03-04-2022, 05:06 PM
(This post was last modified: 03-17-2022, 10:56 AM by allbetsonjames. Edited 4 times in total.)
Congratulations to the Season 33 Sim Football Writers Guild All-Pro Team!
QUARTERBACK
1st team: Wendell Sailor
Key Stats: 7.61% ANY/A, 66.24% Completions
2nd team: Mattathias Caliban
Key Stats: 5087 Yards, 45 TDs, 5.63 TD/INT ratio
Another year, another batch of incredible Quarterback stat lines! This season for our All-Pro teams, we have two ends of the efficiency vs volume spectrum. Although in the past Caliban has been a little farther off on the efficiency part, this season it was much closer. Hence, we did not come to a unanimous decision. The Quarterback discussion was really a 4-horse race, that we unfortunately had to narrow down to 2. And while it was difficult, and there will be debate on and on, I think we can appreciate these 2 as having amazing seasons. And, appreciate how interesting it is that we have a rookie and a veteran in his final season as our selections. The future of the ISFL is bright!
For our first team, we have the undeniable rookie, Wendell Sailor. This rookie campaign was possibly the best we’ve ever seen. Even more impressive is that it came from the QB of a team who historically loves to run the rock. Even though the Outlaws didn’t stray from their identity, Sailor was still able to put up fantastic numbers on the second least attempts across all other Quarterbacks. With almost 150 less attempts than our second team signal caller, Sailor kept pace in most categories. If Arizona opens the offense up a little more, we could see Wendell on this list many more times.
And speaking of many times, Caliban is no stranger to this list. He’s been the volume king for a number of seasons now, and this season was no exception. This season, he was finally able to combine his nose for the endzone with the ability to protect the ball. Typically, on this high a volume of passing, double-digit INTs are expected. However, Caliban was able to chuck it with reckless abandon and still come in under that mark! His 5.63 TD/INT ratio was the highest among all Quarterbacks this season, and he achieved this while throwing the ball more times than any other player. INTs have been a bugaboo for him in these discussions before, but in his final season, he truly did put everything together.
RUNNING BACK
1st team: Goat Tank Jr (Unanimous Selection)
Key Stats: 1620 rush yards (1st), 4.92 YPC, 21 scrimmage TDs
1st team: Jay Cue Jr
Key Stats: 2127 scrimmage yards (1st), 5.14 YPC (1st), 20 explosive plays (1st)
2nd team: John Huntsman
Key Stats: 1828 scrimmage yards, 71.83% catch rate, 17 scrimmage TDs
2nd team: Goat Tank Sr
Key Stats: 1606 rush yards (2nd), 23 scrimmage TDs (1st)
![[Image: RKlE1VQ.png]](https://i.imgur.com/RKlE1VQ.png)
Season 33 was not one without a lot of great performances on the ground, but there was a pretty clear delineation between the top of the pack. Aside from the lone Unanimous first rounder, the Running Back Formerly Known as Zach DiNozzo, our committee was pretty split on the remaining players.
Speaking of Goat Tank the Younger, he followed up a Season 32 which was high on volume but very poor in efficiency with a season that was the best of both worlds. Not only did GTJr lead the league in rushing, but he did so with an absurd 4.92 yards per carry. Add to it his 17 rushing and 4 receiving touchdowns, it’s easy to see why he was a unanimous first team pick.
Our other first team Running Back, Jay Cue Jr, was a big play monster, leading all RBs with 20 explosive plays (carries or receptions over 20 yards), and notched such a play on over 6% of his touches (no other RB with more than 200 carries had better than 4.5%). He also showed himself to be a threat in the receiving game, totalling just shy of 700 yards through the air.
Since taking over the starting spot in Sarasota, Huntsman has proven he’s one of the top RBs in the league. His 1800 scrimmage yards and 17 scrimmage touchdowns prove that point, but what is often overlooked is his ability as a receiver. Huntsman’s 71% catch rate helped the Sailfish move the chains and prevented opposing defenses from selling out against the run.
Our last spot on the list this season went to a player we’re all familiar with - Berlin’s Goat Tank Sr. Wanting to prove that he still had a few things to teach his son (?), Tank finished just behind GTJr in rushing yards, but set the league pace for total touchdowns, with an absurd 23 rushing and receiving touchdowns.
WIDE RECEIVER
1st team: Taro Raimon
Key stats: 1321 receiving yards, 15 touchdowns (T-1st), 9.44 yards/target, 68% catch rate
1st team: Jake Fencik
Key stats: 1619 receiving yards (1st), 10 touchdowns, 119 receptions (2nd), 68% catch rate
2nd team: Mark Walker
Key stats: 1476 receiving yards (5th), 11 touchdowns, 16.22 yards/catch, 9.58 yards/target, 20 20+ yard catches (T-3rd), 10 40+ yard catches (1st)
2nd team: Raphael Delacour
Key stats: 1535 receiving yards, 13 touchdowns (4th), 113 receptions (4th), 19 20+ yard catches
Taro Raimon was a touchdown hawk for the Arizona Outlaws offense that broke out again in S33. Raimon tied for the league lead with 15 touchdowns in addition to over 1300 yards while also putting up some impressive efficiency numbers. His 9.44 yards per target were among the top 10 in the league and his 68% catch rate was more than 4% above league average.
Jake Fencik in his retirement season put up some crazy yardage numbers leading the league in receiving yards with 1619. Almost as impressive as his yardage total was his 68% catch rate on almost 200 targets. Add in double digit touchdowns and you’ve got the recipe for a 1st team All-Pro season.
Mark Walker was a revelation for the Yellowknife passing attack that was coming off of a down year. Walker was top 5 in receiving yards with almost 1500, and paired that with 11 touchdowns. The most impressive part of Walker’s game this season was the big play ability. Walker was 2nd in the league with 16.22 yards per reception, T-3rd in 20+ yard catches with 20, and 1st in the league with 10 40+ yard catches. When they needed a big play, Walker was there for the Wraiths.
Raphael Delacour put up another monster season for the Colorado Yeti. He finished 2nd in receiving yards with 1535 and 4th in touchdowns with 13. Delacour also put up the 4th most catches in the league with 113 and was very explosive in his own right totalling 19 20+ yard catches and 6 40+ yard catches.
TIGHT END
1st team: Sal Ami
Key stats: 1063 receiving yards (1st), 13 touchdowns (1st), 92 receptions (2nd), 11.55 yards/catch (1st), 13 20+ yard catches (1st), 69% catch rate
2nd team: Buffalo Hunter
Key stats: 858 receiving yards (2nd), 3 touchdowns, 100 receptions (1st), 63 pancakes (2nd)
Did somebody order an Italian BMT from Subway because we have some big Sal Ami up in here. Sal Ami had an absolutely wild season as a pass catcher from the Tight End position. He amassed over 1000 receiving yards alongside a whopping 13 touchdowns leading all Tight Ends in both categories. Ami put up 200 more receiving yards and 8 more touchdowns than the next highest players at his position. He was pretty efficient and explosive too, posting a position leading 11.55 yards per catch, a position leading 13 20+ yard catches as well as the 2nd most yards per target among Tight Ends with 7.93. Sal Ami was an absolute weapon for Honolulu putting up an All-Pro First Team season.
Buffalo Hunter was more of a conventional dual threat tight end this season, excelling in both the receiving and blocking games. Hunter was 2nd amongst tight ends with 858 receiving yards and led his position with 100 receptions on the year. Pair that with the 2nd most pancakes among tight ends with 63 and just 1 sack allowed and it’s easy to see why Hunter was selected to be an All-Pro.
FULLBACK
First Team: Ivan Toastovich
Key Stats: 75 pancakes, 101 receiving yards
Second Team: Buster Bawlls
Key Stats: 48 pancakes, 105 receiving yards, 1 total TD
The King has been dethroned! For the first time since starting the SFWG All-Pro Team, we have a new First Team Fullback! Ivan Toastovich came in as a rookie and helped propel Austin to one of the top offenses in the ASFC, where his blocking helped not only their dynamic duo of Zoe Watts and Jim the Vampire find space on the ground, but where he also helped keep QB Jackie Daytona clean en route to a season of efficiency. His 75 pancakes set the pace for all Fullbacks this season, and while he could have been called one dimensional, his one dimension was stronger tha most players’ 3 or 4, and for that he was rewarded.
