Love of the Game (TCY/FOF)

[EagleFan]

With recent attempts of a TCY dynasty gone awry I decided to show that I have no life at all and did a dynasty prior to posting. I will be posting daily updates each night with the next chapter of these kids' lives.

I will be following 8 players from 3 different high schools through their football career. Everywhere from the number 1 recruit in the nation to a top 1000 linebacker who doesn't seem to have anything more than smarts for the position and a desire to play.

The first part of the story will follow.

[EagleFan]

The year is 2015, the world has changed much over the past dozen years but one thing has remained a constant, the nation’s love for football. High school, college and pro football are thriving as other sports have faced hardship and strike.

We will be following 8 young men from 3 different schools. They will be proud graduates from the three top high schools in the country this year, as far as recruiting is concerned. All 8 are nationally ranked and come from different backgrounds and economic status.

The first high school is Valley View High School in Moreno Valley, California. Moreno Valley is a southern California town about half way between San Diego and Los Angeles. March Air Force Base is located in Moreno Valley and is one of the biggest population draws to the city as it experienced growth following ‘Gulf War 2’.

Valley View has the proud distinction of having the top rated high school senior in the country, QB Derrick Taber. So far in 4 games in his senior season he is averaging over 400 yards passing per game. He has run for 7 touchdowns and thrown 8 to account for 15 touchdowns this season. Derrick is not only athletic but has a very respectable 3.64 GPA and a 1362 SAT score. Colleges are lining up for the chance to recruit Derrick.

Valley View also has CB Irv Sheldon. He is rated 15th overall and 1st among cornerbacks in the country. Irv has a 3.37 GPA and a 1379 SAT score. He is a game breaker that has played both ways and seems to have a nose for the ball. He has 7 interceptions in the team’s first 4 games this season. He and Derrick are teammates, but not friends. Their egos have clashed several times throughout their young careers as both have always fought for the spotlight growing up.

Our second high school is Kailua High School in Kailua, Hawaii. Kailua has the proud distinction of graduating the most nationally ranked players with 4. Kailua is about 12 miles Northwest of Honolulu. It’s primarily economics come from agriculture and tourism, as is the case for most of the area.

Our first senior is TE Riddick Clarke. He is ranked 19th nationally and the top rated tight end in the nation. In 4 games he has 349 yards receiving this season. He also plays linebacker for the team but his hands make him primarily projected at tight end in college. He is academically advanced and holds an incredible 3.98 GPA in high school and a 1365 SAT score.

His teammate, and best friend, is FB Lance Wells. Lance is 136th nationally and 4th at fullback. He has a 4.00 GPA and got a 1474 on his SAT. Colleges have been falling over themselves trying to get him for both his brain and athletic ability. He is averaging almost 80 yards rushing per game at fullback and is the best lead blocker in the nation, in my opinion. He also shares duty on defense at the linebacker position with Riddick.

Also from Kailua is DT Jeff Davidson. He is seen as a run stopper on the inside, already pushing 300 pounds. Nationally he is 150th and is 14th at his position. He also has the grains for college with a 3.79 GPA and an SAT of 1433.

Finally is OLB Ralph Fleming. He is 623rd nationally and 40th at his position. He is a very heady player that seems to have a sixth sense for playing the game as he gets by more on his mental ability for the game and less on pure athleticism. He has a 3.66 GPA and a 1495 SAT to lure colleges his way.

Our final school is Tohatchi High School in Tohatchi, New Mexico. Tohatchi is a very and relatively poor town in northwest New Mexico, not far from the New Mexico / Arizona border. The residents of Tohatchi know most everyone by name and it is a very family oriented town.

Our first senior is RB Otis Francis. Otis is 79th nationally and 6th at running back in the nation. He is averaging close to 200 yards per game on the ground this season so far. His GPA is 3.48 and he received a 1338 on his SAT.

His teammate S Eddie Stephenson is ranked 336th nationally and 17th at safety. He has a quick break on the ball and has picked off 7 passes in the first 4 games of the season. Academically he is equally gifted with a 3.68 GPA and a 1318 SAT.

All of our seniors have demonstrated not only ability on the field, but in the classroom. This should help them all become very well equipped for life as they prepare to enter a very exciting time in their lives.

[EagleFan]

Valley View High School Football is alive and well with the two highly sought after recruits of Taber and Sheldon. Having the number one recruit in the nation caused a buzz around town like never before.

Derrick had a fine senior season. He averaged just under 400 yards passing per game and threw 19 touchdowns. He also ran for over 1000 yards and scored 10 more touchdowns on the ground. Scouts love his arm, his yards on the ground were mostly due to breakdowns in protection. He has a very good head for the game, something that has labeled him as a special talent.

Several schools lined up for a chance at him. He received attention from UCLA, South Bend, Virginia, Michigan, Syracuse, Nebraska and the surprising entry was Ketchikan (a small school in Alaska). All of which showered him with attention and scholarship offers. When all was said and done he decided to remain the local hero and chose UCLA, much to the delight of the town. When asked about the decision he credits a desire to stay local and the type of system that the coach plays as being big reasons for chosing UCLA.

Irv also shined as the defensive player of the year in the conference. He picked off 14 passes during the season to set a new school record. There was just as much interest in where he was going to play but it didn't quite seem that way if you watched any local news. Derrick got the majority of the air time. This seemed to add a little bit more to the wedge between these two. Each fighting for the spotlight in their own way.

South Bend, Nebraska, Florida State, Oregon, Syracuse and also Ketchican were all offering Irv plenty to pick them. When decision time came it ended up being Nebraska that got the nod. He likes the program and their reputation. He also likes the potential of playing against Derrick for the National Championship. He would love a chance to steal the spotlight in a big way.

The football team was causing a stir in Kailua as well this season. No other team could match having 4 seniors prospects of the same level that Kailua has. A town normally only buzzing with tourists found itself in the spotlight for college scouts.

Riddick had a very solid year with 5 touchdowns and averaged over 18 yards a catch. Many of those catches were short passes that just took that long to bring him down.

Florida State, Iowa State, Marshall, UCLA and Nebraska were all offering Riddick an opportunity. He ended up chosing Nebraska and will be playing at the same school as Irv Sheldon from Valley View. He liked the offense and the reputation in his field of study. He just wants to play somewhere that will pound it out.

Lance had a strong season, averaging 200 yards of total offense per game and had 13 total touchdowns. He and Riddick both made all-state honors and continue to be best of friends. They have both agreed to be the best man at each other's weddings when and if they every get married.

Boston, Buffalo, Oregon, Colorado State, North Texas, Maryland, Auburn and Ketchikan have all made offers to Lance. He liked the pound it out style of Auburn and shocse to take his athletic ability there.

Jeff, an already 300 pound lineman, had 70 tackles and 5.5 sacks in his senior year. He had inside run stopper written all over him. He is very realistic and wants to go somewhere that has an academic program suited to his needs.

