07-29-2023, 02:35 PM
(This post was last modified: 08-02-2023, 08:56 AM by lemonoppy. Edited 10 times in total.)
Hello wonderful people of the ISFL! I've decided to start a series on the record setters in the ISFL's history books focusing on the paces they set throughout their career to achieve their records so you can see if your player is stacking up to their legendary careers. I'll be doing a semi-deep dive on each player who has set a career record at each position group on the ISFL's wiki throughout this series, and because I have a player who is a Safety, what better position to start with? I'm trusting the wiki as my source of information as well as the ISFL's index so if there are any discrepancies contact the people who run those, not me!
LINKS: Career Interception Leaders
First up, we'll start with the Safety who had the 4th most INTs at the position, Lennox Garnett (@37thchamber). Garnett was selected 1st overall in the S11 ISFL Draft by the Philadelphia Liberty, now known as the Cape Town Crash. L.G. played his entire 11 season career with the Liberty racking up 37 INTs, good for a tie at 4th place on the All Time Interception list among all positions. Lennox lived up to the hype as the 1oa pick by intercepting 6 passes in his True Rookie™ season, the 2nd most interceptions in the league that season. He followed his incredible rookie season up by snatching 5 more INTs in his 2nd year, putting himself in prime position to get in the record books. As you can see in the first chart, Garnett was in the lead for career INTs through his first 8 seasons. Unfortunately for him, he fell off hard for his final 3 seasons and ended up where he is today in the record books. During his career, Lennox was intercepting a pass once every four games and had a season average of 3.36 INTs. Garnett was rightfully inducted into the Hall of Fame during S25.
Next on the list tied for 2nd on the All Time INT list at Safety, William H. Harrison (@Mongoose87) out of Canada. Selected by the New Orleans Second Line 2nd overall in the S8 draft, Harrison paid dividends over his entire 11 season career in the Big Easy. Through his first 6 seasons, Harrison was on scorching pace of INTs. An unfortunate goose egg in his 7th season threatened to derail his progress towards the record books but then his next 3 seasons were great, including his 8th season where he hauled in 7 INTs, which boosted him back on track. Through 10 seasons it looked like a certainty he would have the top spot for Safeties but it wasn't meant to be, another goose egg ended his career with total 42 INTs. Throughout his career, Harrison averaged .28 INTs per game, highest rate among record setting Safeties, and 3.82 INTs per season. William was finally, and rightfully, elected into the ISFL Hall of Fame in S41.
A newcomer to the top of the record books and the only modern (post S27 when the ISFL switched to DDSPF21), Chicago Butcher lEgEnD and eVeRyOnE's FaVoRiTe Gm, Dee Walt (@TheCC). Walt never led the league in INTs but what he lacked in flash he made up for in longevity. As you can see from the table above, Walt played 13 seasons and 208 games in the ISFL, averaging an INT every 5 games, the lowest per game rate among the Safeties at the top of the INT leaderboard. That being said, Dee's 8 INTs in the twilight of his career to get into a tie for 2nd all time at the position is respectable. Walt's career is a testament to the everyday ISFL player that if you stick around long enough and refuse to retire, you too can climb into the ISFL record books.
Finally, we have the number 1 Safety in career INTs, Mr. Blackford Oakes (@Beaver). Oakes is one of the few players in the DSFL's existence to never appear in a game in a league, instead, Oakes was drafted 2nd overall by the Las Vegas Legion, now known as the New Orleans Second Line in the S4 draft. Oakes was already on the roster when NOLA took Will Harrison in the S8 draft so for 4 seasons, NOLA had two of the best Safeties to ever play lined up next to each other, combining for and astounding 32 INTs in the 4 seasons they played together. A much more consistent interceptor of passes, B.O. averaged 4.18 INTs a season and .27 INTs per game in his career. If you look at the chart below, you'll notice Blackford trailed the other two Safeties' INT paces through his first 8 seasons in the league, but aged like a fine wine. The 17 INTs he put up in his last 3 seasons were not only noteworthy in and of themselves, but also pushed him into 1st all time in career INTs among Safeties.
The Chasers
There are a couple current Safeties in the ISFL who have a good enough pace that they could match or surpass those above and they are Cape Town Crash FS Jazzy Fontaine (@lordcoolcats) and Arizona Outlaws FS Notso Smart (@Pib). While it is very premature to say Notso Smart is on a record setter trajectory in only 3 seasons, if he can keep his INTs/game pace above .25 he'll have a good shot. Jazzy is a real threat to make the top 3 for Safeties. Through his 6 seasons, he has tied Harrison's pace of .28 INTs/game and only needs 20 more INTs over the next 5+ seasons to break the INT record for Safeties!
