Another pick…Another name…more cheers and more astonishment as pick after pick is exceptional talent on top of incredible talent. The suspense waiting, watching, hoping the names of friends and stars would be announced. Nothing quite puts you on edge like a good old fashioned draft, even if there is some technical difficulties. And yet, after watching the S22 NSFL draft, I look forward even more so to the S23 DSFL draft, my draft, and wait intensely, biting my nails, arms shaking, legs quaking, waiting… pick after pick, name after name, just waiting for mine to be called to get my future underway.
Even with all the self-discipline that comes with spending my youth in Japan, with Japanese parents both in a professional occupation, where their daily lives are concerned with understanding the emotions that motivate someone and the behaviours they choose to follow, I can not help but feel anxious, feel as though I could have done more in college to raise my stocks for the draft, to make a better name for myself, to make myself a known name early on in the next level. Growing up young in Kyoto, the historical capital of Japan, I learnt of historical concepts that I still hold with me today. Bushido, the way of the warrior, to always fight with honour…and to the death, to never surrender to the enemy and to not give up even with your final breathe. My early life in Kyoto taught to work harder, smarter, longer than anyone else around me if I want to be the best. Now with less then a week to the draft and counting, I need to prove to those around me, the other prospects, especially the other wide receivers, that I will set the benchmark of work ethic for this class. As it stands, my work ethic has not gone unnoticed by the higher ups. General managers, war room committee members and players from the S22 draft, representing every one of the eight DSFL teams have now made contact with me that. As we seemingly draw closer to the draft inch by inch, I can only hope that I have done enough to prove to all of them that i am worth a high pick in the upcoming draft.
With the draft just consistently drawing near, it has made me reflect on my college career and if I could’ve done more. Whilst in high school I was playing game time between both wide receiver and running back in my first few years, college cemented myself as a wide receiver for the future. Under coach Tannerhill, I prospered into a thing of beauty, just like the cherry blossoms of my home nation that my last name comes from. With coach Tannerhill taking over, I received more and more opportunities to demonstrate why I am where I am in my career and a high prospect, not only for wide receivers, but the entire class together. During my final year in college, I was able to start all fourteen games for the team, taking seventy two receptions for 1,207 years at 16.7 yards per carry with a modest 7 touchdowns for the year. But whilst proud of my work on the field, it was also an exceptionally proud moment for me and my family that, just like my parents, I followed in their footsteps and completed a bachelor of Psychology, with a major in Sport and Exercise Psychology. I hope this academic skills of understanding the mind will help take my physical prowess to new heights in both the DSFL and NSFL as my secret wepon. Although all those psychology lessons and experiments haven’t really helped calm me down, if anything I just get my nervous with each passing day.
Now with the NSFL draft over, I just know that everyone’s attention will be turning to the DSFL and all the rookie prospects, the creation of mock drafts evaluating the TPE gains and evaluating whether to go just based of skill, should their personality in team’s locker rooms being thought of? What about their name and brand? Will teams put a higher premium on players with a better known name and reputation or take the extra risk picking up the lessen known players who appear to have higher talent? These questions plague my mind as I wonder as to where I will get drafted. Being one of the newer guys on the blocks with a lesser known name, I know I have had to try to prove myself more than other prospect. But I know within myself that I have proven through pre-draft workouts and in my college days, that I have the talent to be here. I have the potential to be the best wide receiver in the class. I have the potential to be the first wide receiver taken off the board. The question is, will i? Anything can happen on draft day, the NSFL draft showed everyone that. The S22 draft’s Mr irrelevant himself Tom Sofa, went today over 200 picks earlier. The draft is a gamble and I am putting my hand up to say, I may seem like a gamble, but if you pick me, you will realise I am a safe bet for good talent and production.
Sitting here in isolation, no partner, no family around, all I can do is think about the draft. It’s the only thing that isn’t routine in my life at the moment. All I do is eat, sleep, workout, think about the draft. Even when working out in my home gym, all I can think about is the draft. Will have enough speed to be desirable? Do I have the endurance to play DSFL games? Those thoughts only push me further. The more I push, the more battle-ready I become. The more battle-ready I become, the more of a top prospect I become. All I gotta do is keep pushing, stay on the grind, its all about that grind. Grind, grind and grind some more. If I want to prove myself to be the best, I’ve got to beat the best in the gym, beat the best in media, beat the best on the field. I haven’t come this far to just be a “pretty decent guy” anymore. I have put in too much blood, sweat and tears into my career to to take the foot off the accelerator and accept “good enough.”
I have put everything I have got to get myself into the position I find myself in and I will not let my friends, family, my parents and most importantly, myself, fail, as for I, Kai Sakura, follow the ancient custom of Bushido, the way of the warrior. I am loyal to a fault to those who will draft me. I strive with the courage of a lion to never give in, on or off the field. To always hold myself to the truth, for better or worse. To always believe in myself and others, to show kindness and gratitude for what others do for me. The ways of Bushido build me as a person and runs through the veins of my body. I, am a warrior, a warrior who will run head first into battle, the battle of which ever teams wants to draft me, with no mercy, no fear and most importantly, no stopping me.
Whilst I may anxiously await the draft, there is no stopping me beyond it. Fear my presence for I will command respect on the field with brutality whilst being the nicest person off the field. I am the complete package that General Managers are looking for. If you haven’t thought of me seriously, it is your lost for I will be a thorn in your side on another team,
For wherever you think there is light, Darkness rises ready to takes what it wants and you cannot stop the inevitable, only get it on your side.
