[div align=\\\"center\\\"]A Year to Himself
by Chris Adams[/div]
Coming out of high, Ryan Flock was a heavily recruited Triple Threat player. Scouts knew he could play Defensive Back and Wide Receiver at a high level. His ability to play both sides of the ball translated well into the return game, boding a smart and savvy patience about his returns. While he did possess great speed, he wasn't the most agile runner. He relied on smart cuts and great reads of his blockers downfield. It really helped his game at safety as well, making it a natural reaction to return interceptions for touchdowns.
Flocks home life wasn't the greatest. He lived with a single parent and a younger brother. He would leave school and go directly to his job, which he worked 4-6 days a week to help his family stay sheltered. His father, a former Naval Officer, served 20 faithful years, completing a total 10 tours all around the world, struggled working his contracting job. Flocks father states that while he was working long weeks, the VA wasn't helping enough to support two children on his own. He was emotional when speaking about Ryan helping out with finances. "I came home one day to see he was gone, so I expected him to still be practicing. Unknown, I woke up to him walking in the door and taking off an old pair of my work boots." To his father's surprise, Ryan had went behind his back to get a job stocking at one of his father's supply house. "I would always go with him to get materials for his job, and while he was making a trip to get his wallet out of his work van, I asked the owner if he could pay me under the table, and that'd I'd come in anytime they needed as long as I could finish practicing."
Ryan is known around school, and town, as a "quiet boy that just keeps his head down and does what is needed." His head coach raved about how he loved his star athlete, saying that "I've never asked him to work harder. I've never asked him to give me his all. I've definitely never asked him to focus. He demanded it from everybody, and he was hardest on himself." Going on he cites his work ethic to make up for mistakes and to make sure it never happens again. "He let up a big run trying to lower his shoulder and bowl over the opposing bruising running back. "He got cocky and threw his weight into the wrong person." In the rematch against the same team, a similar play was run and Flock was right in the mix of it all. Only difference this time? He held the running back up long enough for the team to gang tackle, ultimately leading to a Flock strip fumble.
Flocks Principal stated he had never seen a student athlete so hell bent on getting in and out. "He came into my office his sophomore year and asked if he could take classes on the weekend so he could graduate early. He stated he needed to graduate and start working as soon as he possibly could. In all my years in schooling, no student, let alone athlete had ever had this determination." His Principal allowed the actions, and Flock eventually graduated one year early with a 3.8 GPA.
Flocks play on the field, and play in the classrooms had attracted a lot of attention from multiple colleges. West coast Universities such as UCLA and USC offered to start him with big offers of scholarships, but Flock continued on pursuing better. Michigan and Ohio State offered Full Rides as well as a starting role. Again, Flock continued on. He had his eyes set on one thing, the Naval Academy. Each generation had members of the military, but seeing as his Father was once a great officer, Ryan chose the same path.
Ryan loved football, but he loved his family more. Ryan had his paperwork signed and approved and was set to declare for the NFL draft early last year. That had to be postponed when his father fell ill, and his brother was struck by a drunk driver. The settlement was enough pocket money to pay for his fathers and brothers medical expenses, but left a pile of bills at home. Ryan took his new fate in stride, and held off on football until his family was able to get back up and working again.
"I would come home from my night shift at my new job, and I would see one of them starting their day in an ice cold tub, and see one asleep with pain pills on his night stand. Neither of them were comfortable, and they couldn't enjoy their lives anymore. I wanted to change that." Flock never strayed from his love of the game either, stating that even after seeing what his family was going through, even after working a 10 hour shift, he would still go to the gym or the football field behind his middle school and workout. "I never lost it. Never. I would go into the gym, put my head down, bang out my routine, then head to the field to work on my skill work. I came home and slept, but once I woke up, I would study film while helping out around the house."