Reports of Buster Bawlls’ demise have been greatly exaggerated, as the perennial All-Pro Fullback still made the Second Team this season. He had a lower total of pancakes (by his standard) in Season 33, but he was our only Fullback to not commit a single penalty, and he showed off his versatility by catching a touchdown.
OFFENSIVE TACKLE
1st team: Icebox Riposte (Unanimous Selection)
Key Stats: 127 pancakes (T-1st), 1 sack allowed, 20 penalty yards
1st team: Alexander Franklin
Key Stats: 127 pancakes (T-1st), 1 sack allowed, 40 penalty yards
2nd team: Connor Quigley
Key Stats: 119 pancakes (4th), 1 sack allowed
2nd team: JaJa DingDong
Key Stats: 112 pancakes (6th), 0 sacks allowed (T-1st)
![[Image: 02u4Fvi.png]](https://i.imgur.com/02u4Fvi.png)
Our first teamers Icebox Riposte and Alexander Franklin were so similar that the only discernible difference between the two was penalty yards. They tied for the league lead by putting up 127 pancakes and only allowed 1 sack each. Riposte comes away with a unanimous distinction by producing at those extremely high levels and only costing his team 20 yards in penalties.
Connor Quigley just missed out on a potential first team All-Pro season finishing just 8 pancakes short of our two first team selections. Quigley put up a monstrous 119 pancakes which was good for 4th in the league while also only giving up a single sack.
Jaja Ding Dong had the most pancakes in the league without giving up a single sack. His 112 pancakes was good for 6th in the league and was one of only a handful of offensive linemen across the league to not allow a single sack.
OFFENSIVE GUARD
1st team: Zoltan (Unanimous selection)
Key Stats: 67 pancakes (1st), 0 sacks allowed (1st), 1 fumble recovery
1st team: Slurms McKenzie
Key Stats: 65 pancakes (2nd), 3 sacks allowed, 1 fumble recovery
2nd team: Keane Lover
Key Stats: 57 pancakes, 3 sacks allowed, 2 penalties
2nd team: Timmy Dimbi
Key Stats: 45 pancakes, 1 sack allowed (2nd), 1 penalty
![[Image: TEJ4Dry.png]](https://i.imgur.com/TEJ4Dry.png)
Zoltan, a second-year starter for the Liberty, moved from Right Tackle to the interior this past season and earned himself a unanimous First Team selection. His numbers speak for themselves, as he led all Guards in Pancakes and was the only one on this list to not allow a sack all season. If he keeps playing at this level, Zoltan might gain a cult following in Philadelphia.
Our second First Team spot went to the coolest space slug (slug?) out there, the one-and-only Slurms McKenzie. He may have allowed three sacks on the season, but he made this spot by putting defenders on their butts, racking up a very impressive 65 pancakes on the season.
What would our All-Pro Team be without a Sailfish offensive lineman being picked? Keane Lover makes his first appearance on the team, posting an impressive 57 pancakes, third most for the position.
Timmy Dimbi, our final Guard on the list, had just a solid, all-around season without a lot of flash. He may have had a lower amount of pancakes compared to the others on this list, but he also only allowed 1 sack and committed only one penalty. Sometimes it’s the things you don’t do instead of those you do that make the difference!
CENTER
1st team: Manhattan Project (Unanimous Selection)
Key Stats: 101 pancakes (1st), 0 sacks allowed, 1 penalty (1st), 1 fumble recovery
2nd team: Paul Monitor
Key Stats: 83 pancakes (2nd), 0 sacks allowed, 2 penalties (2nd), 2 fumble recoveries (2nd)
![[Image: wRUzOi6.png]](https://i.imgur.com/wRUzOi6.png)
Manhattan Project absolutely dominated this season and might’ve been the easiest unanimous selection across all positions this season. He led all centers in pancakes, being the only interior linemen including guards to hit triple digits and he did it while not allowing a single sack and only getting called for 1 penalty. On top of that he also recovered a fumble.
Paul Monitor also had an insane season in his own right putting up a monstrous 83 pancakes which was good for 2nd among all interior linemen. He also put up these huge pancake numbers while not allowing a single sack and only getting called for 2 penalties over the course of the season. Monitor also recovered 2 fumbles, preventing turnovers for his team.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
1st team: Chuck Roth (Unanimous selections)
Key stats: 10 Sacks, 10 TFLs, 97% Made Tackles
1st team: Jason Bradshaw
Key stats: 8 TFLs, 2 FF, 2 Missed Tackles
2nd team: Honky-Tonk Haywood
Key stats: 66 Tackles, 6 Sacks
2nd team: Candice Fitinyomouth
Key stats: 7 TFLs, 2 Missed Tackles
![[Image: cFZWFlv.png]](https://i.imgur.com/cFZWFlv.png)
Chuck Roth has been dominating this award discussion for a little bit now, and this season was no exception. He stood head and shoulders above the competition and racked up 20 total negative plays, evenly split between Sacks and TFLs. Those marks are highest among all Defensive Tackles, and so are his 3 Forced Fumbles. Occasionally in this committee, a player stands so far above their group that we don’t much have to argue it. This was definitely one of those times.
Now, that being said, it doesn’t mean that Bradshaw and the others on this list had bad seasons. His 8 TFLs was second only to Roth at the position and he only missed 2 tackles all year. On top of that, he added another 4 sacks and forced 2 fumbles. For the current state of Defensive Tackles, that’s a very solid season.
Honkytonk Haywood was second among all Defensive Tackles in the stat they’re named for. With 66 tackles. He’s also second highest on this list with 6 sacks. He did miss a fair few tackles on the season, but based on his total numbers, it seems that he faced more players than the others here.
And rounding out our list of round players, we have Candice Fitinyomouth. Candice is the third player in our list with only 2 Missed Tackles, which is quite a feat. Austin’s Linebackers do a lot of the lifting for this defense, but even being surrounded by some ballers, Candice threw in 7 TFLs, and helped the sneks make the playoffs.
DEFENSIVE END
1st team: Rocco Blade
Key stats: 15 TFL (1st), 51 tackles (2nd among DEs not named Leonard Taylor)
1st team: Will Stern
Key stats: 13 sacks (2nd among DEs), 8 TFL (T-3rd among DEs), 4 forced fumbles (T-1st among DEs)
2nd team: David Moyes
Key stats: 14 sacks (1st among DEs), 57 tackles (1st among DEs not named Leonard Taylor)
2nd team: Wasrabi Gleel
Key stats: 7 TFL, 10 sacks
The Defensive End position saw a bit of a renaissance in Season 33 after a period of relatively little production compared to other defensive positions. 9 different DEs had 9 or more sacks, after only five such players last season (none of whom got more than 10 sacks). The First Team selections were huge contributors to their respective defenses, though they made their biggest impact in different ways. Rocco Blade demonstrated big play ability in the run game, with his 15 TFLs making it seem like he was playing DE in the old sim, while still contributing 6 sacks in pass rush, just about at league average. Will Stern was more well rounded with exceptional numbers in both sacks and TFLs, as well as game-changing ability with 4 forced fumbles.
David Moyes followed up his appearance on the All-Pro First Team last season with a Second Team appearance this season. His 14 sacks were the most among any DE since Season 30, but only 3 tackles for loss hurt him in the eyes of some voters. Beside him is converted Linebacker Wasrabi Gleel, who had an extremely successful first season in his new position at DE. Gleel’s rounded TFL and Sack numbers demonstrated versatile playmaking ability, securing him an impressive Second Team spot.
OUTSIDE LINEBACKER
1st team: Melvin Murder-Moose (Unanimous Selection)
Key stats: 18 Sacks, 14 PDs, 12 FF
1st team: BamBam McMullet
Key stats: 53.27% Catch%, 16 Sacks, 7 FF, 2 INT
2nd team: Gary Goodman
Key stats: 22 Sacks, 0 Penalties
2nd team: Sheriff Woody
Key stats: 19 Sacks, 63% Catch%, 94% Made Tackles
![[Image: SsAUPJG.png]](https://i.imgur.com/SsAUPJG.png)
Melvin put together one of the best Linebacking seasons we’ve seen in ages. The stats showed his ability, even in the twilight of his career, to do everything. You want coverage, how about 14 PDs and a respectable 64% catches allowed. You want him to stop the run? 7 TFLs and a league second 129 Tackles. What about stopping a play before it even develops? Got that too, with 18 sacks. The Moose man was on a rampage this season and trampled the competition all the way to an MVP win. Incredible year.