Boston, Oregon, Auburn, Ketchikan, Penn State, Fresno State, Louisville, New Mexico and Rutgers offered him scholarships. Auburn showed him the best all-around view of their college and he decided that is where he wanted to play. He made his decision a week after Lance committed to them. The local community was happy to hear that two of their own will be playing on the same college team.

Ralph is our dark horse candidate of the group. He has gotten by on his tenacity and will need every bit of that to really shine in college. He had 54 tackles, 4.5 sacks and 3 interceptions during his senior season.

Arkansas, Michigan State, Sitka (another small school in Alaska), Kansas, Texas Tech, Buffalo, Hawaii and South Carolina all contacted him. Though there was a lot of local pressure on him to chose to stay home and play for Hawaii he actually chose to go to the small Alaskan college in Sitka. He felt that was his best chance to get a good amount of playing time and he liked the academic environment. He is a little worried about getting used to the different climate.

Our two stars in Tohatchi caused a local stir never before seen in the small town. The town is quite small and poor and the added excitement of the two local players getting recruited as heavily as they were really helped build the local town's spirit, if just for that sort time.

Otis had over 1500 yards rushing and over 2300 yards of total offense for the season. He found the end zone 19 times this season, 14 times on the ground. He showed off his speed for all to see as that is easily his best attribute. Some schools are a little concerned with his strength and durability.

Evanston, Florida State, New Mexico, South Bend, Virginia, Utah, Rutgers and Syracuse all contacted and offered Otis a chance. Otis' family has a strong love for South Bend and that helped win him over to selecting South Bend. This caused a little dissapointment in town as many hoped he would play locally at New Mexico.

Eddie is another one of our gutty and determined players. He does have some good athletic ability but it's his mind that sets him apart, he is a very heady player. He had 65 tackles, 4.0 sacks and a new state record of 19 interceptions during his senior season.

New Mexico State, Virginia, Louisiana-Lafayette, Georgia, Juneau, Texas Tech, Bowling Green, Penn State, Troy State and Kodiak all contacted him in one form or another during the season. After visiting several campuses and getting some scholarship offers he decided to head north. He chose Juneau and caused quite a problem with some of the locals by not chosing either of the state colleges that were talking with him. He feels it is the best fit for him and that it is the best academically for him.

All of our seniors graduated with a great academic reputation and are preparing for their year in college.

[Swaggs]

This looks promising. :)

[illinifan999]

Very nice start. :D

[DolphinFan1]

I'll be reading.

[EagleFan]

As we start the freshman year we head first to Auburn to check on our recruits and see their progress. Both Davidson and Wells have been told they will be red-shirted for their first season. Both players have handled the news well and seem to be adjusting to campus life. We have been watching them to see if they begin to devlop any kind of friendship but so far their relationship only appears to be built on home-sickness. They seem to hang out together out of familiarity.

Across the country in UCLA, Taber has been told the same and has not handled it too well. With the depth that UCLA has at that position it really comes as no surprise but he feels that he has the talent to start. If his talent at this level can back up his confidence he will be something special. He has already begun complaining to us that he might just jump pro after this season. Not something that we would recommend but we are here only to observe and not to guide his life.

Up in the cold of Alaska, Stephenson has been told that he will be red-shirted and is handling it quite well. He says that he knows that usually happens with freshman and sometimes it doesn’t last the year. He has his head in the right place early; hopefully it stays like that for him throughout his life.

In Nebraska the same news has been told to our recruits as Sheldon and Clarke will be sitting and watching for their first season. Neither are taking the news that well but they have been impressing the coaches so far in practice. As we suspected, neither one has really talked much to the other. Irv Sheldon is having the toughest time adjusting so far. He seemed to think that he would be thrust into the spotlight immediately but that isn't happening.

Up in Alaska, in Sitka, Fleming has also been given the word of being red-shirted. He called his dad to complain about it for a while but has seemed to adjust to the news. His dad simply told him to grow up and deal with it (flashbacks).

In South Bend Francis never expected to play in his first season and has also been told of being red-shirted. He says that he will not only play, but will start later in his career at South Bend and will make his family proud. He has the best attitude of all our players so far. Not that all have been displaying a bad attitude but none have been quite as determined.

As the year comes to a close, we find that all of our players remained red-shirted the entire season. Our California duo still have chips on their shoulder about it and Derrick is still talking about going pro. The rest of the players have adjusted to it and accepted it (those who hadn't already).

[EagleFan]

All of our players returned for their sophomore season. Not much of a surprise with them all being red-shirted for their entire freshman season. Our California duo both settled down when they realized they had zero chance at a pro contract with nothing to show for it from college yet.

First we take a look at our quarterback prospect in UCLA. Derrick saw quite a bit of playing time as a backup this season and UCLA ended up in the National Championship game for the second straight season.

Due to an injury to the starting quarterback Derrick would receive his first college start. Of all times to start, the National Championship game. He started the game out with some obvious nerves but slowly settled down and had a fine game. He was 17 for 33 for 220 yards and 1 touchdown with no picks. His touchdown pass came with just over 4 minutes left in the game and sealed the 30-17 win for UCLA to become National Champions. People have stood up and taken notice of this kid.

For the season he completed 76 of 127 passes for 1193 yards with 14 touchdowns to only 2 interceptions. His rating was 171.9. He ran very little as he is attempting to become a more proficient drop back passer but did manage 1 touchdown on the ground. Academically he has a 4.00 GPA and is very popular at the school. He has the personality of a star quarterback and seems to be loving every minute of it now.

As we check out Auburn we see that Lance only saw playing time in 1 game and that was very limited. He has not been pleased with the team’s handling of him but has been keeping himself focused academically with a 3.93 GPA.

Jeff saw a little more playing time at defensive tackle but not a lot. He saw limited time in 10 games and recorded 3 tackles, 1.0 sack, 2 tackles for loss and 1 pass blocked. He has added a little more weight this season and looks like he could be something special with his size of 6’8”, 308.

Jeff and Lance have begun hanging around a bit more. They seem to be starting to break down some of the barriers that seemed to be between them and are now good friends. It seems that the common bond of growing up in the same town has brought them together now that they are several thousand miles away from that town.

Up in Juneau, Eddie saw lots of playing time as he started all 11 games at safety. He didn’t have any interceptions but had 100 tackles, 24 assists, 15 tackles for a loss and 5 passes defensed. He was named to the All-Conference 1st team safety. Academically he has let his studies slip a bit and has a 2.90 GPA.

In Nebraska Riddick is quite unhappy as he has yet to see any game action at all. He has managed to keep up a 3.67 GPA. He is currently just another face in the crowd. He has been starting to wonder if he made the roght choice for college.

Irv managed to get playing time in 11 games as a backup at cornerback. He had 17 tackles, 14 assists, 1.0 sack, 5 tackles for a loss, 1 interception, 1 pass defensed and 1 forced fumble. He is holding a 3.47 GPA.

The two Nebraska recruits have still barely socialized as they seem to be from two entirely different worlds. Irv is the flashier of the two and Riddick has come from a small town that has very little outside of the tourism business to offer the residents.

