Kevin Cushing walks up to the podium wearing a Wraiths jersey with the number 56 on it. He clears his throat. "All right, everyone, the draft is now far enough in the past that I am ready to talk about any and all of it, and anything else you might want to know. I'm not expecting anyone to be gentle."
Where you happy or disappointed with your draft position?
"I am ecstatic about where I ended up, but was extremely disappointed with my draft position. Both Baltimore and Philly told me they wanted me on their defense, to help change the culture, and despite the fact that both were shitty teams, I was all about that challenge. They decided to go with players that we all knew were less talented, and that weren't bigger needs either. When they find themselves behind us in the standings at the end of the season, and look around at their locker rooms full of players who just aren't trying hard enough, they'll know it's because of the mistakes they made in passing me up. And when their players are listening to their coaches before playing us, and he's telling them how to stop me, they won't listen, because those players will know that coach was afraid of even facing me in the locker room, and his coward ass can't begin to imagine how to face me on the field."
What have you learned so far during your time in Yellowknife?
"That people who stop moving freeze to death."
Who is your favorite Power Ranger?
"Probably blue. He may be involved in physical confrontations, but you still have to use your mind. I respect that shit."
You missed most of the Preseason rookie invitational games - what do you think the coaches overlooked about you?
"I think it just took them too long to figure out how to use me. The coaches for those games just get handed this huge stack of player folders, and so they play the folks whose skill sets they are just most familiar with. Look at Darlane Farlane @Gwdaja. He's an amazingly fast back, one of very few in the league, but he didn't get the same opportunities that Ardie Savea (@`ardiesavea`)had. Hell, Ardie had to lose two fumbles in one game for him to get some more carries."
Tell us about the journey from playing for your hometown Cougars to playing as far away as you could have. How are you acclimating to Yellowknife?
Cushing shakes his head as he answers. "That shit is not easy. The cold is one thing, but it's a lot dryer up here than it is in Houston. I went out drinking with some of the other players...I won't embarrass them by saying who, and I got hungover before I could even get drunk."
It's a big class of Houstonians in Yellowknife this year - you, Rafael Reyes, and Luke Chunk all grew up there. Have you been helping each other get used to Canada? Has Josh Garden, originally from Houston himself, reached out to help?
"He definitely has. We've all been bulking up a bit to help with the cold weather, and that idea came from Josh himself. You ever look at any of the pictures of him before he got to Yellowknife? That was a scrawny man. He's put on some serious muscle since then, though. And this year, a lot of us rookies are doing the same. I'll say this, too. Being in with some other Texans has helped me out a lot. These guys aren't as sensitive as some of the other rookies have shown themselves to be. Reyes hasn't gotten noticed much, but you'll be seeing him on the field a lot, and that man is cold-blooded."
The Yellowknife defense lost it's most obvious leader when Tyler Varga was shipped out to Vegas as part of the expansion - has anyone stepped up to fill his shoes?
"If I had to pick one person that can tell the defense whatever he wants, it's probably Josh. You may think you know too much to listen to him, but then he makes you cover him, and you realize he knows a lot more than you thought. And yeah, he's already caught more than a couple of touchdowns on me." He shrugs at the admission and chuckles. "I'd say I'm becoming the leader of the linebacker corps though."
What are your thoughts on reports that you may be unsettled in Yellowknife?
He laughs loudly. "I'm not half as unsettled as the QBs who face me are gonna be. Report that."
It's well known that your public spat with rookie running back Ardie Savea has soured grapes between you two, will we ever see a conclusion to the saga?
"The league doesn't like it when people tell the truth, but look at the situation. Ardie fell apart in the prospect championships, then spoke lies about me, and his draft stock didn't change a bit. I come out here and tear this league up despite them having a head start, and I'm the one that falls in the draft. Let's look at reality, though. I got drafted at 13, meet my new team, and the Wraiths, a championship contender, want me for the max of three years. Ardie gets drafted at 14 to another solid team, meets them, and less than 24 hours later they're dumping him off to Vegas because of a "little misunderstanding." I'll tell you what that misunderstanding was. They thought he was an athlete. There won't be a resolution, and five years from now when Ardie's a backup on some weak-ass team and I'm sporting a ring or two, maybe he'll get paid to do an interview about the only time in his career people talked about the two of us in the same sentence."
How do you fancy Yellowknife's chances in this years season? Winners? Missed playoffs? Winless perhaps?
"WINLESS? How the hell can we go winless when we play Philadelphia's weak ass team at least twice a season? There's no way we finish under .500. We've got the best offense in the league, and once this defense gets on the same page with each other, we will be dominant. The NSFC is OUR conference."