And, speaking of incredible, you’ll see BamBam's Catch% listed above. For those unaware, that’s the percent of catches he allowed when in coverage. Our benchmark for Cornerbacks on this list is generally around 60%. Ok, sure, but maybe they only threw at him a few times. Nope! This was on 107 targets! No matter how you look at it, 53% is astoundingly great. He also nabbed 2 INTs and 9 PDs, so his coverage work was fantastic all around. You may be thinking, if he was that good in coverage and got targeted so much, surely he didn’t have time for tackles and sacks. Wrong again, bucko! 107 tackles combined with 16 sacks rounds out what could’ve been a unanimous first team selection in any other season.
Now, if you can’t be great at 2 things, it’s probably a solid idea to be the best at one thing. And that’s exactly what Gary Goodman did for the Liberty this year. He led the league in Sacks, with a whopping 22! No one else hit the 20 mark this season, although his Second Team cohort was very close with 19. Goodman was around average among Linebackers in coverage this year, with a 66% Catch%. But where he lacked in coverage, he more than made up for with his ability to keep the Quarterback from throwing the ball in the first place.
Finally, we have Sheriff Woody. The committee had an incredibly tough time separating the final 3 Linebackers for this team. We had a runoff vote that had a player miss out by 1 vote. Doesn’t get much closer than that. With that out of the way, take nothing away from Woody’s performance this year. As mentioned before, he was right on Goodman’s heels in the sack race, and turned a few of those into Forced Fumbles as well. His coverage abilities were solid as well, hitting a 63% mark on Catch% on over 100 targets. He also came in just under 100 tackles, which is a good benchmark to be around. Great seasons all around from our outstanding Outside Linebackers.
INSIDE LINEBACKER
1st team: Ernest Lover
Key stats: 10 Sacks, 5 FF, 1 Safety
2nd team: Sir Peter Jackson
Key stats: 57.78% Catch%, 8 Sacks, 97.27% Tackle%
Continuing our tradition of difficult discussions and contested positions, our ILBs were also not unanimous choices. Again, that isn’t a knock against them as much as it illustrates how competitive the spots are. In our first team, we ended up selecting Ernest Lover. He lead ILBs in Sacks with 10 and added 5 TFLs, bringing his negative play total to 15. He was first among eligible Inside Linebackers with 5 Forced Fumbles which probably came on some of his whopping 110 tackles. Lover is yet another great play stopper from a lineage of defenders from Sarasota.
Our Second Team choice excelled in coverage as well as making plays all around the field. As with BamBam, our eyes got huge when we saw another sub 60% Catch% from a Linebacker. Jackson was no slouch on negative plays either, taking the Quarterback down 8 times on the season. One of the most outstanding stats from his season was his ability to wrap up. On triple-digit attempts, Jackson completed over 97% of his tackles. If you came into his area, chances were you weren’t getting past him! In combination with his coverage stats, Jackson is yet another example of how versatile Linebackers can be.
CORNERBACK
1st team: Harrison Andrews
Key stats: 6 INT (1st among CB), 35 PD (T-2nd), 0 missed tackles, 0.22 PDs/target (T-3rd), 0.59 PDs/incomplete target (T-3rd)
1st team: Richard Leaking
Key stats: 3 defensive TDs (1st), 5 INT
1st team flex: Juno Hu
Key Stats: 54.2% catch rate allowed (4th among CBs), 0.22 PDs/target (T-3rd), 32 PDs (4th)
2nd team: Willie Miller
Key stats: 35 PDs (T-2nd), 0.26 PDs/target (T-1st), 0.74 PDs/incomplete target (1st), 4 INT
2nd team: Annie May
Key stats: 39 PDs (1st), 0.26 PDs/target (T-1st), 0.72 PDs/incomplete target (2nd)
Cornerback was one of the most heavily contested position groups on the ballot this season, with a ton of great players beyond just these five who had excellent performances. That said, there were two players who were nearly guaranteed their spots on the 1st team: Harrison Andrews and Richard Leaking. The last few seasons have been a bit quiet for Handrews, who previously made 2 All-Pro teams in S28 and S29 and won S28 Cornerback of the Year. He stormed back with a vengeance this season, leading all CBs in interceptions while posting well-rounded numbers in many other categories and advanced stats, putting on a performance as arguably the most reliable corner in the league. The veteran Leaking makes his first All-Pro appearance here after a fantastic season, scoring 3 defensive TDs (and adding another one in the Ultimus not counted here). He didn’t excel above his peers in other stats, though his 65% catch rate allowed and 24 PDs are nothing to scoff at, but his playmaking ability was a huge factor in OCO’s run this season.
These two are joined at the First Team Defensive Back Flex position by Juno Hu. Hu allowed only 54% of passes thrown in his direction as completions, a staggeringly low number for an outside cornerback, and his PD numbers further demonstrate his ability at disrupting throws. The 4 interceptions he snagged were crucial as well. In the Second Team, last season’s First Team Flex, Willie Miller, makes another All-Pro appearance, posting great stats in a variety of categories while also securing 4 interceptions. His 65% catch rate allowed put him just a touch below Hu in the race for repeating his First Team Flex spot, however. Hu’s teammate Annie May also secures a 2nd team spot through similarly impressive numbers, including leading the league in PDs.
SAFETY
1st team: Jacob Raske (Unanimous selection)
Key stats: 81 tackles, 8 INTs (1st), 16 PDs, 61.49% CtA
1st team: Spike Daniels
Key stats: 8 sacks, 4 INTs, 1 DTD, 60.66% CtA
2nd team: Dee Walt
Key stats: 51 tackles, 2 sacks, 5 INTs
2nd team: Amari Springer
Key stats: 93 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 INTs, 60.6% CtA
2nd team flex: Miles Weperom
Key stats: 3 INTs, 1 DTD, 15 PDs, 2 sacks
![[Image: BEJF7Sn.png]](https://i.imgur.com/BEJF7Sn.png)
It should be no surprise to see Berlin’s Jacob Raske here as a Unanimous First Team selection after a Season 33 campaign that saw him land not only a Safety of the Year award, but also a Defensive Player of the Year award, too. Looking at his numbers, it’s easy to see why. Raske played the center fielder for the Fire Salamanders defense this year, where he led the league in interceptions with an absurd 8, and also allowed under 62% of the throws in his area to be completed. He wasn’t just a cover corner either, as he racked up 81 tackles.
Sarasota safety players and making the All-Pro list. Name a more iconic duo. With the retirement of all-time great Cuco Clemente, the Sailfish needed someone to step in and take his place as a do-it-all player on defense. Enter Spike Daniels. Daniels showed the greatest versatility of our Safeties this season, where he was a capable blitzer, notching 8 sacks, and defended the pass with the best of them, allowing just over 60% completion rate and intercepting 4 passes, too.
Dee Walt played a bit more of boom-or-bust style this season, where he had the highest catches allowed rate of our All-Pros (66%), but he still managed to snag five interceptions on the year, good enough for third in the league. He also showed speed of the edge, totalling two sacks on the year.
On the other end of the spectrum of playmaking, we had the Second Line’s defensive leader, Amari Springer. All season long, Spring showcased impressive instincts this season, totalling 93 tackles on the year, more than any other Safety on the year. He also was an all-around player, making plays as a blitzer and in pass defense, where he allowed an impressive sub-61% catch rate and picked off two passes.
Our final D-Flex spot this season went to a Safety for the second year in a row, showing off the general strength of this position group. Weperom plays a very similar style to Springer, making plays at all levels of the field for the Hahalua. Honolulu’s season may have been a bit of a letdown for them, but Weperom’s play should be seen as a bright spot for the islands.