In Sitka, Ralph saw time in 10 games at linebacker with 9 starts. He had 36 tackles, 7 assists, 1.0 sack, 6 tackles for a loss, 1 pass blocked, 1 interception, 1 pass defensed, 1 forced fumble and 1 recovered fumble. He made the all-Conference all-academic team and has a 3.86 GPA. Life in the small school for the long-shot has been quite pleasant and the climate change for him hasn;t been as difficult to accept as he was afraid of.

Finally we check in at South Bend to see how Otis has fared at running back. He saw playing time in 11 games as a backup. He only had 18 carried but gained 161 yards for an 8.9 average. He did score 1 touchdown rushing. He also had 1 catch for 5 yards. Academically he has a 3.17 GPA and thinks that he can do better. He still has a great outlook on his time at the school and says that no matter how it ends, he will be happy.

[tucker342]

Great stuff:D

I don't believe two guys went up to Alaska, that's kind of surprising...

[EagleFan]

Yeah, that's the Solecismic 8 up there. I put it up there to be out of the way, go figure. I am technically the Fairbanks coach but I'm, letting the CPU do everything for my team.

[StanGunner]

About time we had another good FOOTBALL dynasty.

[EagleFan]

All of our players returned for their junior season with a wide range of hopes among them. Some are hoping to get or increase their playing time while others feel poised to start and possibly begin a brilliant career.

We start out in Auburn where we find that Lance is getting rather frustrated. He did play a little in the team’s 13 games this season but had just 8 carries for –1 yard. He did have 4 catches for 35 yards including a touchdown. Academically he is preparing himself for life outside of football. He holds a 3.95 GPA in his Political Science major. He is already talking about his life after football, it seems that he has a good head on his shoulders and is using his time at Auburn for the best.

His teammate whom he has become good friends with has also been seeing very limited playing time. Jeff played in 11 games as a backup at defensive tackle. He had 2 tackles, 1.0 sack, 1 tackle for loss and 1 hurry. He is majoring in communications and has a 3.84 GPA. Both players seem to be preparing themselves for the possibility that graduation could signal the end of their football career.

We head out west to UCLA to see Derrick who is the new starting quarterback. He started all 12 games this season and did a fine job with his arm. He completed 165 of 266 attempts for 2427 yards with 26 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He was named all-Conference second team quarterback and also named to the all-Conference all-academic team. He has a 3.91 GPA and is extremely popular in school. He is turning into the classic all-American type of quarterback. What has been the most impressive is that he is 13-0 as a starting quarterback.

Derrick and UCLA are in the midst of a national college football controversy. How can the defending national champions go undefeated and not make the National Championship game? There are loud cries for a change coming for a playoff system after the shock of Syracuse and Boston getting the nod for the Title Game.

We head up to Juneau to see how Eddie is doing. He again started every game at safety. He had 91 tackles, 23 assists, 14 tackles for loss, 1 interception (that he returned for an 86 yard touchdown), 7 passes defensed, 2 forced fumbles and 2 recovered fumbles. He was again named 1st team all-Conference safety. His GPA is still hovering at 2.90. Pro scouts are still a little concerned that he doesn't have the build or stamina for the pro game but he is very happy getting the chance to prove what he can do on the field. It is looking like his choice to go north might be paying off better than riding the bench at a larger school.

At Nebraska we find that Riddick actually saw some playing time, though not what he wants. He played some in all 13 games as a backup tight end. He had 4 catches for 50 yards, including a touchdown. His GPA is currently 3.69. He is still not happy with the time, but feels that he will make the best out of it.

Irv had a season like his sophomore season. He played in every game some as a backup cornerback. He had 17 tackles, 2 assists, 2 tackles for loss, 1 interception and 3 passes defensed. His GPA has slipped some to 3.38. Our two recruits in Nebraska still speak little and it pretty much looks like that is how it is going to stay.

Our dark horse of the group, Ralph, had a decent season up in Juneau. He sarted all 11 games at linebacker and had 27 tackles, 10 assists, 1.0 sack, 3 tackles for loss, 1 hurry, 1 interception and 2 passes defensed. He again made all-Conference all-Academic team and has a 3.79 GPA in Computer Science. It looks like both he and Eddie made the right choice in going with the smaller school to get the playing time.

Family pride is alive and well in South Bend as Otis saw dramatically more playing time. He played in every game as a backup running back and likes the progression of his playing time. He ran 137 times for 537 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also caught 8 passes for 62 yards. He has a 3.22 GPA in Electrical Engineering.

As we head into their Senior season there is a lot of talk of changing the bowl system. That talk has been around before but has never amounted to anything so we will have to wait and see. The fact that the defending champs went unbeaten and got left out of the championship game might be what is needed to push a playoff system through.

[EagleFan]

All of our players returned for their senior season. Some may return to play out their eligibility but want to decide that after this season. This may be the season that could very well make or break a couple of them. It has not been easy going for our two in Nebraska and they really hope to get some sort of starting time or that could very well make their decision to leave football following this season.

Lance got his first start in Auburn at fullback as he played in every game and one as a starter. He had just 7 carries for 63 yards and 1 touchdown. He also had 4 catches for 32 yards. His lead blocking has improved, as that was the main focus of his game. Off the field he has a 3.96 GPA in his political science major and he has been spending a lot of time in the weight room working out. That time has paid off as his 5’11 frame now supports 232 sculpted pounds of muscle. He hopes that his work will pay off and get a little attention from the pro scouts.

Jeff was very happy this season as he started every game at defensive tackle for Auburn. He had 34 tackles, 20 assists, 5.0 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, 1 pass blocked, 5 hurries and 1 forced fumble. His GPA has dipped only slightly to 3.78. His 6’8” frame now supports 322 very intimidating pounds and pro scouts are starting to take notice of him.

Derrick, our star quarterback suffered a late season injury with a separated shoulder in the bowl game which UCLA went on to lose the National Championship and end their 30 game winning streak (he was 24-0 as a starter until that game). For the season he completed 166 of 253 passes for 2454 yards with 22 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. He should be recovered from the injury in a month or two and it may play a role in his deciding to go pro. He was 2nd team all-Conference and he was all-Conference all-academic QB, both for the second consecutive year. He now holds a 3.91 GPA.

Up in Juneau Eddie was having another fine season at safety. He started every game and had 86 tackles, 31 assists, 13 tackles for loss. 2 interceptions, 3 passes defensed and 1 forced fumble. He also returned 8 punts for a 7.7 average. He made 2nd team all-Conference. His GPA is just 2.85, but it’s good enough to keep the coaches from worrying. He has been thinking about going pro following this season instead of coming back for his final year of eligibility but not many draft experts project him as going high in the draft, if at all.

There is more injury news in Nebraska as Riddick blew his knee out and will be rehabbing for the next 6 to 8 months. He played 10 games as the backup tight end before getting hurt. He had just 4 catches for 100 yards in the season. Academically he is still doing quite well with a 3.61 GPA. The injury really changes his outlook. He has nothing to show for his time at Nebraska and will have to come back if he wants to have a chance at going pro.