LINKS: Career Interception Leaders
First up, we'll start with the Safety who had the 4th most INTs at the position, Lennox Garnett (@37thchamber). Garnett was selected 1st overall in the S11 ISFL Draft by the Philadelphia Liberty, now known as the Cape Town Crash. L.G. played his entire 11 season career with the Liberty racking up 37 INTs, good for a tie at 4th place on the All Time Interception list among all positions. Lennox lived up to the hype as the 1oa pick by intercepting 6 passes in his True Rookie™ season, the 2nd most interceptions in the league that season. He followed his incredible rookie season up by snatching 5 more INTs in his 2nd year, putting himself in prime position to get in the record books. As you can see in the first chart, Garnett was in the lead for career INTs through his first 8 seasons. Unfortunately for him, he fell off hard for his final 3 seasons and ended up where he is today in the record books. During his career, Lennox was intercepting a pass once every four games and had a season average of 3.36 INTs. Garnett was rightfully inducted into the Hall of Fame during S25.
Next on the list tied for 2nd on the All Time INT list at Safety, William H. Harrison (@Mongoose87) out of Canada. Selected by the New Orleans Second Line 2nd overall in the S8 draft, Harrison paid dividends over his entire 11 season career in the Big Easy. Through his first 6 seasons, Harrison was on scorching pace of INTs. An unfortunate goose egg in his 7th season threatened to derail his progress towards the record books but then his next 3 seasons were great, including his 8th season where he hauled in 7 INTs, which boosted him back on track. Through 10 seasons it looked like a certainty he would have the top spot for Safeties but it wasn't meant to be, another goose egg ended his career with total 42 INTs. Throughout his career, Harrison averaged .28 INTs per game, highest rate among record setting Safeties, and 3.82 INTs per season. William was finally, and rightfully, elected into the ISFL Hall of Fame in S41.
A newcomer to the top of the record books and the only modern (post S27 when the ISFL switched to DDSPF21), Chicago Butcher lEgEnD and eVeRyOnE's FaVoRiTe Gm, Dee Walt (@TheCC). Walt never led the league in INTs but what he lacked in flash he made up for in longevity. As you can see from the table above, Walt played 13 seasons and 208 games in the ISFL, averaging an INT every 5 games, the lowest per game rate among the Safeties at the top of the INT leaderboard. That being said, Dee's 8 INTs in the twilight of his career to get into a tie for 2nd all time at the position is respectable. Walt's career is a testament to the everyday ISFL player that if you stick around long enough and refuse to retire, you too can climb into the ISFL record books.
Finally, we have the number 1 Safety in career INTs, Mr. Blackford Oakes (@Beaver). Oakes is one of the few players in the DSFL's existence to never appear in a game in a league, instead, Oakes was drafted 2nd overall by the Las Vegas Legion, now known as the New Orleans Second Line in the S4 draft. Oakes was already on the roster when NOLA took Will Harrison in the S8 draft so for 4 seasons, NOLA had two of the best Safeties to ever play lined up next to each other, combining for and astounding 32 INTs in the 4 seasons they played together. A much more consistent interceptor of passes, B.O. averaged 4.18 INTs a season and .27 INTs per game in his career. If you look at the chart below, you'll notice Blackford trailed the other two Safeties' INT paces through his first 8 seasons in the league, but aged like a fine wine. The 17 INTs he put up in his last 3 seasons were not only noteworthy in and of themselves, but also pushed him into 1st all time in career INTs among Safeties.
The Chasers
There are a couple current Safeties in the ISFL who have a good enough pace that they could match or surpass those above and they are Cape Town Crash FS Jazzy Fontaine (@lordcoolcats) and Arizona Outlaws FS Notso Smart (@Pib). While it is very premature to say Notso Smart is on a record setter trajectory in only 3 seasons, if he can keep his INTs/game pace above .25 he'll have a good shot. Jazzy is a real threat to make the top 3 for Safeties. Through his 6 seasons, he has tied Harrison's pace of .28 INTs/game and only needs 20 more INTs over the next 5+ seasons to break the INT record for Safeties!
"...TheRake may be the most controversial new player of the S41 class. Notorious not only for shamelessly tampering but also for confidently arguing his broadly incorrect NFL opinions, TheRake has managed to navigate the dangerous waters of controversy fairly well—which is no small feat!" - aeonsjenni