KICKER
1st team: Levy Tate
Key stats: 57/57 XP || 88.6 FG% || 4/5 from 50+ yards || 55-yard season long
2nd team: Jean-Jacques Leroy
Key stats: 53/53 XP || 92 FG% || 100 FG% <40 yards || 48-yard season long
Levy Tate took Chicago’s kicking game to new heights with a spectacular rookie season. The Butchers’ offense led the league in scoring, making Tate one of the league’s busiest kickers, and the rookie rose to the challenge. On extra points she was automatic, leading all kickers with 57 attempts and not missing one. She also achieved the highest field goal percentage among kickers with 30+ FG attempts, and the second-highest overall. She missed only one FG from inside 40 yards, and was one of the league’s deadliest from long range as well, going 12/15 from 40 yards and longer and booming the league’s longest FG of the season, a 55-yarder. Butchers fans are undoubtedly thrilled with their new kicker, and football fans will be watching with interest to see if Tate can live up to the high standard she’s now set for herself.
Austin’s offense was one of the most efficient in opposing redzones this season, which meant their fantastic French botteur Jean-Jacques LeRoy was the only kicker not to attempt a FG of 50+ yards all year. While LeRoy may not have gotten the opportunities to prove his leg strength, he compensated by showing off lethal accuracy instead. The Copperheads were virtually guaranteed 3 points if they could get inside the opposing 30, and when they got 6 they could be certain of 7. LeRoy was the only kicker to make more than 90% of his field goals this season, and his only 2 misses came on difficult kicks from beyond 40 yards. Add to that reliability on field goals 53 XP attempts without a miss and you get a season very worthy of All-Pro recognition.
PUNTER:
1st team: Dallas Dole
Key Stats: 4034 punt yards || 49.2 punting avg. || 35.4% inside20 || 6 punts 70+ yards
2nd team: Lux Opal
Key Stats: 3564 punt yards || 46.9 punting avg. || 38 punts inside 20 (50.0%) || 67-yard season long.
Orange County surprised many ISFL analysts just by making the playoffs, and surprised even more with their run to the Ultimus game. Of all the players who contributed to Orange County’s charmed season, it’s Dallas Dole who could most plausibly be called their secret weapon. The Otters offense occasionally struggled, which meant Dallas Dole tied for the league lead with 82 punt attempts. Cultured football fans with an appreciation for outstanding specialist play surely enjoyed getting to see the ISFL’s strongest leg in action so frequently. Dole’s punts ensured that the Otters’ opponents could never count on good starting field position, no matter how successful their defense was for three downs. His majestic bombs routinely flipped the field from the shadow of his own endzone and occasionally imperiled low-flying aircraft. The only possible knock might be that he was almost too effective, as Orange County’s coverage team often struggled to reach the splashdown point of a Dole missile before the ball bounced out of the endzone.
Only one punter was able to pin opposing offenses deep with a greater percentage of their punts than Lux Opal. However, Opal led all punters in total kicks landed inside the opposing 20 with 38, and tied for 3rd in punting average at 46.9 yards per punt. As a field position weapon they reliably put the Yeti defense in an advantageous position on the rare occasions when Colorado’s airborne assault offense stalled in its own half of the field.
RETURNER:
1st team: Cobra Kai
Key Stats: 709 KR yards (26.3 avg, 42-yard long) || 332 PR yards (11.9 avg, 68-yard long)
2nd team: Jaycee Higgins
Key Stats: 32.2-yard KR average || 108-yard KR TD
Honolulu’s veteran running back lacks a return touchdown on the year, but became this season’s premier return specialist through his tenacity and relentless grinding effectiveness. He led all players in punt return yards, but was no mere accumulator, finishing 3rd in PR average among players with at least 10 attempts. Kai sealed his 1st-Team All-Pro status with his kickoff return abilities; his closest rivals in punt return effectiveness either didn’t return kickoffs at all, or were significantly less capable in comparison to Kai’s 26.3-yard average.
Every once in a great while, a player comes along who is simply so electrifying in one single aspect of the game that the All-Pro voters are compelled to look past information that otherwise might factor against recognizing the player. This year Jaycee Higgins was that kind of player when returning kickoffs. He did not return punts at all, and only returned 17 kickoffs in total. However, his speed and elusiveness made him a delight to watch and a constant threat to score. He gave ISFL fans perhaps the season’s single most spectacular play: a swerving, shimmying, simply breathtaking 108-yard touchdown return from deep in his own endzone, equalling the record longest return in league history. Higgins was also just the second player in the modern sim era to average more than 30 yards per kick return for the season on at least 10 attempts. (Trivia answer: YKW’s Kai Sakura was the other, achieving the feat in Season 26.) Removing the 108-yard return from the calculation gives an average return of 27.4 yards on all other kickoffs, still the 4th-best mark in the league and just 0.1 yards out of a tie for 3rd.
SFWG S33 All-Pro First Team
QB: Wendell Sailor
RB: Goat Tank Jr*
RB: Jay Cue Jr
FB: Ivan Toastovich
WR: Taron Raimon
WR: Jake Fencik
TE: Sal Ami
OT: Icebox Riposte*
OT: Alexander Franklin
OG: Zoltan*
OG: Slurms McKenzie
C: Manhattan Project*
DT: Chuck Roth*
DT: Jason Bradshaw
DE: Rocco Blade
DE: Will Stern
OLB: Melvin Murder-Moose*
OLB: BamBam McMullet
ILB: Ernest Lover
CB: Harrison Andrews
CB: Richard Leaking
S: Jacob Raske*
S: Spike Daniels
DBFlex: Juno Hu
K: Levy Tate
P: Dallas Dole
Returner: Cobra Kai
SFWG S33 All-Pro Second Team
QB: Mattathias Caliban
RB: Goat Tank Sr
RB: John Huntsman
FB: Buster Bawlls
WR: Mark Walker
WR: Raphael Delacour
TE: Buffalo Hunter
OT: Connor Quigley
OT: JaJa DingDong
OG: Keane Lover
OG: Timmy Dimbi
C: Paul Monitor
DT: Honky-Tonk Haywood
DT: Candice Fitinyomouth
DE: David Moyes
DE: Wasrabi Gleel
OLB: Gary Goodman
OLB: Sheriff Woody
ILB: Sir Peter Jackson
CB: Willie Miller
CB: Annie May
S: Dee Walt
S: Amari Springer
DBFlex: Miles Weperom
K: Jean-Jacques Leroy
P: Lux Opal
Returner: Jaycee Higgins
* = Unanimous selection
Other Players Receiving Votes:
QB Jackie Daytona; RB Madison Hayes; FB Gus Bus; FB Tre’Davius J’Vathon; WR Bayley Cowabunga; WR Cliff Burton; WR Bernd B. Brot; WR Saleem Spence; WR Vincent Sharpei Jr; TE Mario Messi; OT Stumpy Jones; DT Amadeus Redding; DE Leonardo McTurtle; DE Medicinal Toblerone; OLB Juan Domine; OLB Glenn Smart; OLB Big Slammu; ILB Bender Rodriguez; CB Lip Gallagher; CB Dukburg Quakstak; CB Owen Reed; CB Redbeard McFredbeard; S Jonathan Shuffleboard; S Lawrence Miller; FLEX Calvin Hobbes; FLEX Fuzzy George; FLEX Rich Triplet; KP Jacob Small; KP Thomas Rose; RET HeHateMe PickSix II; RET Jackson Kingston; RET Tugg Speedman
Summary by team:
(6): 3 1st team, 3 2nd team
(6): 3 1st team, 3 2nd team
(6): 3 1st team, 3 2nd team
(5): 2 1st team, 3 2nd team
(5): 2 1st team, 3 2nd team
(4): 4 1st team, 0 2nd team
(4): 4 1st team, 0 2nd team
(4): 3 1st team, 1 2nd team
(4): 2 1st team, 2 2nd team
(2): 1 1st team, 1 2nd team
(2): 0 1st team, 2 2nd team
(2): 0 1st team, 2 2nd team
(2): 0 1st team, 2 2nd team
(2): 0 1st team, 2 2nd team
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Hello! Thank you for taking the time to read through the Season 33 All-Pro team! If you remember last season's end remarks, I said that Season 33 had some of our most heated debates since launching the All-Pro team. Season 33 took it to a new level. The high level of play by so many this season was just astounding and really a treat to see. So many of these players made the team by the slimmest of margins, and so many players just barely missed out, as evidenced by the laundry list of players in the, "Also Receiving Votes" section.
As always, thank you so much for taking the time to read this season's article. We'll see you next off-season!