Irv fared much better as he started every game at cornerback. He had 40 tackles, 17 assists, 3 tackles for loss, 1 interception and 13 passes defensed. He also returned 1 punt for 18 yards and turned some heads with a 29.9 yard average on 17 kick returns, including 2 touchdowns. Academically he is doing well with a 3.38 GPA and is looking to graduate before going pro, at least that is what he is saying now but has yet to talk to an agent.

Up in Sitka Ralph missed a little time with an injury early in the season. He did start 7 games and had 20 tackles, 8 assists, 1.0 sack, 3 tackles for loss and 1 pass defensed. He has a 3.67 GPA in his Computer Science major. He is already planning on a career in the computer field as he knows that he does not have the build for the pro game and is just enjoying his time playing football while he can.

Family pride is alive and well in South Bend as Otis got to start 9 games this season. He ran for 1170 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also caught 9 passes for 110 yards and 2 touchdowns. His only setback is that he fumbled 6 times. He was named 2nd team all-Independent running back. He still holds a quite respectable 3.20 GPA as well. He also states a desire to return for one more year as he hopes for a full season as a starter.

[EagleFan]

Surprisingly all of our players decided to return for their senior season. Derrick was close to going pro but wanted one last shot at a championship and wanted to complete his degree. Otis felt he had a great shot at something special if he stayed one more year. Others felt their best chance for being drafted would be one more season in college.

Lance was glad he stayed one more season has he really shined this season in his fullback duties at Auburn. He started every game though only carrying the ball 19 times for 127 yards, good for a 6.6 yards per carry average, and scored one touchdown. He did a fine job catching the ball out of the backfield with 26 catches and 3 touchdowns. His blocking really improved and has captured the attention of pro scouts. He also made 1st team all-Conference in his final season. He is now being projected as a late round pick, a move up from his potentially undrafted status a season ago. Academically he ended up with a 3.95 GPA.

Jeff had another good season for Auburn at defensive tackle. He started every game and had 33 tackles, 15 assists, 5.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, 1 pass blocked, 14 hurries and recovered 1 fumble. Early projections have him as a potential middle to late round pick. He graduated with a 3.71 GPA.

Our star quarterback in UCLA started every game again and completed 146 of 227 passes for 2321 yards with 24 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions. He made 2nd team all-Conference as well as National and all-Conference all-Academic teams. He is leaving UCLA as the school’s all-time leader in passing yards, completions and passing touchdowns. He is being projected as an early round pick, possibly late first to early second. He graduated with a GPA of 3.90. UCLA went 11-1 this season and he didn't get his last shot at a title. Derrick went 36-2 as a starter and one of his losses was a game he was injured in the first half.

Up in Juneau, Eddie made a name for himself. He started every game again (for all 4 years of eligibility) and had 95 tackles, 26 assists, 19 tackles for loss, 1 hurry, 3 interceptions, 1 touchdown off an interception, 8 passes defensed and 1 forced fumble. He also returned 2 punts for a 6.5 average. He was named 1st team all-Conference and the Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He leaves the school as the all-time tackle leader. He is projected as a late round pick. He graduated with the lowest GPA of our players with a 2.97. He still doesn't know if he will get drafted and is planning on life after football, just to be safe.

Nebraska seemed to be the place where dreams went to die. Riddick recovered from his injury and started 6 games but then re-injured his knee. In his playing time he had 8 catches for 147 yards and 3 touchdowns. He is projected as a late round pick at best at this point. He graduated with a 3.68 GPA.

Irv blew his knee out after just 2 starts at cornerback in what was expected to be a major breakout season for him. He had just 4 tackles and 2 passes defensed. He returned 1 punt for 1 yard and 3 kicks for a 27.3 average. He is a wild card, could have been a 1st rounder but the injury brings up major questions about his agility and quickness after recovering. Fe graduated with a 3.40 GPA.

Up in Sitka, Ralph had an injury free season and started every game at linebacker. He had 34 tackles, 16 assists, 2.5 sacks, 5 tackles for loss, 1 pass blocked, 2 hurries, 2 interceptions and 4 passes defensed. He may be a late round pick but there are no projections for him at this point. He graduated with a 3.65 GPA. This could very well be his last time on a football field.

South Bend saw a major disappointment this season. Otis was hoping to make this his season but a junior who rushed for 1800 yards outshined him. He played in only 9 games, all as a backup. He carried the ball just 22 times for 52 yards. He caught just 1 pass for 15 yards as well. He went from a potential mid rounder or better to not even being projected. He graduated with a 3.18 GPA. He is rather dissapointed but still plans on working hard to see what that can do for him in the eyes of the pros.

[Poli]

I miss my TCY!

[StanGunner]

Keep it going!

[EagleFan]

I'll be posting the draft tonight. Just got tied up with a bunch of things going on around here the past week.

[DolphinFan1]

Can't wait. I'll be reading.

[EagleFan]

The moment that our recruits have been waiting for has arrived, the NFL Draft Day. Most of them are trying to keep themselves busy with family and friends to keep the nerves down. Derrick attended the draft live and is expected to go within the first couple rounds. Lance and Jeff have decided to sit around the dorm playing video games and hoping that the phone rings.


The first round comes and goes without hearing one of our players' names getting called. Still not a big surprise based of many predictions as of late. We did think there was a chance that Derrick could have been taken late in the first round.

Round 2 progresses until Baltimore steps up with the 20th pick of the round and selects quarterback from UCLA Derrick Taber. He and his family are quite happy about his getting selected, though he is not big on the idea of playing for Baltimore, a team that has been having trouble producing a winning record as of late.

Early in the third round Kansas City steps up and selects cornerback from Nevraska Irv Sheldon. Irv is very happy when he gets the call and thinks that he should ahve a good chance to compete for a starting job with the Chiefs as they have not been putting together much of a team lately.

To our surprise, that was the last of our recruits to be selected. Immediately following the draft, Eddie and Ralph came to grips with the fact that their football career is over. They both gave it everything they had but no NFL team expressed any interest in them. Their size was just too much of a limitation.

The others have all been invited into training camps and are hoping to latch on with a team.


A week after the draft, Baltimore announced they had signed Derrick to a 4 year / 7.6 million dollar contract. There has been an increase in caller activity to the local sports shows in Baltimore and many are hoping that Derrick gets playing time but are concerned with the offseason signing of a career backup to huge starter money. Baltimore signed career backup James Morgan to a 4 year, 54 million dollar deal and now fans are asking just what their team management was thinking.

Irv inked his name with Kansas City shortly after Derrick's deal. He managed a 4 year, 5.7 million dollar deal. Right now he is being slated as their return man but should get some time in the nickle package.

Otis took his determination and worked out for Philadeplhia and they signed him to a 1 year, 470 thousand dollar contract. He will need to show them something in that season to really have a chance to hang on for a while.

