07-07-2024, 09:03 PM
(This post was last modified: 08-08-2024, 09:05 PM by wetwilleh. Edited 3 times in total.)
READY TO GRADE: 1058 words, 2x First Gen Bonus
Hey everyone, Travis here. You probably haven't heard of me -- and that's quite alright -- you'll know who I am soon enough. I'm making this PSA to get the word out on who I am, where I come from, and what I bring to a potential DSFL roster.
Let's start with who I am and where I've been. Travis Novak is an up-and-coming Wide Receiver prospect out of the University of Illinois (the one in Urbana ). I grew up in small town Owatonna, Minnesota, with a population of just over 25,000 people. I spent most of my childhood playing soccer and basketball, and didn't even consider football until I started high school, in the ninth grade. So why play football, you ask? Your guess is as good as mine, but when the football coach shows up at soccer practice and demands you run some routes, you do as you're told. As it turned out, I was pretty fast, and pretty good with my hands. Coaches like it when you're fast and good with your hands. And the rest is history! You play a few high school games, you win the state title -- it's all a great time!
At this point, things start to get real. Actual schools with actual programs started reaching out and I had to make some pretty big choices. That's how I ended up at Northern Illinois, playing on a pretty young and ragtag roster. I played there for a year, met some fantastic people, learned a lot of lessons and walked away ready for something more. I entered the transfer portal and drove a bit further downstate, where my next stage would begin: playing for the Illinois Fighting Illini in the Big Ten conference. This was a massive step up -- playing against powerhouse programs like Michigan and Ohio State was no small task. But I embraced the challenge and knew it was the right step for me. It's been a long road, and I can't imagine 14-year-old me ever thinking I'd have made it this far. But I intend to go further -- that's why I'm here, ready to enter the DSFL draft.
Since this whole DSFL draft and scouting process has begun, a number of folks have asked me the same few questions, so I thought a great way to show who I am would be to publicize my answers:
Q: What aspect(s) of the ISFL are you looking forward to the most?
A: For me I think I'm most looking forward to being a part of what's seeming like an awesome community. Lots of new players, coaches and front office folks to engage with and learn from as I take these next steps in my journey. Just the other day I had a long chat with a scout where he explained all sorts of ins and outs of the league that I probably would never have understood without their help. It really gave me confidence that this is a great place to be and there are tons of great people to get to know. Beyond the community, I'm excited to play football! More precisely, I'm excited to play football with and against the best talent and football minds the world has to offer. Not only is this my chance to cement my name among the greats, but it's also a opportunity to improve my skills and measure them up against the best this sport has in store.
Q: What goals do you have for your career in the ISFL?
A: I'll get the obvious one out of the way first -- I want to win! There's no better feeling than the feeling at the top, and that's what I want to achieve here. More thoughtfully, I want to be seen as a consistent positive for the team I play for. Whether that's measured in the box score or in the locker room, that's the impact I want to have. I'm all for video game numbers and crazy feats of athleticism, but one thing remains true: consistency wins championships. I aim to be that consistency. Lastly, I want to get involved with the league beyond being a player. I don't know how that looks quite yet, but it's seeming like there's a ton of opportunities all over the place.
Now that you know a little about me, I want to show you a glimpse of what I can do for you. I won't go too deep into high school and college numbers -- that's what a wiki page is for. I'll instead let my prospect bowl numbers do the talking for me. In just four games, I put up a clean 19 receptions for 348 yards, with 4 touchdown catches (and a fumble recovery to boot!) en route to an OPotG in the third game. I'd like to give a massive shoutout to my Mexico City Aztecs teammates in these games, particularly our QB Jack Cannon and the best OL in the draft, Jordan Drapal. These numbers don't happen without each and every one of these guys. There's still two games left in the prospect bowl, and we're going to give it our best effort to take home the W. This is the level of effort and commitment to excellence you can expect from me day in and day out.
Now, I know what you must be thinking: "It's just the prospect bowl -- wait until you get to the real league". You're right -- it's "just" the prospect bowl, the competition will get better -- but guess what? So will I. I'm committed to training (and training hard) each and every week to make the most of any chance I can get. I intend to stay engaged with the media, and represent my team with decorum. All that matters in a player, and that's what I plan to bring to the table.
So that's it. That's who I am and what I plan to do. I hope this helped you get to know me.
To any GM's reading this: I'm not asking to go first overall. I'm not even asking to be a top pick in the draft. All I'm asking for is a chance -- a chance to prove that I'm the real deal. If you bring me into your locker room, you'll get a guy who will make the most of the experience and do what it takes to make it to the top. Maybe it's cockiness, maybe it's confidence. I guess we'll have to see.