In pursuit of transparency, as we began doing last season, we are publishing the individual ballots of all seven of our voters this season. While I ask that you maintain respect and decorum in doing so, you are welcome to reach out to the voters about their individual ballots. Check our votes here[url=https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SIM7-IMy7uWk39KDFSi2j8x1dFKYDqSSAhRgxDTn4Zo/edit?resourcekey#gid=108320817][/url]
As always, the Simulation Football Writer’s Guild is open to bringing new members into the guild.
Hip hip hooray again for all of the S33 All-Pro players!
© 2022 Simulation Football Writers’ Guild
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QUARTERBACK
1st team: Wendell Sailor
Key Stats: 7.61% ANY/A, 66.24% Completions
2nd team: Mattathias Caliban
Key Stats: 5087 Yards, 45 TDs, 5.63 TD/INT ratio
Another year, another batch of incredible Quarterback stat lines! This season for our All-Pro teams, we have two ends of the efficiency vs volume spectrum. Although in the past Caliban has been a little farther off on the efficiency part, this season it was much closer. Hence, we did not come to a unanimous decision. The Quarterback discussion was really a 4-horse race, that we unfortunately had to narrow down to 2. And while it was difficult, and there will be debate on and on, I think we can appreciate these 2 as having amazing seasons. And, appreciate how interesting it is that we have a rookie and a veteran in his final season as our selections. The future of the ISFL is bright!
For our first team, we have the undeniable rookie, Wendell Sailor. This rookie campaign was possibly the best we’ve ever seen. Even more impressive is that it came from the QB of a team who historically loves to run the rock. Even though the Outlaws didn’t stray from their identity, Sailor was still able to put up fantastic numbers on the second least attempts across all other Quarterbacks. With almost 150 less attempts than our second team signal caller, Sailor kept pace in most categories. If Arizona opens the offense up a little more, we could see Wendell on this list many more times.
And speaking of many times, Caliban is no stranger to this list. He’s been the volume king for a number of seasons now, and this season was no exception. This season, he was finally able to combine his nose for the endzone with the ability to protect the ball. Typically, on this high a volume of passing, double-digit INTs are expected. However, Caliban was able to chuck it with reckless abandon and still come in under that mark! His 5.63 TD/INT ratio was the highest among all Quarterbacks this season, and he achieved this while throwing the ball more times than any other player. INTs have been a bugaboo for him in these discussions before, but in his final season, he truly did put everything together.
RUNNING BACK
1st team: Goat Tank Jr (Unanimous Selection)
Key Stats: 1620 rush yards (1st), 4.92 YPC, 21 scrimmage TDs
1st team: Jay Cue Jr
Key Stats: 2127 scrimmage yards (1st), 5.14 YPC (1st), 20 explosive plays (1st)
2nd team: John Huntsman
Key Stats: 1828 scrimmage yards, 71.83% catch rate, 17 scrimmage TDs
2nd team: Goat Tank Sr
Key Stats: 1606 rush yards (2nd), 23 scrimmage TDs (1st)
Season 33 was not one without a lot of great performances on the ground, but there was a pretty clear delineation between the top of the pack. Aside from the lone Unanimous first rounder, the Running Back Formerly Known as Zach DiNozzo, our committee was pretty split on the remaining players.
Speaking of Goat Tank the Younger, he followed up a Season 32 which was high on volume but very poor in efficiency with a season that was the best of both worlds. Not only did GTJr lead the league in rushing, but he did so with an absurd 4.92 yards per carry. Add to it his 17 rushing and 4 receiving touchdowns, it’s easy to see why he was a unanimous first team pick.
Our other first team Running Back, Jay Cue Jr, was a big play monster, leading all RBs with 20 explosive plays (carries or receptions over 20 yards), and notched such a play on over 6% of his touches (no other RB with more than 200 carries had better than 4.5%). He also showed himself to be a threat in the receiving game, totalling just shy of 700 yards through the air.
Since taking over the starting spot in Sarasota, Huntsman has proven he’s one of the top RBs in the league. His 1800 scrimmage yards and 17 scrimmage touchdowns prove that point, but what is often overlooked is his ability as a receiver. Huntsman’s 71% catch rate helped the Sailfish move the chains and prevented opposing defenses from selling out against the run.
Our last spot on the list this season went to a player we’re all familiar with - Berlin’s Goat Tank Sr. Wanting to prove that he still had a few things to teach his son (?), Tank finished just behind GTJr in rushing yards, but set the league pace for total touchdowns, with an absurd 23 rushing and receiving touchdowns.
WIDE RECEIVER
1st team: Taro Raimon
Key stats: 1321 receiving yards, 15 touchdowns (T-1st), 9.44 yards/target, 68% catch rate
1st team: Jake Fencik
Key stats: 1619 receiving yards (1st), 10 touchdowns, 119 receptions (2nd), 68% catch rate
2nd team: Mark Walker
Key stats: 1476 receiving yards (5th), 11 touchdowns, 16.22 yards/catch, 9.58 yards/target, 20 20+ yard catches (T-3rd), 10 40+ yard catches (1st)
2nd team: Raphael Delacour
Key stats: 1535 receiving yards, 13 touchdowns (4th), 113 receptions (4th), 19 20+ yard catches
Taro Raimon was a touchdown hawk for the Arizona Outlaws offense that broke out again in S33. Raimon tied for the league lead with 15 touchdowns in addition to over 1300 yards while also putting up some impressive efficiency numbers. His 9.44 yards per target were among the top 10 in the league and his 68% catch rate was more than 4% above league average.
Jake Fencik in his retirement season put up some crazy yardage numbers leading the league in receiving yards with 1619. Almost as impressive as his yardage total was his 68% catch rate on almost 200 targets. Add in double digit touchdowns and you’ve got the recipe for a 1st team All-Pro season.
Mark Walker was a revelation for the Yellowknife passing attack that was coming off of a down year. Walker was top 5 in receiving yards with almost 1500, and paired that with 11 touchdowns. The most impressive part of Walker’s game this season was the big play ability. Walker was 2nd in the league with 16.22 yards per reception, T-3rd in 20+ yard catches with 20, and 1st in the league with 10 40+ yard catches. When they needed a big play, Walker was there for the Wraiths.
Raphael Delacour put up another monster season for the Colorado Yeti. He finished 2nd in receiving yards with 1535 and 4th in touchdowns with 13. Delacour also put up the 4th most catches in the league with 113 and was very explosive in his own right totalling 19 20+ yard catches and 6 40+ yard catches.
TIGHT END
1st team: Sal Ami
Key stats: 1063 receiving yards (1st), 13 touchdowns (1st), 92 receptions (2nd), 11.55 yards/catch (1st), 13 20+ yard catches (1st), 69% catch rate
2nd team: Buffalo Hunter
Key stats: 858 receiving yards (2nd), 3 touchdowns, 100 receptions (1st), 63 pancakes (2nd)
Did somebody order an Italian BMT from Subway because we have some big Sal Ami up in here. Sal Ami had an absolutely wild season as a pass catcher from the Tight End position. He amassed over 1000 receiving yards alongside a whopping 13 touchdowns leading all Tight Ends in both categories. Ami put up 200 more receiving yards and 8 more touchdowns than the next highest players at his position. He was pretty efficient and explosive too, posting a position leading 11.55 yards per catch, a position leading 13 20+ yard catches as well as the 2nd most yards per target among Tight Ends with 7.93. Sal Ami was an absolute weapon for Honolulu putting up an All-Pro First Team season.
Buffalo Hunter was more of a conventional dual threat tight end this season, excelling in both the receiving and blocking games. Hunter was 2nd amongst tight ends with 858 receiving yards and led his position with 100 receptions on the year. Pair that with the 2nd most pancakes among tight ends with 63 and just 1 sack allowed and it’s easy to see why Hunter was selected to be an All-Pro.
FULLBACK
First Team: Ivan Toastovich
Key Stats: 75 pancakes, 101 receiving yards
Second Team: Buster Bawlls
Key Stats: 48 pancakes, 105 receiving yards, 1 total TD
The King has been dethroned! For the first time since starting the SFWG All-Pro Team, we have a new First Team Fullback! Ivan Toastovich came in as a rookie and helped propel Austin to one of the top offenses in the ASFC, where his blocking helped not only their dynamic duo of Zoe Watts and Jim the Vampire find space on the ground, but where he also helped keep QB Jackie Daytona clean en route to a season of efficiency. His 75 pancakes set the pace for all Fullbacks this season, and while he could have been called one dimensional, his one dimension was stronger tha most players’ 3 or 4, and for that he was rewarded.
