[div align=\\\"center\\\"]The Player's Story: Stanislaw Maddox[/div]
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Hello, everyone, my name is Nick and today I bring you the story of a young man looking to begin his career in the NSFL. The first day Stanislaw announced he will be eligible for the NSFL Draft, I contacted him and asked if I could tell his story. He agreed and this has been an article long in the making. I’ve spent time interviewing Stanislaw himself, his family members, former coaches, former teaches, friends, and former teammates. All have them have their own stories about Stanislaw Maddox, and this is the Player’s Story.
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Stanislaw Maddox was born to Jason and Magda Maddox in Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania. He was dubbed as the “Wonder Boy” by his jokester of a father after being conceived through two contraceptives. Stanislaus early years were focused on education and fun. His days were filled with school, homework, church and baseball with the local children. It didn’t take very long for the local pick-up games of baseball to turn into Stanislaw signing up for the Little Leagues. According to my sources, Stanislaw was a very talented outfielder and was a premier base stealer. But Stanislaw's fun didn’t come until his work was finished, his parents held him to a tight leash with school, homework had to be finished before practice and if his grades slipped below B’s, his parents kept him from attending the games. Stanislaw told me it only took 1 missed game, a game which his team lost, for him to straighten out and never let his grades slip again. To get more insight about Stanislaus childhood I traveled out to Wilkes-Barre and sat down with Mrs.Maddox. Here’s the log I kept of my chat with Mrs.Maddox.
Nick: Good Morning Mrs. Maddox, thank you for taking the time to sit down with me. Your son is a high ranked prospect for the NSFL draft and his character just screamed: “There’s a good story here.”
Mrs.Maddox: Good Morning to you as well, Nick. I’m more than happy to welcome you into my home, talking about my Son is absolutely my favorite thing to do!
Nick: I’m sure it is ma’am, my mom would tell you the same thing. Now, Stanislaw has already given me key points of his childhood but how did it go for you, as his mother. What was he like?
Mrs.Maddox: Stanislaw was a good boy...As a baby, he was very quiet and really picked up his lessons fast, so I was confident he’d be something of a scholar. But when he was old enough to start socializing and playing outside, he just had so much energy! I could never stop him, and dragging him home for bed was always the hardest part!
Nick: Quite a handful he was then. So, tell me...Stanislaw said that you placed school as the number one priority for him and that fun was only to be had after that. How did he do in school?
Mrs.Maddox: Hahaha! My boy, always makes me be the villain when it comes to school, and...I guess from the view of a child I was. But as a young girl growing up in Soviet Poland, the education was much harder than what students in America got, but it wasn’t easily obtainable for everyone like it is here. So I wanted my son to realize how lucky he was to have a public school and he needed to be focused on taking advantage of that gift. And he really took to my rules, he is a very smart boy now and he has always been. There were very few times I had to yell at him over grades when they slipped. But I took away the things he loved the most and he understood that school shouldn’t be a joke.
Nick: Very understandable Mrs.Maddox, so baseball was his very first sport. Was this something you encouraged? How did he really grow into playing baseball?
Mrs.Maddox: Well...baseball was the sport of the choice for all of the neighborhood children and his father is a huge sports fan baseball, football, hockey, soccer, golf, tennis...my husband knows it all. So playing catch in the backyard was something he started with Stanislaw very early. But I remember one day Stanislaw comes home with a piece of paper, running through my house with his muddy shoes, screaming “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy.”. Now, I first yelled at him to take his shoes off and clean up the mud he tracked in, but then we sat down and went over this paper. It was to sign up for the Little League. His father explained to him what was required of him, but my boy was so adamant on signing up, so we did. In terms of support, his father would go to every practice with him and then they’d put in extra work at home. Then I signed up for the team moms, so I had to make snacks and bring drinks for certain games.
Nick: So you were very supportive, that’s great of you as a parent. Well, I think that covers everything, ma’am. Thank you very much for the invite to your home and sitting down with me.
So we’ve learned about Stanislaw during his childhood. School and baseball controlled his life. What did achieve as a young boy? Well nothing much outside of some good grades, Stanislaw tells me his team weren’t exactly the best and making it any further than the local playoffs was something they only achieved once...that ended with a loss in the first round of regionals. According to Stanislaw himself, his early life has nothing of note but tells a lot about his roots and ethics. So let's jump right into the next stage of his life: Highschool. This is where Stanislaw picked up football and was the kickstart to his current life.
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High School was a big step in Stanislaus life. Not only did his education get tougher, but he changed sports and had to convert from being a baseball outfielder to a football wide receiver. When I first started to get knowledge about his years in Highschool, Stanislaw had this to say, “High School was great for me. I met so many new people, and I found the sport that was right for me. I fell in love with football there and I it’s now my career! So I can thank my friends for making me sign up. It’s a time I will never forget and my team back then helped shape me into the player I am today.”. Stanislaw very clearly views Highschool as the biggest influence on his life, so I really dug up a lot of information for this section. After all my interviews and after all my research, I agree that this period had the biggest impact on him. Now let's get to the story.
