05-22-2020, 10:07 AM
(This post was last modified: 05-22-2020, 10:12 AM by KenitohMenara.)
*2664 words - 1.5 Draft Week Media*
The Dallas Birddogs had entered their second year as a franchise. The new minted expansion team suffered traditional expansion team woes. Not having the core around them to go far enough but did respectably well with what they were given. 5-9 was their final total, not a bad season by any means, there was promise on the team and room to grow. Entering their 2nd draft as a team, they looked to find the players to take them further. They would Tyler Mountain with their first pick, the giant defensive tackle out of LSU to help build their defense. Hingle McCringleberry was the best Linebacker available so he was their second choice. Tomage McGullager was a nice prospect Tight End that Dallas needed and had a pressing need for so in the third round they took him. Then… they saw him… still on the board after all this time. A Wide Receiver out of Ohio State they had all but written off after taking McGullager. A player that they liked a lot from his interview and his pro day. He was still falling despite all the hype he had coming out of college. London would take Mikel van Perkins at pick 25 and then the GM practically sprinted to the podium to tell the commissioner Dallas had made their selection. The GM settled down as he stepped up to the podium:
“With the 26th Pick in the DSFL Entry Draft, the Dallas Birddogs select Raphael d’Alcott. Wide Receiver, Ohio State.”
With that faithful pick, the 6 foot 1, 215 pound speed receiver was coming home to Texas. After the draft, the GM told reporters this about the pick:
“First off, I am sorry to Raphael if I butchered his name. When we saw him there we couldn’t believe it. Somehow an extremely talented wide receiver who put on an exceptional pro day was available in round 4. As you saw, the moment London announced their pick we ran up to the podium to make this selection, not wanting to entertain any trade offers. A complete package player and a team guy, willing to move around the field for us. A great guy and was an instant lock for us. We look forward to bringing him in.”
That was nearly a year ago now and a lot has changed since that time. When Raphael touched back down in Dallas, he immediately set to work in training camp. He played a couple scrimmages in camp before the management called him into the office. Raphael had said that he would consider position changes if a GM and coach could explain why they were doing it. When Dallas sat him down, they asked Raphael to move the offensive side of the ball to the defensive side, preferably at the Safety position. They said that they wanted to utilize Raphael’s natural athleticism but already had their receiver core in place. They believed that turning Raphael into a shutdown defender would take Dallas over the top.
While it would be a huge change for Raphael, after weighing up the pros and cons, he accepted the position swap. Raphael didn’t have much experience at safety… but he did have a great seat to do research on how a Safety plays back in College. Being a Buckeye, he had the pleasure of playing alongside Number 1 Overall pick, Greedy Sly. Like many, Raphael was entranced by Sly’s playing abilities and Sly had said in the past to him that if Raphael wanted, he could make a great safety.
So there he was, now trying to make it work in the pros… no matter what, Raphael desperately wanted to make it work. A failure he would mean all of his football training and practices would be for nothing. If he was going to make it to the NSFL as a defensive player, this year would have to prove it.