Jeff was in and out of several camps but never got signed by a team. He has picked up some work for now but plans on continuing to work out and trying to get some team to notice him.

Lance impressed Jacksonville enough with his blocking skill out of the backfield and they signed him to a 1 year minimum of 470 thousand.

Riddick bounced around to a few camps before being signed by Washington to a 1 year, 470 thousand dollar contract. They were in need of a tight end after losing pro bowl tight end Amos Jackson to free agency and being left with a backup who has only played in 4 games over his 3 year career as their only tight end with any playing time on their roster.


As it looks, 5 of our 8 recruits have signed on to an NFL team and 2 of them have given up football all-together. One is still hoping that someone calls.

[EagleFan]

Defensive tackle Jeff Davidson's dissapointment during draft day has led to his determination to get picked up by a team. He has continued to work out and keeps sending out tapes to teams with the hope that a team will take notice of him.

He was in a couple training camps during his first summer after college but wasn't signed by any team. He went back home to Hawaii and continued to hope for a miracle. During the season he watched carefully to see if any team had enough injury problems on the defensive line and would need his services.

Late in the season, Washington lost their star defensive tackle and had already been thin at that position with backups being injured. He sent them a tape of his highlights and even attempted to contact them in person but they decided to sign another free agent to fill the hole.

Even after one full season without playing, he was still confident that he had enough talent to get a chance. He initially worked out for Oakland, Denver and Green Bay but did not get an offer. During the preseason period Dallas signed him to the minimum salary with no bonus but then cut him prior to the final preseason game.

He remained hopeful for that entire season but never got a call. He continued to work out and stay in shape but started to notice even less interest in him as time wore on. When no team invited him to work out for the next season he finally gave up playing football all-together and moved on with his life.

During the next year he was married and would later have two sons. Both look like they will have his size and he may have a couple future football players on his hands.

He is quite happy with his life now and says that he wouldn't change a thing. He loves his family life and has his own radio talk show which is quite popular on the island. He wants to expand into more than just sports talk and would like to some day be a national name and maybe one day be a household name like Rush Limbaugh, Howard Stern, Don Imus and Cam Edwards.

[EagleFan]

Riddick waited and never got the call on draft day. He didn't really think that he would since he got very little playing time and lost out his chance to start an entire season due to injuries.

After the draft he decided to give it a chance by working out and calling every team that he could with the hope that some team would give him a chance.

His hard work paid off as Washington signed him to a one year contract for the minimum, 470 thousand dollars. He just knew that if he got a chance he could catch on with a team and make a career out of football.

In his season with Washington he played as a backup the entire season. He had 5 catches for 38 yards and did find the end zone once. He likes what he showed the coaching staff with his blocking and hopes that will get him an extension. The team did not want to talk about an extension during the season, saying it would detract from their goal of winning the Super Bowl.

Washington went 12-4 and won the NFC East but missed out on a bye week due to losing the tie breaker to Green Bay. That meant that they would have to play three games to get to the Super Bowl and most likely two of them on the road.

In the Wild Card week they beat Dallas 20-10 to advance. Riddick saw little time but did have 1 catch for 10 yards.

The Divisional Round saw them traveling to Green Bay to play in the frozen tundra against the NFC Central champions. Riddick did very little during the game until mid way through the 4th quarter with the Redskins leading 10-7 and he found himself open in the end zone for a 5 yard touchdown pass to put them up by 10. That would be the final as they advance with a 17-7 win. The touchdown would be his only catch but he thinks that's very good coverage for him. There's nothing like an ESPN highlight to help the career.

Washington went to Carolina for the NFC Championship game. With just under two minutes to go in the game Washington tied it at 24. Carolina wouold then drive the length of the field and score the winning touchdown with second left to win 31-24 and they would go on to win the Super Bowl, beating Buffalo. Riddick saw very little action and only had a dropped pass to show for it.


Washington did not resign Riddick after than season. He would speak to a couple teams before being signed by Tampa Bay for one season at the minimum, 710 thousand dollars.

He got his first ever starts of his career as he started 2 of the 14 games that he played in. He had 13 catches for 120 yards and a touchdown for the season. This brings his career numbers to 30 games played, 2 starts, 18 catches for 158 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Tampa finished 6-9-1 and did not make the playoffs, ending his season earlier than he would have liked.


In his third season he was not resigned by Tampa but did latch on with Indianapolis. They signed him for one year at the minimum, 900 thousand dollars.

He played as a backup in every game this season but did have career highs with 23 catches, 188 yards and 4 touchdowns. The Colts went 10-6 and won the AFC East for his second stint in the playoffs.

His career numbers are now: 46 games, 2 starts, 41 catches for 346 yards and 6 touchdowns.

Indianapolis crushed Denver in the Wild Card Round 37-12 to advance to the next round. Riddick had 1 catch for 11 yards in the win as a backup. In 4 career playoff games he has 3 catches for 26 yards and 1 touchdown.

The next week they traveled to Seattle where the Seahawks were not very good hosts as they destroyed the Colts 40-15 to eliminate them from the playoffs. Riddick had 1 catch for 9 yards as a backup.


Riddick bounced around from one team to another trying to get signed in the off-season but no team wanted to sign him for the money that a 4th year player would get when they feel that there are younger and cheaper players that have as much, or more, ability that he has.

He spent the next year bouncing from place to place before he finally decided to try a new football league starting up. He went to London to play for the London Guard in the innaugural season of CFL-Europe.

He had some playing time during that season but was never noticed by NFL scouts, which is what he was hoping. The league did not return for a second season and he finally decided to give up football for good.


He went on to live a happy life and had no regrets about his life in football. Where else could he make a couple million dollars over 3 years time?

[EagleFan]

After being selected in the third round by Kansas City and signing his name to a 4 year / 5.7 million dollar deal Irv thinks he has the world at his fingertips. He binged on alcohol and women like he was Mickey Mantle and Wilt Chamberlain all rolled into one.

After he settle down from his alcoholic daze he finally remembered why he was partying like there was no tommorrow and began preparing for his rookie season at Kansas City.

He showed signs of great potential in his first training camp. Kansas City was hoping to build a winning franchise after their recent trouble reaching a .500 record. They decided to tear downt he team and build it into a champion, at least that is their goal.


In his rookie season he played every game but not as a starter. He was a backup defensive back and a kick returner for his first season. He did have 10 tackles, 4 assists and 1 pass defensed in his limited time at defensive back. He returned 23 kicks and averaged a respectable 23.8 yards per return. He did have a problem with fumbling as he put the ball on the ground twice in those 23 returns. That caused some concern among his coaches and limited his time near the end of the season. The Chiefs rebuilding plan hasn't turned the corner as they went 4-11-1 for the season.


Season two saw him getting frustrated as he remained a backup and saw time in nickle packages. He has started to vocally criticize the coaching staff for not playing him enough. That has begun to draw some fire from the local talk radio as some of the purists feel that players should not criticize coaches publicly.