Stanislaus freshmen year at the high school began similarly to many. He was a scrawny nerd going in at the bottom of the high school food chain. He was bullied in his first few weeks by the older kids and at one point got into a fight with a senior student, a fight that Stanislaw lost...decisively. This fight got him in trouble with the school and also his parents. But Stanislaw said the backlash wasn’t as big as he thought it’d be, his parents were understanding but were very clear that another fight would result in big trouble. When he returned the school the next day, Stanislaw was approached by a few friends who were begging him to join the football team with them. They were all tired of losing in baseball and everyone wanted to try something new. So Stanislaw agreed but was very uncertain about starting. During my sit down with his father, we talked about Stanislaus start in football, I quote Mr.Maddox: “Stanislaw came home and told me he signed up for football. Instantly I was excited, but my son didn’t share the same excitement. He didn’t know much about football and after being bullied his confidence wasn’t too high.”. So I was curious, a new NSFL prospect was a scrawny nerdy kid, who joined the football team and then stayed!? This was very interesting.
The very first football practice was something special according to Stanislaw. With only basic knowledge of how the game worked thanks to watching football with his dad, Stanislaw thought for sure he’d bomb out and just become a bench warmer. Now, I wouldn’t be here writing this and that’d be it, nothing Stanislaw's first practice, no college football, no NSFL prospect, nothing. So here’s how things went...Stanislaw blew his coaches away with his hands and speed. Instantly they made him a wide receiver and there was no looking back, he gained respect from his fellow freshmen and the established players, one of those established players Mark Ramrio. A fellow NSFL draft prospect. So now that he found his place on the football team, he had to keep it. Stanislaw put his head down and worked! His parents still held him to the standard of nothing lower than a B, and he was on a grind in football. According to Stanislaw, it was tough going from a scrawny kid to the physique required to be a starting wide receiver while keeping his grades up. Eventually, he found his stride and the really started to grow. During my information gathering, I spoke to his head coach and he was giving Stanislaw tons of praise from the get go, he truly believed Stanislaw would turn into a talented athlete. Here’s a quote from my chat with the coach: “Ya, Stanislaw had huge potential. Once we got him into a good place physically, his skills improved greatly. He’d drop the ball less, take hits better, juke defenders, all of it. He was ready to do it all, but he still had his own teammates to compete with for his spot on the depth chart.”. So there it is, Stanislaw may have had the talent but he wasn’t the star just yet. He spent his first season being the 4th string receiver and getting little play time. I couldn’t find any stats for this season, but after talking to everyone Stanislaw was able to get 2 or 3 touchdowns and racked up about 200 yards, not bad if you ask me.
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So the scrawny nerd has turned into an athletic nerd, life must be better now? Well not according to Stanislaw, a few bullies stuck around and heckled him. Stanislaw took it much better now though, he ignored the bullies and kept to his work. He knew that if things were to get so bad he had a team behind him. Thankfully, I don’t have to tell you the bullies became a problem and Stanislaw faced some difficult times. The bullies faded away as Stanislaw got popular and everything was well. We move onto Stanislaus sophomore year. This year was where Stanislaw grew into a high school star. With his team's top two WRs gone, big shoes had to fill and big results had to keep coming. Stanislaw went into the first day of practice with the support of his team, everyone wanted to see him get that number 1 wide receiver spot. His coaches were ready to push him and work with him to be the best, but one player wasn’t all that impressed, Ramrio. Ramrio wasn’t ready to believe that a kid playing only his second year of football could be a star. According to some Ramrio even taunted Stanislaw to just go play DB because “that’s where all bad Wideouts go.”. So there were mixed feelings on Stanislaus quick rise, but soon all the doubt would be pushed away.
The first game began with a bang, Stanislaw and his senior quarterback had a great bond, finding 3 touchdowns and 140 yards. Blowing out their opponent 34-6, the team was looking good. This success was the theme of the season. According to Stanislaw, the team and school spirit was explosive. And just one game before the playoffs, one game before going undefeated, Ramrio approached Stanislaw and gave him credit for his play. So now everyone was onboard, everyone was behind their new offensive star and there was a hype train.They found themselves in the state playoffs, going in undefeated and as a number one seed. And the first round was exciting! If you were cheering for the other team. Blown out at home 7 to 31, everyone failed to produce. Stanislaw ended the game with only 2 catches for 40 yards. The team was crushed and the school let down. After the huge loss Ramrio approached Stanislaw, he came to him with a gift and a burden. “Well Maddox, that’s my last time out on the field in the good ol’ Burgundy and Gold. I’m glad you stuck it out. Sometimes I can be a bit hard on the new guys but, it’s a tough game you gotta make sure your guys have thick skin and prepare them for the worst. This is your team now Stanislaw and I think you have what it takes to bring home that gold. I’ll be watching.” That would be the last time Ramrio and Stanislaw had any important interaction, with Ramrio going off to play at Penn State.
