10-07-2022, 02:11 PM
(This post was last modified: 10-11-2022, 05:01 PM by dude_man. Edited 1 time in total.)
Code:
2328
50/50 split
SH: Hello, ladies and gents, boys and girls, come one come all to the second season of Shazam with Shazam Hefner! I’m your host, Preston “Shazam” Hefner, and it’s the off-season, so I’m flying to the winners of Ulti-week for an interview with a couple of players on each team. Our first stop is Bondi Beach - and what a guy we have on our show today. We’ve got the rookie captain, the Sackmeister General, the ring-bearer, ladies and gentlemen, give it up for Zavier Perkins (@AK41)!
ZP: Hef! Thank you for having me, first off, it’s an honor to be in the presence of greatness, how are you today?!
SH: I feel fantastic! It’s a great day to be back in Aussie land after hopping in for a few days last season. Always amazing, and I love the people. And the sights? Dear god, the sights.
ZP: I’m jealous, can’t say I have ever taken the time to travel much, schedule has been nothing but jammed packed since I started playing football in middle school. Now that the season is over, and the draft prep is in the rear view, maybe I’ll take a little time to myself and go see the wonders of the world!
SH: Hey, lemme tell ya - I’ve done this shit for…say, a decade? Give or take? It’s been amazing to tour the world and enjoy the sights and food and stuff. Gimme your number, I gotta text you a list of some bomb places to visit. Note to our listeners here: Curaçao is beautiful this time of year. Anyway, we’ll save the Royal Caribbean ads for later, let’s talk about life and stuff. You said you weren’t able to travel a lot lately? Now that you’re free and you’ve got a bit of cash in your back pocket, where have you always wanted to go?
ZP: I’ve always wanted to head somewhere tropical, maybe the Dominican or Puerto Rico? Never been but many of my teammates are originally from there and they can’t stop talking about the beauty. Hoping that once the upcoming draft is concluded, and my (hopefully) large check hits my account, I can head down and spend some time on the beach somewhere.
SH: Hold on, hold on, don’t you play for a team literally called the Bondi BEACH Buccs? You live near a beach for, like, 7 weeks, no?
ZP: 100%, but coach has us busy. Between practice, walkthroughs, lift, team meals, et cetera, as well as my own personal development with draft preparation, I unfortunately haven’t got to spend much time on the beach. Plus, it’ll be nice to get away from home base for a while, see another beach where (maybe) I will blend in with the general population and won’t spend half the time signing autographs and dodging the media.
SH: Oh, right, this is actually an amazing segue to my next question: how have you dealt with the fame that comes from this? Hell, you’ve probably had draft deals and shit, right? How does it feel to get thrust into an international spotlight?
ZP: I’m not one for the spotlight, sounds weird coming from a professional football player, right?! Honestly, it runs in my family so I am used to being in the spotlight. My cousin plays professional baseball in PBE, so I am more than used to being around media, people poking, prodding and hoping you slip up to make a headline somewhere. It’s been an interesting draft process to say the least. I’ve had numerous brands reach out regarding potential partnerships, endorsements, free products, etc. While that’s all great and dandy, I have honestly been focusing very hard on the pre draft process… crushing the combine, working through playbooks, meeting with teams, etc. My focus is always on the long term, everything else will fall in accordingly.
SH: Let’s talk about the draft, actually. A bunch of the talking heads on SportsCenter and First Take, including myself, have you pegged as a definite first rounder. Do you see yourself as one, and where do you see yourself going?
ZP: I’m not going to name any specific teams, but I can say (if my notes are accurate) that I have talked to every single team in the league. Every scout/GM I have spoke with has me slotted as a 1st round talent. I can honestly say I did not have any bad interviews, but I have a few front runners that I would LOVE to start my career with. If I had to guess, and let me be bold for a second, I should be off the board by the 6th pick at the latest. And frankly, I consider myself to be a steal at that. Every team that passes on me, let me apologize now…
SH: Shit…think all y’all other teams are gonna have a hassle on your hands. Now, let’s talk on-the-field antics. You were nominated for a captain position your first season on the Buccs. How does that feel to have such a position given to you so early in your career?
ZP: I’m honored, I truly am. It was not something that I was expecting, so to have my peers vote me into such a position, I am extremely grateful. My goal as a captain is to always lead by example, help my teammates grow, be the first on and last off the field, and to do everything in my power to help those around me get better daily.
SH: I have a feeling you bring lunch pails to practice, Perk. Anyway, your rookie season was nothing to scoff at. 100 tackles, 13 for loss, with a couple forced fumbles and sacks for good measure. How do you feel about this season, and do you think you’ll be able to top this?
ZP: I know I’ll be able to top it. We had a very strong LB room. With myself and Tannk holding down the LB room, and both of us being rookies, we shared a good bit of responsibility on defense. I will be able to surpass these numbers no questions asked, nose to the grind stone, 1,000% I get better everyday and I promise whatever team I am drafted by, you WILL get the best player in this draft. Defense wins championships, and it’s a team game, so I’m here to do my part and make everyone better.
SH: Do you see yourself going immediately up after your draft, or will you stay down a bit to develop more?
ZP: That’s all dependent on the vision of my coaching staff. I am more than happy to do whatever they need. I know I have much more development to go, and will work on getting stronger week by week, but whatever their vision, I am happy to fall into that when the time is right.
SH: Alright, now I think I’ve got a fun game. Imma name some players around the league, some on and some not on your team. Give me your honest opinion on them. Sounds fun?
ZP: Absolutely! Go for it!