What is your opinion on your fall in the S2 draft, could it have been due to your attitude problems?
"I think that's fair. I have this thing about working hard and holding myself and others accountable. Some teams don't like that. Truth is, neither of those teams care about winning. Philadelphia is going to finish in the bottom 3 despite trading away their first rounder next year for an extra player, and Baltimore is so bad that their own GM abandoned them in disgust."
What milestones both for you and the team would need to be reached for you to consider it a successful season?
He pauses for a moment, still glaring at the last reporter before acknowledging the new question and considering it. "For the team, because THAT comes first, we can't go under 9 wins. I don't want to set the bar too high, because with so many of us new to this league and this defense, it may take a while to get things going, but this is a damn good team, and we are going to the playoffs. As for me..." he bobbles his head a bit as he thinks, "I want to hit about 90 tackles, lead all the linebackers in passes defensed, and hopefully interceptions as well. Also, I want our defense in the top half of the league against the pass."
What does your team have to do differently this year if they want to get past the yeti?
He nods thoughtfully before answering the question. "Well, step one of that is right in front of you. Logan @Noble, who is an excellent quarterback and a very good person for rookies to learn from, had a very impressive Season One, especially against the Wraiths. In the four games of the season, he threw for 702 yards, 5 touchdowns, and only one interception. We went one and three against them, but still outscored them by 5 points. I think that showed that we were clearly in position to beat this team, but needed a good passing defense. By bringing back @`Dermot` and adding me, we became a lot harder to pas against."
Is there any players in the nsfl you look up to?
"Yeah, actually. Harrif Ernston (@Valtookan) has an outstanding work ethic, is free to help out others, yet never stops reminding himself and others that he is out to win. You can see why the Outlaws defense was so impressive. Josh Garden (@Ballerstorm) has been a great teacher in practice, and is a lot more of a team player than I expected. Lastly, and this one kinda surprises me, Josh Bercovici (@Merica). He read the situation in Orange County, signed a short deal, made sure his name got out there, and ended up becoming one of the highest paid players in the league. He knows how to embrace that off-field stress without letting it get to him, and is fearless about it. Hell, if you look at his tape, even his interceptions were thrown to covered receivers that he just trusted to make the plays. Sometimes they did, sometimes not."
Where did you want to go before the draft? Were there any other players you wanted to play with? What are you most excited about in the new season?
"That first one might take a while, but there were a lot of teams I would have been excited to play for. Arizona and Orange County had strong defenses and stronger cultures. I felt I would have fit right in there. Separately, after the incident with Savea, multiple people from Orange County reached out to me just to lend support, to let me know that their opinion hadn't changed. That meant a lot to me, and still does. Baltimore and Philadelphia both represented major challenges, but also some concerns. In Baltimore's case, their defense had potential. It could have been so much better, but it will improve greatly from last year. Kurt @HENDRIX has done an amazing job of rebuilding the Hawks. I don't think they are playoff contenders this year-it's between us and the Yeti-but good steps were taken. I think once they divorce themselves from the 'GM' that abandoned them, they'll be a lot stronger. I'd told him I was concerned about the loyalty he was showing to a man who showed no loyalty to them."
He pauses and takes a drink of water. "So fucking dry here." After a strained chuckle and another pause, he continues. "I gotta say more about that. Hendrix reached out early in the process to say he was interested and saw me as the beginning to turn this team around. He said he thought I was a great player. I gave him my views on the existing players and scheme, draft targets, everything to show I was committed and ready to help turn things around. I showed him nothing but respect and forthrightness all the way through. When the 8th pick was traded to Philly, I sent him a text to tell him it was a good trade, and I fully appreciated why he did it. After all that, I feel he played me. He gave no indication he was going to pass on me, said nothing to me even after it was over. I understand his apparent reasons, and being a GM does mean having to hide certain opinions, but he could have shown more character. At the end of the day, though, I can't be that mad at him. He made good deals and mainly good draft picks. He had a plan and he made it happen. He's got a team to rebuild, and his focus is on helping them win. I can't hate someone like that.
PHILLY, on the other hand, is chickenshit and incompetent. They traded away their first round pick next year AND a sixth for the #9. I told them it was a horrible trade and then they went and accepted it anyways. Then they traded up to #8 after realizing 9 wasn't high enough. They announced as a general manager someone who wasn't even on the fucking team, then reached in the draft to get him. They put together one of the three weakest rosters in the league and had the nerve to tell @MattJames they were trying to win this season. I was doing them a fucking kindness by being willing to play there."
