[div align=\\\"center\\\"]THE MONSTER AND THE MOUNTAIN: HOW THE MONTAIN BROTHERS WILL SHAKE UP THE NSFL
By Michael Ross[/div]
LONG BEACH, CA - Michael Ross, from the Long Beach Press-Tribune sat down with one of the DSFL's most recent prospects from the Long Beach area, Asher Montain, a defensive end from the University of Alabama Crimson Tide. Montain just finished his senior year Alabama graduating with a B.S. in Business Administration having formally decided to pursue a career in professional football. When asked if it was ever a debate, Asher answered without hesitation, "Absolutely not. Are you joking? It wasn't a question. There is no way that I could live with myself without at least giving this my best shot. Even if my career gets cut short due to injury, I can at least be satisfied that I did it. I can be proud of that."
Asher Montain finished his time with the Crimson Tide proud of his accomplishments, especially since he knew a professional career was in reach. However, this wasn't the first time the Montain family had been through the gauntlet of professional football attempts -- or success! Asher's older brother, Tyler, became a player in the Developmental Simulation Football League last season and all signs are pointing to Asher going in the same direction.
"We were thrilled for Tyler, y'know? I've been looking up to him and playing alongside him my entire life. The fact that we have been able to push each other to a level that it possible for us both to play at such a high level is... [silence] it made all the blood, sweat, and tears worth it," Asher admitted. And, when Asher talks about "playing alongside each other," that is true in more ways than one. Being only one year apart, they grew up together, learned the game together, practiced together, and worked out together. They both had the same drive and ambition that their parents, Elliot and Margot, instilled in them in order to be successful in life. Additionally, Asher and Tyler both played defensive line positions at Los Alamitos High School and formed the core of their defensive front. With Tyler playing Defensive Tackle and Asher playing Defensive End, they quite literally played next to each other during every snap, terrorizing opposing backfields and showing a glimpse of what the future had in store. "Strong side. Weak side. It didn't matter, " Asher admitted between stifled laughs, "they couldn't protect anyone in their backfield from us."
When asked whether he would prefer to work with or against Tyler in the League, Asher delivered an answer that clearly indicated that the two siblings had clearly already discussed the topic at length, "Listen, as far as I'm concerned, Tyler and I will always battle for every tackle, sack, fumble or otherwise. It doesn't matter if we are teammates or not. If you don't think we'll be comparing stats every offseason, you haven't spent enough time with our family! So, even though we'd never directly face off, I'd still be battling him in my own mind." But because this family legacy is formed around complementary positions, there is always a lingering chance that they could play together in the future. It is highly unlikely that they would find themselves in the DSFL together. The senior Montain's current team, the Dallas Birddogs, is ranked 2nd in the SFC South, and may not want to invest in new talent during a potential playoff run. Adding a new player could either serve as a catalyst to bolster their defense and push them over the proverbial hump, or it has the potential to interrupt the unit cohesion that has obviously yielded them the success they have had thus far. However, analysts hope to see long careers for both players which would provide a better opportunity to reunite the Montain brothers in the NSFL in future seasons.
Family legacies in football is not a new phenomenon. The NFL Manning quarterback legacy very well may go down in history as one of the most successful football bloodlines in of all time. The DSFL and NSFL have seen children of Hall of Famers come through their ranks. However, playing together on the same roster is a rarer happening in any league. For example, the Gronkowski brothers, Rob and Dan, were teammates together for a short period of time, but they were also both tight ends, so they couldn't truly serve in a starting lineup together. The Pouncey brothers narrowly missed a chance to be reunited on the Dolphins, but were unsuccessful. While other professional leagues have, in fact, seen this (technically) happen before, (such as in the NFL Shawn and Stacy Andrews being teammates on the Philadelphia Eagles during the late 2000's as offensive guard and offensive tackle, even though they never actually played together due to Shawn's season-ending injury) the Montain brothers could break new ground in the Developmental Simulation Football League, the National Simulation Football League, and all professional football alike!