Reports of Buster Bawlls’ demise have been greatly exaggerated, as the perennial All-Pro Fullback still made the Second Team this season. He had a lower total of pancakes (by his standard) in Season 33, but he was our only Fullback to not commit a single penalty, and he showed off his versatility by catching a touchdown.
OFFENSIVE TACKLE
1st team: Icebox Riposte (Unanimous Selection)
Key Stats: 127 pancakes (T-1st), 1 sack allowed, 20 penalty yards
1st team: Alexander Franklin
Key Stats: 127 pancakes (T-1st), 1 sack allowed, 40 penalty yards
2nd team: Connor Quigley
Key Stats: 119 pancakes (4th), 1 sack allowed
2nd team: JaJa DingDong
Key Stats: 112 pancakes (6th), 0 sacks allowed (T-1st)
Our first teamers Icebox Riposte and Alexander Franklin were so similar that the only discernible difference between the two was penalty yards. They tied for the league lead by putting up 127 pancakes and only allowed 1 sack each. Riposte comes away with a unanimous distinction by producing at those extremely high levels and only costing his team 20 yards in penalties.
Connor Quigley just missed out on a potential first team All-Pro season finishing just 8 pancakes short of our two first team selections. Quigley put up a monstrous 119 pancakes which was good for 4th in the league while also only giving up a single sack.
Jaja Ding Dong had the most pancakes in the league without giving up a single sack. His 112 pancakes was good for 6th in the league and was one of only a handful of offensive linemen across the league to not allow a single sack.
OFFENSIVE GUARD
1st team: Zoltan (Unanimous selection)
Key Stats: 67 pancakes (1st), 0 sacks allowed (1st), 1 fumble recovery
1st team: Slurms McKenzie
Key Stats: 65 pancakes (2nd), 3 sacks allowed, 1 fumble recovery
2nd team: Keane Lover
Key Stats: 57 pancakes, 3 sacks allowed, 2 penalties
2nd team: Timmy Dimbi
Key Stats: 45 pancakes, 1 sack allowed (2nd), 1 penalty
Zoltan, a second-year starter for the Liberty, moved from Right Tackle to the interior this past season and earned himself a unanimous First Team selection. His numbers speak for themselves, as he led all Guards in Pancakes and was the only one on this list to not allow a sack all season. If he keeps playing at this level, Zoltan might gain a cult following in Philadelphia.
Our second First Team spot went to the coolest space slug (slug?) out there, the one-and-only Slurms McKenzie. He may have allowed three sacks on the season, but he made this spot by putting defenders on their butts, racking up a very impressive 65 pancakes on the season.
What would our All-Pro Team be without a Sailfish offensive lineman being picked? Keane Lover makes his first appearance on the team, posting an impressive 57 pancakes, third most for the position.
Timmy Dimbi, our final Guard on the list, had just a solid, all-around season without a lot of flash. He may have had a lower amount of pancakes compared to the others on this list, but he also only allowed 1 sack and committed only one penalty. Sometimes it’s the things you don’t do instead of those you do that make the difference!
CENTER
1st team: Manhattan Project (Unanimous Selection)
Key Stats: 101 pancakes (1st), 0 sacks allowed, 1 penalty (1st), 1 fumble recovery
2nd team: Paul Monitor
Key Stats: 83 pancakes (2nd), 0 sacks allowed, 2 penalties (2nd), 2 fumble recoveries (2nd)
Manhattan Project absolutely dominated this season and might’ve been the easiest unanimous selection across all positions this season. He led all centers in pancakes, being the only interior linemen including guards to hit triple digits and he did it while not allowing a single sack and only getting called for 1 penalty. On top of that he also recovered a fumble.
Paul Monitor also had an insane season in his own right putting up a monstrous 83 pancakes which was good for 2nd among all interior linemen. He also put up these huge pancake numbers while not allowing a single sack and only getting called for 2 penalties over the course of the season. Monitor also recovered 2 fumbles, preventing turnovers for his team.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
1st team: Chuck Roth (Unanimous selections)
Key stats: 10 Sacks, 10 TFLs, 97% Made Tackles
1st team: Jason Bradshaw
Key stats: 8 TFLs, 2 FF, 2 Missed Tackles
2nd team: Honky-Tonk Haywood
Key stats: 66 Tackles, 6 Sacks
2nd team: Candice Fitinyomouth
Key stats: 7 TFLs, 2 Missed Tackles
Chuck Roth has been dominating this award discussion for a little bit now, and this season was no exception. He stood head and shoulders above the competition and racked up 20 total negative plays, evenly split between Sacks and TFLs. Those marks are highest among all Defensive Tackles, and so are his 3 Forced Fumbles. Occasionally in this committee, a player stands so far above their group that we don’t much have to argue it. This was definitely one of those times.
Now, that being said, it doesn’t mean that Bradshaw and the others on this list had bad seasons. His 8 TFLs was second only to Roth at the position and he only missed 2 tackles all year. On top of that, he added another 4 sacks and forced 2 fumbles. For the current state of Defensive Tackles, that’s a very solid season.
Honkytonk Haywood was second among all Defensive Tackles in the stat they’re named for. With 66 tackles. He’s also second highest on this list with 6 sacks. He did miss a fair few tackles on the season, but based on his total numbers, it seems that he faced more players than the others here.
And rounding out our list of round players, we have Candice Fitinyomouth. Candice is the third player in our list with only 2 Missed Tackles, which is quite a feat. Austin’s Linebackers do a lot of the lifting for this defense, but even being surrounded by some ballers, Candice threw in 7 TFLs, and helped the sneks make the playoffs.
DEFENSIVE END
1st team: Rocco Blade
Key stats: 15 TFL (1st), 51 tackles (2nd among DEs not named Leonard Taylor)
1st team: Will Stern
Key stats: 13 sacks (2nd among DEs), 8 TFL (T-3rd among DEs), 4 forced fumbles (T-1st among DEs)
2nd team: David Moyes
Key stats: 14 sacks (1st among DEs), 57 tackles (1st among DEs not named Leonard Taylor)
2nd team: Wasrabi Gleel
Key stats: 7 TFL, 10 sacks
The Defensive End position saw a bit of a renaissance in Season 33 after a period of relatively little production compared to other defensive positions. 9 different DEs had 9 or more sacks, after only five such players last season (none of whom got more than 10 sacks). The First Team selections were huge contributors to their respective defenses, though they made their biggest impact in different ways. Rocco Blade demonstrated big play ability in the run game, with his 15 TFLs making it seem like he was playing DE in the old sim, while still contributing 6 sacks in pass rush, just about at league average. Will Stern was more well rounded with exceptional numbers in both sacks and TFLs, as well as game-changing ability with 4 forced fumbles.
David Moyes followed up his appearance on the All-Pro First Team last season with a Second Team appearance this season. His 14 sacks were the most among any DE since Season 30, but only 3 tackles for loss hurt him in the eyes of some voters. Beside him is converted Linebacker Wasrabi Gleel, who had an extremely successful first season in his new position at DE. Gleel’s rounded TFL and Sack numbers demonstrated versatile playmaking ability, securing him an impressive Second Team spot.
OUTSIDE LINEBACKER
1st team: Melvin Murder-Moose (Unanimous Selection)
Key stats: 18 Sacks, 14 PDs, 12 FF
1st team: BamBam McMullet
Key stats: 53.27% Catch%, 16 Sacks, 7 FF, 2 INT
2nd team: Gary Goodman
Key stats: 22 Sacks, 0 Penalties
2nd team: Sheriff Woody
Key stats: 19 Sacks, 63% Catch%, 94% Made Tackles
Melvin put together one of the best Linebacking seasons we’ve seen in ages. The stats showed his ability, even in the twilight of his career, to do everything. You want coverage, how about 14 PDs and a respectable 64% catches allowed. You want him to stop the run? 7 TFLs and a league second 129 Tackles. What about stopping a play before it even develops? Got that too, with 18 sacks. The Moose man was on a rampage this season and trampled the competition all the way to an MVP win. Incredible year.