Week 1 - Vs Grey Ducks
The first week of the season was a feeling out period for Raphael, trying to adjust to his new surroundings on the defence. Pre season was one thing but this was where the real games began. To his credit, Raphael did well when he was called for coverage work. Asked to cover Tychronius Hood, Raphael would make it a nightmare game for the former University of Florida standout, limiting him to two catches on the day and 15 yards total. While recording no other significant stats on the day besides one tackle, it was a good showing for the future safety prospect. Dallas would win the game 27-15
Week 2 - @ Buccaneers
A rough game for all those involved with Dallas as they were crushed by the Myrtle Beach machine gun offense. Raphael would record 6 tackles on the day as he covered the backfield and multiple receivers. Again not a bad effort but not the performance anyone on the Birddogs would want to write home about. Raphael would start to work more on his straight line speed and quick turning in order to be a better defender. Dallas lost to Myrtle Beach 26-6
Week 3 - Vs Pythons
This is the game that no one on Dallas talks about. A bad showing from a team that wanted to show that they could take steps forward as an expansion franchise. Raphael would record another 6 tackles as Dallas failed to put points on the board. They was some promise starting to show from Raphael but the day after that game, no one wanted to talk about it. Dallas instead started to work harder to make sure that never happened again. Raphael would further develop his coverage skills as he tried to stem the tide. Dallas lost to Portland 20-3
Week 4 - @ Seawolves
An inspired performance from Dallas as they bounced back hard against Norfolk, led by a secondary that was starting to be feared in the league. It was this game where Raphael’s work was starting to pay off, he was in the face of receivers time and time again, limiting the receiving core of Norfolk to less than 100 yards on the day. He also recovered a forced fumble from teammate Colt Mendoza. He didn’t gain any additional yards for the play but it was here where things were starting to go right for him. He felt more confident in his abilities to cover players and he knew that soon, he would get his first interception if he could just keep up the training. Dallas would win 23-16
Week 5 - @ Luchadores
There’s a saying in the football world. If the safety has to put up multiple tackles over the course of a game, there is a problem. While yes Tijuana was the class of the division, it was still a beatdown that Dallas didn’t want to see happen. Another 5 tackles for Raphael in one of his worst games as a safety. It was a sobering reminder that while he was talented, he had a mountain to climb before he became a great defender. As Dallas crossed the border home, Raphael addressed the Texas crowd:
“I know this wasn’t the result you wanted and I apologize. These aren’t the results that any of us want and it's not what we want for our team going forward. So to everyone in the Dog Pound, I’m sorry. I promise you one thing, these losses will be good things in the end. The Good Lord wouldn’t give us these hardships if he didn’t believe that we could overcome them. I promise that you will never see any player work harder than me for the rest of this year. I want to bring Dallas home a title and I will give every ounce of blood and every drop of sweat to make it happen. God bless you all.”
This speech, from a rookie, would soon become the rallying moment for the Birddogs as they sought redemption in their next game.
Week 6 - vs Royals
One week after “The Vow” was made, Dallas would put on one of the finest defensive efforts seen this season. Holding one of the best Quarterbacks in the DSFL to less than 200 yards on the day. It was the first week that Raphael was asked to play Cornerback for Dallas and it was this game where he started to develop his infamous reputation as “The Swiss Army Knife of the Secondary”. 4 Tackles on the day and 2 Pass Deflections would led to Raphael being awards the Defensive gameball by his coach. He played lights out football and his play in the clutch moments gave Dallas the momentum they needed to win against their fellow expansion team. Dallas would win 21-18
Week 7 - vs Coyotes
Dallas would take their momentum from the London game and would crush the Coyotes in front of their home crowd. Moving back over to Safety, Raphael would play the greatest game of his career. Not allowing a single pass to be caught by his covered receivers, Raphael played with hunger than few men had seen. Helping to limit Kansas City to just 10 points on the day, the Dallas Defence started to come alive with Raphael leading the charge. Dallas would win 27-10
Week 8 - @ Grey Ducks
A gut wrenching loss but one that showed that the Dallas Defence could perform at the highest levels. Raphael would continue to rack up Pass deflections as he moved back over to Cornerback for this game. He was starting to truly get into rhythm as a defensive player and made receivers start to look for any solution to the guard dog safety. It was a similar feeling that Raphael had back in college when playing Wide Receiver. Watching offenses now try to get around made Raphael smile a bit. He was in their heads and now he could play the mind games. Things started to feel right. Dallas would lose to Minnesota 24-21.