He had 14 tackles, 4 assists and recovered 1 fumble as a defensive back this season. He returned 22 kicks for an average of 23.7 yards per return. He played little in the team's last 2 games of the season because of a bruised shoulder. The Chiefs will end up with the number 1 pick in the draft after going 3-13 this season. They are in desperate need of some help.


Season three saw Irv finally getting some starting time. He played in every game and started 9 games as the coaching staff began looking for ways to get the team to win.

Irv had career highs with 56 tackles, 11 assists, 1 pass blocked and 11 passes defensed. He also returned 27 kicks and averaged a career high 26.0 yards per return. Unfortunately the Chiefs went 5-11 and missed the playoffs yet again.

Irv is now has a confident strut in his step as he feels that his career is now taking off. Through 3 seasons he has played in 48 games with 9 starts. He has 80 tackles, 19 assists, 1 pass blocked, 12 passes defensed and 1 fumble recovery. He has also returned 72 kicks for an average of 24.7 yards per return. He is heading into the final year of his contract and is hoping to really have a break out season to earn himself some big money.


Prior to his 4th season Irv had a bout of 'can't shut up'-itus. He began talking to any reporter that would listen and complain about the team's coaching staff and what they have done to the team. He criticized team-mates and ownership and alienated himself from everyone. His ego has gotten the best of him as he thinks that he is the next big thing with his contract coming up.

His running of the mouth got him back into nickle package duties as he played in every game but no starts. He had 41 tackles, 7 assists, 1.5 sacks and 1 pass defensed. He got his first shot at punt returns with 5 returns but averaged just 2.2 yards per return. He reruned 29 kicks for an average of 23.8 yards per return. The Chiefs again ended up with the number one pick in the draft following a 1-15 season.

Through 4 seasons he has now played in 64 games with just 9 starts. He has 121 tackles, 26 assists, 1.5 sacks, 1 pass blocked, 13 passes defensed and 1 fumble recovery. He has returned 5 punts for an average of 2.2 yards per return and 101 kicks for an average of 24.4 yards per return. The worst number for him is that his team has gone 13-50-1 over the 4 seasons. The team looks like the Bengals-South.


Kansas City will not resign him following the comments that he has made and continues to make. His agent had him looking elsewhere as Philadelphia, Dallas and Oakland have all brought him in and talked with him.

Not one of those teams offered him a contract and as of training camp he is still a free agent. As time winds down in the preseason he has yet to receive a call but still feels confident about his ability.

He ends up sitting through an entire season without hearing from anyone. This has him expressing his confusion publicly even though his agent has been attempting to shut him up. Try as he might, the agent can;t keep him quiet long enough to get a team interested in him as he has now been given the 'team cancer' tag.


Following another season of no phone calls he finally gives up on the NFL and goes up north to Canado to play out his time in the CFL. He puts up some very impressive numbers but his phone never again rings from an NFL team.

[StanGunner]

Did anybody do well?

[EagleFan]

That depends on your definition of well. :D I would consider 5.7 million dollars for 4 years of 'part time' work to be very well. :D

[EagleFan]

Derrick, taken in the 2nd round by Baltimore, has already made a splash on the local talk radio. Fans have been trashing management all season for signing a career backup to huge money and then drafting who they hope is the future of the franchise.

He has become the fans' favorite player on the tteam already and he hasn't even gone to trainign camp yet. Fans are pointing to what he did at UCLA and are talking of future championships and even talking dynasty. That's very confident for a team that has done nothing more than struggle around .500 for the past decade and a half.


It took some negotiating but they finally came to terms. He signed a 4 year / 7.6 million dollar deal. It seems that Valley View High School suddenly has two very rich alumni with his signing and Irv's.


In his rookie season he was extremely dissapointed with the team as he did not ever get past the number 3 spot in the depth chart. Fans are screaming for him to get playing time even though they did get a wild card birth with a 10-6 record. The quarterbacks ahead of him in the depth chart don't pose much of a threat as far as talent. Only their starter's, James Morgan, contract is keeping him as the number one at this point. He had a mediocre season at best and it was their defense and running game that got them to be 10-6.

In the wild card round, Baltimore lost to Jacksonville 23-13 to be eliminated from the playoffs. Derrick did not see any action. This was also a meeting of two of our players as fullback Lance Wells is on the Jacksonville roster.


Derrick approached season two with the attitude that he would be the team's starter and would be helping get James Morgan out of town. The fans should thank him for just that goal alone.

The problem that he faced is that he did little during the off season. He was not in the best of shape entering camp and that set him back a ways. He has not yet adjusted to the fact that the NFL will require a lot more effor that college.

He agains spent an entire season as the third string quarterback. Fans got to watch James Morgan ruin the team with a sub-par season, at least sub-par for any other starter. It was actually a good season by his standards.

Baltimore went 6-9-1 and was well out of the playoffs. Derrick became quite outspoken about his situation and the fans all seemed to rally around him against the team's management. His biggest mistake at the end of the season was saying publicly that he might not come back to the team if they don't play him.


Prior to his third season he got some playing time in the preseason but did not do much. He threw 6 interceptions and 0 touchdowns in the preseason. He seemed to think that all he had to do was show up and they would win.

He again sat and watched Morgan lead the team. Lead the team to a 6-10 record, but he at least led them somewhere. The fact that they are paying a starter a ton of money and he threw just 8 touchdown passes to 17 interceptions is not sitting well with the fans.

Attendance has been down and Derrick has declared that he intends to hold out for the next season. Baltimore is in complete disarray and it has gotten worse as management has just extended Morgan's contract. It seems that team management has gone to the Rich Kotite school of football knowledge.


It was almost a mere formality to see Derrick not take a snap in his final season under contract for Baltimore. The team went back to a promary running game to go 10-6 and get a wild card birth.

Baltimore again lost to Jacksonville in the wild card round, this time 24-9. This means through his 4 seasons under contract for Baltimore he never got past #3 in the depth chart and the team went 32-31-1 and was 0-2 in the playoffs as he watched.


Derrick did not resign with Baltimore and in a strange turn of events no other team even contacted him. He sat out an entire season before giving up and living off his millions that he made for simply holding a clipboard.


This goes down as one of the truly strangest football careers that I have ever seen. A big time winner in college for a big time program that goes high in the draft and never plays, though getting paid royally for it. Where can I sign up for that job?

[EagleFan]

With 2 players left to write about I can say that there is another strange career coming up. I am already looking through the TCY recruits to see what players I can find to tie together for another story. I have am running them off the same game from the Billy Fitzpatrick career, which was also used for Leonard Schroeder.

Following the final two careers I will give a little more details about how the history of the games have held up. I have not had an impact on either of the games. I have the firings off for FOF and am New England only by name in that career as I have assistants run everything so I don't affect the careers of the players. In TCY I am an SCE school but again I let the assistants handle everything.

For the next dynasty I will either follow the top recruit for several positions or I will follow something like th etop 10-20 recruits with the hope that some of them really pan out. That dynasty will be similar to this one in that I will do all the leg work first and then post. This way I don't get painted into a corner when siming and posting simultaneously.

