The last few months all seemed to blur together for Quentin Button. A few months ago, he had committed to leaving college baseball and trying out football. It had been quite awhile, but the exercise routine was not wholly different. It was just more. His usual routine would not be enough, obviously. He was moving beyond baseball, beyond college sports. There was a lot that was different however. His usual routine had to be so delicate, he had to do so much to make sure he did not hurt his arm again. Now, he has got a chance to really push himself. Really have some fun while in the gym. The diet difference was crazy too. It was all about putting on weight on now, so he got to eat as much as he wanted. With all the extra work in the gym, he was really hungry.
Coming into a new exercise routine also meant a change in his focus. Button was already strong, he could take somebody down when he needed to. It took him a second to get his head back in the game, but football smarts wasn’t the biggest deal as of right now. The big hurdle he needed to cross was his speed. He had been fast, but had not focused on it in awhile. He needed to get back up to speed, literally, in order to really fight for a spot in the season 24 draft and in the DSFL. So it was all about building quickness in the gym. Constant sprints, footwork exercises, et. cetera to be the fastest he could be. It was paying off pretty quickly, pun entirely intended.
One of the most interesting things about the DSFL is that, when a player declares for the nsfl trade after the trade deadline, they get to be put on waivers. DSFL teams then pick up those players, letting them work out with the team and even possibly play in some games before they enter the DSFL draft. This is great for a few reasons. Firstly, the rookies get a chance to work out with real professional football players in real professional football training facilities. Secondly, they get a chance to be out on the field and getting paid for it.
A week after Quentin announced his plan to declare for the season 24 draft, he got notified that he was heading to Virginia to train and play with the Norfolk Seawolves. This was really excitin news for Button. Not only did it mean that he was a serious prospect that was worth taking a look at, it also meant that he was a serious prospect worth taking a look at for pretty good teams. The Seawolves were in a playoff race in the last month of the regular season. They had a tall task, however: they needed to win out to make it. So here we are, Quentin Button has not played competitive football in three years and has never played the position he is listed as and he is coming to play for a team clawing tooth and nail to make the playoffs. The odds seemed stacked against him. Luckily, that is where he likes to think he shines.
Coming to Norfolk, the first thing he noticed was that he was wanted there. He felt like he was on the fringe of it all before he made it to the league. The team did the best they could to ensure him that that was not the way they felt. It was an exciting, energetic, and supportive environment. This guys were all getting ready for the NSFL draft, the big deal. They were getting calls from team executives, answering questions, all sorts of things. Scouts showed up to their practices and games, the whole deal. It was one of the coolest things Button had witnessed. He was seeing the future of professional football and he was one of their peers. They all had great tips, great advice on how to navigate the upcoming and ongong craziness. Keep your head down, do what you can, stay focused. All sorts of things that helped him narrow his idea of what to expect from professional football. He was an outsider coming into it and they did all they could to make sure he knew he was a part of a team. He loved it.
He did not get to just practice and socialize, however. They had games coming up, really important games.
Quentin Button was nervous. More than nervous. This was finally his time to show that he had it, he had the ability to play for a real professional team in real competitive settings. He needed to prove that he could be there. He was set to play FS for the rest of the season and studied meticulously the defensive plans. He felt ready but he just didn’t know if he could put it together yet. What if he went out there and it all fell apart? What if he couldn’t put his body and his mind together? What if he just sucked?
The Norfolk Seawolves won that game and he came out of it with a sack. In the moment, he didn’t think at all. He just did. He saw his chance and brought the opposing quarterback down. It was thrilling. He made an impactful play in his first game, his first time out on defense and his first time playing in three years. It was clear he belonged there, it finally connected. Didn’t matter too much if his teammates and coaches told him he did, he needed proof. Finally, he had proof.
The Seawolves ended up winning those games they needed and Button ended up grabbing another sack, giving him 2 in four games. He finally knew he belonged, and that he could make a difference. But from here on out he could not spend all this time looking back. College doesn’t matter anymore. The failures of the past don’t matter anymore either. He needed to look forward to the playoffs, to the drafts, and to being the good teammate that he desperately needed when he first arrived in Virginia. And, finally, he knew he could.
