Code:
R - reporter
C - Caleb
Agent: Hello all, thanks for joining this Zoom call. Caleb is excited to chat with all of you today as he takes the first steps to being part of the ISFL and the DSFL. We'll try to answer as many questions as possible, but please don't ask any speculatory questions. Any details regarding his future team will be made public when the time is right, until then please respect our privacy and the process. We'll open up to questions.
R: Hi Caleb, it's a big step to join the ISFL. Why did you decide to join this league instead of heading to the NFL?
C: Yeah it was a difficult decision, especially with the NFL being a more global brand and having familial connections over there. But at the end of the day I wanted to forge my own path while also having a bit more job security. The ISFL is a growing league with high potential, I think it's a good league for me to make my name in. It could also potentially reach the levels of the NFL, so it's a nice place to be.
R: You played defensive end at Indiana and enjoyed a decent amount of success, notching 182 combined total tackles, 54 tackles for loss and 30.5 sacks in your 4 years there. How do you think you're prepared for defensive end/edge in the ISFL?
C: I think it's going to be a pretty similar challenge, obviously talent levels increase when you go pro but I wouldn't be here if I didn't think I could handle it. Spending 4 years in Indiana was definitely helpful as I got to really improve my game and hone my skills year after year, adding more moves to my pass rushing arsenal while also spending quite a bit of time in the film room to understand contain assignments and run gaps/penetrations. I'd love to build on the success under Tom Allen at Indiana and bring it to the ISFL.
R: Have you heard from any teams at the DSFL level yet?
C: Yeah I've been contacted a little bit, which was surprising how quickly I was reached out to. Didn't expect to be on anyone's radar right after signing up to be part of the league, but it'll be nice to get on a roster soon and start practicing with a team.
R: What kind of player do you hope to be in the DSFL/ISFL? You were quite the technician at Indiana, focusing more on utilizing defensive IQ and pass-rush moves to beat offensive tackles/guards. Is that what you'll do in the ISFL?
C: I'd like to think that the defensive IQ and technical moves can help, but I recognized that I needed to work on athleticism as well. I tried to add a bit more weight in muscle mass while also dropping a bit of body fat. Training quite a bit with some track and field specialists to work on conditioning and endurance, as well as twitch speed to get off the line quicker. Speed is definitely becoming a larger part of my game now which will be fun to use on the field.
R: What do you think is going to be the biggest challenge for you in your first season in the league?
C: Well I think just getting up to speed is going to be the biggest challenge here. With COVID and all, I wasn't sure if I'd even join the league for this season so I don't have a team yet. It certainly makes things a bit more difficult with the start of the season just around the corner, so it'll be a bit chaotic since I expect to be claimed off waivers pretty late tonight. I'll have to be up late and keep a suitcase packed to get ready to head out to wherever I get claimed. But once I get there, it's going to be a quick turnaround to joining the team after their first game and getting used to the playbook, understand the line stunts, assignments, playbook. Getting familiar with the coaches, the team. It'll be a fun challenge though.
R: What are your goals for your first season? Overall goals in the ISFL?
C: I don't really have much of a goal for the first season outside of just getting up to speed with the team. I don't expect to see significant playing time at first, that's just the nature of the beast and how business works. But over time I'd like to challenge for a starting job and hopefully raise my draft stock so that I can head out to a decent team in the ISFL. From there just being a solid, all-round player is the goal. I don't want to declare my intent to break records or whatever, the individual stuff is nice but the championships are even better.
R: Out of all the teams so far in the DSFL, which one do you like the most?
C: Well I don't really know much about any team, really. I declared pretty late last night/this morning and haven't gotten much time to check out teams. If I had to go by branding/colors, I'd probably say the London Royals and Bondi Beach Bucs are my top 2. Birddogs and Seawolves probably bottom 2, I'm never really a fan of combining animal names to make a team name. Feels lazy and a failed attempt to be creative. Much better avenues to go with, especially with some dope team names/brandings around the DSFL.
Agent: Anyways, that'll be all for the questions we do today, thanks everyone for taking the time. We'll likely hold another press conference later this week after Caleb joins a DSFL team and can speak more about his time on the team and how his first week is gone. Take care!