Week 9 - vs Buccaneers
The Miracle against Myrtle Beach. After a dismal first half, the Birddogs would rally in the third period to win the game. Raphael would continue to practice his craft, once again ending the game with no tackles. He was hardly targeted and when he was, Raphael made sure the receivers were not catching the ball. Ending the game with 2 Pass Deflections and his first career interception, Raphael his second career game ball. A statement win for the Birddogs and a career game for Raphael. Dallas would win 25-20
Week 10 - @ Pythons
No messing around this time. The shutdown Dallas defence continued to press on teams as Dallas would shut out the Pythons in the entire second half to help secure the win. 5 tackles recorded by Raphael as he felt like he took a step back in this game. After two incredible performances, this game felt like a disappointment to him. All the same, he was helping the team win games and to continue their march towards the playoffs. That was victory enough for him. Dallas would win 24-21
Week 11 - vs Seawolves
Pride comes before the fall. Dallas would lose a tightly contested game that no one on the team felt like they should have lost. Some shoddy officiating helped Norfolk win this one… well that’s the feeling if you listened to the Dallas locker room. Raphael would lead the charge for the defense as he gained 5 tackles, 3 pass deflections and another interception to try and put Dallas over the top. Little did Raphael know that he was about to learn the most painful lesson in professional football. Life… no matter how great things are going… will always turn on you. Dallas would lose 16-13
Week 12 - vs Luchadores
The playoffs hopes were in shatters. Tijuana would once again stomp the Birddogs. For a moment it looked like Dallas would survive to win the game but a painful third period would end any hope of that. Raphael would record 2 tackles on the day in a performance he called one of his worst. He didn’t understand why everything was going wrong all of a sudden but he vowed to try and keep his pledge to the fans alive. He wanted nothing more than to get Dallas to the playoffs but those hopes were starting to slip. Dallas would lose 24-10
Week 13 - @ Royals
If Dallas was going to lose out on the playoffs, no one was going to claim it was for lack of trying. The Birddogs tried desperately to win against the Royals but were held short once again despite everything they gave to the performance 4 more tackles where Raphael’s rewards along with one tackle for a loss. Week 14’s matchup was win or go home. Raphael recommitted himself to the gym, isolating himself for all contact apart from his team in order to focus solely on winning the game. He ran harder and worked harder to get any new results. This would be his final chance. Dallas would lose 11-8
Week 14 - @ Coyotes
The Dogs came out against Kansas City, hungry and angry. They played like savage beasts against the Coyotes, putting everything they had into the game in order to win it. Late in the third, Kansas City had the lead and the ball. Dallas needed a miracle play to keep their hope alive… then it happened. A moment in time that the Birddogs would never forget. A moment that would validate the Dallas front office for taking a chance on the star from Ohio State:
“Glassley back in the pocket, he’s looking for his receivers, throws it out for Wilson… It’s Intercepted! Raphael d’Alcott! He’s running the other way! To the 20! The 10! TOUCHDOWN! When Dallas needed a miracle, he responded to their prayers! The Angel has landed in Dallas!”
It was the greatest moment of the season for Raphael. He had turned the tide of battle and helped the birddogs win the game. A season defining moment and one Raphael would never forget… then as the game ended he looked up at the scoreboard. Norfolk had won their game… Dallas had been eliminated.
After all Dallas had done, it just wasn’t enough for them. A heartbreaking way to finish the season. The Vow would go unfulfilled. Then, as they headed home and Raphael at his lowest point, he would see something that would lift his spirits that no other thing could. At the airport were hundreds, no thousands of Dallas fans, dressed in Blue and Gold to welcome the team home. They cheered their team as they got off the plane, as if the playoffs were still going on. The hometown crowd were just so proud of their expansion franchise and they wanted to show it to the players. Last year Dallas was 5-9 and had little hope. This was, Dallas went 7-7 and looked to be even better next year.
As Raphael shook hands and hugged various fans, including his family who had also shown up, he felt rejuvenated. He would have more chances to bring Dallas home the Ultimini title and with the core around him, he knew in his heart that they could make that run. Now with the season behind, Raphael turns his eyes towards the draft. His performances have caused quite a stir amongst scouts and he was heavily recruited by major teams. Some had Raphael being an early 1st round pick. No matter where he would go, Raphael would always look back at this season with pride. The former Ohio State Wide Receiver Star had arrived in Dallas to become one of the best safeties in the DSFL. He had changed position at the most crucial time of his development and made it work. Onward to the draft and to next season he goes, hopes for the Ultimini in his heart.