"Oh man, Ed Reed?! That guy had two jobs! One job was covering Three Quarters of the field, the other was studying every little thing about his opponents. I wanted to be that!." And try Ryan did. He stated that in the 3 hours he had during the day after all his duties were done, he would watch film on Reed. On his days off, he would study the best Pass and Rush Offenses, denoting ways to stop certain aspects, sharpening his instincts and improving his mind.
When asked why he didn't address the media or his fans, he did state that he didn't watch a lick of TV, just game film his coaches would send him of NFL games. He took the year off and didn't look back. "I didn't watch the news, I didn't watch broadcasts, and I definitely did listen to those stupid Sports Panel Shows. People like Skip Shameless Stephen Ass Smith ruin the game for me! They don't talk about the inner workings of the game. It's just "tabloids for sports". I wanted the game, not the acting."
January 5, 2017, Ryan Flock is back in uniform, walking into the office to ask for his service deferment. He had spent a year in the reserves quietly, but felt he needed to complete his dream and get drafted to play professionally. With the rules surrounding draft eligibility, he had 3 months to declare, and made his decision with time to spare. "I wanted to make it. I wanted to buy my Dad a house on the beach, get him that comfortable car he always wanted. Force both of them into an early retirement. I wanted to make them happy for the rest of their life." After being approved, he walked home, talking on the phone to a very close friend who had come back to Baltimore to visit his family. A.C Hackett (@Deusolis). Flock and Hackett had been workout partners leading up until their college careers, and were both their to pick each others brains during film sessions, as long as they didn't play each other that week. Hackett had stated that he was declaring for the NSFL, and the Flock should focus on this new league that was emerging as a superpower.
Flock took his good friends advice and set off to find out as much as he could. He contacted the Commissioner, Multiple GMs, and several players already declared to gain as much information needed. Regardless of the abundance at certain positions, Flock kept his eyes on the prize and declared as his natural position, Safety. While he is still available to play Receiver if needed, or slide down into a Corner position, he obviously has the skill set to do so. The real question is, which Safety position are GM's and Head Coaches going to utilize him in?
Will Teams go with his Ball Hawking instincts and play him at more of a Free Safety/Center Field role, or will they trust his discipline and knowledge and play him underneath/against the run at SS? Will they try a Hybrid and throw him out there and use his intelligence to determine whether to play Deep or Inside? He'll figure that out in interviews and once he gets drafted.
Fast forward to a couple weeks ago, and Flock set impressive numbers during his private workout with teams:
[div align=\\\"left\\\"]40 Yard Dash: 4.50 Vertical Jump: 37 1/2" [/div]
[div align=\\\"left\\\"]Broad Jump: 10'5" 3 Cone Drill: 6.80[/div]
[div align=\\\"left\\\"]Bench Press: 18 Reps 20 Yard Shuttle: 4.33[/div]
After posting numbers that not only impressed certain GM's, but raised interests in media outlets. Flocks answers to the media had been improving his draft stock, earning him a spot as the starting safety in the All Star game, where he notched 5 tackles and some excellent over the top commanding which proved to help his team. Being recently featured on the league podcast, where he was stated as being inside the Top 3 at his position, his draft stock only seems to be increasing.
I don't want to be a Hometown Hero, but when I say that Ryan Flock is ready to take the NSFL by storm, I mean it. After the time I spent with him, walking in his shoes, seeing the life he's been living, I can tell this kid is destined for great things. Wherever he is drafted, that team is getting an exceptional young man that will devote everything he has to you. He may be one of the biggest competitors I've met since speaking with Ray Lewis back before his Retirement party, and in my 25 years of reporting, I can say that with pure confidence. I didn't follow him in High School, and I didn't watch Navy Football, but watching Film and Highlights with this young man really shows me a side of football I've never once thought about. He is truly a student of the game, and while he'll tell you he still has much to learn, I believe he'll be around to teach young players for a very young time.