[StanGunner]

If you sim their college and PRO career first you have a better handle on which players to go back and report on. I would like to see some players that actually start in the pros for a few years. Excellent job so far.

[EagleFan]

Otis did not let his draft day set back ruin his outlook. He kept on trying to impress someone and finally Philadelphia offered him the league minimum or 470 thousand for one season.

He showed a little bit of his speed in training camp and preseason and it was enough for them to keep him around as their 3rd string back. He played a little in all 16 games and managed to get 17 carried for 94 yards and a touchdown. The Eagles finished an awful 4-12 and way out of the playoffs, a very bad season for this storied franchise.


Philadelphia did not attempt to resign him but he got a cann from Green Bay who offered him the minimum of 710 thousand for one season. He gladly accepted the offer just to get a chance to prove himself again.

He was primarily Green Bay's backup but did play in every game and got 2 starts due to an injury of their starter. He carried the ball 147 times for 372 yards and 2 touchdowns. He caught 4 passes for 33 yards. He also learned a new role this season as he returned 19 kicks for an average of 20.4 yards per return.

His career numbers are now 32 games, 2 starts, 164 carries for 466 yards and 3 touchdowns, 4 receptions for 33 yards and 19 kick returns for a 20.4 average.

For the season Green Bay was 9-6-1 and earned the number 1 wild card spot. In the wild card round they beat Washington 20-13. Otis carried the ball 7 times for just 2 yards and returned 2 kicks for a mere 9.5 average.

In the Divisional round Green Bay lost 15-7 to eventual Super Bowl champion Minnesota. Otis carried the ball 7 times for 34 yards and returned 1 kick 19 yards. He did fumble the ball once in the third quarter as his college problem has resurfaced with a lack of field awareness seemingly causing the fumble.


Otis nearly passed out one spring morning as his agent called and told him to sign the fax that he was about to get and return it to him immediately. Green Bay had just offered him 14.05 million dollars over 2 years. His financial worries are over for him and his family for the rest of their natural lives.

After signing a huge salary he was relegated to backup and kick returner. Causing many fans everywhere to wonder just what Green Bay was thinking. He played in every game with no starts. He carried the ball just 13 times for only 9 yards. He caught 13 passes for 198 yards. He returned 4 punts for an average of 4.3 yards per return and only 8 kicks for an average of 16.6 yards per return. Green Bay was 8-8 and missed the playoffs.

His career numbers are now 48 games, 2 starts, 177 carries for 475 yards and 3 touchdowns, 17 receptions for 231 yards, 4 punt returns for an average of 4.3 and 27 kick retuens for an 18.9 average.


In his 4th season as a pro Otis had even less playing time though he was laughing all the way to the bank. He played some in all 16 games but had just 2 carries for 6 yards and 5 kick returns for an average of 19.2 per return. Green Bay winished 13-3 and won the NFC Central.

His career numbers are now 64 games, 2 starts, 179 carries for 481 yards, 17 receptions for 231 yards, 4 punt returns for an average of 4.3 and 32 kick returns for an average of 19.0.

Green Bay would lose in the Divisional round to Tampa Bay 20-17 on a last second field goal. Otis had just 1 kick return for 30 yards.


Heading into his 5th season as a pro with very little playing time lately and no contract was a bit of a problem for Otis, or so he though. He again got a call from his agent. He was both frantic and very confused but asked Otis again to sign and return quickly. To Otis' surprise Green Bay had again made him an offer, this time it was for 22.11 million over 4 seasons. Numbers of a starting running back but being offered to a backup and part time returner. Otis signed quickly hoping it just wasn't a dream.

It turned out to be all too real and all too confusing. His name is now being tossed around by fans with disghust for their team's personnel choices.

He played mostly on special teams coverage this season and returned only 1 kick for 11 yards as his only stat of the season. Fans want to know just what pictures he has and how bad are they as he seems to have something on the Packers front office to keep getting money thrown at him.

The Packers finished 9-7 and earned a Wild Card birth. They lost to Carolina 26-3 in their Wild Card game and Otis never did anything other than cover kicks.


Season 6, time to finally earn his pay? That is what he was hoping as he is really feeling the heat from the fans. Not only locally but nationally he had made his way onto talk radio programs. He may become an answer to a trivia question that he never wanted to be associated with.

He was a backup again but had the most carries he has had in the past few seasons with 3 for 31 yards. He rerutned 2 punts for an average of 1.0 per return and 3 kicks for an average of 18.0 per return.

Green Bay went 10-6 and earned a Wild Card birth. They got revenge with a 21-10 win over Carolina to advance this season. Otis returned 1 kick for 20 yards.

In the Divisional round Chicago destroyed them 31-10 and Otis had no stats. He just covered kicks.

Through his 6 seaons he has played in 96 games, started 2, 182 carries 512 yards and 3 touchdowns, 17 reseptions for 231 yards, 6 punt returns for an average of 2.5 per return, 36 kick returns for an average of 18.7 per return.


In his 7th season, Otis is starting to get very unhappy about his playing time. He carried the ball 1 time for 1 yard, 8 punt returns for an aveage of 0.3 per return and 17 kick returns for an average of 18.8 per return. He also fumbled 4 times this season.

Green Bay finished 7-9 and missed the playoffs. His career numbers are 112 games, 2 starts, 183 carries for 513 yards and 3 touchdowns, 14 punt returns for an average of 1.1 per return and 53 kick returns for an average of 18.8 per return.


Season 8 saw very limited tim in the final season of his contract. He returned just 6 kicks for an average of 24.0 yards per return. Other than now playing in 128 games, the only stat change is now returning 59 kicks for an average of 19.3 yards per return.

Green Bay won their division with an 11-5 record but did not get a bye. They lost to Tampa Bay 20-17 to be eliminated from the playoffs. Otis had no stats for the game.


Entering his 9th season Otis was without a contract and thinking of retireing and enjoying the money that he had practically stolen from the NFL. One morning he again got a call from his agent. Green Bay was offering him 16.51 million over 4 seasons. How could he not accept?

All he did this season was cover kicks. He did manage to recover a fumble on one return he was covering. For his career he now has 54 special teams tackles, about the biggest number of his career.

Green Bay finished 12-4 and won the NFC Central and earned a bye week. In the Divisional Round they crushed New Orleans 34-7 to advance to the NFC championship. Otis had no stats in the game.

Philadelphia was not a good host to Green Bay for the NFC Championship as they routed them 34-6. Otis had no stats for the game again. Philadelphia would go on to lose the all-Pennsylvania Super Bowl to Pittsburgh.


Following the season, Green Bay released Otis. He decided at that time that his career was over and went on to enjoy the money that he earned throught his time in the NFL. He would have liked for a better ending to his NFL story but will enjoy the fruits of his career and live quite comfortably for the rest of his natural life.

[illinifan999]

Now that's a life. Play minimally and get paid like your a freakin superstar.

