*Ironside: A Story of Struggles and Triumphs

IsaStarcrossed · 03-02-2020, 09:03 AM

Focus and determination. That was the name of the game for Bjørn Ironside as he entered the 20th season of the NSFL. He had come into the league hot and had managed to get himself drafted first overall in both the DSFL and the NSFL. He had always been devoted to hard work, he had always pushed himself to strive to be the best, and his career in football would be no different. His work ethic paid off and so did his intelligence as teams very quickly picked up on that. Most thought he would slow down and get complacent after being picked first overall by the Norfolk Seawolves back in S17. Instead it seemed to only renew his determination to be the best, to push himself beyond his limits. As teams saw he had no intentions of slowing down, it quickly became obvious who would be the first overall pick in S18. For a bit there, it seemed like there was a bit of a sweepstakes for Ironside’s services as four teams really seemed poised to pick him up. The hashtag TankForBjørn became popular and it seemed the league had no doubts at all exactly where the man would go in the draft. The only question was where? Heading into the final week of the S17 season, there were four teams who were in reach of the first overall pick and it led to an exciting week of football. There were upsets and insanity abound as teams who had no business winning beat teams that were significantly better than them. The race seemed to become tighter as the week drug on and it ultimately came down to a single game, a game in which the New Orleans Second Line lost. A game where they won their prize.

Unfortunately for Ironside, his career didn’t start off with a bang. While no one would ever question his work ethic and his push to constantly improve himself, it simply didn’t convert well on the field. Norfolk was pretty certain they were getting a stud when they drafted him, but he spent most of the S17 season struggling to make any ground. Through 10 weeks, Ironside had managed only two sacks and a single tackle for a loss. It wasn’t the production anyone really expected from a premier player. In the final three weeks though, Ironside exploded and ended the season with three tackles for a loss and five sacks. He more than doubled his production on the season and looked ready to make the leap. Mix that with the lucrative deals and work in analysis that Ironside had been doing on the side, teams were looking at the richest player in NSFL history as well as a guy who looked ready to hit his stride. It was a no brainer and New Orleans was more than happy to go after him when it became clear that they had the opportunity to snap him up.

New Orleans did not initially get the player they expected. In S18, Ironside floundered terribly. It was clear that he wasn’t prepared for the level of play in the NSFL and offensive linemen completely bullied him through the season. 28 tackles and five sacks certainly was not the impact New Orleans could have hoped for with their first overall pick invested. Ironside struggled and didn’t seem like he was even a top 25 defensive lineman, much less the monster everyone thought the Second Line was snapping up. He faltered and with him so did the team. He seemed to score more penalties than impact plays and it wasn’t long before Ironside’s legend became that of a dirty player. Unnecessary roughness and unsportsmanlike conduct calls abound. It seemed Ironside was as frustrated with himself on the field as everyone else was and it didn’t really seem like he was going to turn it around. It seemed to be a problem as two seasons into his career and Ironside had yet to play on a winning squad. He was letting down his team and it was showing.

Then S19 rolled around and things finally started ticking up for Ironside. He spent the offseason in the mountains training and preparing. He wanted to see if he could push himself to the absolute limits. If he could push himself beyond the struggles he’d been faced with to start off his career. He’d invited a few of his teammates to join him. He figured if they could make the climb, they deserved to train beside him. The results of that mountain training became obvious on the field as the New Orleans Second Line showed some fight and they found themselves in the playoffs. Ironside himself didn’t exactly have a breakout season, but he did show some improvement as he racked up 37 tackles and seven sacks. In marked the best season of his career and while the Second Line didn’t get their fairy tale ending, Ironside finally showed that he was capable of breaking free of the shell that had kept him simply mediocre for so long. He looked inwards and knew what he needed to do. He’d been a team player for so long, he’d always worked to make sure he did everything that was required of him to make the team better. For once, he needed to focus on himself.

Ironside withdrew himself from the world. He avoided media, he avoided media, he avoided socializing. He focused on himself and only himself as he trained built himself up to prepare for S20. He kept his head down and went to work and finally after three seasons of not meeting expectations, Ironside broke out. He had a massive season in which he spent much of the season tied for the sack lead and ultimately ended in second. 59 tackles and 12 sacks marked a massive season for Ironside. His hard work and determination had finally paid off. He had finally proved that he was worth the first round pick that had been invested in him. He finally proved he could take that extra step. Now he’s headed into S21 with renewed faith in both himself and the Second Line. It remains to be seen if his success will continue, but he proved something to himself. He proved something to the league. Now perhaps he can allow himself to once more return to the limelight.