Today I sat down with Calvin Golladay to get a look at the man behind the face mask, as well as get some helpful tips for incoming OL prospects. Below is a transcript of that interview.
I: “Okay So Calvin, how has your experience been so far since declaring for the draft? And of course this includes memorable experiences since you are a seasoned player.”
Golladay: “It's been awesome, actually. I've loved my time with both the Luchadores and Outlaws, and tried to experience some different things within the league. Lots of great people have helped make that happen, especially my GMs, teammates, and fellow OL. Right now I'm focused on bringing my first Ultimus to Arizona.
To be honest, my most memorable experiences on the field have been some heartbreaking DSFL losses for various reasons. Other than the loss to Chicago keeping us out of the playoffs last season, most of my time in the ISFL has been spent trying to improve after what's been a bit of a rebuild. Off the field, being named a captain for the Tijuana Luchadores after my rookie season has to be the peak of my career so far, and been a huge motivator to stay active and help both my former DSFL team and current ISFL team”
I: “Wow that’s amazing stuff. As far as advice for the young OL prospects, do you have any “do’s” or “do nots”?”
Golladay: “As far as Do's:
•Stay active, especially in your LR! The people are what makes the league so great.
•Strength is king! I won't go into a ton of detail here, but strength should be a big priority.
Respond to scouts! Teams are going to be very hesitant about drafting you without having talked to you.
•Make sure you're 340 lbs! The most important thing about playing OL is maxing out your weight, so make sure to increase it to 340 if you haven't already done so.
•Have fun! Some people forget, but the focus of this league is to have fun. If the league is starting to feel like a second job to you, don't be afraid to scale back your earning to avoid burning out. •Having fun and enjoying the league breeds earning, not the other way around.
Don'ts:
•Don't be afraid to tell GMs you want to stay at OL! Not everyone needs OL, but they still might want to draft you and move you somewhere else. That's perfectly fine, and if you don't mind playing elsewhere, go for it! But if you want to stick with OL make sure to let GMs know, they'll understand.
•Don't be toxic! This one should pretty obvious, but being seen as a bad locker room personality will seriously hurt your draft stock, even if you're a great earner.
•Don't be afraid to stick with your archetype! I know athletic is seen as the best archetype, but not enough testing has been done for this to be a clear cut thing. Even though we advise against technician, if you really want to do it go right ahead! For all we know it might end up being a viable archetype.”
I: “Super interesting and a great insight from one of the strongest linemen out there! Now lets get into some personal stuff. What do you like to do outside the lines?”
Golladay: “Eating and working out take up a ton of my time off the field, since maintaining my size and strength is pretty much a full time job. Despite not being the smartest player on the field, I still enjoy winding down with a good book at night during the season. I grew up as your stereotypical mid-west farm boy, so during the off-season I move back up North to help out at my parents farm to do most of the heavy lifting. Playing Madden 40 is always a fun way to kill time, especially with their new "Face of the Franchise: OL Edition" mode. And, of course, hanging out with my current and former teammates will always be my favorite pastime.”
I: “That’s amazing stuff. One last question: how long do you think it will be until we see an OL player win OROY OPOY or MVP?”
Golladay: “On the topic of OROY: I think that the influx of OL will actually harm their chances. Bruce Buckley had an elite season in his first ISFL season, but still barely edged out an RB for the 5th ORoY nomination spot. I think we'll eventually see one, but our best argument is having elite production compared to our counterparts, which will be harder to achieve with more OL to compete with. The good news is that more OL means more chances at high level production, so hopefully we'll start to see more OL nominations soon.
OPoY: While possible, I think it's highly unlikely an OL wins this sometime soon. Another thing to remember is that with all the OL joining us, the veteran OL will be pushed to IOL positions, which will hurt their production, while the young players replacing them won't be as good initially, which could lead to lower overall pancake numbers despite making their teams better. Laszlo's elite performance two seasons ago might be the closest we'll get to an OPoY worthy year, though I won't count us out just yet.
MVP: MVP is traditionally a QB and RB award, and I just can't see the GMs changing things up. The argument will be that OL don't make enough of an impact to be considered "most valuable." Additionally, elite OL will be a huge help to their RB, so even if they have an excellent season there's still a good chance their nomination gets stolen by their teammate. It would take an incredible season to earn a nomination, and they'd still have to hope their QB and RB didn't put up the stats to push for their own nomination. Perhaps more progressive awards committee members and GMs will be more willing to vote for OL in the future, but I think it'll be a while before we start to see that.”
I: “Incredible insight. Thank you so much for your time and being a model for these younger prospects.”
