“You wanna know what I think about him? I think he’s a massively overhyped player. Great, he was a good rusher in the DSFL, so what? I’ve seen player after player with his exact same profile flame out before they even get to the big leagues. So many people praise him as a ‘hard worker’, great! He has no talent to back up that work and he’s gonna be done, done I tell you!” - Vance Jackson, NSFL Analyst
Nobody knew who Mathias Hanyadi was as he walked onto the practice field of UMass Amherst during a rainy October morning. A two-star prospect coming out of Excel High School, he was a player with few prospects and even fewer teams willing to make him an offer. He only received 3 scholarship offers: one from UMass, one from Boston College and a half-hearted offer from Texas State.
He ultimately settled with UMass, assuming he’d never actually make it to the pros and just using the scholarship from the school as a way to finance his degree in chemistry. Amherst was a solid school and had the academics he was looking for, as he didn’t care too much about football at the time.
Hanyadi got buried deep on the depth chart, being the fifth option at running back for the team behind then-impressive sophmores Daunte Whitman and Vincent Green. So his window of starting for the team would likely be slim, if he ever got the opportunity to start at all. Injuries do happen and transfer could occur, as several high tier schools were courting Whitman to try and draw him to their programs, but all he could do was wait. He worked harder than ever, staying in the weight room for hours every day to build up his frame. He got private practices with retired NSFL legend Boss Tweed, refining his footwork and technique so he’d be ready once he got his opportunity.
That chance would come far sooner than anyone ever could have anticipated. Green had transferred to Alabama, Whitman transferred to LSU and the two backs in front of Hanyadi were injured. One could say the stars aligned, and he’d get his chance at home versus BYU. Hanyadi would completely steamroll the Cougars, carrying the ball thirty times for 221 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-24 victory for the Minutemen, with this being their second win of the season. He’d get stuck at the bottom of the depth chart for the rest of the season, but after a weak 3 and 11 finish to the year, Hanyadi got a promotion to the top and would be named the starter for the 2029 season and beyond.
Two more pedestrian seasons lead to very few recognizing Hanyadi in the college football landscape. He was seen as a decent back for a terrible school, someone who maybe had potential if he went to a stronger program compared to UMass. That all changed during the 2031 Season, where Hanyadi dragged a weak UMass team to an unprecedented 11 and 3 record. In terms of efficiency, Hanyadi was a cut above every other college football running back, averaging nearly 4.7 yards per carry and well over a hundred yards a game. With a strong record for the first time in several decades, UMass would get a chance to play in a bowl game, this being the second time the school has done so in its history. Against Michigan State in the Orange Bowl, Hanyadi wouldn’t disappoint, rushing for almost 160 yards on 29 carries and 2 touchdowns for the school’s first ever bowl win. This generated some buzz around Hanyadi coming out of college, many were curious if he’d take a shot going pro or if he’d graduate from Amherst normally.
Hanyadi declared for the draft two days after the bowl victory over Michigan State, announcing his intention to go pro. There was some hype around his name during the DSFL draft, yet during that day, he tumbled hard, having to wait deep into the sixth round to get a phone call from the Marshals. They also selected running back Ruff Ruff in the eighth round, something Hanyadi was against at first but ultimately relented and was willing to work with Ruff. The two of them headed an extremely strong San Antonio offense, leading the league in rushing during Season 17, despite the season ending in disappointment as San Antonio would fall to Tijuana in the conference championship.
Many had concerns about how Hanyadi would handle the transition from the DSFL to the NSFL. His pass catching abilities were non-existent, San Antonio had been running an extremely simple offense, his small frame and massive usage in college and the DSFL were concerning, a lot of things were working against him. Vance Jackson, an analyst for the NSFL Network, ranked him as the fifth best running back in the draft, behind Toriki, Ruff, Dotson and Drake, citing issues with vision and lack of explosiveness. Bungus, a draft expert for the NSFL, predicted Hanyadi to go in the late 3rd, early 4th with a grade of 5.5. There was potential Hanyadi could become an NSFL starter, but his slow acceleration after contact, weakness against blitz packages, poor pass blocking ability and lack of agility meant he’d have a tough transition to the NSFL.
