teams in the DSFL actually valued the talent at his position. He knew the whole class of offensive linemen this year were impressively skilled. That none of them had been selected within the first dozen picks, it whispered doubt and skepticism in his mind.
As Bondi Bay began to introduce the twelfth pick, the anticipation charged through Confurius’ body. When he heard his name called, he leapt out of his chair, hollering with excitement to have been selected, not just at twelfth overall, not just as the first offensive lineman off of the board, but also by the team he’d already begun to call home. He wouldn’t have to sacrifice living among the natural beauty of Bondi Bay in service of joining a new team. The inimitable Traffic Cone and the unstoppable Jordan Drapal were drafted a couple picks later and he felt good that they were still selected by the end of the second round. They deserved it, if not better! This year’s cohort of offensive linemen was a stellar group.
Immediately after the selection, Confurius was contacted by his general managers to begin discussing the season ahead and he was shocked and honored by the suggestion they made right out of the gate: they wanted Confurius to switch positions. Confurius thought perhaps they’d want him as defensive linemen, maybe a full back, or at most a big, blocking tight end. When they offered him the starting quarterback position, he had to sit down.
He’d never even considered this. His mind flew immediately to Thaddeus Forrester, his best friend through high school and college, his quarterback, and his brother on and off of the field, whose dreams of being a professional quarterback in the ISFL had been cut short with a tragic spine injury near the end of their senior year season. He’d sworn to Thaddeus that he would strive to be the best in the ISFL to honor his fallen dreams. He’d planned to do that by becoming the fiercest protector of his quarterback on whatever team decided to draft him. But to be the quarterback himself? It almost felt like heresy. It felt like he was being handed the dream that Thaddeus had lost after so much hard work. To become the Bondi Bay Bucs quarterback, would that be to spit in the face of their relationship? Would Thaddeus feel betrayed? It was hard to imagine Thaddeus not being supportive of Confurius, but he couldn’t help but feel reservations, shaded with shame. He told the general managers of Bondi Bay to give him a few hours to think it over.
Naturally, as he’d expected, Thaddeus was overjoyed when Confurius sheepishly shared the news with him on the phone that afternoon. As Confurius explained his trepidation, Thaddeus calmed down and addressed him with sober sincerity. Of course, he had never imagined that Confurius would have the opportunity to carry on his legacy in the ISFL, following the dreams that he’d had dashed so unceremoniously only months before. But now that this opportunity had arisen, he was excited to share all that he had learned as a quarterback with his brother. Thaddeus insisted on joining Confurius down in Australia to help him prepare for his new role. The idea of being tutored as a quarterback by Thaddeus warmed Confurius’ heart and clinched the decision for him. He would become a quarterback for the Bondi Bay Buccaneers.
It would be a stunningly difficult road and he knew it. He’d need all of the help he could get to develop the skills, and the build, to be a successful quarterback in the DSFL. His diet and training regimen shifted dramatically. No longer was it focused on strength, technique, and exorbitant amounts of carbs and protein. He needed to lose weight, precipitously, while keeping his muscles strong and flexible. Blocking technique gave way to passing. Timing drills meant something else entirely now. When he wasn’t studying playbooks from this new angle, he was discussing strategy with Thaddeus, running distances he’d never thought possible, running throwing drills. First he threw to targets, then to stationary receivers, then to players either mid-route or improvising away from a broken route.
He had never considered that playing quarterback would come so naturally to him. Thaddeus beamed with pride as Confurius flew past the preparatory milestones that his coaches had set for him. He’d lost a lot of weight to help with mobility and flexibility, losing nearly one hundred and fifty pounds, entering the season at a still-impressive 210. He felt like a new man in an entirely new body.
Now, in practice, he was the one throwing and handing off to his draft classmates, the first round pick wide receiver Golden Erickson and third round pick running back Sevrin Quinn. These two were studs. If ever he struggled in practice, their talent got them through and their patience helped him learn. As they approached the beginning of the season, he couldn’t put into words how lucky he felt to have them as fellow rookies and deadly weapons in moving the ball downfield. The Bondi Bay Buccaneers would make a big splash in the DSFL this year.
RE: Confurius joins the Bondi Bay Buccaneers - SoySavant - 07-14-2024
Good stuff, I hope Confurius can make Thaddeus proud! The OL love is appreciated (also respect for the use of inimitable, not a word you see every day lol)
RE: Confurius joins the Bondi Bay Buccaneers - Commaperiod - 07-15-2024
(07-14-2024, 11:57 PM)SoySavant Wrote: Good stuff, I hope Confurius can make Thaddeus proud! The OL love is appreciated (also respect for the use of inimitable, not a word you see every day lol)Thanks! Congrats on the team captainship! Well deserved
