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3) For any team, certain players and users have gone above and beyond, shaping the legacy of the franchise. Choose any ISFL or DSFL team - with the exception of the Sarasota Sailfish and Honolulu Hahalua - and create a Mount Rushmore for that team. Who in your mind are the four most noteworthy figures of the team’s history? Why does each one of your included figures deserve that recognition, and how did each of them make their mark?
My pick is the San Jose Sabercats!
The San Jose Sabercats are a unique team in the history of the NSFL and yes it is okay to use NSFL because for 22+ seasons, the Sabercats were a unique team in regards to their position in the league. They were usually a decent team record wise most of the time but year after year, they could not break through and win a playoff game. In fact, it was not until Season 14 that the team broke through and won a playoff game and went on to not only win their first playoff game, but their one and only championship as well. So, for the purpose of this exercise, nobody from before the championship team will be considered for this.
The first head on the San Jose Mount Rushmore would have to be, to me, the general manager @ckroyal92 as his tenure as the San Jose GM is not something you can easily pass over. He has been with the Sabercats since the beginning of time and you can't disassociate the two entities anymore. Professor Chaos, his GM persona would be the first person on this Mount Rushmore. He has been responsible for building the team and putting the pieces together in order to build up to the moment that was the Season 14 NSFL Ultimus. He is still going on his 23rd season now and while he did take about half a season off he was still very involved when I was heading the team at that time and he came back stronger than ever. The locker room has grown and grown and it a testament to the determination, hard work, and patience of my good friend CK.
The second head on the San Jose Mount Rushmore is one that I have to be a bit selfish about, but not too selfish because well, he is not the first head right? I am talking about my past player, hall of fame quarterback and Ultimus winning quarterback, Joliet L. Christ. A season 10 draftee, Christ went on to have a storied career for the Sabercats which reached a pinnacle when they hoisted the trophy back in Season 14. A mobile DSFL quarterback, turned gunslinger, turned mobile quarterback again, his career was filled with ups and downs but mostly ups. When Christ was in the league, there were no other quarterbacks like him at the time where he was at his prime level being able to pass for 200+ yards and rush for another 100 or so. He dominated fantasy rankings for a few years late in his career, due to his talent for being a dual threat guy. His play influenced future quarterbacks in the league such as Franklin Armstrong who then went on to influence more guys like you are seeing today. While Christ certainly was not the first mobile QB in the history of the NSFL, he was certainly the first extremely talented mobile gunslinger and he had a major influence on how some quarterbacks are built today. He was easily the best quarterback in San Jose history and likely the best player in their 23 year history.
The third head gets a bit difficult as there are so many guys who I think deserve to be on this thing. My pick for the next head would be long time linebacker Ben Horne @iseedoug, who despite not finishing his career with San Jose, was a super influential person in the history of the team. One of the leading linebackers at the time and a great locker room influence, Horne was a hall of fame candidate for awhile but unfortunately fell off this past season, most likely to him leaving for smelly Baltimore, am i right? Horne was a major influence and helped a ton with game planning and helping make San Jose what it was, successful and a winner.
The fourth is also extremely hard because there are so many but I will keep it with the Ultimus winning Cats team, sorry newer people. I will go with CB D'Pez Poopsie @Muford for the influence he had on the team's culture. I don't think the locker room would have been popping off as much without this guy and that led to people really believing in the team and activity can breed success a lot in these leagues. Poopsie was a decent corner but his stats were not his greatest value to the team. He came in, stepped up in a leadership position and helped get San Jose their first Ultimus in their long history.
There are a ton more guys that I think could be on this list such as Xavier Flash or Kazimir Oles, the main wide receivers for the run. One of the Pennington defenders could also be on this list as the trade that brought them in really turned the corner for the franchise. Even a guy like Neo Donaldson could be considered because he brought stability to the kicker position after the garbageness that was Kyle Corbett. Beep Bot probably deserves to be on this too for his lore.
You can also consider some newer guys as well or guys that could potentially make a 2nd Mount Rushmore of newer cats or maybe a Derpcat Mount Rushmore. Cameron Olsen, probably the best tight end in the history of the Sabercats. Tyson Brackenridge, probably the biggest standout defensive player of this current era of the Cats. While others can make their names here, a lot of the team is still very young and has a chance to get the Sabercats that elusive 2nd Ultimus win.
Former players:
QB Joliet Christ Jr. (HON/BER) (1x Ultimus Champ)
WR Deondre Thomas-Fox (SJS) (2x Ultimus Champ)
QB Joliet L. Christ (SJS) (Hall of Fame) (1x Ultimus Champ)