And, speaking of incredible, you’ll see BamBam's Catch% listed above. For those unaware, that’s the percent of catches he allowed when in coverage. Our benchmark for Cornerbacks on this list is generally around 60%. Ok, sure, but maybe they only threw at him a few times. Nope! This was on 107 targets! No matter how you look at it, 53% is astoundingly great. He also nabbed 2 INTs and 9 PDs, so his coverage work was fantastic all around. You may be thinking, if he was that good in coverage and got targeted so much, surely he didn’t have time for tackles and sacks. Wrong again, bucko! 107 tackles combined with 16 sacks rounds out what could’ve been a unanimous first team selection in any other season.
Now, if you can’t be great at 2 things, it’s probably a solid idea to be the best at one thing. And that’s exactly what Gary Goodman did for the Liberty this year. He led the league in Sacks, with a whopping 22! No one else hit the 20 mark this season, although his Second Team cohort was very close with 19. Goodman was around average among Linebackers in coverage this year, with a 66% Catch%. But where he lacked in coverage, he more than made up for with his ability to keep the Quarterback from throwing the ball in the first place.
Finally, we have Sheriff Woody. The committee had an incredibly tough time separating the final 3 Linebackers for this team. We had a runoff vote that had a player miss out by 1 vote. Doesn’t get much closer than that. With that out of the way, take nothing away from Woody’s performance this year. As mentioned before, he was right on Goodman’s heels in the sack race, and turned a few of those into Forced Fumbles as well. His coverage abilities were solid as well, hitting a 63% mark on Catch% on over 100 targets. He also came in just under 100 tackles, which is a good benchmark to be around. Great seasons all around from our outstanding Outside Linebackers.
INSIDE LINEBACKER
1st team: Ernest Lover
Key stats: 10 Sacks, 5 FF, 1 Safety
2nd team: Sir Peter Jackson
Key stats: 57.78% Catch%, 8 Sacks, 97.27% Tackle%
Continuing our tradition of difficult discussions and contested positions, our ILBs were also not unanimous choices. Again, that isn’t a knock against them as much as it illustrates how competitive the spots are. In our first team, we ended up selecting Ernest Lover. He lead ILBs in Sacks with 10 and added 5 TFLs, bringing his negative play total to 15. He was first among eligible Inside Linebackers with 5 Forced Fumbles which probably came on some of his whopping 110 tackles. Lover is yet another great play stopper from a lineage of defenders from Sarasota.
Our Second Team choice excelled in coverage as well as making plays all around the field. As with BamBam, our eyes got huge when we saw another sub 60% Catch% from a Linebacker. Jackson was no slouch on negative plays either, taking the Quarterback down 8 times on the season. One of the most outstanding stats from his season was his ability to wrap up. On triple-digit attempts, Jackson completed over 97% of his tackles. If you came into his area, chances were you weren’t getting past him! In combination with his coverage stats, Jackson is yet another example of how versatile Linebackers can be.
CORNERBACK
1st team: Harrison Andrews
Key stats: 6 INT (1st among CB), 35 PD (T-2nd), 0 missed tackles, 0.22 PDs/target (T-3rd), 0.59 PDs/incomplete target (T-3rd)
1st team: Richard Leaking
Key stats: 3 defensive TDs (1st), 5 INT
1st team flex: Juno Hu
Key Stats: 54.2% catch rate allowed (4th among CBs), 0.22 PDs/target (T-3rd), 32 PDs (4th)
2nd team: Willie Miller
Key stats: 35 PDs (T-2nd), 0.26 PDs/target (T-1st), 0.74 PDs/incomplete target (1st), 4 INT
2nd team: Annie May
Key stats: 39 PDs (1st), 0.26 PDs/target (T-1st), 0.72 PDs/incomplete target (2nd)
Cornerback was one of the most heavily contested position groups on the ballot this season, with a ton of great players beyond just these five who had excellent performances. That said, there were two players who were nearly guaranteed their spots on the 1st team: Harrison Andrews and Richard Leaking. The last few seasons have been a bit quiet for Handrews, who previously made 2 All-Pro teams in S28 and S29 and won S28 Cornerback of the Year. He stormed back with a vengeance this season, leading all CBs in interceptions while posting well-rounded numbers in many other categories and advanced stats, putting on a performance as arguably the most reliable corner in the league. The veteran Leaking makes his first All-Pro appearance here after a fantastic season, scoring 3 defensive TDs (and adding another one in the Ultimus not counted here). He didn’t excel above his peers in other stats, though his 65% catch rate allowed and 24 PDs are nothing to scoff at, but his playmaking ability was a huge factor in OCO’s run this season.
These two are joined at the First Team Defensive Back Flex position by Juno Hu. Hu allowed only 54% of passes thrown in his direction as completions, a staggeringly low number for an outside cornerback, and his PD numbers further demonstrate his ability at disrupting throws. The 4 interceptions he snagged were crucial as well. In the Second Team, last season’s First Team Flex, Willie Miller, makes another All-Pro appearance, posting great stats in a variety of categories while also securing 4 interceptions. His 65% catch rate allowed put him just a touch below Hu in the race for repeating his First Team Flex spot, however. Hu’s teammate Annie May also secures a 2nd team spot through similarly impressive numbers, including leading the league in PDs.
SAFETY
1st team: Jacob Raske (Unanimous selection)
Key stats: 81 tackles, 8 INTs (1st), 16 PDs, 61.49% CtA
1st team: Spike Daniels
Key stats: 8 sacks, 4 INTs, 1 DTD, 60.66% CtA
2nd team: Dee Walt
Key stats: 51 tackles, 2 sacks, 5 INTs
2nd team: Amari Springer
Key stats: 93 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 INTs, 60.6% CtA
2nd team flex: Miles Weperom
Key stats: 3 INTs, 1 DTD, 15 PDs, 2 sacks
It should be no surprise to see Berlin’s Jacob Raske here as a Unanimous First Team selection after a Season 33 campaign that saw him land not only a Safety of the Year award, but also a Defensive Player of the Year award, too. Looking at his numbers, it’s easy to see why. Raske played the center fielder for the Fire Salamanders defense this year, where he led the league in interceptions with an absurd 8, and also allowed under 62% of the throws in his area to be completed. He wasn’t just a cover corner either, as he racked up 81 tackles.
Sarasota safety players and making the All-Pro list. Name a more iconic duo. With the retirement of all-time great Cuco Clemente, the Sailfish needed someone to step in and take his place as a do-it-all player on defense. Enter Spike Daniels. Daniels showed the greatest versatility of our Safeties this season, where he was a capable blitzer, notching 8 sacks, and defended the pass with the best of them, allowing just over 60% completion rate and intercepting 4 passes, too.
Dee Walt played a bit more of boom-or-bust style this season, where he had the highest catches allowed rate of our All-Pros (66%), but he still managed to snag five interceptions on the year, good enough for third in the league. He also showed speed of the edge, totalling two sacks on the year.
On the other end of the spectrum of playmaking, we had the Second Line’s defensive leader, Amari Springer. All season long, Spring showcased impressive instincts this season, totalling 93 tackles on the year, more than any other Safety on the year. He also was an all-around player, making plays as a blitzer and in pass defense, where he allowed an impressive sub-61% catch rate and picked off two passes.
Our final D-Flex spot this season went to a Safety for the second year in a row, showing off the general strength of this position group. Weperom plays a very similar style to Springer, making plays at all levels of the field for the Hahalua. Honolulu’s season may have been a bit of a letdown for them, but Weperom’s play should be seen as a bright spot for the islands.
KICKER
1st team: Levy Tate
Key stats: 57/57 XP || 88.6 FG% || 4/5 from 50+ yards || 55-yard season long
2nd team: Jean-Jacques Leroy
Key stats: 53/53 XP || 92 FG% || 100 FG% <40 yards || 48-yard season long
Levy Tate took Chicago’s kicking game to new heights with a spectacular rookie season. The Butchers’ offense led the league in scoring, making Tate one of the league’s busiest kickers, and the rookie rose to the challenge. On extra points she was automatic, leading all kickers with 57 attempts and not missing one. She also achieved the highest field goal percentage among kickers with 30+ FG attempts, and the second-highest overall. She missed only one FG from inside 40 yards, and was one of the league’s deadliest from long range as well, going 12/15 from 40 yards and longer and booming the league’s longest FG of the season, a 55-yarder. Butchers fans are undoubtedly thrilled with their new kicker, and football fans will be watching with interest to see if Tate can live up to the high standard she’s now set for herself.