So now, as the team captain, with a clear goal, a fire was sparked under Stanislaw. He was upset with his team for failing to produce but more upset with himself for letting down his quarterback in his final season and determined to deliver the new former defensive star Ramiro, a title. Stanislaw went back to his studies and worked his skills during the offseason. His father had this to say about that year: “Stan, was torn up about the loss. But so was everyone, they were crushing teams all season and then just choked in the playoffs. That didn’t stop my son though, after a week or two he was right back at it. Working out and doing drills in the backyard. Heck, at one point my wife and I were making dinner for like...half the football team once every two weeks. Those guys worked hard that year, they weren’t going to be stopped by anything.”
Junior year, back to football. The team gained some promising freshmen but also lost their starting quarterback and defensive star Ramrio. No one was too sure on how the season would go, but everyone was hungry to win. Remember all the hard work the players put in during the offseason? Ya, well...it paid off and with an untested QB, the team held strong. The wins were fought for but they were wins. Again, Stanislaw and his team made it to the state playoffs. With the loss in the previous year still fresh in everyone's mind, this game was everything. Now, I could tell you the story about this game but I don’t think it would mean much. So I went to the head coach, and I sat him down and I had him tell me the story.
HS Head Coach: The game started off just like any other one did. We were away, so we took the buses out to our opponents field. We got there early, shared the field with the other team to practice and warm up for a bit. Next thing you know, there’s a crowd in the stands and all the lights are on. It’s game time. We kicked off, and our defense was firing on all cylinders that year. Everyone was playing well, there was no weak link. So we started off the game, by giving up a 90-yard TD pass. Now, I’m over there on the sidelines screaming at those guys for blowing the coverage, but in the back of my mind, I keep this from getting out of hand, these guys have already choked once, I can’t let them do it again. So before we go out for the kick return, I pulled our QB to the side, he was a sophomore and this season was his first game time. So I told him, “Listen, you have to go out there and just play your game. Stick to play calls, change it up only if you’re 100% certain we need to.”. Now by the time I finished my talk with him, the ball had just been kicked off and that’s it. I see our kick returned sprinting down our side of the field, he’s running like there’s a hungry lion behind him. Touchdown on the kick return. Phew, dodged a bullet, told the quarterback to sit back down and the defense is right back on the field. The game is all tied up at 7-7 and we still have 13 minutes in the first quarter, this is going to be a battle. Our defense was able to reset and they played solid, only giving up two field goals before the half. Our offense one-upped the defense though and gave us 10 points before the half. So we have the lead, 17-10 and things are looking great. And they stayed great...we start the second half with a bomb of a pass to Stanislaw on 3rd down, and he jumps up and grabs the ball in the end zone, he stays in bounds for the 63-yard TD. Just like that, we’re up 23-10 and that’s basically it. We kept to our game, worked hard and we won! The game ended 29-20, we move on.
Stanislaw and his team overcome their fears of choking and prove that they have what it takes to be winners. This success would carry into the next round of the playoffs, blowing up their opponent 40-14. Stanislaw ended that game with 2TDs and 233 yards. This deepest run in the state playoffs for the school in a long time. But the run wouldn’t last long, ending in the next 3rd round by losing 14-13, a tough loss to swallow. But with their star WR Stanislaw Maddox and their young QB still playing next season, the bar was set high and Stanislaw didn’t want to leave his high school without a championship. So just like the last offseason, Stanislaw and his teammates put in overtime to be ready for the season. But...Stanislaw ran into a bump during that offseason. Just two days before Christmas, Stanislaw got worded that his grandmother passed away, at the age of 83. This loss was tough for him to swallow and is showed in his offseason workouts. Once the new football season rolled around, Stanislaw still wasn’t showing the same talent he was all last year. With his coaches and teammates worried, they went into their first game with a grim outlook.
After that first game, no one doubted Stanislaw again. Stanislaw had another game where all the lights were on him. 1 receiving TD, 150 receiving Yards, 1 rushing TD, and 56 rushing yards. This year was going to be the year, everyone was sure of it. It was Stanislaws last year on the team, and he shouldn’t be denied the chance to get the gold. But he was denied that chance, the team was riddled with injuries and the 2nd string players just weren’t enough to get the job done. The years of regular season dominance were over, ending with at an even .500 rating, the season was done. No playoffs. Stanislaw had let everyone down and there was nothing he could do to fix it. Stanislaw now faced an important choice, he was approached by many schools with athletic scholarship options. In the end Stanislaw chose to go to Cincinnati University, he had a clear goals in education and football.
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Stanislaw had graduated high school as the salutatorian and was ready to move onto college. Saying goodbye to friends and family, Stanislaw was going off to Cincinnati alone, no one would be joining him on this part of his life. He would be pursuing a bachelor in information technology, while also trying to be the next Cincinnati Bearcat star. He would have much less free time, and the workload was extravagant as he was still holding himself to his parents standard of nothing less than a B.