(1324 words)
Even with all the self-discipline that comes with spending my youth in Japan, with Japanese parents both in a professional occupation, where their daily lives are concerned with understanding the emotions that motivate someone and the behaviours they choose to follow, I can not help but feel anxious, feel as though I could have done more in college to raise my stocks for the draft, to make a better name for myself, to make myself a known name early on in the next level. Growing up young in Kyoto, the historical capital of Japan, I learnt of historical concepts that I still hold with me today. Bushido, the way of the warrior, to always fight with honour…and to the death, to never surrender to the enemy and to not give up even with your final breathe. My early life in Kyoto taught to work harder, smarter, longer than anyone else around me if I want to be the best. Now with less then a week to the draft and counting, I need to prove to those around me, the other prospects, especially the other wide receivers, that I will set the benchmark of work ethic for this class. As it stands, my work ethic has not gone unnoticed by the higher ups. General managers, war room committee members and players from the S22 draft, representing every one of the eight DSFL teams have now made contact with me that. As we seemingly draw closer to the draft inch by inch, I can only hope that I have done enough to prove to all of them that i am worth a high pick in the upcoming draft.
With the draft just consistently drawing near, it has made me reflect on my college career and if I could’ve done more. Whilst in high school I was playing game time between both wide receiver and running back in my first few years, college cemented myself as a wide receiver for the future. Under coach Tannerhill, I prospered into a thing of beauty, just like the cherry blossoms of my home nation that my last name comes from. With coach Tannerhill taking over, I received more and more opportunities to demonstrate why I am where I am in my career and a high prospect, not only for wide receivers, but the entire class together. During my final year in college, I was able to start all fourteen games for the team, taking seventy two receptions for 1,207 years at 16.7 yards per carry with a modest 7 touchdowns for the year. But whilst proud of my work on the field, it was also an exceptionally proud moment for me and my family that, just like my parents, I followed in their footsteps and completed a bachelor of Psychology, with a major in Sport and Exercise Psychology. I hope this academic skills of understanding the mind will help take my physical prowess to new heights in both the DSFL and NSFL as my secret wepon. Although all those psychology lessons and experiments haven’t really helped calm me down, if anything I just get my nervous with each passing day.
Now with the NSFL draft over, I just know that everyone’s attention will be turning to the DSFL and all the rookie prospects, the creation of mock drafts evaluating the TPE gains and evaluating whether to go just based of skill, should their personality in team’s locker rooms being thought of? What about their name and brand? Will teams put a higher premium on players with a better known name and reputation or take the extra risk picking up the lessen known players who appear to have higher talent? These questions plague my mind as I wonder as to where I will get drafted. Being one of the newer guys on the blocks with a lesser known name, I know I have had to try to prove myself more than other prospect. But I know within myself that I have proven through pre-draft workouts and in my college days, that I have the talent to be here. I have the potential to be the best wide receiver in the class. I have the potential to be the first wide receiver taken off the board. The question is, will i? Anything can happen on draft day, the NSFL draft showed everyone that. The S22 draft’s Mr irrelevant himself Tom Sofa, went today over 200 picks earlier. The draft is a gamble and I am putting my hand up to say, I may seem like a gamble, but if you pick me, you will realise I am a safe bet for good talent and production.
Sitting here in isolation, no partner, no family around, all I can do is think about the draft. It’s the only thing that isn’t routine in my life at the moment. All I do is eat, sleep, workout, think about the draft. Even when working out in my home gym, all I can think about is the draft. Will have enough speed to be desirable? Do I have the endurance to play DSFL games? Those thoughts only push me further. The more I push, the more battle-ready I become. The more battle-ready I become, the more of a top prospect I become. All I gotta do is keep pushing, stay on the grind, its all about that grind. Grind, grind and grind some more. If I want to prove myself to be the best, I’ve got to beat the best in the gym, beat the best in media, beat the best on the field. I haven’t come this far to just be a “pretty decent guy” anymore. I have put in too much blood, sweat and tears into my career to to take the foot off the accelerator and accept “good enough.”
I have put everything I have got to get myself into the position I find myself in and I will not let my friends, family, my parents and most importantly, myself, fail, as for I, Kai Sakura, follow the ancient custom of Bushido, the way of the warrior. I am loyal to a fault to those who will draft me. I strive with the courage of a lion to never give in, on or off the field. To always hold myself to the truth, for better or worse. To always believe in myself and others, to show kindness and gratitude for what others do for me. The ways of Bushido build me as a person and runs through the veins of my body. I, am a warrior, a warrior who will run head first into battle, the battle of which ever teams wants to draft me, with no mercy, no fear and most importantly, no stopping me.
Whilst I may anxiously await the draft, there is no stopping me beyond it. Fear my presence for I will command respect on the field with brutality whilst being the nicest person off the field. I am the complete package that General Managers are looking for. If you haven’t thought of me seriously, it is your lost for I will be a thorn in your side on another team,
For wherever you think there is light, Darkness rises ready to takes what it wants and you cannot stop the inevitable, only get it on your side.
(1324 words)
![[Image: image0.png]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/372602034198806530/707467132568338462/image0.png)
![[Image: Ahf3LtW.png]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/379532993070628864/703443515136278608/Ahf3LtW.png)
I love the last line,![[Image: ndvj4VD.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/ndvj4VD.jpeg)
![[Image: hood5.png]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/758471909196562442/841015508723826768/hood5.png)