Final Statistics for Raphael d’Alcott:
14 Games Played, 49 Tackles, 1 Tackle for Loss, 1 Fumble Recovery, 3 Interceptions, 10 Pass Deflections (1st out of all Free Safeties) and 1 Defensive Touchdown
The Dallas Birddogs had entered their second year as a franchise. The new minted expansion team suffered traditional expansion team woes. Not having the core around them to go far enough but did respectably well with what they were given. 5-9 was their final total, not a bad season by any means, there was promise on the team and room to grow. Entering their 2nd draft as a team, they looked to find the players to take them further. They would Tyler Mountain with their first pick, the giant defensive tackle out of LSU to help build their defense. Hingle McCringleberry was the best Linebacker available so he was their second choice. Tomage McGullager was a nice prospect Tight End that Dallas needed and had a pressing need for so in the third round they took him. Then… they saw him… still on the board after all this time. A Wide Receiver out of Ohio State they had all but written off after taking McGullager. A player that they liked a lot from his interview and his pro day. He was still falling despite all the hype he had coming out of college. London would take Mikel van Perkins at pick 25 and then the GM practically sprinted to the podium to tell the commissioner Dallas had made their selection. The GM settled down as he stepped up to the podium:
“With the 26th Pick in the DSFL Entry Draft, the Dallas Birddogs select Raphael d’Alcott. Wide Receiver, Ohio State.”
With that faithful pick, the 6 foot 1, 215 pound speed receiver was coming home to Texas. After the draft, the GM told reporters this about the pick:
“First off, I am sorry to Raphael if I butchered his name. When we saw him there we couldn’t believe it. Somehow an extremely talented wide receiver who put on an exceptional pro day was available in round 4. As you saw, the moment London announced their pick we ran up to the podium to make this selection, not wanting to entertain any trade offers. A complete package player and a team guy, willing to move around the field for us. A great guy and was an instant lock for us. We look forward to bringing him in.”
That was nearly a year ago now and a lot has changed since that time. When Raphael touched back down in Dallas, he immediately set to work in training camp. He played a couple scrimmages in camp before the management called him into the office. Raphael had said that he would consider position changes if a GM and coach could explain why they were doing it. When Dallas sat him down, they asked Raphael to move the offensive side of the ball to the defensive side, preferably at the Safety position. They said that they wanted to utilize Raphael’s natural athleticism but already had their receiver core in place. They believed that turning Raphael into a shutdown defender would take Dallas over the top.
While it would be a huge change for Raphael, after weighing up the pros and cons, he accepted the position swap. Raphael didn’t have much experience at safety… but he did have a great seat to do research on how a Safety plays back in College. Being a Buckeye, he had the pleasure of playing alongside Number 1 Overall pick, Greedy Sly. Like many, Raphael was entranced by Sly’s playing abilities and Sly had said in the past to him that if Raphael wanted, he could make a great safety.
So there he was, now trying to make it work in the pros… no matter what, Raphael desperately wanted to make it work. A failure he would mean all of his football training and practices would be for nothing. If he was going to make it to the NSFL as a defensive player, this year would have to prove it.