Austin’s offense was one of the most efficient in opposing redzones this season, which meant their fantastic French botteur Jean-Jacques LeRoy was the only kicker not to attempt a FG of 50+ yards all year. While LeRoy may not have gotten the opportunities to prove his leg strength, he compensated by showing off lethal accuracy instead. The Copperheads were virtually guaranteed 3 points if they could get inside the opposing 30, and when they got 6 they could be certain of 7. LeRoy was the only kicker to make more than 90% of his field goals this season, and his only 2 misses came on difficult kicks from beyond 40 yards. Add to that reliability on field goals 53 XP attempts without a miss and you get a season very worthy of All-Pro recognition.
PUNTER:
1st team: Dallas Dole
Key Stats: 4034 punt yards || 49.2 punting avg. || 35.4% inside20 || 6 punts 70+ yards
2nd team: Lux Opal
Key Stats: 3564 punt yards || 46.9 punting avg. || 38 punts inside 20 (50.0%) || 67-yard season long.
Orange County surprised many ISFL analysts just by making the playoffs, and surprised even more with their run to the Ultimus game. Of all the players who contributed to Orange County’s charmed season, it’s Dallas Dole who could most plausibly be called their secret weapon. The Otters offense occasionally struggled, which meant Dallas Dole tied for the league lead with 82 punt attempts. Cultured football fans with an appreciation for outstanding specialist play surely enjoyed getting to see the ISFL’s strongest leg in action so frequently. Dole’s punts ensured that the Otters’ opponents could never count on good starting field position, no matter how successful their defense was for three downs. His majestic bombs routinely flipped the field from the shadow of his own endzone and occasionally imperiled low-flying aircraft. The only possible knock might be that he was almost too effective, as Orange County’s coverage team often struggled to reach the splashdown point of a Dole missile before the ball bounced out of the endzone.
Only one punter was able to pin opposing offenses deep with a greater percentage of their punts than Lux Opal. However, Opal led all punters in total kicks landed inside the opposing 20 with 38, and tied for 3rd in punting average at 46.9 yards per punt. As a field position weapon they reliably put the Yeti defense in an advantageous position on the rare occasions when Colorado’s airborne assault offense stalled in its own half of the field.
RETURNER:
1st team: Cobra Kai
Key Stats: 709 KR yards (26.3 avg, 42-yard long) || 332 PR yards (11.9 avg, 68-yard long)
2nd team: Jaycee Higgins
Key Stats: 32.2-yard KR average || 108-yard KR TD
Honolulu’s veteran running back lacks a return touchdown on the year, but became this season’s premier return specialist through his tenacity and relentless grinding effectiveness. He led all players in punt return yards, but was no mere accumulator, finishing 3rd in PR average among players with at least 10 attempts. Kai sealed his 1st-Team All-Pro status with his kickoff return abilities; his closest rivals in punt return effectiveness either didn’t return kickoffs at all, or were significantly less capable in comparison to Kai’s 26.3-yard average.
Every once in a great while, a player comes along who is simply so electrifying in one single aspect of the game that the All-Pro voters are compelled to look past information that otherwise might factor against recognizing the player. This year Jaycee Higgins was that kind of player when returning kickoffs. He did not return punts at all, and only returned 17 kickoffs in total. However, his speed and elusiveness made him a delight to watch and a constant threat to score. He gave ISFL fans perhaps the season’s single most spectacular play: a swerving, shimmying, simply breathtaking 108-yard touchdown return from deep in his own endzone, equalling the record longest return in league history. Higgins was also just the second player in the modern sim era to average more than 30 yards per kick return for the season on at least 10 attempts. (Trivia answer: YKW’s Kai Sakura was the other, achieving the feat in Season 26.) Removing the 108-yard return from the calculation gives an average return of 27.4 yards on all other kickoffs, still the 4th-best mark in the league and just 0.1 yards out of a tie for 3rd.
SFWG S33 All-Pro First Team
QB: Wendell Sailor
RB: Goat Tank Jr*
RB: Jay Cue Jr
FB: Ivan Toastovich
WR: Taron Raimon
WR: Jake Fencik
TE: Sal Ami
OT: Icebox Riposte*
OT: Alexander Franklin
OG: Zoltan*
OG: Slurms McKenzie
C: Manhattan Project*
DT: Chuck Roth*
DT: Jason Bradshaw
DE: Rocco Blade
DE: Will Stern
OLB: Melvin Murder-Moose*
OLB: BamBam McMullet
ILB: Ernest Lover
CB: Harrison Andrews
CB: Richard Leaking
S: Jacob Raske*
S: Spike Daniels
DBFlex: Juno Hu
K: Levy Tate
P: Dallas Dole
Returner: Cobra Kai
SFWG S33 All-Pro Second Team
QB: Mattathias Caliban
RB: Goat Tank Sr
RB: John Huntsman
FB: Buster Bawlls
WR: Mark Walker
WR: Raphael Delacour
TE: Buffalo Hunter
OT: Connor Quigley
OT: JaJa DingDong
OG: Keane Lover
OG: Timmy Dimbi
C: Paul Monitor
DT: Honky-Tonk Haywood
DT: Candice Fitinyomouth
DE: David Moyes
DE: Wasrabi Gleel
OLB: Gary Goodman
OLB: Sheriff Woody
ILB: Sir Peter Jackson
CB: Willie Miller
CB: Annie May
S: Dee Walt
S: Amari Springer
DBFlex: Miles Weperom
K: Jean-Jacques Leroy
P: Lux Opal
Returner: Jaycee Higgins
* = Unanimous selection
Other Players Receiving Votes:
QB Jackie Daytona; RB Madison Hayes; FB Gus Bus; FB Tre’Davius J’Vathon; WR Bayley Cowabunga; WR Cliff Burton; WR Bernd B. Brot; WR Saleem Spence; WR Vincent Sharpei Jr; TE Mario Messi; OT Stumpy Jones; DT Amadeus Redding; DE Leonardo McTurtle; DE Medicinal Toblerone; OLB Juan Domine; OLB Glenn Smart; OLB Big Slammu; ILB Bender Rodriguez; CB Lip Gallagher; CB Dukburg Quakstak; CB Owen Reed; CB Redbeard McFredbeard; S Jonathan Shuffleboard; S Lawrence Miller; FLEX Calvin Hobbes; FLEX Fuzzy George; FLEX Rich Triplet; KP Jacob Small; KP Thomas Rose; RET HeHateMe PickSix II; RET Jackson Kingston; RET Tugg Speedman
Summary by team:
(6): 3 1st team, 3 2nd team (6): 3 1st team, 3 2nd team (6): 3 1st team, 3 2nd team (5): 2 1st team, 3 2nd team (5): 2 1st team, 3 2nd team (4): 4 1st team, 0 2nd team (4): 4 1st team, 0 2nd team (4): 3 1st team, 1 2nd team (4): 2 1st team, 2 2nd team (2): 1 1st team, 1 2nd team (2): 0 1st team, 2 2nd team (2): 0 1st team, 2 2nd team (2): 0 1st team, 2 2nd team (2): 0 1st team, 2 2nd team-------
Hello! Thank you for taking the time to read through the Season 33 All-Pro team! If you remember last season's end remarks, I said that Season 33 had some of our most heated debates since launching the All-Pro team. Season 33 took it to a new level. The high level of play by so many this season was just astounding and really a treat to see. So many of these players made the team by the slimmest of margins, and so many players just barely missed out, as evidenced by the laundry list of players in the, "Also Receiving Votes" section.
As always, thank you so much for taking the time to read this season's article. We'll see you next off-season!
In pursuit of transparency, as we began doing last season, we are publishing the individual ballots of all seven of our voters this season. While I ask that you maintain respect and decorum in doing so, you are welcome to reach out to the voters about their individual ballots. Check our votes here[url=https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SIM7-IMy7uWk39KDFSi2j8x1dFKYDqSSAhRgxDTn4Zo/edit?resourcekey#gid=108320817][/url]
As always, the Simulation Football Writer’s Guild is open to bringing new members into the guild.
Hip hip hooray again for all of the S33 All-Pro players!
© 2022 Simulation Football Writers’ Guild
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