Another drink of water. He signals to someone away from the platform and holds up the now empty glass. "So yeah, teams. The Wraiths...they know how I feel. Once the contract is announced, which should be soon, it'll be clear how I feel. As for other people I wanted to play with, most of 'em got away. Kristoffer O'Sullivan (@Kristy95), Tyler Oles (@`To12143`), Ottokar Von Gerhart (@fish) and Marcus Kane (@Dangles13). All would have been part of a great young defense. They are great players, and people I can respect. I don't know if that's mutual, but oh well. On offense, I really wanted to see Kyle Cobb (@Kcobb9). I feel I am the only linebacker in this league who can cover a receiving back, and I wanted to see Cobb embarrass the rest of them. As for what I am most excited about, playing against Philly."
Do you have a specific pre-game ritual?
"Not really. Being in such a different environment, I'm still figuring out what works."
Situation: Wraiths are up by three in the fourth quarter and the opposing team needs a first on fourth down. You make the drive ending tackle in the backfield and win the game.
How will you celebrate?
He pauses while a pitcher of water is brought out and fills up his glass. "Depends on who I am playing against...and maybe a little bit who I tackle. Teams like Orange County, I might just smile over at the sidelines, because I know they'll already be thinking I could have been one of them. Arizona, maybe a look over to Ernston who joked I'd be a liability as a tackler. Baltimore and Philly, maybe something a bit less lighthearted. The rest, nothing special."
Do you believe in miracles?
"The day I say thanks for Ardie Savea is a long ways off, but I have been really lucky. I don't know."
Anything to say to the teams that passed you?
"Anything else to say?" He chuckles and nods before taking another sip. "Yeah, actually. I'd like to say thanks to the San Jose Saber Cats for letting me know that the lack of interest was due to team needs and not character. They didn't have to say it, but they did. It's the kind of decency Baltimore should consider. I don't blame Philly for not telling me pre-draft, as I think their handling has shown they are just too fucking stupid to think about the fact that it would have been the right thing to do. Vegas, have fun trying to win games with the unwanted players you traded for, led by the biggest draft bust of the first two rounds."
Gatorade or Water?
He holds up the glass, shaking his head in semi-sincere disgust. "Water...just so much damn water. I'm sick of it."
((OOC, I just wanna say that Ardie reached out in PMs and stoically stayed with it while I was a dick to him until I was willing to listen. We both admitted where we had been unfair to the other. I think he and I have very different opinions on treating others, but I won't say his are worse, just different values. In character, there's gonna be a lot of hatred an pettiness, but I don't feel that way toward the person any more.))
Where you happy or disappointed with your draft position?
"I am ecstatic about where I ended up, but was extremely disappointed with my draft position. Both Baltimore and Philly told me they wanted me on their defense, to help change the culture, and despite the fact that both were shitty teams, I was all about that challenge. They decided to go with players that we all knew were less talented, and that weren't bigger needs either. When they find themselves behind us in the standings at the end of the season, and look around at their locker rooms full of players who just aren't trying hard enough, they'll know it's because of the mistakes they made in passing me up. And when their players are listening to their coaches before playing us, and he's telling them how to stop me, they won't listen, because those players will know that coach was afraid of even facing me in the locker room, and his coward ass can't begin to imagine how to face me on the field."
What have you learned so far during your time in Yellowknife?
"That people who stop moving freeze to death."
Who is your favorite Power Ranger?
"Probably blue. He may be involved in physical confrontations, but you still have to use your mind. I respect that shit."
You missed most of the Preseason rookie invitational games - what do you think the coaches overlooked about you?
"I think it just took them too long to figure out how to use me. The coaches for those games just get handed this huge stack of player folders, and so they play the folks whose skill sets they are just most familiar with. Look at Darlane Farlane @Gwdaja. He's an amazingly fast back, one of very few in the league, but he didn't get the same opportunities that Ardie Savea (@`ardiesavea`)had. Hell, Ardie had to lose two fumbles in one game for him to get some more carries."
Tell us about the journey from playing for your hometown Cougars to playing as far away as you could have. How are you acclimating to Yellowknife?
Cushing shakes his head as he answers. "That shit is not easy. The cold is one thing, but it's a lot dryer up here than it is in Houston. I went out drinking with some of the other players...I won't embarrass them by saying who, and I got hungover before I could even get drunk."
It's a big class of Houstonians in Yellowknife this year - you, Rafael Reyes, and Luke Chunk all grew up there. Have you been helping each other get used to Canada? Has Josh Garden, originally from Houston himself, reached out to help?