Week 1 - Vs Grey Ducks
The first week of the season was a feeling out period for Raphael, trying to adjust to his new surroundings on the defence. Pre season was one thing but this was where the real games began. To his credit, Raphael did well when he was called for coverage work. Asked to cover Tychronius Hood, Raphael would make it a nightmare game for the former University of Florida standout, limiting him to two catches on the day and 15 yards total. While recording no other significant stats on the day besides one tackle, it was a good showing for the future safety prospect. Dallas would win the game 27-15
Week 2 - @ Buccaneers
A rough game for all those involved with Dallas as they were crushed by the Myrtle Beach machine gun offense. Raphael would record 6 tackles on the day as he covered the backfield and multiple receivers. Again not a bad effort but not the performance anyone on the Birddogs would want to write home about. Raphael would start to work more on his straight line speed and quick turning in order to be a better defender. Dallas lost to Myrtle Beach 26-6
Week 3 - Vs Pythons
This is the game that no one on Dallas talks about. A bad showing from a team that wanted to show that they could take steps forward as an expansion franchise. Raphael would record another 6 tackles as Dallas failed to put points on the board. They was some promise starting to show from Raphael but the day after that game, no one wanted to talk about it. Dallas instead started to work harder to make sure that never happened again. Raphael would further develop his coverage skills as he tried to stem the tide. Dallas lost to Portland 20-3
Week 4 - @ Seawolves
An inspired performance from Dallas as they bounced back hard against Norfolk, led by a secondary that was starting to be feared in the league. It was this game where Raphael’s work was starting to pay off, he was in the face of receivers time and time again, limiting the receiving core of Norfolk to less than 100 yards on the day. He also recovered a forced fumble from teammate Colt Mendoza. He didn’t gain any additional yards for the play but it was here where things were starting to go right for him. He felt more confident in his abilities to cover players and he knew that soon, he would get his first interception if he could just keep up the training. Dallas would win 23-16
Week 5 - @ Luchadores
There’s a saying in the football world. If the safety has to put up multiple tackles over the course of a game, there is a problem. While yes Tijuana was the class of the division, it was still a beatdown that Dallas didn’t want to see happen. Another 5 tackles for Raphael in one of his worst games as a safety. It was a sobering reminder that while he was talented, he had a mountain to climb before he became a great defender. As Dallas crossed the border home, Raphael addressed the Texas crowd:
“I know this wasn’t the result you wanted and I apologize. These aren’t the results that any of us want and it's not what we want for our team going forward. So to everyone in the Dog Pound, I’m sorry. I promise you one thing, these losses will be good things in the end. The Good Lord wouldn’t give us these hardships if he didn’t believe that we could overcome them. I promise that you will never see any player work harder than me for the rest of this year. I want to bring Dallas home a title and I will give every ounce of blood and every drop of sweat to make it happen. God bless you all.”
This speech, from a rookie, would soon become the rallying moment for the Birddogs as they sought redemption in their next game.
Week 6 - vs Royals
One week after “The Vow” was made, Dallas would put on one of the finest defensive efforts seen this season. Holding one of the best Quarterbacks in the DSFL to less than 200 yards on the day. It was the first week that Raphael was asked to play Cornerback for Dallas and it was this game where he started to develop his infamous reputation as “The Swiss Army Knife of the Secondary”. 4 Tackles on the day and 2 Pass Deflections would led to Raphael being awards the Defensive gameball by his coach. He played lights out football and his play in the clutch moments gave Dallas the momentum they needed to win against their fellow expansion team. Dallas would win 21-18
Week 7 - vs Coyotes
Dallas would take their momentum from the London game and would crush the Coyotes in front of their home crowd. Moving back over to Safety, Raphael would play the greatest game of his career. Not allowing a single pass to be caught by his covered receivers, Raphael played with hunger than few men had seen. Helping to limit Kansas City to just 10 points on the day, the Dallas Defence started to come alive with Raphael leading the charge. Dallas would win 27-10
Week 8 - @ Grey Ducks
A gut wrenching loss but one that showed that the Dallas Defence could perform at the highest levels. Raphael would continue to rack up Pass deflections as he moved back over to Cornerback for this game. He was starting to truly get into rhythm as a defensive player and made receivers start to look for any solution to the guard dog safety. It was a similar feeling that Raphael had back in college when playing Wide Receiver. Watching offenses now try to get around made Raphael smile a bit. He was in their heads and now he could play the mind games. Things started to feel right. Dallas would lose to Minnesota 24-21.