"To answer your question, I'd love to play with Tyler again. Clearly, we have chemistry, and we also went off to different schools and learned new things. So, it would be fun to see how much damage the Mountain and the Monster can do now," Asher said with a grin. Tyler earned the handle "The Mountain" in college at LSU, while Asher was anointed Asher "The Monster" Montain at the rival University of Alabama by several opposing offenses due to his ability to create chaos in the backfield and make pockets collapse before they could even be formed. Although the brothers were rivals on the gridiron, they appreciated the chances they got to see each other through the sport they bonded over their entire lives. Being able to see each other while going to different schools in different states was a fortunate situation for the siblings, but a stressful situation for their parents. Asher recalled, "They would turn into politicians whenever we talked about rivalry week. I never got a straight answer out of them."
As much as Tyler may regret not declaring for the DSFL draft after his Junior year, Asher followed in his older brother's footsteps by doing the same. Asher reflected, "Yeah, I thought about it, but I know that football is temporary. I will have to walk away eventually, so I need to make sure I have the foundation to have success post-football." Although one can commend the youth's forward-thinking, the Montain Family football career is only just beginning. Front offices, players, and fans alike should prepare for this dynamic duo to wreck havoc whether lining up side-by-side or individually. Asher finished by saying, "I know I have a lot to learn. I'm about to be a small fish in a big pond, so I just can't wait to get some reps, get in a room with some true veterans and learn from them and grow into the Monster that I know I can be. That is what being a rookie is all about."
The brothers claim to have not kept score as to who held the winning record between their face-offs in college, and we will let them avoid that topic on the record. We, however, did keep track. During the time when both Asher and Tyler were active players, LSU swept Alabama during every meeting with Asher's only victory coming the year after Tyler left for the DSFL (the significance of which is an ongoing debate between the family as far as we have been told). But Tyler isn't the only one with bragging rights. Even though Tyler finished his college career with 42 tackles for a loss in addition to sweeping the series, the Tides player won the stat race, and he reminds Tyler of it regularly.
While the Montain story has barely started to be written and so far from finished, one thing is certain: the "Monster" and the "Mountain" have been pushing each other to reach their potential for over twenty years, and no matter where they end up, these two unstoppable forces will continue to push each other every week. Regardless as to who the better player may be, their intelligence, commitment to hard work, and competitive spirit equally make them positive influences in any team's locker room. And that statistic is beyond debate.
(At the time of publishing, Tyler Montain was unable to be reached for comment. ~ Michael Ross)
By Michael Ross[/div]
LONG BEACH, CA - Michael Ross, from the Long Beach Press-Tribune sat down with one of the DSFL's most recent prospects from the Long Beach area, Asher Montain, a defensive end from the University of Alabama Crimson Tide. Montain just finished his senior year Alabama graduating with a B.S. in Business Administration having formally decided to pursue a career in professional football. When asked if it was ever a debate, Asher answered without hesitation, "Absolutely not. Are you joking? It wasn't a question. There is no way that I could live with myself without at least giving this my best shot. Even if my career gets cut short due to injury, I can at least be satisfied that I did it. I can be proud of that."
Asher Montain finished his time with the Crimson Tide proud of his accomplishments, especially since he knew a professional career was in reach. However, this wasn't the first time the Montain family had been through the gauntlet of professional football attempts -- or success! Asher's older brother, Tyler, became a player in the Developmental Simulation Football League last season and all signs are pointing to Asher going in the same direction.
"We were thrilled for Tyler, y'know? I've been looking up to him and playing alongside him my entire life. The fact that we have been able to push each other to a level that it possible for us both to play at such a high level is... [silence] it made all the blood, sweat, and tears worth it," Asher admitted. And, when Asher talks about "playing alongside each other," that is true in more ways than one. Being only one year apart, they grew up together, learned the game together, practiced together, and worked out together. They both had the same drive and ambition that their parents, Elliot and Margot, instilled in them in order to be successful in life. Additionally, Asher and Tyler both played defensive line positions at Los Alamitos High School and formed the core of their defensive front. With Tyler playing Defensive Tackle and Asher playing Defensive End, they quite literally played next to each other during every snap, terrorizing opposing backfields and showing a glimpse of what the future had in store. "Strong side. Weak side. It didn't matter, " Asher admitted between stifled laughs, "they couldn't protect anyone in their backfield from us."