Stanislaw attended his very first practice with the Cincinnati Bearcats with high expectations. Outside of a few mistakes, the expectations were mate and Stanislaw as able to find himself a spot as the 2nd wide receiver for his freshmen season. This season saw Stanislaw simply drop off the map as a talented wide receiver, failing to put up any numbers worth noting even though the Bearcats went 9-4, but losing to Virginia Tech in the Military Bowl.
Many were certain that playing wide receiver at such a high level of football, just wasn’t where Stanislaw could fit, saying that he’s just a simple high school star and nothing more. While others were hopeful for him and believed that after some more play time and work, he could once more be a star on the football field. But Stanislaw ignored all the comments towards him and he kept working, but the efforts he put in at practice just weren’t giving the results he wanted. So in an attempt to help himself, and help his team. Stanislaw changed his position to CB. During pre-season practices in his sophomore year, Stanislaw was reported to be working just as hard if not harder than all of the teammates. He looked hungry to get back to the level of play he had in high school. Stanislaw had something to prove, failing to win a championship for Ramrio and his high school, failing to be the receiver he was expected to be, and failing himself. This sophomore year would be a year for redemption.
And it was the year Stanislaw redeemed himself. The Bearcats would go 7-6 in the season, but Stanislaw played well for the defense with 3INTs, 1TD, 7PDs, and 31 tackles. The Bearcats would find themselves in the Hawaii Bowl vs San Diego State, and they’d be blown out 42-7. The loss was hard, but Stanislaw had learned how to deal with a losing and he kept his head up, happy with the results he put up with his first year as a CB. He’d proceed to run himself through his own drills during the off-season and practice with fellow teammates whenever they found the time. Heading into his junior year, Stanislaw was developing into a talented CB and his coaches put him as their number 1 CB. When reports came out that Stanislaw was going to be the number 1 CB, the media swarmed trying to figure out why in the world a failed WR moved CB, with only year experience would be promoted. The coaches had assured the media that Stanislaw was their guy, and he would lead the backfield, but also the entire defense as a team captain.
The Bearcats would have an abysmal year as a team, going 4-8 with no bowl game. But Stanislaw had a career year and played lights out. With 10INTs, 2TDs, 18PDs, and 46 Tackles! He was developing into a star player and everyone knew it. So after starting fresh as a CB, and finding the ability to be a star once again. Stanislaw had a tough choice to make, will he stay and play his final year at the University of Cincinnati or would he listen to his colleagues and move onto and join the NSFL Draft? For as long as Stanislaw has been playing Football, he’s always had something to prove but never could reach the top. He had to prove that a scrawny nerd could turn into a star football player in high school, but he could never deliver a championship. He disappointed many in his first year of college football as a wide receiver prospect, which left him having to prove that he wasn’t just a high school star. We all know the choice Stanislaw made, but why did he make the choice, what was going through his head during all of this? This excerpt is from Stanislaw himself, telling us how he made his decision to join the NSFL Draft
Stanislaw: We just came off a disappointing season as a team. I worked so hard every game to try and get us a win, but it’s not a one-man show in a team game. I had a great year though, I was a shutdown corner and not many wide receivers could line up against me and even get a reception. But I play for my team, I win with my team, and I lose with my team. I was still angry that I failed to get a championship for my high school, was I ready to leave my college without a championship too? It wasn’t something I wanted to do at first. But after talking to my parents, my friends, and my teammates...I had to at least consider joining the NSFL Draft. So I scheduled a meeting with my coaches, and I wanted to know how they felt about me joining the draft, and how they would feel if I left. Turned out, all of them believed I could go big in NSFL, none of them doubted if for a second. There was no hesitation when asked, just a quick yes from each of them. So that was a big boost to my confidence but wasn’t sure if I should leave now. And well, they all said to do it. Winning a championship for the school wasn’t everything, and while I still may grow with another year of college football. Joining the NSFL would be a guaranteed chance for me to not only grow as a player but as an adult. So after talking to my coaches, I was ready, I announced that I would be eligible for the NSFL Draft, and I got to work.
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So there it is Stanislaw Maddox's story all the up until now. But what has Stanislaw been doing since he announced for the draft? Working of course! Stanislaw has been running drills with a private trainer back home in Wilkes-Barre and studying hard for school. Of course, now with taking up being an NSFL Player, Stanislaw has reduced his course load and is doing online courses. So while being committed to being an NSFL player, Stanislaw is not giving up on education and that’s something his parents are very proud of. Stanislaw did partake in the All-American Bowl, but with little play time, Stanislaw had no plays at all. So here we are, just a few days before the draft and I come out with Stanislaus story. Will this increase his draft stock, or will it hurt it? I’m not sure, but Stanislaw has approved me to release the story as is and I just hope this kid gets the shot he deserves, I want to see him be a star.
Keep an eye out for the next player story to be released and in a few season, maybe we will get a second part to this story. Who knows, but until next time. I’m Nick and this has been The Player’s Story: Stanislaw Maddox.
*Disclaimer: All Artwork used in this article does not belong to me, nor did I create it. If I used your art and you’d like me to take it down, please contact me and I will remove your art from my work.