Word Count: 984
R - reporter
C - Caleb
Agent: Hello all, thanks for joining this Zoom call. Caleb is excited to chat with all of you today as he takes the first steps to being part of the ISFL and the DSFL. We'll try to answer as many questions as possible, but please don't ask any speculatory questions. Any details regarding his future team will be made public when the time is right, until then please respect our privacy and the process. We'll open up to questions.
R: Hi Caleb, it's a big step to join the ISFL. Why did you decide to join this league instead of heading to the NFL?
C: Yeah it was a difficult decision, especially with the NFL being a more global brand and having familial connections over there. But at the end of the day I wanted to forge my own path while also having a bit more job security. The ISFL is a growing league with high potential, I think it's a good league for me to make my name in. It could also potentially reach the levels of the NFL, so it's a nice place to be.
R: You played defensive end at Indiana and enjoyed a decent amount of success, notching 182 combined total tackles, 54 tackles for loss and 30.5 sacks in your 4 years there. How do you think you're prepared for defensive end/edge in the ISFL?
C: I think it's going to be a pretty similar challenge, obviously talent levels increase when you go pro but I wouldn't be here if I didn't think I could handle it. Spending 4 years in Indiana was definitely helpful as I got to really improve my game and hone my skills year after year, adding more moves to my pass rushing arsenal while also spending quite a bit of time in the film room to understand contain assignments and run gaps/penetrations. I'd love to build on the success under Tom Allen at Indiana and bring it to the ISFL.
R: Have you heard from any teams at the DSFL level yet?
C: Yeah I've been contacted a little bit, which was surprising how quickly I was reached out to. Didn't expect to be on anyone's radar right after signing up to be part of the league, but it'll be nice to get on a roster soon and start practicing with a team.
R: What kind of player do you hope to be in the DSFL/ISFL? You were quite the technician at Indiana, focusing more on utilizing defensive IQ and pass-rush moves to beat offensive tackles/guards. Is that what you'll do in the ISFL?
C: I'd like to think that the defensive IQ and technical moves can help, but I recognized that I needed to work on athleticism as well. I tried to add a bit more weight in muscle mass while also dropping a bit of body fat. Training quite a bit with some track and field specialists to work on conditioning and endurance, as well as twitch speed to get off the line quicker. Speed is definitely becoming a larger part of my game now which will be fun to use on the field.
R: What do you think is going to be the biggest challenge for you in your first season in the league?
C: Well I think just getting up to speed is going to be the biggest challenge here. With COVID and all, I wasn't sure if I'd even join the league for this season so I don't have a team yet. It certainly makes things a bit more difficult with the start of the season just around the corner, so it'll be a bit chaotic since I expect to be claimed off waivers pretty late tonight. I'll have to be up late and keep a suitcase packed to get ready to head out to wherever I get claimed. But once I get there, it's going to be a quick turnaround to joining the team after their first game and getting used to the playbook, understand the line stunts, assignments, playbook. Getting familiar with the coaches, the team. It'll be a fun challenge though.
R: What are your goals for your first season? Overall goals in the ISFL?
C: I don't really have much of a goal for the first season outside of just getting up to speed with the team. I don't expect to see significant playing time at first, that's just the nature of the beast and how business works. But over time I'd like to challenge for a starting job and hopefully raise my draft stock so that I can head out to a decent team in the ISFL. From there just being a solid, all-round player is the goal. I don't want to declare my intent to break records or whatever, the individual stuff is nice but the championships are even better.
R: Out of all the teams so far in the DSFL, which one do you like the most?
C: Well I don't really know much about any team, really. I declared pretty late last night/this morning and haven't gotten much time to check out teams. If I had to go by branding/colors, I'd probably say the London Royals and Bondi Beach Bucs are my top 2. Birddogs and Seawolves probably bottom 2, I'm never really a fan of combining animal names to make a team name. Feels lazy and a failed attempt to be creative. Much better avenues to go with, especially with some dope team names/brandings around the DSFL.
Agent: Anyways, that'll be all for the questions we do today, thanks everyone for taking the time. We'll likely hold another press conference later this week after Caleb joins a DSFL team and can speak more about his time on the team and how his first week is gone. Take care!
Word Count: 984