When asked whether he would prefer to work with or against Tyler in the League, Asher delivered an answer that clearly indicated that the two siblings had clearly already discussed the topic at length, "Listen, as far as I'm concerned, Tyler and I will always battle for every tackle, sack, fumble or otherwise. It doesn't matter if we are teammates or not. If you don't think we'll be comparing stats every offseason, you haven't spent enough time with our family! So, even though we'd never directly face off, I'd still be battling him in my own mind." But because this family legacy is formed around complementary positions, there is always a lingering chance that they could play together in the future. It is highly unlikely that they would find themselves in the DSFL together. The senior Montain's current team, the Dallas Birddogs, is ranked 2nd in the SFC South, and may not want to invest in new talent during a potential playoff run. Adding a new player could either serve as a catalyst to bolster their defense and push them over the proverbial hump, or it has the potential to interrupt the unit cohesion that has obviously yielded them the success they have had thus far. However, analysts hope to see long careers for both players which would provide a better opportunity to reunite the Montain brothers in the NSFL in future seasons.
Family legacies in football is not a new phenomenon. The NFL Manning quarterback legacy very well may go down in history as one of the most successful football bloodlines in of all time. The DSFL and NSFL have seen children of Hall of Famers come through their ranks. However, playing together on the same roster is a rarer happening in any league. For example, the Gronkowski brothers, Rob and Dan, were teammates together for a short period of time, but they were also both tight ends, so they couldn't truly serve in a starting lineup together. The Pouncey brothers narrowly missed a chance to be reunited on the Dolphins, but were unsuccessful. While other professional leagues have, in fact, seen this (technically) happen before, (such as in the NFL Shawn and Stacy Andrews being teammates on the Philadelphia Eagles during the late 2000's as offensive guard and offensive tackle, even though they never actually played together due to Shawn's season-ending injury) the Montain brothers could break new ground in the Developmental Simulation Football League, the National Simulation Football League, and all professional football alike!
"To answer your question, I'd love to play with Tyler again. Clearly, we have chemistry, and we also went off to different schools and learned new things. So, it would be fun to see how much damage the Mountain and the Monster can do now," Asher said with a grin. Tyler earned the handle "The Mountain" in college at LSU, while Asher was anointed Asher "The Monster" Montain at the rival University of Alabama by several opposing offenses due to his ability to create chaos in the backfield and make pockets collapse before they could even be formed. Although the brothers were rivals on the gridiron, they appreciated the chances they got to see each other through the sport they bonded over their entire lives. Being able to see each other while going to different schools in different states was a fortunate situation for the siblings, but a stressful situation for their parents. Asher recalled, "They would turn into politicians whenever we talked about rivalry week. I never got a straight answer out of them."
As much as Tyler may regret not declaring for the DSFL draft after his Junior year, Asher followed in his older brother's footsteps by doing the same. Asher reflected, "Yeah, I thought about it, but I know that football is temporary. I will have to walk away eventually, so I need to make sure I have the foundation to have success post-football." Although one can commend the youth's forward-thinking, the Montain Family football career is only just beginning. Front offices, players, and fans alike should prepare for this dynamic duo to wreck havoc whether lining up side-by-side or individually. Asher finished by saying, "I know I have a lot to learn. I'm about to be a small fish in a big pond, so I just can't wait to get some reps, get in a room with some true veterans and learn from them and grow into the Monster that I know I can be. That is what being a rookie is all about."
The brothers claim to have not kept score as to who held the winning record between their face-offs in college, and we will let them avoid that topic on the record. We, however, did keep track. During the time when both Asher and Tyler were active players, LSU swept Alabama during every meeting with Asher's only victory coming the year after Tyler left for the DSFL (the significance of which is an ongoing debate between the family as far as we have been told). But Tyler isn't the only one with bragging rights. Even though Tyler finished his college career with 42 tackles for a loss in addition to sweeping the series, the Tides player won the stat race, and he reminds Tyler of it regularly.
While the Montain story has barely started to be written and so far from finished, one thing is certain: the "Monster" and the "Mountain" have been pushing each other to reach their potential for over twenty years, and no matter where they end up, these two unstoppable forces will continue to push each other every week. Regardless as to who the better player may be, their intelligence, commitment to hard work, and competitive spirit equally make them positive influences in any team's locker room. And that statistic is beyond debate.
(At the time of publishing, Tyler Montain was unable to be reached for comment. ~ Michael Ross)
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