Draft day came. Hanyadi was sitting in the green room along with the rest of Season 18. Many mock drafts later, most experts had Hanyadi going to Arizona or Yellowknife, with a fringe analyst or two predicting San Jose. He didn’t have to wait as long this time, as he got the call from Yellowknife late in the second round. Some were shocked he went this high, but others, notably UMass head coach Bobby Carter and retired LSU head coach Ed Orgeron said Hanyadi was a superstar in the making if he went to the right team. But nobody could have expected what would come after. Not Yellowknife’s GMs, not coach Carter or Orgeron, not even Hanyadi himself.
“So, Mr. Carter, your superstar got drafted to Yellowknife. With them having one of the strongest passing attacks in the NSFL with quarterback Cooter Bigsby and veteran receiver Nate Swift, do you think he’s going to struggle getting touches?”
“I think he might, but I also think not giving him the rock is a huge mistake. He put the team on his back in his college days and did a damn fine job this season in San Antonio. Just give him some time and he’ll surprise you. He certainly surprised me on and off the field.”
His second season was marred by inconsistency, as San Antonio would fail to reach a winning record that season after losing veteran quarterback Jim McMahon, but the team did manage to sneak into the playoffs. After an unbelievable playoff upset versus Tijuana, where Hanyadi would score a 78 yard walk off touchdown to end the game, San Antonio would fall to Portland in the Ultimini. After losing the duo of Marshall and Canton, Hanyadi would hear his name called once more as Yellowknife activated him from the minor leagues and pulled him to the majors. He had some big shoes to fill, but together with Orien Drake, the two would do their best to fill in.
Unfortunately, during his first NSFL season, Hanyadi did the opposite of fill in for Marshall and Canton. He wasn’t just bad, he was terrible. He was the worst starting running back in all of the NSFL and in some aspects, was worse than the backups on several teams. He made his frustrations known in several interviews, saying he had to clean up his ‘trash play’ and start making an impact or he was going to be out of the league in short order. He continued his work with Boss Tweed in the offseason, knowing he had to get better to keep his starting spot. This would be his ‘prove it’ season, as his contract was up after S20 and he had to fight to get paid.
And fight he did. His second season in the NSFL was far more successful than the first in every way. 1500 yards, 15 touchdowns and recognition from his peers in the form of Running Back of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year awards, as well as his first invitation to the Pro Bowl. It was his most successful season as a pro all together, DSFL or NSFL, crushing his previous season touchdown record of 13. Despite his incredible season, it wasn’t enough to make it over the finish line and Yellowknife would fall to Austin despite Hanyadi’s best efforts in the big game, with him racking up over 120 yards and a touchdown.
The buzz around Hanyadi going into his third season of NSFL play was substantial. Unfortunately, mediocrity would strike again and Hanyadi wouldn’t live up to the expectations heaped upon him after Season 20. His production was still impressive with nearly 1600 yards on the season, but a lack of scoring put him out of contention for the major awards. He still got an invitation to the Season 21 Pro Bowl, though some would argue that was due to a weak running back group in the NSFC. Nonetheless, he still got the nod, which was all that he cared about.
Season 22 would mark a return to dominance for Hanyadi after a quiet Season 21. For the first time in his career, he would lead the league in rushing yards with 1280, beating out the second place Ruff Ruff by well over a hundred yards. With 400 receiving yards on top of that and 11 total touchdowns, along with a small amount of special teams play, Hanyadi would clinch his second Offensive Player of the Year award, as well as second Running Back of the Year and third Pro Bowl. Hanyadi would become only the 5th player in NSFL history to win Offensive Player of the Year twice, joining legends like Mike Boss, Darren Smallwood and Joliet Christ. Of particular note, every player to have won the award more than once is in the Hall of Fame, though the sample isn’t of significant size.
After a bombshell statement where Hanyadi said he would become a free agent for Season 23, a scramble began to try and bring the superstar to teams around the league. From what Hanyadi has disclosed, he was relatively disappointed that more teams didn’t at least make an attempt to bring him in. In his words, only Chicago, Yellowknife and Orange County made an offer he was willing to take seriously. He understood some teams ignoring the statement, New Orleans and Baltimore are set in the running back department, but none of it mattered in the end. Hanyadi would end up re-signing with Yellowknife on a team friendly deal for two seasons. After that, there’s no telling what Hanyadi is planning.
