After a tremendously successful rookie campaign in the DSFL with the London Royals, CJ Sonjack walked into the arena where the S28 ISFL Draft was occurring. He sat down at his seat, with his mom and his dad alongside him. He was wearing a real sharp suit – all gray with a black tie. There was a lot of media attention spent on him – he just reeled in three illustrious trophies – DSFL CB of the Year, Defensive Rookie of the Year, and Defensive Performance of the Year. It was going to be a gooooooooood draft, CJ thought to himself.
“Welcome to the S28 ISFL Draft. We would like to congratulate the Ultimus Trophy winning Sarasota Sailfish and welcome all of our franchises back as we welcome the next wave of ISFL talent into the league. With that said, Baltimore Hawks, you are on the clock with back-to-back picks.”
The Baltimore contingent walked up on stage with two hats and jerseys.
“With the 1st and 2nd overall selections, the Hawks pick…. Wide Receiver from Minnesota State-Moorhead and the Kansas City Coyotes, Luke Quick, and Runningback from Rutgers and Kansas City Coyotes, Busch Goose!”
Sonjack smiled and applauded. He played against those guys, and they were top tier talents. The excitement of the top picks started to fade. 3rd went Bruckner, 4th went Walls. A trade was announced that moved the Outlaws up into the 5th overall draft spot.
“With the 5th overall selection, the Arizona Outlaws are ecstatic to select… from Texas A&M and the London Royals, Glenn Smart!”
CJ jumped out of his seat, hooting for his teammate over in London. “LETS GOOOOOO SMART!” he bellowed from his bench. He was the first of many Royals to have their name called that evening. The first round continued. CJ racked his brain – some analysts had him going as early as late 1st round.
Mongo to the Silverbacks at 6, Juno Hu to the Sabercats at 7, Warthol to the Wraiths at 8. A lot of mocks had CJ going 9 to the Outlaws, but they no longer held that pick. Troy Abed went to the Salamanders at 9. The Butchers walked up to make their pick – Sonjack’s agent had some history with them. They went with Dexter Hall from the Coyotes. The Colorado Yeti held the 11th overall pick, and Sonjack was excited as he had some great chats with them. “With the 11th overall selection, the Yeti are pleased to select… from the London Royals….” CJ started to get hyped.
“Runningback Manhattan Project.” It was a bit of a tear in how he felt he should feel – he was ecstatic for his teammate but shot right in the gut that it was not his name called up on that stage. He sat back down, clapping for his buddy. The Professor Godfrey Gravity went 12th, and then Cade Williams went 13th. The Hawks batted cleanup in the 1st round with the selection of Chunt the Badger, a wideout from the Birddogs.
The first round had come and gone. “That’s alright.” CJ told himself. He realistically projected himself as a second-round talent. He was late to the game compared to many of these names, so he could be patient and prove his worth on the team that would inevitably pick him in the second round. The Liberty GM strolled up to make their pick with the 1st selection in the 2nd. “The Liberty are happy to announce that we’ve selected the safety from Purdue and the Tijuana Luchadores – Romulus Roman!” Bayley Cowabunga went next to the Austin Copperheads, and then Bender Rodriguez to the Otters. Stumpy Jones now to the Ultimus Champion Sailfish at 18th overall, and then the Fire Salamanders took a quarterback in Dexter Zaylen at 19th overall. CJ was started to bite his fingernails.
Remus Roman was selected to the Second Line at 20, then the Hawks came in and picked up Makoa Mahi’ai, one of Sonjack’s teammates from London at 21. He genuinely was happy to see teammates drafted, but man, he was starting to reach that point that he knew that these GMs were sleeping on him. 22 came and went – Erik Gaare off to the Wraiths from Dallas. The Otters picked up another wideout in Sam the Onion Man at 23. 24 went and the Butchers drafted some dude that looks like Kirby from the video games. The Yeti scooped a safety in Cole Maxwell at 25. The clock was ticking if CJ was going to be selected in the 2nd round. Honolulu selected quarterback Raeni Clarke, from the Seawolves at 26th. IsHe… ReallyInvisible, another QB, went 27th to the SEcondline. The final pick of the second round was due, and it belonged to the Sailfish, who CJ thought he had a good scouting experience with.
“This has got to be it”, Sonjack thought to himself.
“With the 28th overall selection and the final pick of the second round, the Sarasota Sailfish are thrilled to select, from Texas A&M and the Norfolk Seawolves, Kelvin Harris.” It hit CJ like a punch in the stomach. He was not even a 2nd round talent in this draft, according to ISFL management. Who knows if he is even a 3rd round talent? What about a 4th?
As he sunk back down into his chair, his momma saw the disappointment radiating off him. “CJ, I know you thought that you’d be picked higher than this, but in the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t matter what round or selection you were picked. You are going to go to whatever team picks you, just like the two boys that went 1 and 2. All you can do is put the work in and show that you deserve to be here, and that you belong. If you think you are being done wrong by, get out there and prove that to them. Show them why they’re doing you wrong, boy.”
As his momma lectured him and started to steer him back in the right direction, the PA announcer called up the Philadelphia Liberty for the 29th overall selection. “With the 29th overall pick, the Philadelphia Liberty are happy to select, cornerback from Maryland and the London Royals, CJ Sonjack.” Relief flooded over CJ, as well as a plan to prove the Philly management right for using a pick on him. He kissed his momma, hugged his dad, and walked down to put on that jersey and hat on the stage with the Philly management.
A couple days later, Sonjack reflected on that night and what his mother told him. She was right – it does not matter than he felt that he was a 1st round talent, or even a 2nd round talent. He is going to put the work in to prove that he was a 1st round talent, despite where he was drafted. He is going to prove to those other teams every time they try to beat the Liberty that he should have been someone higher up on their draft charts. That is what he owes to his family and to himself. The work never stops – it just gets more intense, and Sonjack is ready to work in London and Philadelphia alike. Let’s get it.