TN27
Hey everyone, Travis here. You probably haven't heard of me -- and that's quite alright -- you'll know who I am soon enough. I'm making this PSA to get the word out on who I am, where I come from, and what I bring to a potential DSFL roster.
Let's start with who I am and where I've been. Travis Novak is an up-and-coming Wide Receiver prospect out of the University of Illinois (the one in Urbana ). I grew up in small town Owatonna, Minnesota, with a population of just over 25,000 people. I spent most of my childhood playing soccer and basketball, and didn't even consider football until I started high school, in the ninth grade. So why play football, you ask? Your guess is as good as mine, but when the football coach shows up at soccer practice and demands you run some routes, you do as you're told. As it turned out, I was pretty fast, and pretty good with my hands. Coaches like it when you're fast and good with your hands. And the rest is history! You play a few high school games, you win the state title -- it's all a great time!
At this point, things start to get real. Actual schools with actual programs started reaching out and I had to make some pretty big choices. That's how I ended up at Northern Illinois, playing on a pretty young and ragtag roster. I played there for a year, met some fantastic people, learned a lot of lessons and walked away ready for something more. I entered the transfer portal and drove a bit further downstate, where my next stage would begin: playing for the Illinois Fighting Illini in the Big Ten conference. This was a massive step up -- playing against powerhouse programs like Michigan and Ohio State was no small task. But I embraced the challenge and knew it was the right step for me. It's been a long road, and I can't imagine 14-year-old me ever thinking I'd have made it this far. But I intend to go further -- that's why I'm here, ready to enter the DSFL draft.
Since this whole DSFL draft and scouting process has begun, a number of folks have asked me the same few questions, so I thought a great way to show who I am would be to publicize my answers:
Q: What aspect(s) of the ISFL are you looking forward to the most?
A: For me I think I'm most looking forward to being a part of what's seeming like an awesome community. Lots of new players, coaches and front office folks to engage with and learn from as I take these next steps in my journey. Just the other day I had a long chat with a scout where he explained all sorts of ins and outs of the league that I probably would never have understood without their help. It really gave me confidence that this is a great place to be and there are tons of great people to get to know. Beyond the community, I'm excited to play football! More precisely, I'm excited to play football with and against the best talent and football minds the world has to offer. Not only is this my chance to cement my name among the greats, but it's also a opportunity to improve my skills and measure them up against the best this sport has in store.
Q: What goals do you have for your career in the ISFL?
A: I'll get the obvious one out of the way first -- I want to win! There's no better feeling than the feeling at the top, and that's what I want to achieve here. More thoughtfully, I want to be seen as a consistent positive for the team I play for. Whether that's measured in the box score or in the locker room, that's the impact I want to have. I'm all for video game numbers and crazy feats of athleticism, but one thing remains true: consistency wins championships. I aim to be that consistency. Lastly, I want to get involved with the league beyond being a player. I don't know how that looks quite yet, but it's seeming like there's a ton of opportunities all over the place.
Now that you know a little about me, I want to show you a glimpse of what I can do for you. I won't go too deep into high school and college numbers -- that's what a wiki page is for. I'll instead let my prospect bowl numbers do the talking for me. In just four games, I put up a clean 19 receptions for 348 yards, with 4 touchdown catches (and a fumble recovery to boot!) en route to an OPotG in the third game. I'd like to give a massive shoutout to my Mexico City Aztecs teammates in these games, particularly our QB Jack Cannon and the best OL in the draft, Jordan Drapal. These numbers don't happen without each and every one of these guys. There's still two games left in the prospect bowl, and we're going to give it our best effort to take home the W. This is the level of effort and commitment to excellence you can expect from me day in and day out.
Now, I know what you must be thinking: "It's just the prospect bowl -- wait until you get to the real league". You're right -- it's "just" the prospect bowl, the competition will get better -- but guess what? So will I. I'm committed to training (and training hard) each and every week to make the most of any chance I can get. I intend to stay engaged with the media, and represent my team with decorum. All that matters in a player, and that's what I plan to bring to the table.
So that's it. That's who I am and what I plan to do. I hope this helped you get to know me.
To any GM's reading this: I'm not asking to go first overall. I'm not even asking to be a top pick in the draft. All I'm asking for is a chance -- a chance to prove that I'm the real deal. If you bring me into your locker room, you'll get a guy who will make the most of the experience and do what it takes to make it to the top. Maybe it's cockiness, maybe it's confidence. I guess we'll have to see.
TN27