"He definitely has. We've all been bulking up a bit to help with the cold weather, and that idea came from Josh himself. You ever look at any of the pictures of him before he got to Yellowknife? That was a scrawny man. He's put on some serious muscle since then, though. And this year, a lot of us rookies are doing the same. I'll say this, too. Being in with some other Texans has helped me out a lot. These guys aren't as sensitive as some of the other rookies have shown themselves to be. Reyes hasn't gotten noticed much, but you'll be seeing him on the field a lot, and that man is cold-blooded."
The Yellowknife defense lost it's most obvious leader when Tyler Varga was shipped out to Vegas as part of the expansion - has anyone stepped up to fill his shoes?
"If I had to pick one person that can tell the defense whatever he wants, it's probably Josh. You may think you know too much to listen to him, but then he makes you cover him, and you realize he knows a lot more than you thought. And yeah, he's already caught more than a couple of touchdowns on me." He shrugs at the admission and chuckles. "I'd say I'm becoming the leader of the linebacker corps though."
What are your thoughts on reports that you may be unsettled in Yellowknife?
He laughs loudly. "I'm not half as unsettled as the QBs who face me are gonna be. Report that."
It's well known that your public spat with rookie running back Ardie Savea has soured grapes between you two, will we ever see a conclusion to the saga?
"The league doesn't like it when people tell the truth, but look at the situation. Ardie fell apart in the prospect championships, then spoke lies about me, and his draft stock didn't change a bit. I come out here and tear this league up despite them having a head start, and I'm the one that falls in the draft. Let's look at reality, though. I got drafted at 13, meet my new team, and the Wraiths, a championship contender, want me for the max of three years. Ardie gets drafted at 14 to another solid team, meets them, and less than 24 hours later they're dumping him off to Vegas because of a "little misunderstanding." I'll tell you what that misunderstanding was. They thought he was an athlete. There won't be a resolution, and five years from now when Ardie's a backup on some weak-ass team and I'm sporting a ring or two, maybe he'll get paid to do an interview about the only time in his career people talked about the two of us in the same sentence."
How do you fancy Yellowknife's chances in this years season? Winners? Missed playoffs? Winless perhaps?
"WINLESS? How the hell can we go winless when we play Philadelphia's weak ass team at least twice a season? There's no way we finish under .500. We've got the best offense in the league, and once this defense gets on the same page with each other, we will be dominant. The NSFC is OUR conference."
What is your opinion on your fall in the S2 draft, could it have been due to your attitude problems?
"I think that's fair. I have this thing about working hard and holding myself and others accountable. Some teams don't like that. Truth is, neither of those teams care about winning. Philadelphia is going to finish in the bottom 3 despite trading away their first rounder next year for an extra player, and Baltimore is so bad that their own GM abandoned them in disgust."
What milestones both for you and the team would need to be reached for you to consider it a successful season?
He pauses for a moment, still glaring at the last reporter before acknowledging the new question and considering it. "For the team, because THAT comes first, we can't go under 9 wins. I don't want to set the bar too high, because with so many of us new to this league and this defense, it may take a while to get things going, but this is a damn good team, and we are going to the playoffs. As for me..." he bobbles his head a bit as he thinks, "I want to hit about 90 tackles, lead all the linebackers in passes defensed, and hopefully interceptions as well. Also, I want our defense in the top half of the league against the pass."
What does your team have to do differently this year if they want to get past the yeti?
He nods thoughtfully before answering the question. "Well, step one of that is right in front of you. Logan @
Is there any players in the nsfl you look up to?
"Yeah, actually. Harrif Ernston (@Valtookan) has an outstanding work ethic, is free to help out others, yet never stops reminding himself and others that he is out to win. You can see why the Outlaws defense was so impressive. Josh Garden (@Ballerstorm) has been a great teacher in practice, and is a lot more of a team player than I expected. Lastly, and this one kinda surprises me, Josh Bercovici (@Merica). He read the situation in Orange County, signed a short deal, made sure his name got out there, and ended up becoming one of the highest paid players in the league. He knows how to embrace that off-field stress without letting it get to him, and is fearless about it. Hell, if you look at his tape, even his interceptions were thrown to covered receivers that he just trusted to make the plays. Sometimes they did, sometimes not."
Where did you want to go before the draft? Were there any other players you wanted to play with? What are you most excited about in the new season?