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Hello, everyone, my name is Nick and today I bring you the story of a young man looking to begin his career in the NSFL. The first day Stanislaw announced he will be eligible for the NSFL Draft, I contacted him and asked if I could tell his story. He agreed and this has been an article long in the making. I’ve spent time interviewing Stanislaw himself, his family members, former coaches, former teaches, friends, and former teammates. All have them have their own stories about Stanislaw Maddox, and this is the Player’s Story.
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Stanislaw Maddox was born to Jason and Magda Maddox in Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania. He was dubbed as the “Wonder Boy” by his jokester of a father after being conceived through two contraceptives. Stanislaus early years were focused on education and fun. His days were filled with school, homework, church and baseball with the local children. It didn’t take very long for the local pick-up games of baseball to turn into Stanislaw signing up for the Little Leagues. According to my sources, Stanislaw was a very talented outfielder and was a premier base stealer. But Stanislaw's fun didn’t come until his work was finished, his parents held him to a tight leash with school, homework had to be finished before practice and if his grades slipped below B’s, his parents kept him from attending the games. Stanislaw told me it only took 1 missed game, a game which his team lost, for him to straighten out and never let his grades slip again. To get more insight about Stanislaus childhood I traveled out to Wilkes-Barre and sat down with Mrs.Maddox. Here’s the log I kept of my chat with Mrs.Maddox.
Nick: Good Morning Mrs. Maddox, thank you for taking the time to sit down with me. Your son is a high ranked prospect for the NSFL draft and his character just screamed: “There’s a good story here.”
Mrs.Maddox: Good Morning to you as well, Nick. I’m more than happy to welcome you into my home, talking about my Son is absolutely my favorite thing to do!
Nick: I’m sure it is ma’am, my mom would tell you the same thing. Now, Stanislaw has already given me key points of his childhood but how did it go for you, as his mother. What was he like?
Mrs.Maddox: Stanislaw was a good boy...As a baby, he was very quiet and really picked up his lessons fast, so I was confident he’d be something of a scholar. But when he was old enough to start socializing and playing outside, he just had so much energy! I could never stop him, and dragging him home for bed was always the hardest part!
Nick: Quite a handful he was then. So, tell me...Stanislaw said that you placed school as the number one priority for him and that fun was only to be had after that. How did he do in school?
Mrs.Maddox: Hahaha! My boy, always makes me be the villain when it comes to school, and...I guess from the view of a child I was. But as a young girl growing up in Soviet Poland, the education was much harder than what students in America got, but it wasn’t easily obtainable for everyone like it is here. So I wanted my son to realize how lucky he was to have a public school and he needed to be focused on taking advantage of that gift. And he really took to my rules, he is a very smart boy now and he has always been. There were very few times I had to yell at him over grades when they slipped. But I took away the things he loved the most and he understood that school shouldn’t be a joke.
Nick: Very understandable Mrs.Maddox, so baseball was his very first sport. Was this something you encouraged? How did he really grow into playing baseball?
Mrs.Maddox: Well...baseball was the sport of the choice for all of the neighborhood children and his father is a huge sports fan baseball, football, hockey, soccer, golf, tennis...my husband knows it all. So playing catch in the backyard was something he started with Stanislaw very early. But I remember one day Stanislaw comes home with a piece of paper, running through my house with his muddy shoes, screaming “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy.”. Now, I first yelled at him to take his shoes off and clean up the mud he tracked in, but then we sat down and went over this paper. It was to sign up for the Little League. His father explained to him what was required of him, but my boy was so adamant on signing up, so we did. In terms of support, his father would go to every practice with him and then they’d put in extra work at home. Then I signed up for the team moms, so I had to make snacks and bring drinks for certain games.
Nick: So you were very supportive, that’s great of you as a parent. Well, I think that covers everything, ma’am. Thank you very much for the invite to your home and sitting down with me.
So we’ve learned about Stanislaw during his childhood. School and baseball controlled his life. What did achieve as a young boy? Well nothing much outside of some good grades, Stanislaw tells me his team weren’t exactly the best and making it any further than the local playoffs was something they only achieved once...that ended with a loss in the first round of regionals. According to Stanislaw himself, his early life has nothing of note but tells a lot about his roots and ethics. So let's jump right into the next stage of his life: Highschool. This is where Stanislaw picked up football and was the kickstart to his current life.
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High School was a big step in Stanislaus life. Not only did his education get tougher, but he changed sports and had to convert from being a baseball outfielder to a football wide receiver. When I first started to get knowledge about his years in Highschool, Stanislaw had this to say, “High School was great for me. I met so many new people, and I found the sport that was right for me. I fell in love with football there and I it’s now my career! So I can thank my friends for making me sign up. It’s a time I will never forget and my team back then helped shape me into the player I am today.”. Stanislaw very clearly views Highschool as the biggest influence on his life, so I really dug up a lot of information for this section. After all my interviews and after all my research, I agree that this period had the biggest impact on him. Now let's get to the story.