Will he be the mentor on your team for years to come, or will you pass on him? Tune into the Inaugural Draft, this Thursday. June 1st, 2017. 6pm PST (9pm EST)
by Chris Adams[/div]
Coming out of high, Ryan Flock was a heavily recruited Triple Threat player. Scouts knew he could play Defensive Back and Wide Receiver at a high level. His ability to play both sides of the ball translated well into the return game, boding a smart and savvy patience about his returns. While he did possess great speed, he wasn't the most agile runner. He relied on smart cuts and great reads of his blockers downfield. It really helped his game at safety as well, making it a natural reaction to return interceptions for touchdowns.
Flocks home life wasn't the greatest. He lived with a single parent and a younger brother. He would leave school and go directly to his job, which he worked 4-6 days a week to help his family stay sheltered. His father, a former Naval Officer, served 20 faithful years, completing a total 10 tours all around the world, struggled working his contracting job. Flocks father states that while he was working long weeks, the VA wasn't helping enough to support two children on his own. He was emotional when speaking about Ryan helping out with finances. "I came home one day to see he was gone, so I expected him to still be practicing. Unknown, I woke up to him walking in the door and taking off an old pair of my work boots." To his father's surprise, Ryan had went behind his back to get a job stocking at one of his father's supply house. "I would always go with him to get materials for his job, and while he was making a trip to get his wallet out of his work van, I asked the owner if he could pay me under the table, and that'd I'd come in anytime they needed as long as I could finish practicing."
Ryan is known around school, and town, as a "quiet boy that just keeps his head down and does what is needed." His head coach raved about how he loved his star athlete, saying that "I've never asked him to work harder. I've never asked him to give me his all. I've definitely never asked him to focus. He demanded it from everybody, and he was hardest on himself." Going on he cites his work ethic to make up for mistakes and to make sure it never happens again. "He let up a big run trying to lower his shoulder and bowl over the opposing bruising running back. "He got cocky and threw his weight into the wrong person." In the rematch against the same team, a similar play was run and Flock was right in the mix of it all. Only difference this time? He held the running back up long enough for the team to gang tackle, ultimately leading to a Flock strip fumble.
Flocks Principal stated he had never seen a student athlete so hell bent on getting in and out. "He came into my office his sophomore year and asked if he could take classes on the weekend so he could graduate early. He stated he needed to graduate and start working as soon as he possibly could. In all my years in schooling, no student, let alone athlete had ever had this determination." His Principal allowed the actions, and Flock eventually graduated one year early with a 3.8 GPA.
Flocks play on the field, and play in the classrooms had attracted a lot of attention from multiple colleges. West coast Universities such as UCLA and USC offered to start him with big offers of scholarships, but Flock continued on pursuing better. Michigan and Ohio State offered Full Rides as well as a starting role. Again, Flock continued on. He had his eyes set on one thing, the Naval Academy. Each generation had members of the military, but seeing as his Father was once a great officer, Ryan chose the same path.
Ryan loved football, but he loved his family more. Ryan had his paperwork signed and approved and was set to declare for the NFL draft early last year. That had to be postponed when his father fell ill, and his brother was struck by a drunk driver. The settlement was enough pocket money to pay for his fathers and brothers medical expenses, but left a pile of bills at home. Ryan took his new fate in stride, and held off on football until his family was able to get back up and working again.
"I would come home from my night shift at my new job, and I would see one of them starting their day in an ice cold tub, and see one asleep with pain pills on his night stand. Neither of them were comfortable, and they couldn't enjoy their lives anymore. I wanted to change that." Flock never strayed from his love of the game either, stating that even after seeing what his family was going through, even after working a 10 hour shift, he would still go to the gym or the football field behind his middle school and workout. "I never lost it. Never. I would go into the gym, put my head down, bang out my routine, then head to the field to work on my skill work. I came home and slept, but once I woke up, I would study film while helping out around the house."