SH: Alright, so here’s a couple rookies that might be challengers for your title of DSFL Rookie - first up, Kansas linebacker Caleb Hayden.
ZP: Hayden is a baller for sure, one of my biggest competitors on the field, but a great person to back that up! Hayden really has a nose for the ball, is able to read plays, and get to the spot better than anyone I have played against. Has outstanding footwork, fluid hips, and has no issues dropping into coverage when needed. Hayden is the true definition of a competitor, very excited to see where they end up in the draft and no doubt look forward to playing against them for seasons to come. Look to see Perkins and Hayden at the top of all statistical categories for a long long time.
SH: Another linebacker that stakes his claim to fame is Brian Duke. Thoughts on him?
ZP: Duke is an outstanding player, top notch competitor, and will definitely be a staple in the ISFL. While leading the lesgue in stat categories is all well and dandy… there’s more to football than an individual game. I think that Duke will no doubt be an outstanding ISFL star for years to come, however, if they go before me in the draft, that’s a big big mistake.
SH: Shit, is that a threat coming from you, Perks? What a shocker.
ZP: Not a threat at all, not in my demeanor, but I know my talent level, and there’s only maybe 1-2 LB who should go before me in this draft. I’ve got a fire that not many in this league have, I know my talents and what I am capable of.
SH: Whatever you say, man. Anyway, the third name up on the list is a pretty unbelievable one - Diggs Sideline-Touchdown.
ZP: Sideline-Touchdown is a great player as well, although more of a hybrid safety, definitely someone I see as a cornerstone or any competitive franchise. They have great downhill speed and coverage ability, not something that is common in a hybrid style player, definitely outstanding traits to possess.
SH: Last name for people battling you is your own teammate - GOAT TANNK.
ZP: I can’t say enough about GOAT TANNK and his ability on the field, and a leader in the locker room. GOAT truly is the quintessential leader that every team is looking for. Although he came onto the roster right at the start of the season, and wasn’t grinding with us in preseason, he picked up exactly where he needed to be and was able to hit the ground running at full speed. GOAT has been an exceptional teammate and always had my back on and off the field. I knew that if I was dropping into coverage, he would have my back between the hashes, if I was rushing the edge, he had my back on close to mid route coverage, wherever I expected him to be, he was there. Never a doubt in my mind that he won’t be a top notch pro player.
Y’know…let’s flip the script for a second here Hef… give me your Top 5 LB rankings and a sentence or two on why you have that individual ranked where they are. It’s always great to see the media perspective and their rationale.
SH: Wait, like in the DSFL? If we’re talking rookies, then it goes Hayden, you, Duke, Fister and TANNK. You and Hayden because I know y’all’ve got that dawgs in y’all, Duke because of his tackling abilities, Gribbuh because of his sack power and GOAT TANNK because, man, his father was GOAT TANK, you know that shit runs in the family.
ZP: Bloodlines run deep in ISFL, definitely excited to see these players all work at the next level, it’ll be fun to see who can live up to the hype.
SH: Alright, we’ve got time for a couple more questions before we gotta end this. Growing up in NOLA probably had a big effect on what you wanted to do, with the Saints and Second Line being massive influences in the city. Do you think that the life you lived helped influence where you’d end up?
ZP: I don’t think my roots are going to play too far into my future in the ISFL. With the draft, I want to go to a team who wants me, who wants a work horse who will give it my all, someone who will appreciate me for what I bring to the table. If that happens to new New Orleans, then I will grind for them, but if it’s any other team, they will get 100% the best version of me. Home affiliations aside, I will be grateful to play for whoever drafts me.
SH: Hey, I’m a home guy all the way - I do hope you get the best for you, wherever that may be. Let’s end it off with a couple rapid-fire fun questions - what’s the best karaoke song and why?
ZP: A Milli by Lil Wayne. Why? Because I know the song word for word like my life depended on it.
SH: Top 3 fast food restaurants.
ZP: Jimmy John’s. Braums. Pizza Hut.
SH: Top 3 pizza toppings.
ZP: Chicken. Jalapeños. Pepperoni.
SH: Really? Chicken over pineapple? Oh well. Top 3 countries you’ve been to.
ZP: Never been outside the country!
SH: Damn, really? Not even any vacations?
ZP: Nope lol. I’ve been on vacations in the states, but never left the country.
SH: Alright, last one. If you could have lunch with any person, dead or alive, who would it be and why? Bonus points - what are you getting?
ZP: Without a doubt, my grandfather. He’s been gone 10 years give or take and would do anything to see him again. One meal, it would most likely be pizza.
SH: Alright, so for the finale, I normally give my guests a little time to soapbox whatever they wanna say. Now’s your time. Have fun.
ZP: I let my game speak for itself. Whichever ISFL team drafts me, they’re getting a true balled, shot caller, someone who will lead their organization for years to come and give them everything they have. Without a doubt, I am a franchise player and will positively impact any team and locker room that I play for.
As well, I would like to put the opposition on notice. Don’t underestimate what I am bringing to the table, don’t sleep on my skill, don’t sleep on me.
Hef, again, thank you so much for your time, it’s been greatly appreciated. I look forward to meeting up again in the future post draft and see where this conversation takes us. Enjoy the rest of your offseason, and look forward to chatting again soon.
SH: I also hope we meet again in the future! For now, though, we sadly have to say goodbye. But don’t worry, we still have more to come in the upcoming days! We’re gonna continue the Bondi tour tomorrow with another fella. For now, though, I’m Shazam Hefner, and I’ll see you on the next episode of SHAZAM!
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