Stanislaus freshmen year at the high school began similarly to many. He was a scrawny nerd going in at the bottom of the high school food chain. He was bullied in his first few weeks by the older kids and at one point got into a fight with a senior student, a fight that Stanislaw lost...decisively. This fight got him in trouble with the school and also his parents. But Stanislaw said the backlash wasn’t as big as he thought it’d be, his parents were understanding but were very clear that another fight would result in big trouble. When he returned the school the next day, Stanislaw was approached by a few friends who were begging him to join the football team with them. They were all tired of losing in baseball and everyone wanted to try something new. So Stanislaw agreed but was very uncertain about starting. During my sit down with his father, we talked about Stanislaus start in football, I quote Mr.Maddox: “Stanislaw came home and told me he signed up for football. Instantly I was excited, but my son didn’t share the same excitement. He didn’t know much about football and after being bullied his confidence wasn’t too high.”. So I was curious, a new NSFL prospect was a scrawny nerdy kid, who joined the football team and then stayed!? This was very interesting.
The very first football practice was something special according to Stanislaw. With only basic knowledge of how the game worked thanks to watching football with his dad, Stanislaw thought for sure he’d bomb out and just become a bench warmer. Now, I wouldn’t be here writing this and that’d be it, nothing Stanislaw's first practice, no college football, no NSFL prospect, nothing. So here’s how things went...Stanislaw blew his coaches away with his hands and speed. Instantly they made him a wide receiver and there was no looking back, he gained respect from his fellow freshmen and the established players, one of those established players Mark Ramrio. A fellow NSFL draft prospect. So now that he found his place on the football team, he had to keep it. Stanislaw put his head down and worked! His parents still held him to the standard of nothing lower than a B, and he was on a grind in football. According to Stanislaw, it was tough going from a scrawny kid to the physique required to be a starting wide receiver while keeping his grades up. Eventually, he found his stride and the really started to grow. During my information gathering, I spoke to his head coach and he was giving Stanislaw tons of praise from the get go, he truly believed Stanislaw would turn into a talented athlete. Here’s a quote from my chat with the coach: “Ya, Stanislaw had huge potential. Once we got him into a good place physically, his skills improved greatly. He’d drop the ball less, take hits better, juke defenders, all of it. He was ready to do it all, but he still had his own teammates to compete with for his spot on the depth chart.”. So there it is, Stanislaw may have had the talent but he wasn’t the star just yet. He spent his first season being the 4th string receiver and getting little play time. I couldn’t find any stats for this season, but after talking to everyone Stanislaw was able to get 2 or 3 touchdowns and racked up about 200 yards, not bad if you ask me.
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So the scrawny nerd has turned into an athletic nerd, life must be better now? Well not according to Stanislaw, a few bullies stuck around and heckled him. Stanislaw took it much better now though, he ignored the bullies and kept to his work. He knew that if things were to get so bad he had a team behind him. Thankfully, I don’t have to tell you the bullies became a problem and Stanislaw faced some difficult times. The bullies faded away as Stanislaw got popular and everything was well. We move onto Stanislaus sophomore year. This year was where Stanislaw grew into a high school star. With his team's top two WRs gone, big shoes had to fill and big results had to keep coming. Stanislaw went into the first day of practice with the support of his team, everyone wanted to see him get that number 1 wide receiver spot. His coaches were ready to push him and work with him to be the best, but one player wasn’t all that impressed, Ramrio. Ramrio wasn’t ready to believe that a kid playing only his second year of football could be a star. According to some Ramrio even taunted Stanislaw to just go play DB because “that’s where all bad Wideouts go.”. So there were mixed feelings on Stanislaus quick rise, but soon all the doubt would be pushed away.
The first game began with a bang, Stanislaw and his senior quarterback had a great bond, finding 3 touchdowns and 140 yards. Blowing out their opponent 34-6, the team was looking good. This success was the theme of the season. According to Stanislaw, the team and school spirit was explosive. And just one game before the playoffs, one game before going undefeated, Ramrio approached Stanislaw and gave him credit for his play. So now everyone was onboard, everyone was behind their new offensive star and there was a hype train.They found themselves in the state playoffs, going in undefeated and as a number one seed. And the first round was exciting! If you were cheering for the other team. Blown out at home 7 to 31, everyone failed to produce. Stanislaw ended the game with only 2 catches for 40 yards. The team was crushed and the school let down. After the huge loss Ramrio approached Stanislaw, he came to him with a gift and a burden. “Well Maddox, that’s my last time out on the field in the good ol’ Burgundy and Gold. I’m glad you stuck it out. Sometimes I can be a bit hard on the new guys but, it’s a tough game you gotta make sure your guys have thick skin and prepare them for the worst. This is your team now Stanislaw and I think you have what it takes to bring home that gold. I’ll be watching.” That would be the last time Ramrio and Stanislaw had any important interaction, with Ramrio going off to play at Penn State.