Coming into a new exercise routine also meant a change in his focus. Button was already strong, he could take somebody down when he needed to. It took him a second to get his head back in the game, but football smarts wasn’t the biggest deal as of right now. The big hurdle he needed to cross was his speed. He had been fast, but had not focused on it in awhile. He needed to get back up to speed, literally, in order to really fight for a spot in the season 24 draft and in the DSFL. So it was all about building quickness in the gym. Constant sprints, footwork exercises, et. cetera to be the fastest he could be. It was paying off pretty quickly, pun entirely intended.
One of the most interesting things about the DSFL is that, when a player declares for the nsfl trade after the trade deadline, they get to be put on waivers. DSFL teams then pick up those players, letting them work out with the team and even possibly play in some games before they enter the DSFL draft. This is great for a few reasons. Firstly, the rookies get a chance to work out with real professional football players in real professional football training facilities. Secondly, they get a chance to be out on the field and getting paid for it.
A week after Quentin announced his plan to declare for the season 24 draft, he got notified that he was heading to Virginia to train and play with the Norfolk Seawolves. This was really excitin news for Button. Not only did it mean that he was a serious prospect that was worth taking a look at, it also meant that he was a serious prospect worth taking a look at for pretty good teams. The Seawolves were in a playoff race in the last month of the regular season. They had a tall task, however: they needed to win out to make it. So here we are, Quentin Button has not played competitive football in three years and has never played the position he is listed as and he is coming to play for a team clawing tooth and nail to make the playoffs. The odds seemed stacked against him. Luckily, that is where he likes to think he shines.
Coming to Norfolk, the first thing he noticed was that he was wanted there. He felt like he was on the fringe of it all before he made it to the league. The team did the best they could to ensure him that that was not the way they felt. It was an exciting, energetic, and supportive environment. This guys were all getting ready for the NSFL draft, the big deal. They were getting calls from team executives, answering questions, all sorts of things. Scouts showed up to their practices and games, the whole deal. It was one of the coolest things Button had witnessed. He was seeing the future of professional football and he was one of their peers. They all had great tips, great advice on how to navigate the upcoming and ongong craziness. Keep your head down, do what you can, stay focused. All sorts of things that helped him narrow his idea of what to expect from professional football. He was an outsider coming into it and they did all they could to make sure he knew he was a part of a team. He loved it.
He did not get to just practice and socialize, however. They had games coming up, really important games.
Quentin Button was nervous. More than nervous. This was finally his time to show that he had it, he had the ability to play for a real professional team in real competitive settings. He needed to prove that he could be there. He was set to play FS for the rest of the season and studied meticulously the defensive plans. He felt ready but he just didn’t know if he could put it together yet. What if he went out there and it all fell apart? What if he couldn’t put his body and his mind together? What if he just sucked?
The Norfolk Seawolves won that game and he came out of it with a sack. In the moment, he didn’t think at all. He just did. He saw his chance and brought the opposing quarterback down. It was thrilling. He made an impactful play in his first game, his first time out on defense and his first time playing in three years. It was clear he belonged there, it finally connected. Didn’t matter too much if his teammates and coaches told him he did, he needed proof. Finally, he had proof.
The Seawolves ended up winning those games they needed and Button ended up grabbing another sack, giving him 2 in four games. He finally knew he belonged, and that he could make a difference. But from here on out he could not spend all this time looking back. College doesn’t matter anymore. The failures of the past don’t matter anymore either. He needed to look forward to the playoffs, to the drafts, and to being the good teammate that he desperately needed when he first arrived in Virginia. And, finally, he knew he could.
![[Image: 20_win_MVP.gif]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/692977505459765278/747039045795840050/20_win_MVP.gif)
![[Image: unknown.png?width=400&height=197]](https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/325313603211362304/786004012553207868/unknown.png?width=400&height=197)