Perhaps he’ll stay as a Wraith for his entire career, going down as one of the best running backs in Yellowknife’s history. Maybe Acura Skyline will dethrone him late in his career and he’ll go to a new expansion team looking for an offensive weapon. Who can say. All that we can say is that we will be watching with great interest.
Nobody knew who Mathias Hanyadi was as he walked onto the practice field of UMass Amherst during a rainy October morning. A two-star prospect coming out of Excel High School, he was a player with few prospects and even fewer teams willing to make him an offer. He only received 3 scholarship offers: one from UMass, one from Boston College and a half-hearted offer from Texas State.
He ultimately settled with UMass, assuming he’d never actually make it to the pros and just using the scholarship from the school as a way to finance his degree in chemistry. Amherst was a solid school and had the academics he was looking for, as he didn’t care too much about football at the time.
Hanyadi got buried deep on the depth chart, being the fifth option at running back for the team behind then-impressive sophmores Daunte Whitman and Vincent Green. So his window of starting for the team would likely be slim, if he ever got the opportunity to start at all. Injuries do happen and transfer could occur, as several high tier schools were courting Whitman to try and draw him to their programs, but all he could do was wait. He worked harder than ever, staying in the weight room for hours every day to build up his frame. He got private practices with retired NSFL legend Boss Tweed, refining his footwork and technique so he’d be ready once he got his opportunity.
That chance would come far sooner than anyone ever could have anticipated. Green had transferred to Alabama, Whitman transferred to LSU and the two backs in front of Hanyadi were injured. One could say the stars aligned, and he’d get his chance at home versus BYU. Hanyadi would completely steamroll the Cougars, carrying the ball thirty times for 221 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-24 victory for the Minutemen, with this being their second win of the season. He’d get stuck at the bottom of the depth chart for the rest of the season, but after a weak 3 and 11 finish to the year, Hanyadi got a promotion to the top and would be named the starter for the 2029 season and beyond.
Two more pedestrian seasons lead to very few recognizing Hanyadi in the college football landscape. He was seen as a decent back for a terrible school, someone who maybe had potential if he went to a stronger program compared to UMass. That all changed during the 2031 Season, where Hanyadi dragged a weak UMass team to an unprecedented 11 and 3 record. In terms of efficiency, Hanyadi was a cut above every other college football running back, averaging nearly 4.7 yards per carry and well over a hundred yards a game. With a strong record for the first time in several decades, UMass would get a chance to play in a bowl game, this being the second time the school has done so in its history. Against Michigan State in the Orange Bowl, Hanyadi wouldn’t disappoint, rushing for almost 160 yards on 29 carries and 2 touchdowns for the school’s first ever bowl win. This generated some buzz around Hanyadi coming out of college, many were curious if he’d take a shot going pro or if he’d graduate from Amherst normally.
Hanyadi declared for the draft two days after the bowl victory over Michigan State, announcing his intention to go pro. There was some hype around his name during the DSFL draft, yet during that day, he tumbled hard, having to wait deep into the sixth round to get a phone call from the Marshals. They also selected running back Ruff Ruff in the eighth round, something Hanyadi was against at first but ultimately relented and was willing to work with Ruff. The two of them headed an extremely strong San Antonio offense, leading the league in rushing during Season 17, despite the season ending in disappointment as San Antonio would fall to Tijuana in the conference championship.
Many had concerns about how Hanyadi would handle the transition from the DSFL to the NSFL. His pass catching abilities were non-existent, San Antonio had been running an extremely simple offense, his small frame and massive usage in college and the DSFL were concerning, a lot of things were working against him. Vance Jackson, an analyst for the NSFL Network, ranked him as the fifth best running back in the draft, behind Toriki, Ruff, Dotson and Drake, citing issues with vision and lack of explosiveness. Bungus, a draft expert for the NSFL, predicted Hanyadi to go in the late 3rd, early 4th with a grade of 5.5. There was potential Hanyadi could become an NSFL starter, but his slow acceleration after contact, weakness against blitz packages, poor pass blocking ability and lack of agility meant he’d have a tough transition to the NSFL.
Draft day came. Hanyadi was sitting in the green room along with the rest of Season 18. Many mock drafts later, most experts had Hanyadi going to Arizona or Yellowknife, with a fringe analyst or two predicting San Jose. He didn’t have to wait as long this time, as he got the call from Yellowknife late in the second round. Some were shocked he went this high, but others, notably UMass head coach Bobby Carter and retired LSU head coach Ed Orgeron said Hanyadi was a superstar in the making if he went to the right team. But nobody could have expected what would come after. Not Yellowknife’s GMs, not coach Carter or Orgeron, not even Hanyadi himself.