So now, as the team captain, with a clear goal, a fire was sparked under Stanislaw. He was upset with his team for failing to produce but more upset with himself for letting down his quarterback in his final season and determined to deliver the new former defensive star Ramiro, a title. Stanislaw went back to his studies and worked his skills during the offseason. His father had this to say about that year: “Stan, was torn up about the loss. But so was everyone, they were crushing teams all season and then just choked in the playoffs. That didn’t stop my son though, after a week or two he was right back at it. Working out and doing drills in the backyard. Heck, at one point my wife and I were making dinner for like...half the football team once every two weeks. Those guys worked hard that year, they weren’t going to be stopped by anything.”
Junior year, back to football. The team gained some promising freshmen but also lost their starting quarterback and defensive star Ramrio. No one was too sure on how the season would go, but everyone was hungry to win. Remember all the hard work the players put in during the offseason? Ya, well...it paid off and with an untested QB, the team held strong. The wins were fought for but they were wins. Again, Stanislaw and his team made it to the state playoffs. With the loss in the previous year still fresh in everyone's mind, this game was everything. Now, I could tell you the story about this game but I don’t think it would mean much. So I went to the head coach, and I sat him down and I had him tell me the story.
HS Head Coach: The game started off just like any other one did. We were away, so we took the buses out to our opponents field. We got there early, shared the field with the other team to practice and warm up for a bit. Next thing you know, there’s a crowd in the stands and all the lights are on. It’s game time. We kicked off, and our defense was firing on all cylinders that year. Everyone was playing well, there was no weak link. So we started off the game, by giving up a 90-yard TD pass. Now, I’m over there on the sidelines screaming at those guys for blowing the coverage, but in the back of my mind, I keep this from getting out of hand, these guys have already choked once, I can’t let them do it again. So before we go out for the kick return, I pulled our QB to the side, he was a sophomore and this season was his first game time. So I told him, “Listen, you have to go out there and just play your game. Stick to play calls, change it up only if you’re 100% certain we need to.”. Now by the time I finished my talk with him, the ball had just been kicked off and that’s it. I see our kick returned sprinting down our side of the field, he’s running like there’s a hungry lion behind him. Touchdown on the kick return. Phew, dodged a bullet, told the quarterback to sit back down and the defense is right back on the field. The game is all tied up at 7-7 and we still have 13 minutes in the first quarter, this is going to be a battle. Our defense was able to reset and they played solid, only giving up two field goals before the half. Our offense one-upped the defense though and gave us 10 points before the half. So we have the lead, 17-10 and things are looking great. And they stayed great...we start the second half with a bomb of a pass to Stanislaw on 3rd down, and he jumps up and grabs the ball in the end zone, he stays in bounds for the 63-yard TD. Just like that, we’re up 23-10 and that’s basically it. We kept to our game, worked hard and we won! The game ended 29-20, we move on.
Stanislaw and his team overcome their fears of choking and prove that they have what it takes to be winners. This success would carry into the next round of the playoffs, blowing up their opponent 40-14. Stanislaw ended that game with 2TDs and 233 yards. This deepest run in the state playoffs for the school in a long time. But the run wouldn’t last long, ending in the next 3rd round by losing 14-13, a tough loss to swallow. But with their star WR Stanislaw Maddox and their young QB still playing next season, the bar was set high and Stanislaw didn’t want to leave his high school without a championship. So just like the last offseason, Stanislaw and his teammates put in overtime to be ready for the season. But...Stanislaw ran into a bump during that offseason. Just two days before Christmas, Stanislaw got worded that his grandmother passed away, at the age of 83. This loss was tough for him to swallow and is showed in his offseason workouts. Once the new football season rolled around, Stanislaw still wasn’t showing the same talent he was all last year. With his coaches and teammates worried, they went into their first game with a grim outlook.
After that first game, no one doubted Stanislaw again. Stanislaw had another game where all the lights were on him. 1 receiving TD, 150 receiving Yards, 1 rushing TD, and 56 rushing yards. This year was going to be the year, everyone was sure of it. It was Stanislaws last year on the team, and he shouldn’t be denied the chance to get the gold. But he was denied that chance, the team was riddled with injuries and the 2nd string players just weren’t enough to get the job done. The years of regular season dominance were over, ending with at an even .500 rating, the season was done. No playoffs. Stanislaw had let everyone down and there was nothing he could do to fix it. Stanislaw now faced an important choice, he was approached by many schools with athletic scholarship options. In the end Stanislaw chose to go to Cincinnati University, he had a clear goals in education and football.
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Stanislaw had graduated high school as the salutatorian and was ready to move onto college. Saying goodbye to friends and family, Stanislaw was going off to Cincinnati alone, no one would be joining him on this part of his life. He would be pursuing a bachelor in information technology, while also trying to be the next Cincinnati Bearcat star. He would have much less free time, and the workload was extravagant as he was still holding himself to his parents standard of nothing less than a B.