[tucker342]

no kidding... I wish I got payed that much to sit on my ass:D

[EagleFan]

Our final player is fullback Lance Wells. He went undrafted and spoke with several teams before signing a minimum 1 year 470 thousand dollar contract with Jacksonville. He is happy to be getting a chance and has been putting forth extra effort in the weight room and studying the playbook.

He was the backup fullback for Jacksonville all season long and saw limited duty other than on special teams. He did carry the ball 9 times for 51 yards and caught 10 passes for 100 yards and 1 touchdown. He did show the ability that he has to be a solid lead blocker when given the opportunity.

Jacksonville finished 13-3 but got stuck as the number 1 wild card. They beat Baltimore 23-13 in the Wild Card round and Lance only saw time on special teams coverage, which is moer than our other player, Derrick Taber of Baltimore, can say.

In the divisional round Jacksonville beat Cincinnati 40-34 in a shootout. Lance saw some time as a lead blocker and on special teams but had no real stats for the game.

Jacksonville had to travel up to Buffalo for the AFC Championship game and the cold did them in as the Bills handed them a 21-3 loss. Lance had a similar game to the first two playoff games.


Jacksonville did not resign him so he went through Philadelphia, Oakland and Seattle looking to sign. He finally got his wish when Oakland offered him the minimum of 710 thousand for 1 year.

He again played the entire season as a backup and on special teams. He got to carry the ball 8 times for 42 yards but that was the extent of his offensive stats. Oakland would finish 10-6 but miss out on the playoffs due to losing a tie breaker.


Heading into year three of his career it looked like more of the same for him as he would not get resigned by Oakland and had to look elsewhere. He tried out for Miami, Carolina, Pittsburgh and Cleveland. Pittsburgh finally offered him a 1 year minimum of 900 thousand.

His work effort and determination finally paid off for him as he was named the starting fullback just prior to the first game of the season. He started every game and had 17 carries for 31 yards and 9 catches for 60 yards. Where he helpde the most was his special teams coverage and leading the way for the running game with his ability to open holes. No post season for him as the Steelers went 8-8.


Work has paid off for Lance as Pittsburgh signed him to a 3 year deal worth 3.31 million and have named him their starting fullback. He seems to be a very good fit for the power running offense that the Steelers seem to be running.

He started every game despite playing the final couple games with a turf toe injury. Running was not his strong point as he carried the ball 15 times for only 5 yards. He also caught 7 passes for 44 yards out of the backfield. Unfortunately another 8-8 season kept them out of the playoffs.


A very comfortable off season for him as he didn't have to worry about getting a contract for the first time in his pro career. He is also set as the starter and there seems to be nothing that would keep that from happening, other than an injury.

They tried to keep him involved with the ball by giving him 22 carries but he only managed 16 yards. He caught 2 passes for 7 yards as well. He again led the way for the running attack with his lead blocking, helping the Steelers have the 2nd most rushing yards in the NFL.

Pittsburgh pounded their way to a 10-6 record and a wild card birth. The Steelers pounded Jacksonville 35-7 in the Wild Card round to advance in the playoffs. Lance had 2 catch for 6 yards and a couple great tackles on special teams.
His body language tells it all as he is loving what he is doing.

In the Divisional round Pittsburgh lost to eventual Super Bowl champion Tennessee by a score of 24-17. Lance had one carry but lost 2 yards on the carry. Other than that he did little, as did the entire team. They need to add a stronger passing attack to compliment their running attack.


In his 6th season in the league Lance had his best season yet. He carried the ball 33 times for 69 yards and a touchdown. He also caught 5 passes for 31 yards as well as being among the league leaders in key run blocks. Add 12 special teams tackles and he had a very busy season. For the second straight season Pittsburgh was 10-6 and a wild card team.

Cleveland handled the Steelers with ease in the Wild Card round by a score of 34-14 to eliminate them from the playoffs. Lance carried the ball 3 times but got just 1 total yard and caught 1 pass for 5 yards.

His greatest honor was being named 2nd team all-pro fullback. It's nice to see hard work paying off. He has done it all with limited skills but great determination and a great head for the game.


Prior to his 7th season that hard work paid off financially for him and Lincoln signed him to a 3 year contract worth 8.78 million. They are looking for him to bring his attitude and determination to the team.

He started every game for Lincoln and carried the ball 25 times for 50 yards. He also caught 3 passes for 26 yards. He wasn's as good at opening holes this season, maybe just the adjustment to the new system. His special teams play was solid as ever. He did have to suffer through a 6-0 season and missing the playoffs.


An injury in his 8th season kept him out of 4 games but he did start 12. He carried the ball 16 times for 44 yards and a touchdown. He caught just 3 passes for 7 yards. He regained his form as one of the best lead blockers in the league and one of the best on special teams. The time missed from the injury might have been all that stood in his way for another all-pro honor. Lincoln missed the playoffs with a 7-9 record.


In his final season under contract for Lincoln Lance had a completely healthy season and got 31 carried for only 36 yards though. He did manage 10 catches for 57 yards out of the backfield. Lincoln had changed their system some and he didn't seem to get as many chance to open the holes that he used to. He was still solid on special teams. They finished at 7-9 agains and he was on the outside looking in as far as the playoffs were concerned.


Heading into his 10th season Lincoln resigned him to a 3 year contract worth 7.36 million. He has become one of the true bright spots for our players that we watched, though not being at a flashy position for numbers.

Injuries caused him to play in just 15 games and only start 14 this season. He seems to have lost his power when running as he carried 33 times for only 30 yards. Running was never his strong point but he doesn;t have that tackle breaking ability anymore. He did have 5 catches for 101 yard though with one being a 73 yard touchdown so he still has some ability left. He was excellent at blocking and led the league in key run blocks and had excellent numbers for special teams coverage.

The added wrinkle in their running game put Lincoln at 11-5 and made them the NFC West champions and earned them a bye week.

They hosted Green Bay in the Divisional round of the playoffs but got bounced 31-21. Lance had 2 carries for 5 yards in the game along with his normal duties.

Though not going far in the playoffs, there was some good news for him following the season. He was named 2nd team all-pro fullback for the second time in his career.


Season eleven was a season on the slide. Lincoln had a young player in his third season who took over as the starter. Lance played in every game but had no starts. His skills seemed to have taken a big step backwards following last season.

During the season he carried just 3 times for a total of -1 yard. He saw little chance to open holes and his time on special teams had begun to decrease. He has seriously begun to think about his life after playing. Lincoln finished 7-9 and missed the playoffs.


Following some sould searching and discussions with his wife and family he finally decided to hang it up after 11 years in the NFL. Though not a true great he was an inspired player who led by his actions on the field.

His final numbers were 171 games played, 122 starts, 214 carried for 368 yards and 2 touchdowns, 54 receptions for 447 yards and 2 touchdowns and also managed 69 career tackles on special teams.


This puts and end to the story of that group of players. They have had various levels of success, be it a champion in college to a washout in the pros.

The stories will continue and the league history will grow.

[illinifan999]

Lincoln? Did a team move?

[EagleFan]

Expansion team.