"That first one might take a while, but there were a lot of teams I would have been excited to play for. Arizona and Orange County had strong defenses and stronger cultures. I felt I would have fit right in there. Separately, after the incident with Savea, multiple people from Orange County reached out to me just to lend support, to let me know that their opinion hadn't changed. That meant a lot to me, and still does. Baltimore and Philadelphia both represented major challenges, but also some concerns. In Baltimore's case, their defense had potential. It could have been so much better, but it will improve greatly from last year. Kurt @HENDRIX has done an amazing job of rebuilding the Hawks. I don't think they are playoff contenders this year-it's between us and the Yeti-but good steps were taken. I think once they divorce themselves from the 'GM' that abandoned them, they'll be a lot stronger. I'd told him I was concerned about the loyalty he was showing to a man who showed no loyalty to them."
He pauses and takes a drink of water. "So fucking dry here." After a strained chuckle and another pause, he continues. "I gotta say more about that. Hendrix reached out early in the process to say he was interested and saw me as the beginning to turn this team around. He said he thought I was a great player. I gave him my views on the existing players and scheme, draft targets, everything to show I was committed and ready to help turn things around. I showed him nothing but respect and forthrightness all the way through. When the 8th pick was traded to Philly, I sent him a text to tell him it was a good trade, and I fully appreciated why he did it. After all that, I feel he played me. He gave no indication he was going to pass on me, said nothing to me even after it was over. I understand his apparent reasons, and being a GM does mean having to hide certain opinions, but he could have shown more character. At the end of the day, though, I can't be that mad at him. He made good deals and mainly good draft picks. He had a plan and he made it happen. He's got a team to rebuild, and his focus is on helping them win. I can't hate someone like that.
PHILLY, on the other hand, is chickenshit and incompetent. They traded away their first round pick next year AND a sixth for the #9. I told them it was a horrible trade and then they went and accepted it anyways. Then they traded up to #8 after realizing 9 wasn't high enough. They announced as a general manager someone who wasn't even on the fucking team, then reached in the draft to get him. They put together one of the three weakest rosters in the league and had the nerve to tell @MattJames they were trying to win this season. I was doing them a fucking kindness by being willing to play there."
Another drink of water. He signals to someone away from the platform and holds up the now empty glass. "So yeah, teams. The Wraiths...they know how I feel. Once the contract is announced, which should be soon, it'll be clear how I feel. As for other people I wanted to play with, most of 'em got away. Kristoffer O'Sullivan (@Kristy95), Tyler Oles (@`To12143`), Ottokar Von Gerhart (@fish) and Marcus Kane (@Dangles13). All would have been part of a great young defense. They are great players, and people I can respect. I don't know if that's mutual, but oh well. On offense, I really wanted to see Kyle Cobb (@Kcobb9). I feel I am the only linebacker in this league who can cover a receiving back, and I wanted to see Cobb embarrass the rest of them. As for what I am most excited about, playing against Philly."
Do you have a specific pre-game ritual?
"Not really. Being in such a different environment, I'm still figuring out what works."
Situation: Wraiths are up by three in the fourth quarter and the opposing team needs a first on fourth down. You make the drive ending tackle in the backfield and win the game.
How will you celebrate?
He pauses while a pitcher of water is brought out and fills up his glass. "Depends on who I am playing against...and maybe a little bit who I tackle. Teams like Orange County, I might just smile over at the sidelines, because I know they'll already be thinking I could have been one of them. Arizona, maybe a look over to Ernston who joked I'd be a liability as a tackler. Baltimore and Philly, maybe something a bit less lighthearted. The rest, nothing special."
Do you believe in miracles?
"The day I say thanks for Ardie Savea is a long ways off, but I have been really lucky. I don't know."
Anything to say to the teams that passed you?
"Anything else to say?" He chuckles and nods before taking another sip. "Yeah, actually. I'd like to say thanks to the San Jose Saber Cats for letting me know that the lack of interest was due to team needs and not character. They didn't have to say it, but they did. It's the kind of decency Baltimore should consider. I don't blame Philly for not telling me pre-draft, as I think their handling has shown they are just too fucking stupid to think about the fact that it would have been the right thing to do. Vegas, have fun trying to win games with the unwanted players you traded for, led by the biggest draft bust of the first two rounds."
Gatorade or Water?
He holds up the glass, shaking his head in semi-sincere disgust. "Water...just so much damn water. I'm sick of it."
((OOC, I just wanna say that Ardie reached out in PMs and stoically stayed with it while I was a dick to him until I was willing to listen. We both admitted where we had been unfair to the other. I think he and I have very different opinions on treating others, but I won't say his are worse, just different values. In character, there's gonna be a lot of hatred an pettiness, but I don't feel that way toward the person any more.))