Stanislaw attended his very first practice with the Cincinnati Bearcats with high expectations. Outside of a few mistakes, the expectations were mate and Stanislaw as able to find himself a spot as the 2nd wide receiver for his freshmen season. This season saw Stanislaw simply drop off the map as a talented wide receiver, failing to put up any numbers worth noting even though the Bearcats went 9-4, but losing to Virginia Tech in the Military Bowl.
Many were certain that playing wide receiver at such a high level of football, just wasn’t where Stanislaw could fit, saying that he’s just a simple high school star and nothing more. While others were hopeful for him and believed that after some more play time and work, he could once more be a star on the football field. But Stanislaw ignored all the comments towards him and he kept working, but the efforts he put in at practice just weren’t giving the results he wanted. So in an attempt to help himself, and help his team. Stanislaw changed his position to CB. During pre-season practices in his sophomore year, Stanislaw was reported to be working just as hard if not harder than all of the teammates. He looked hungry to get back to the level of play he had in high school. Stanislaw had something to prove, failing to win a championship for Ramrio and his high school, failing to be the receiver he was expected to be, and failing himself. This sophomore year would be a year for redemption.
And it was the year Stanislaw redeemed himself. The Bearcats would go 7-6 in the season, but Stanislaw played well for the defense with 3INTs, 1TD, 7PDs, and 31 tackles. The Bearcats would find themselves in the Hawaii Bowl vs San Diego State, and they’d be blown out 42-7. The loss was hard, but Stanislaw had learned how to deal with a losing and he kept his head up, happy with the results he put up with his first year as a CB. He’d proceed to run himself through his own drills during the off-season and practice with fellow teammates whenever they found the time. Heading into his junior year, Stanislaw was developing into a talented CB and his coaches put him as their number 1 CB. When reports came out that Stanislaw was going to be the number 1 CB, the media swarmed trying to figure out why in the world a failed WR moved CB, with only year experience would be promoted. The coaches had assured the media that Stanislaw was their guy, and he would lead the backfield, but also the entire defense as a team captain.
The Bearcats would have an abysmal year as a team, going 4-8 with no bowl game. But Stanislaw had a career year and played lights out. With 10INTs, 2TDs, 18PDs, and 46 Tackles! He was developing into a star player and everyone knew it. So after starting fresh as a CB, and finding the ability to be a star once again. Stanislaw had a tough choice to make, will he stay and play his final year at the University of Cincinnati or would he listen to his colleagues and move onto and join the NSFL Draft? For as long as Stanislaw has been playing Football, he’s always had something to prove but never could reach the top. He had to prove that a scrawny nerd could turn into a star football player in high school, but he could never deliver a championship. He disappointed many in his first year of college football as a wide receiver prospect, which left him having to prove that he wasn’t just a high school star. We all know the choice Stanislaw made, but why did he make the choice, what was going through his head during all of this? This excerpt is from Stanislaw himself, telling us how he made his decision to join the NSFL Draft
Stanislaw: We just came off a disappointing season as a team. I worked so hard every game to try and get us a win, but it’s not a one-man show in a team game. I had a great year though, I was a shutdown corner and not many wide receivers could line up against me and even get a reception. But I play for my team, I win with my team, and I lose with my team. I was still angry that I failed to get a championship for my high school, was I ready to leave my college without a championship too? It wasn’t something I wanted to do at first. But after talking to my parents, my friends, and my teammates...I had to at least consider joining the NSFL Draft. So I scheduled a meeting with my coaches, and I wanted to know how they felt about me joining the draft, and how they would feel if I left. Turned out, all of them believed I could go big in NSFL, none of them doubted if for a second. There was no hesitation when asked, just a quick yes from each of them. So that was a big boost to my confidence but wasn’t sure if I should leave now. And well, they all said to do it. Winning a championship for the school wasn’t everything, and while I still may grow with another year of college football. Joining the NSFL would be a guaranteed chance for me to not only grow as a player but as an adult. So after talking to my coaches, I was ready, I announced that I would be eligible for the NSFL Draft, and I got to work.
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So there it is Stanislaw Maddox's story all the up until now. But what has Stanislaw been doing since he announced for the draft? Working of course! Stanislaw has been running drills with a private trainer back home in Wilkes-Barre and studying hard for school. Of course, now with taking up being an NSFL Player, Stanislaw has reduced his course load and is doing online courses. So while being committed to being an NSFL player, Stanislaw is not giving up on education and that’s something his parents are very proud of. Stanislaw did partake in the All-American Bowl, but with little play time, Stanislaw had no plays at all. So here we are, just a few days before the draft and I come out with Stanislaus story. Will this increase his draft stock, or will it hurt it? I’m not sure, but Stanislaw has approved me to release the story as is and I just hope this kid gets the shot he deserves, I want to see him be a star.
Keep an eye out for the next player story to be released and in a few season, maybe we will get a second part to this story. Who knows, but until next time. I’m Nick and this has been The Player’s Story: Stanislaw Maddox.
*Disclaimer: All Artwork used in this article does not belong to me, nor did I create it. If I used your art and you’d like me to take it down, please contact me and I will remove your art from my work.