"Oh man, Ed Reed?! That guy had two jobs! One job was covering Three Quarters of the field, the other was studying every little thing about his opponents. I wanted to be that!." And try Ryan did. He stated that in the 3 hours he had during the day after all his duties were done, he would watch film on Reed. On his days off, he would study the best Pass and Rush Offenses, denoting ways to stop certain aspects, sharpening his instincts and improving his mind.
When asked why he didn't address the media or his fans, he did state that he didn't watch a lick of TV, just game film his coaches would send him of NFL games. He took the year off and didn't look back. "I didn't watch the news, I didn't watch broadcasts, and I definitely did listen to those stupid Sports Panel Shows. People like Skip Shameless Stephen Ass Smith ruin the game for me! They don't talk about the inner workings of the game. It's just "tabloids for sports". I wanted the game, not the acting."
January 5, 2017, Ryan Flock is back in uniform, walking into the office to ask for his service deferment. He had spent a year in the reserves quietly, but felt he needed to complete his dream and get drafted to play professionally. With the rules surrounding draft eligibility, he had 3 months to declare, and made his decision with time to spare. "I wanted to make it. I wanted to buy my Dad a house on the beach, get him that comfortable car he always wanted. Force both of them into an early retirement. I wanted to make them happy for the rest of their life." After being approved, he walked home, talking on the phone to a very close friend who had come back to Baltimore to visit his family. A.C Hackett (@Deusolis). Flock and Hackett had been workout partners leading up until their college careers, and were both their to pick each others brains during film sessions, as long as they didn't play each other that week. Hackett had stated that he was declaring for the NSFL, and the Flock should focus on this new league that was emerging as a superpower.
Flock took his good friends advice and set off to find out as much as he could. He contacted the Commissioner, Multiple GMs, and several players already declared to gain as much information needed. Regardless of the abundance at certain positions, Flock kept his eyes on the prize and declared as his natural position, Safety. While he is still available to play Receiver if needed, or slide down into a Corner position, he obviously has the skill set to do so. The real question is, which Safety position are GM's and Head Coaches going to utilize him in?
Will Teams go with his Ball Hawking instincts and play him at more of a Free Safety/Center Field role, or will they trust his discipline and knowledge and play him underneath/against the run at SS? Will they try a Hybrid and throw him out there and use his intelligence to determine whether to play Deep or Inside? He'll figure that out in interviews and once he gets drafted.
Fast forward to a couple weeks ago, and Flock set impressive numbers during his private workout with teams:
[div align=\\\"left\\\"]40 Yard Dash: 4.50 Vertical Jump: 37 1/2" [/div]
[div align=\\\"left\\\"]Broad Jump: 10'5" 3 Cone Drill: 6.80[/div]
[div align=\\\"left\\\"]Bench Press: 18 Reps 20 Yard Shuttle: 4.33[/div]
After posting numbers that not only impressed certain GM's, but raised interests in media outlets. Flocks answers to the media had been improving his draft stock, earning him a spot as the starting safety in the All Star game, where he notched 5 tackles and some excellent over the top commanding which proved to help his team. Being recently featured on the league podcast, where he was stated as being inside the Top 3 at his position, his draft stock only seems to be increasing.
I don't want to be a Hometown Hero, but when I say that Ryan Flock is ready to take the NSFL by storm, I mean it. After the time I spent with him, walking in his shoes, seeing the life he's been living, I can tell this kid is destined for great things. Wherever he is drafted, that team is getting an exceptional young man that will devote everything he has to you. He may be one of the biggest competitors I've met since speaking with Ray Lewis back before his Retirement party, and in my 25 years of reporting, I can say that with pure confidence. I didn't follow him in High School, and I didn't watch Navy Football, but watching Film and Highlights with this young man really shows me a side of football I've never once thought about. He is truly a student of the game, and while he'll tell you he still has much to learn, I believe he'll be around to teach young players for a very young time.
Will he be the mentor on your team for years to come, or will you pass on him? Tune into the Inaugural Draft, this Thursday. June 1st, 2017. 6pm PST (9pm EST)
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