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“Welcome to the S28 ISFL Draft. We would like to congratulate the Ultimus Trophy winning Sarasota Sailfish and welcome all of our franchises back as we welcome the next wave of ISFL talent into the league. With that said, Baltimore Hawks, you are on the clock with back-to-back picks.”
The Baltimore contingent walked up on stage with two hats and jerseys.
“With the 1st and 2nd overall selections, the Hawks pick…. Wide Receiver from Minnesota State-Moorhead and the Kansas City Coyotes, Luke Quick, and Runningback from Rutgers and Kansas City Coyotes, Busch Goose!”
Sonjack smiled and applauded. He played against those guys, and they were top tier talents. The excitement of the top picks started to fade. 3rd went Bruckner, 4th went Walls. A trade was announced that moved the Outlaws up into the 5th overall draft spot.
“With the 5th overall selection, the Arizona Outlaws are ecstatic to select… from Texas A&M and the London Royals, Glenn Smart!”
CJ jumped out of his seat, hooting for his teammate over in London. “LETS GOOOOOO SMART!” he bellowed from his bench. He was the first of many Royals to have their name called that evening. The first round continued. CJ racked his brain – some analysts had him going as early as late 1st round.
Mongo to the Silverbacks at 6, Juno Hu to the Sabercats at 7, Warthol to the Wraiths at 8. A lot of mocks had CJ going 9 to the Outlaws, but they no longer held that pick. Troy Abed went to the Salamanders at 9. The Butchers walked up to make their pick – Sonjack’s agent had some history with them. They went with Dexter Hall from the Coyotes. The Colorado Yeti held the 11th overall pick, and Sonjack was excited as he had some great chats with them. “With the 11th overall selection, the Yeti are pleased to select… from the London Royals….” CJ started to get hyped.
“Runningback Manhattan Project.” It was a bit of a tear in how he felt he should feel – he was ecstatic for his teammate but shot right in the gut that it was not his name called up on that stage. He sat back down, clapping for his buddy. The Professor Godfrey Gravity went 12th, and then Cade Williams went 13th. The Hawks batted cleanup in the 1st round with the selection of Chunt the Badger, a wideout from the Birddogs.
The first round had come and gone. “That’s alright.” CJ told himself. He realistically projected himself as a second-round talent. He was late to the game compared to many of these names, so he could be patient and prove his worth on the team that would inevitably pick him in the second round. The Liberty GM strolled up to make their pick with the 1st selection in the 2nd. “The Liberty are happy to announce that we’ve selected the safety from Purdue and the Tijuana Luchadores – Romulus Roman!” Bayley Cowabunga went next to the Austin Copperheads, and then Bender Rodriguez to the Otters. Stumpy Jones now to the Ultimus Champion Sailfish at 18th overall, and then the Fire Salamanders took a quarterback in Dexter Zaylen at 19th overall. CJ was started to bite his fingernails.
Remus Roman was selected to the Second Line at 20, then the Hawks came in and picked up Makoa Mahi’ai, one of Sonjack’s teammates from London at 21. He genuinely was happy to see teammates drafted, but man, he was starting to reach that point that he knew that these GMs were sleeping on him. 22 came and went – Erik Gaare off to the Wraiths from Dallas. The Otters picked up another wideout in Sam the Onion Man at 23. 24 went and the Butchers drafted some dude that looks like Kirby from the video games. The Yeti scooped a safety in Cole Maxwell at 25. The clock was ticking if CJ was going to be selected in the 2nd round. Honolulu selected quarterback Raeni Clarke, from the Seawolves at 26th. IsHe… ReallyInvisible, another QB, went 27th to the SEcondline. The final pick of the second round was due, and it belonged to the Sailfish, who CJ thought he had a good scouting experience with.
“This has got to be it”, Sonjack thought to himself.
“With the 28th overall selection and the final pick of the second round, the Sarasota Sailfish are thrilled to select, from Texas A&M and the Norfolk Seawolves, Kelvin Harris.” It hit CJ like a punch in the stomach. He was not even a 2nd round talent in this draft, according to ISFL management. Who knows if he is even a 3rd round talent? What about a 4th?
As he sunk back down into his chair, his momma saw the disappointment radiating off him. “CJ, I know you thought that you’d be picked higher than this, but in the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t matter what round or selection you were picked. You are going to go to whatever team picks you, just like the two boys that went 1 and 2. All you can do is put the work in and show that you deserve to be here, and that you belong. If you think you are being done wrong by, get out there and prove that to them. Show them why they’re doing you wrong, boy.”
As his momma lectured him and started to steer him back in the right direction, the PA announcer called up the Philadelphia Liberty for the 29th overall selection. “With the 29th overall pick, the Philadelphia Liberty are happy to select, cornerback from Maryland and the London Royals, CJ Sonjack.” Relief flooded over CJ, as well as a plan to prove the Philly management right for using a pick on him. He kissed his momma, hugged his dad, and walked down to put on that jersey and hat on the stage with the Philly management.
A couple days later, Sonjack reflected on that night and what his mother told him. She was right – it does not matter than he felt that he was a 1st round talent, or even a 2nd round talent. He is going to put the work in to prove that he was a 1st round talent, despite where he was drafted. He is going to prove to those other teams every time they try to beat the Liberty that he should have been someone higher up on their draft charts. That is what he owes to his family and to himself. The work never stops – it just gets more intense, and Sonjack is ready to work in London and Philadelphia alike. Let’s get it.
1204 words