Golladay: “Of course! Thanks for reaching out”
90% to me 10% to Calvin Golladay
I: “Okay So Calvin, how has your experience been so far since declaring for the draft? And of course this includes memorable experiences since you are a seasoned player.”
Golladay: “It's been awesome, actually. I've loved my time with both the Luchadores and Outlaws, and tried to experience some different things within the league. Lots of great people have helped make that happen, especially my GMs, teammates, and fellow OL. Right now I'm focused on bringing my first Ultimus to Arizona.
To be honest, my most memorable experiences on the field have been some heartbreaking DSFL losses for various reasons. Other than the loss to Chicago keeping us out of the playoffs last season, most of my time in the ISFL has been spent trying to improve after what's been a bit of a rebuild. Off the field, being named a captain for the Tijuana Luchadores after my rookie season has to be the peak of my career so far, and been a huge motivator to stay active and help both my former DSFL team and current ISFL team”
I: “Wow that’s amazing stuff. As far as advice for the young OL prospects, do you have any “do’s” or “do nots”?”
Golladay: “As far as Do's:
•Stay active, especially in your LR! The people are what makes the league so great.
•Strength is king! I won't go into a ton of detail here, but strength should be a big priority.
Respond to scouts! Teams are going to be very hesitant about drafting you without having talked to you.
•Make sure you're 340 lbs! The most important thing about playing OL is maxing out your weight, so make sure to increase it to 340 if you haven't already done so.
•Have fun! Some people forget, but the focus of this league is to have fun. If the league is starting to feel like a second job to you, don't be afraid to scale back your earning to avoid burning out. •Having fun and enjoying the league breeds earning, not the other way around.
Don'ts:
•Don't be afraid to tell GMs you want to stay at OL! Not everyone needs OL, but they still might want to draft you and move you somewhere else. That's perfectly fine, and if you don't mind playing elsewhere, go for it! But if you want to stick with OL make sure to let GMs know, they'll understand.
•Don't be toxic! This one should pretty obvious, but being seen as a bad locker room personality will seriously hurt your draft stock, even if you're a great earner.
•Don't be afraid to stick with your archetype! I know athletic is seen as the best archetype, but not enough testing has been done for this to be a clear cut thing. Even though we advise against technician, if you really want to do it go right ahead! For all we know it might end up being a viable archetype.”
I: “Super interesting and a great insight from one of the strongest linemen out there! Now lets get into some personal stuff. What do you like to do outside the lines?”
Golladay: “Eating and working out take up a ton of my time off the field, since maintaining my size and strength is pretty much a full time job. Despite not being the smartest player on the field, I still enjoy winding down with a good book at night during the season. I grew up as your stereotypical mid-west farm boy, so during the off-season I move back up North to help out at my parents farm to do most of the heavy lifting. Playing Madden 40 is always a fun way to kill time, especially with their new "Face of the Franchise: OL Edition" mode. And, of course, hanging out with my current and former teammates will always be my favorite pastime.”
I: “That’s amazing stuff. One last question: how long do you think it will be until we see an OL player win OROY OPOY or MVP?”
Golladay: “On the topic of OROY: I think that the influx of OL will actually harm their chances. Bruce Buckley had an elite season in his first ISFL season, but still barely edged out an RB for the 5th ORoY nomination spot. I think we'll eventually see one, but our best argument is having elite production compared to our counterparts, which will be harder to achieve with more OL to compete with. The good news is that more OL means more chances at high level production, so hopefully we'll start to see more OL nominations soon.
OPoY: While possible, I think it's highly unlikely an OL wins this sometime soon. Another thing to remember is that with all the OL joining us, the veteran OL will be pushed to IOL positions, which will hurt their production, while the young players replacing them won't be as good initially, which could lead to lower overall pancake numbers despite making their teams better. Laszlo's elite performance two seasons ago might be the closest we'll get to an OPoY worthy year, though I won't count us out just yet.
MVP: MVP is traditionally a QB and RB award, and I just can't see the GMs changing things up. The argument will be that OL don't make enough of an impact to be considered "most valuable." Additionally, elite OL will be a huge help to their RB, so even if they have an excellent season there's still a good chance their nomination gets stolen by their teammate. It would take an incredible season to earn a nomination, and they'd still have to hope their QB and RB didn't put up the stats to push for their own nomination. Perhaps more progressive awards committee members and GMs will be more willing to vote for OL in the future, but I think it'll be a while before we start to see that.”
I: “Incredible insight. Thank you so much for your time and being a model for these younger prospects.”
Golladay: “Of course! Thanks for reaching out”
90% to me 10% to Calvin Golladay