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I am using this article series as a way to give back to some (unfortunately not all) of the rookies of the s18 class, who have been so very good to me. Part of that is simply exposure for those whose stories are being told, and part of that is splitting funds with those whose names and words are used herein. That said, I would like to give half of the earnings of this specific article to Dylandeluxe, who graciously gave me the time for an interview as part of this piece.
Previous Piece: Becoming a Python
The fifth stop on my journey around the league finds me situated fireside in a reading chair, in a cozy home just across the border. Across from me, seated in an identical reading chair, dressed in a smoking jacket with a pipe dangling from between his teeth, is the Tijuana Law Hawk himself, Thudd Kassel @
At this point, I clear my throat, and Kassel reacts as if he is just noticing my presence, as if he did not invite me in himself. He quickly composes himself, and I ask my first question: where did this football journey begin? “My dad Terry signed me up for peewee when I was six, maybe seven,” he recalls, closing his eyes as he drifts back to memories of his younger self. “I actually started out as a fullback because I'd run all the other little shits over. But by about 8th grade, I think I was already six feet tall and a hundred and ninety pounds. You know, bigger and faster than all the other kids. Coach Rusty thought I'd scare other teams’ offenses by lining up at middle linebacker, given to my size. Looking back, it definitely worked. I won a couple of state championships in high school, and I was a five-star recruit my senior season”.
Of course, that was when things came off the rails for Kassel; “I committed to go play at the University of Texas, every kid’s dream from those parts,” he remembers, his face sinking a little, “But unfortunately, I spent a little too much time in the film room and not the classroom. My grades dropped and I wasn't eligible to play at any D1 schools on scholarship”. When I prompt him to remind me where the journey took him from there, the confidence of his smile returns, “I ended up attending a D3 school called Red Valley State where I was a D3 all American and won player of the year twice”. At this point, he sets down the cup of coffee he’s been enjoying to flex, “I’ll admit the competition was quite a bit easier to play against when you're as talented as this”. I nod; even if I didn’t believe Kassel’s strength constituted talent, his bicep is enough to discourage anybody from arguing with him.
At this point, I turn the conversation towards moving him from Red Valley State to the DSFL. He is quick to let me know, “I think having that monster game in the D3 national championship that aired on ESPN 12 helped get my name back out there for professional scouts; they might have forgot about me after I got dropped from UT, but that put me back on the map. From there, I just hit the weight room every day and worked with a personal position coach”. When I ask what made him truly believe he could make it in this league after playing division three football, he scoffs, “I knew I always had the natural talent to succeed at this level. If it wasn't for my grades in high school, I'd have been one of the biggest names at linebacker coming out of college. And that's not cockiness, that's just facts”. He sinks comfortably back into his chair before continuing his thought, and in the process answering my next question, “I knew I had some ground to make up coming from a school literally no one has ever heard of, but I thought I could fight my way into the 3rd round, even in such a stacked class. But to go at the bottom of the second was a surprise even to me”.
When I press Kassel on whether he had wanted to be a Luchadore before the draft, he tells me, “I won't lie, I was hoping San Antonio would have drafted me since it was somewhat close to home, but my gut told me I belonged in Tijuana even before it happened”. And yet I knew that he wasn’t immediately happy with his place in the league, and when I dig deeper, he confirms, “I'm sure you saw the news initially. I was seriously going to hold out because my best bud Hall was drafted to a different team. I didn't like the idea of playing without him but after sitting down with my GM, Jimmy Dugan, we hashed things out and he showed me that'd I'd fit in here and could be a leader in the Locker room. So, despite Jimmy and I'd differences I'm glad he gave me the opportunity”.
This, of course, lends well to a point I’ve been meaning to address; character concern. I take this opportunity to ask him to comment on how he believes the perception people have of him off the field affects his play on the field, and after a moment’s hesitation, he answers, “I think Thudd off the field and Thudd on the field are two different people. On the field, I'm a gorilla in the middle of the defense looking to tear the ball carrier’s helmet off and bash his skull in with it. Off the field, I act the way I do to draw attention to causes I think need them. Proper representation for my fellow players, hot dogs as gentrified tacos, fighting back against the oppressive system in place that is designed to load the owners pockets to the brims while they throw one percent of one percent scraps at the players discard us like dogs when they don't need us anymore. I don't think I really have character concerns and any coach who took the time to sit down with me would see that”. With that information, I steer him towards goals he has had this past season, on and off the field. After slightly more hesitation, he responds, “On the field I was gunning for the Luchadores single season tackles record but unfortunately I had a drop in production for about 3 games that put that out of reach for me. Pretty disappointed about it actually. But off the field I think we've definitely gained some ground with the Head Office. I don't mind being the sacrificial lamb so to speak or the punching bag for my class”.
Almost as if on autopilot, I open my mouth to ask the next question, but as I look up from my notes, I find myself shutting it without a sound. The confidence Kassel normally embodies has been replaced by something more closely resembling nervousness. His pipe has dropped into his right hand while his left lazily strokes Brucie's back, his eyes stare off at nothing in the distance, and he has taking to biting his lip. When he notices me concern, he sighs hesitantly, "I...I'm glad that I've been able to play a role furthering our causes with HO. But it's taxing. It takes as much of a toll on the mind as football does on the body. I recognize that this is part of who I am, and I ain't about to stop fighting for what I believe is right, but...going forward, I think I need to take a step back. If I keep going 200 miles an hour all the time, I'll burn myself out, you know?"
I nod knowingly—we’ve all been there before, I believe—and change the direction of my next question: with that in mind, what does the future look like for him? He settles back into his chair, a little more comfortably, and thinks for just a moment before he gives his reply, “For a personal goal, I want to chase that tackle record for the NSFL. I think that would leave myself a solid legacy. From the leader and team perspective, I’d love to be a part of a dynasty that wins multiple championships”. Although both answers are perhaps a little more concise than I would have expected from Kassel, I don’t push him; this is a man who needs to be heard for who he is, and not pushed to be something he is not. Instead, I ask about his inspirations, and what drives him to be successful. He smiles, not the confident smile he paints on for the media, but one that feels softer, as if this question brings a certain joy to him, and replies, “Just the need to be the best at what I do. If I'm not competing in every possible facet of life, I'm not happy. Competition I think is the purest form of the human condition. The need to be on top. And my dad, Terry. He didn't force me to play any one sport or another, but once he knew I had a passion for the gridiron, he pushed me to my limits to be the best I could be”.
I return Kassel’s warm smile; as far as I’m concerned, he is the best that he can be.
Next Piece: Becoming a Marshal