In terms of the Austin Copperheads Big 4 Mount Rushmore, I think you've got to go with the obvious ones. Easton Cole, Mako Mendonca, Rod Tidwell and Dermot Lavelle Jr.
Every one of these players has been on the Austin Copperheads since their very first season way back in S16. The Austin Copperheads original side was created in the expansion draft and the NSFL S15 Draft but anybody picked up in S15 would be sent down into the DSFL and essentially get a free season before actually lining up in the rust brown poop colors of Austin for their inaugural season in S16. Just like Rome, Austin wasn't built in a day. Or a season. Or two seasons, really it was built in 3 seasons of drafts before everything started coming together, in terms of a Mount Rushmore, here it is.
Easton Cole has been the only QB the Austin Copperheads have ever had and it looks to stay that way for atleast another season. Sitting just shy of 30,000 passing yards, 170 touchdowns and 1 championship ring, Cole looks to be not only a lock for the Austin ROH but the ISFL HOF. Cole to be exact has 26,996 passing yards, 169 touchdowns and 2,243 completions and honestly at this point I can't imagine anybody catches up to that especially with an extra season after this or god forbid an extra two seasons to pad his stats.
Tidwell has been his #1 reliable target since forever, Tidwell is indeed retiring at the end of S24 but atleast he gets to link up for yet another season with Cole. Tidwell will retire and likely stay as the greatest Austin Copperheads wide receiver in history, unless he's somehow surpassed years and years from now. Tidwell I'd argue is borderline HOF and another season of decent to good stat clinches it, or so you'd imagine. Tidwell has 7,751 receiving yards, for reference 2nd place Net Gaines only has 3,864 receiving yards and he's only three seasons behind Tidwells numbers. Tidwell sits atop the pile also in touchdowns with 51, double 2nd place which has a mere 24 touchdowns. 454 receptions sits him again on first place comfortable with his closest company being the tight end Peter Larson who has also been here since S15/S16.
Mako Mendonca has been the #1 RB for the Austin Copperheads since his career begun, again taken during the Austin Copperheads Draft (S16) and despite the tumultous seasons during the Ashley Owens stint in Austin, Mendonca came out on top and Owens moved to what seemed like greener pastures. Mendonca is hanging it up at the end of this season and while his place in the HOF is in doubt, his position in the Austin Ring of Honor I cant imagine is. No surprise that Mendonca on this list also holds all the notable franchise rushing records from yards to touchdowns to attempts. 1st in rushing yards with 7,162 yards, 7 times the place Ashley Owens sits in 2nd. 55 Rushing touchdowns sits him on top of that board too, while dwarfing everybody else with nearly 1,800 rushing attempts. It's also worth noting that Mendonca also has 3,146 receiving yards, 19 touchdowns and 356 receptions to hang his hat on now and honestly if I look at it after reading all of this I can't imagine he's in with a good shout to be in the NSFL/ISFL Hall of Fame.
I'm at about 300 words at this point so while originally I didn't want to have to talk about my own player, my hand is forced. I think at this point Lavelle is easily going to become the career leader in ISFL kick and punt return yards, with an incredible amount of distance going to seperate him from his fathers former place. In terms of his ability as a defender, despite coming off a career high 5 interception season, he's not a great player and his career defensively so far has been sub-par. Regardless of this, while Lavelle's career interceptions have been streaky, he does sit 3rd all time in Copperheads career interceptions, one behind Takeda Okura and 4 behind the dominant Chase Jensen. Lavelle is on top of the career pass deflections list for the Copperheads with 108 pass deflections. Lavelle is tied 3rd in defensive touchdowns with just one. Lavelle no doubt is at the top of the career return lists with 7,077 return yards for the Copperheads and 2,165 punt return yards along with an impressive 3 punt return touchdowns.
I think without a shadow of a doubt if you ask anybody on the Copperheads that realisitically this is 4 you think of, maybe 3 if you swapped out Lavelle Jr for Idlewyld to be honest. He's definetly on his way there for sure with the waves he's making on that ever dominant defensive line.