“So, Mr. Carter, your superstar got drafted to Yellowknife. With them having one of the strongest passing attacks in the NSFL with quarterback Cooter Bigsby and veteran receiver Nate Swift, do you think he’s going to struggle getting touches?”
“I think he might, but I also think not giving him the rock is a huge mistake. He put the team on his back in his college days and did a damn fine job this season in San Antonio. Just give him some time and he’ll surprise you. He certainly surprised me on and off the field.”
His second season was marred by inconsistency, as San Antonio would fail to reach a winning record that season after losing veteran quarterback Jim McMahon, but the team did manage to sneak into the playoffs. After an unbelievable playoff upset versus Tijuana, where Hanyadi would score a 78 yard walk off touchdown to end the game, San Antonio would fall to Portland in the Ultimini. After losing the duo of Marshall and Canton, Hanyadi would hear his name called once more as Yellowknife activated him from the minor leagues and pulled him to the majors. He had some big shoes to fill, but together with Orien Drake, the two would do their best to fill in.
Unfortunately, during his first NSFL season, Hanyadi did the opposite of fill in for Marshall and Canton. He wasn’t just bad, he was terrible. He was the worst starting running back in all of the NSFL and in some aspects, was worse than the backups on several teams. He made his frustrations known in several interviews, saying he had to clean up his ‘trash play’ and start making an impact or he was going to be out of the league in short order. He continued his work with Boss Tweed in the offseason, knowing he had to get better to keep his starting spot. This would be his ‘prove it’ season, as his contract was up after S20 and he had to fight to get paid.
And fight he did. His second season in the NSFL was far more successful than the first in every way. 1500 yards, 15 touchdowns and recognition from his peers in the form of Running Back of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year awards, as well as his first invitation to the Pro Bowl. It was his most successful season as a pro all together, DSFL or NSFL, crushing his previous season touchdown record of 13. Despite his incredible season, it wasn’t enough to make it over the finish line and Yellowknife would fall to Austin despite Hanyadi’s best efforts in the big game, with him racking up over 120 yards and a touchdown.
The buzz around Hanyadi going into his third season of NSFL play was substantial. Unfortunately, mediocrity would strike again and Hanyadi wouldn’t live up to the expectations heaped upon him after Season 20. His production was still impressive with nearly 1600 yards on the season, but a lack of scoring put him out of contention for the major awards. He still got an invitation to the Season 21 Pro Bowl, though some would argue that was due to a weak running back group in the NSFC. Nonetheless, he still got the nod, which was all that he cared about.
Season 22 would mark a return to dominance for Hanyadi after a quiet Season 21. For the first time in his career, he would lead the league in rushing yards with 1280, beating out the second place Ruff Ruff by well over a hundred yards. With 400 receiving yards on top of that and 11 total touchdowns, along with a small amount of special teams play, Hanyadi would clinch his second Offensive Player of the Year award, as well as second Running Back of the Year and third Pro Bowl. Hanyadi would become only the 5th player in NSFL history to win Offensive Player of the Year twice, joining legends like Mike Boss, Darren Smallwood and Joliet Christ. Of particular note, every player to have won the award more than once is in the Hall of Fame, though the sample isn’t of significant size.
After a bombshell statement where Hanyadi said he would become a free agent for Season 23, a scramble began to try and bring the superstar to teams around the league. From what Hanyadi has disclosed, he was relatively disappointed that more teams didn’t at least make an attempt to bring him in. In his words, only Chicago, Yellowknife and Orange County made an offer he was willing to take seriously. He understood some teams ignoring the statement, New Orleans and Baltimore are set in the running back department, but none of it mattered in the end. Hanyadi would end up re-signing with Yellowknife on a team friendly deal for two seasons. After that, there’s no telling what Hanyadi is planning.
Perhaps he’ll stay as a Wraith for his entire career, going down as one of the best running backs in Yellowknife’s history. Maybe Acura Skyline will dethrone him late in his career and he’ll go to a new expansion team looking for an offensive weapon. Who can say. All that we can say is that we will be watching with great interest.