It is tough to recall what moment during Tre'Darius J'Vathon's transition into the DSFL would qualify as his "welcome to the league" type moment. It may be not so much a shock in competitiveness or talent level he is facing and more so being relegated to the third wide receiver in his first full season with the London Royals. Bottom line he got robbed and discriminated against for not being a talkative butterfly in the locker room when compared to his fellow first year receiver Thorbjornssen despite having the higher TPE and better skill set. That really put a sour taste into J'Vathon's mouth and he still hasn't really gotten over it. Now being in the second season with the London Royals, J'Vathon is back as a starter, but is still the clear second option behind Thorbjornssen in the pecking order in the passing game. There really is no reason for it as J'Vathon is the big physical freak and the deep threat on the team. It has been an abysmal time running in the Royals system as the clear top talent at wide out but getting so little volume in the scheme. So honestly the biggest "welcome to the league" moment for J'Vathon is the slap in the face in the pecking order of receiver targets over the last two seasons. J'Vathon is extremely ready to move on and be playing in Honolulu next season and finally getting out of London.
S25 Sarasota: 26 rec, 437 yds, 16.8 ypc, 4 TD
S26 Sarasota: 45 rec, 724 yds, 16.1 ypc, 7 TD
S27 Sarasota: 81 rec, 1,122 yds, 13.9 ypc, 8 TD **Ultimus Champs** S28 Sarasota: 84 rec, 1,182 yds, 14.1 ypc, 3 TD
S29 Sarasota: 105 rec, 1,470 yds, 14.0 ypc, 14 TD **PRO BOWL**
S30 Sarasota: 80 rec, 1,174 yds, 14.7 ypc, 9 TD **Ultimus Champs**
After tallying four interceptions in his lone season with the London Royals in the Developmental Simulation Football League, cornerback Eldrick Avery was in for a rude awakening when he entered the International Simulation Football League. Avery has put up some fairly impressive pass deflection totals since joining the Baltimore Hawks, however, he has struggled mightily making big plays. Avery managed to snag 2 interceptions in his rookie season with the Hawks, however since then, he has not managed to add a single inteception to his total, leaving his career mark stuck at a measles two career interceptions. Since his second interception in his rookie season, Avery has now went 31 consecutive games without a single interception, breaking the previous record for a defensive back, of 27 that was held by hall of gamer Dermot Lavelle. Over these 31 games, Eldrick Avery has totalled 42 pass deflections, more than any other player in the ISFL. So the fact that he has managed to get his hands on the football over 40 times, and hasn’t managed to catch a single one of them is nothing short of a miracle. Avery has maxed out his hands rating at 85, so it seems u likely that he will turn around this unfortunate streak any time soon. Until then we will continue to pray for him.
Brach Thomaslacher has had many moments in his career that he considered a "welcome to the league moment". In high school it was when a 340 lb Senior Offensive Linemen pancaked a young freshman Brach who was seeing the field for the first time. In College it was when the opposing running back was so fast that Brach could not even get his finger tips on him. But, when it comes to the ISFL and the DSFL no moment sticks out more than his prospect bowl game with the Chihauhau's. As a young prospect Brach Thought he was untouchable. He thought that he was the cream of the crop and that there was no other Linebacker like him in the whole league. Little did he know there was not only one, but two, three, and even four linebackers that Brach was clearly behind to start his career. Watching players like Juan Domine, Adam Schell, Alejandro Chainbreraker, and Joeseph Joestar was a huge eye opening moment for Brach. He saw how quick and athletic these guys were. How they were able to read offenses with ease and fill any hole that opened up. He knew right then and there that he was not doing enough and that he was going to need to take his game to the next level! He spent the offseason training, he spent his entire rookie season in the DSFL, working to get better and better. And finally all that work paid off and he was rewarded with being the 12th overall pick in the season 24 draft. Brach still has a long way to go, but he will get there!
Joel Drake's first "welcome to the league moment" came in week one of his rookie season vs the Myrtle Beach Buccaneers. Having just watched his offense secure a 7 point lead with just 11 minutes left on the clock in the 4th quarter, Drake and the defense walked out determined to hold that lead...and then promptly blew it in a 3 and a half minute TD drive ending in a 2 yard run. Disappointing but not game-ending, the defense and Drake went back to the sideline and entered into a struggling stalemate. Both teams failed to score anything for several drives and the game was assumed to be heading to overtime. But with just 30 seconds left on the clock rookie QB Sam Howitzer tossed an ill-timed interception to Cornerback Tyrone Woods on his own 15 yard line. With just enough time for one play the Buccaneers tossed a TD right over Drakes head and celebrated their victory with 0 seconds left on the clock. Bitter and disappointed Drake blamed the offense for a long time after that loss, but came to realize that he and his unit owed their own share of responsibility for the defeat, and Drake vowed to be the leader both on the defense and the team as a whole.