Week 9 - vs Buccaneers
The Miracle against Myrtle Beach. After a dismal first half, the Birddogs would rally in the third period to win the game. Raphael would continue to practice his craft, once again ending the game with no tackles. He was hardly targeted and when he was, Raphael made sure the receivers were not catching the ball. Ending the game with 2 Pass Deflections and his first career interception, Raphael his second career game ball. A statement win for the Birddogs and a career game for Raphael. Dallas would win 25-20
Week 10 - @ Pythons
No messing around this time. The shutdown Dallas defence continued to press on teams as Dallas would shut out the Pythons in the entire second half to help secure the win. 5 tackles recorded by Raphael as he felt like he took a step back in this game. After two incredible performances, this game felt like a disappointment to him. All the same, he was helping the team win games and to continue their march towards the playoffs. That was victory enough for him. Dallas would win 24-21
Week 11 - vs Seawolves
Pride comes before the fall. Dallas would lose a tightly contested game that no one on the team felt like they should have lost. Some shoddy officiating helped Norfolk win this one… well that’s the feeling if you listened to the Dallas locker room. Raphael would lead the charge for the defense as he gained 5 tackles, 3 pass deflections and another interception to try and put Dallas over the top. Little did Raphael know that he was about to learn the most painful lesson in professional football. Life… no matter how great things are going… will always turn on you. Dallas would lose 16-13
Week 12 - vs Luchadores
The playoffs hopes were in shatters. Tijuana would once again stomp the Birddogs. For a moment it looked like Dallas would survive to win the game but a painful third period would end any hope of that. Raphael would record 2 tackles on the day in a performance he called one of his worst. He didn’t understand why everything was going wrong all of a sudden but he vowed to try and keep his pledge to the fans alive. He wanted nothing more than to get Dallas to the playoffs but those hopes were starting to slip. Dallas would lose 24-10
Week 13 - @ Royals
If Dallas was going to lose out on the playoffs, no one was going to claim it was for lack of trying. The Birddogs tried desperately to win against the Royals but were held short once again despite everything they gave to the performance 4 more tackles where Raphael’s rewards along with one tackle for a loss. Week 14’s matchup was win or go home. Raphael recommitted himself to the gym, isolating himself for all contact apart from his team in order to focus solely on winning the game. He ran harder and worked harder to get any new results. This would be his final chance. Dallas would lose 11-8
Week 14 - @ Coyotes
The Dogs came out against Kansas City, hungry and angry. They played like savage beasts against the Coyotes, putting everything they had into the game in order to win it. Late in the third, Kansas City had the lead and the ball. Dallas needed a miracle play to keep their hope alive… then it happened. A moment in time that the Birddogs would never forget. A moment that would validate the Dallas front office for taking a chance on the star from Ohio State:
“Glassley back in the pocket, he’s looking for his receivers, throws it out for Wilson… It’s Intercepted! Raphael d’Alcott! He’s running the other way! To the 20! The 10! TOUCHDOWN! When Dallas needed a miracle, he responded to their prayers! The Angel has landed in Dallas!”
It was the greatest moment of the season for Raphael. He had turned the tide of battle and helped the birddogs win the game. A season defining moment and one Raphael would never forget… then as the game ended he looked up at the scoreboard. Norfolk had won their game… Dallas had been eliminated.
After all Dallas had done, it just wasn’t enough for them. A heartbreaking way to finish the season. The Vow would go unfulfilled. Then, as they headed home and Raphael at his lowest point, he would see something that would lift his spirits that no other thing could. At the airport were hundreds, no thousands of Dallas fans, dressed in Blue and Gold to welcome the team home. They cheered their team as they got off the plane, as if the playoffs were still going on. The hometown crowd were just so proud of their expansion franchise and they wanted to show it to the players. Last year Dallas was 5-9 and had little hope. This was, Dallas went 7-7 and looked to be even better next year.
As Raphael shook hands and hugged various fans, including his family who had also shown up, he felt rejuvenated. He would have more chances to bring Dallas home the Ultimini title and with the core around him, he knew in his heart that they could make that run. Now with the season behind, Raphael turns his eyes towards the draft. His performances have caused quite a stir amongst scouts and he was heavily recruited by major teams. Some had Raphael being an early 1st round pick. No matter where he would go, Raphael would always look back at this season with pride. The former Ohio State Wide Receiver Star had arrived in Dallas to become one of the best safeties in the DSFL. He had changed position at the most crucial time of his development and made it work. Onward to the draft and to next season he goes, hopes for the Ultimini in his heart.
Final Statistics for Raphael d’Alcott:
14 Games Played, 49 Tackles, 1 Tackle for Loss, 1 Fumble Recovery, 3 Interceptions, 10 Pass Deflections (1st out of all Free Safeties) and 1 Defensive Touchdown