Every one of these players has been on the Austin Copperheads since their very first season way back in S16. The Austin Copperheads original side was created in the expansion draft and the NSFL S15 Draft but anybody picked up in S15 would be sent down into the DSFL and essentially get a free season before actually lining up in the rust brown poop colors of Austin for their inaugural season in S16. Just like Rome, Austin wasn't built in a day. Or a season. Or two seasons, really it was built in 3 seasons of drafts before everything started coming together, in terms of a Mount Rushmore, here it is.
Easton Cole has been the only QB the Austin Copperheads have ever had and it looks to stay that way for atleast another season. Sitting just shy of 30,000 passing yards, 170 touchdowns and 1 championship ring, Cole looks to be not only a lock for the Austin ROH but the ISFL HOF. Cole to be exact has 26,996 passing yards, 169 touchdowns and 2,243 completions and honestly at this point I can't imagine anybody catches up to that especially with an extra season after this or god forbid an extra two seasons to pad his stats.
Tidwell has been his #1 reliable target since forever, Tidwell is indeed retiring at the end of S24 but atleast he gets to link up for yet another season with Cole. Tidwell will retire and likely stay as the greatest Austin Copperheads wide receiver in history, unless he's somehow surpassed years and years from now. Tidwell I'd argue is borderline HOF and another season of decent to good stat clinches it, or so you'd imagine. Tidwell has 7,751 receiving yards, for reference 2nd place Net Gaines only has 3,864 receiving yards and he's only three seasons behind Tidwells numbers. Tidwell sits atop the pile also in touchdowns with 51, double 2nd place which has a mere 24 touchdowns. 454 receptions sits him again on first place comfortable with his closest company being the tight end Peter Larson who has also been here since S15/S16.
Mako Mendonca has been the #1 RB for the Austin Copperheads since his career begun, again taken during the Austin Copperheads Draft (S16) and despite the tumultous seasons during the Ashley Owens stint in Austin, Mendonca came out on top and Owens moved to what seemed like greener pastures. Mendonca is hanging it up at the end of this season and while his place in the HOF is in doubt, his position in the Austin Ring of Honor I cant imagine is. No surprise that Mendonca on this list also holds all the notable franchise rushing records from yards to touchdowns to attempts. 1st in rushing yards with 7,162 yards, 7 times the place Ashley Owens sits in 2nd. 55 Rushing touchdowns sits him on top of that board too, while dwarfing everybody else with nearly 1,800 rushing attempts. It's also worth noting that Mendonca also has 3,146 receiving yards, 19 touchdowns and 356 receptions to hang his hat on now and honestly if I look at it after reading all of this I can't imagine he's in with a good shout to be in the NSFL/ISFL Hall of Fame.
I'm at about 300 words at this point so while originally I didn't want to have to talk about my own player, my hand is forced. I think at this point Lavelle is easily going to become the career leader in ISFL kick and punt return yards, with an incredible amount of distance going to seperate him from his fathers former place. In terms of his ability as a defender, despite coming off a career high 5 interception season, he's not a great player and his career defensively so far has been sub-par. Regardless of this, while Lavelle's career interceptions have been streaky, he does sit 3rd all time in Copperheads career interceptions, one behind Takeda Okura and 4 behind the dominant Chase Jensen. Lavelle is on top of the career pass deflections list for the Copperheads with 108 pass deflections. Lavelle is tied 3rd in defensive touchdowns with just one. Lavelle no doubt is at the top of the career return lists with 7,077 return yards for the Copperheads and 2,165 punt return yards along with an impressive 3 punt return touchdowns.
I think without a shadow of a doubt if you ask anybody on the Copperheads that realisitically this is 4 you think of, maybe 3 if you swapped out Lavelle Jr for Idlewyld to be honest. He's definetly on his way there for sure with the waves he's making on that ever dominant defensive line.