Doug Howlett has had an incredible career transitioning from his youth regaining surgery and adapting his skills from rugby into american football. His propulsion onto the scene had him as a very confident and arrogant young rookie who believed he demanded more touches. He went through his first season unscathed and with a Ultimini in hand. The following season was a complete turn around however, he had to work and earn his time on the field as the WR1 and became a huge challenge when he was finally matched up against opposing CB1's. Howletts immediate response was poor especially when he got knocked out and concussed on an awesome contested pass by Slothlisberger. Despite the injury he still came down with it and scored a touchdown, what a legend. He then considered his movements as sloppy and worked on his hands and feet a lot more intensely, focusing more on the finer things of his football skills. He had the rough and tumble down, as an ex rugby player he knew that all too well, he now needed the burst and agility needed to make defensive backs slip and trip. He rebounded phenomenally with a career high receiving yardage and td. Howlett is entering his final season in the DSFL as one of the greatest to hit the field for TIJ as a WR and hopes to have a ultimini run to cap it off.
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09-06-2020, 09:26 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-06-2020, 09:26 PM by JBLAZE_THE_BOSS.)
Some kids were born with riches and fame. I was one of those kids. My father, the undisputed Greatest player in ISFL history, paved the way for me to live lavishly and put me on the fast track to success. You see, my father was a standout football player who went from 4th QB on the depth chart to multiple-time champion GOAT—and he didn’t even choke away any 21-3 Ultimus leads while doing so. I remember showing up to practice and grown ass men from the Orange County Otters would go fetch me water and pick up my trash. That was a great “Welcome to the League” moment because it taught me that my last name carries a lot of weight in this league and whether they like it or not, I am an impact player. I took this moment as a child and used it as motivation to become where I am today. Well, that, and seeing that my father has almost every important career statistic you’d want out of a QB—both really good motivators. Nowadays, I’m a rising superstar and the Orange County Otters are fading away into obscurity, struggling to stay relevant without my dad and his friends to keep them on the public radar. All I know is that it was all uphill from me after being such a successful child, into a successful young adult, and now I’m the starting QB on the best team in the DSFL, and my ISFL team is running through the competition as well. Must be in the name. [261 words]
WR- JAMAL SLICK JR.
"THE NEW ERA"
MR 8X ULTIMUS CHAMPION
QB Mike Boss - HOF TE Johnny Blaze - HOF QB Mike Boss Jr WR Johnny Blaze Jr
For Richard Gilbert, the change in competition from the DSFL level to the ISFL level was like an immediate slap in the face. Even just beginning in the DSFL, Gilbert came in playing in a backup role to Ed Barker, earning about a 60-40 split on the carries. He was able to make the most of his role on this team, while he wasn’t close to the league lead in yards he had a respectable YPC and actually had the second highest rushing touchdowns out of the entire league, so he was still useful. He really took off in his send down season, being one of the top running backs, one of the most efficient, and leading in combined rushing and receiving touchdowns. He even got a nod with a running back of the year nomination. The first year of being called up to the Colorado Yeti was a stark difference though. While he took on a larger role in the passing game than he had in the past, he was pretty much completely stymied on the ground. His rookie season saw him as one of the bottom RBs in terms of yardage, and he struggled to keep his YPC above 3. While his rookie year was definitely a challenge, he seems to be more in the swing of things his sophomore year, and will hopefully continue to trend upward.
There’s no doubt about it, Djibutee McJimmerson was a stud in college. He absolutely wrecked in big games and could put the team on his back. Unfortunately, his rookie season in the ISFL has been a bit of a gut check. He’s still producing, but everyone else is just as good as him so he’s working to improve and rise above this next level of competition. He’s no longer the fastest or strongest player on the gridiron, but reports have seen him in the gym every week to get his stamina and strength up so he can go the whole game as a 3 down player.
One of the biggest shifts for McJimmerson was that he was no longer the focal point of the offense, but instead a role player. The targets have gone down a fair bit and he’s been asked to block much more. He was on record as saying “I love laying out those silly linebackers”, so I think it’s fair to say he’s embraced his new role. He was leading the league in TE pancakes for the first half of the season and is currently in second place. While the targets have lowered, he is still a redzone threat as seen by his high ratio of TD’s to catches. Overall the season has not gone poorly for McJimmerson, but has been one of realization and metamorphosis for the new mascot of Captain George’s Seafood Buffet. |
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