Three Brothers Naquin: An American Football Tale (FOF 2007)

[StLee]

This is my first shot at a dynasty, and instead of concentrating on a team, I will focus on three brothers at first in an FOF 2007 dynasty. Due to the nature of what I'm writing, I'm adding a lot of fictional elements outside of the FOF universe.

I am setting this story in the future (starting in 2026) basically because that's where I am in an SP dynasty. With the future track, there are some changes:

1) I have created an alternative football universe in the future.
2) The NCAA has been dissolved due to “lack of institutional control.”
3) In its place has been born the International Association of University Athletics (IAUA), made up of American and Canadian universities. (Note: Divisions A and B contain no Canadian universities in football).
4) The IAUA is split into Divisions A, B, C, and D. For the most part, Division A matches the current FBS (I-A), except that there are now 128 teams forming eight 16-team super conferences and a 16-team playoff. Division B is similar to the current FCS (I-AA).
5) I don't know what to do about the NFL. For this alternative universe, I am using one of my old paper leagues (started in 1991 and re-emerged in 2010 in FOF) to be the professional league. This league is called the World Spread American Football League (WSAFL). It is made of 32 teams: 16 in the Western Hemisphere League and 16 in the Eastern Hemisphere League.
a. WHFL – Canada: Edmonton Polar Bears, Montreal Storm, Toronto Knights, Vancouver Action
b. WHFL – West USA: Los Angeles Spiders, Las Vegas Gorillas, Mexico City Scorpions, Portland Thunderbirds
c. WHFL – Central USA: Austin Griffins, Baton Rouge Rhinos, Milwaukee Devils, Oklahoma City Twisters
d. WHFL – East USA: Columbus Hornets, Memphis Mustangs, Orlando Orbit, Richmond Revolution
e. EHFL – West Europe: Dublin Luck, London Legends, Madrid Bulls, Paris Wolves
f. EHFL – East Europe: Amsterdam Illusion, Athens Myths, Berlin Blitz, Rome Blazers
g. EHFL – Asia: Beijing Pandas, Moscow Miracles, Seoul Reapers, Tokyo Samurai
h. EHFL – Oceania: Auckland Penguins, Brisbane Admirals, Melbourne Koalas, Sydney Kangaroos
6) Despite all these changes, I am concentrating this particular dynasty on three brothers, and potentially one or two cousins. They will exist in this universe, with everything in college being purely created in my mind, and everything in the pros being dictated by natural progressions of the players. This way I can finally sit back and enjoy my league and get to know players across the league other than just my controlled team and league superstars.
7) I hate that you can’t edit players’ info. So please ignore the main and supporting players’ hometowns if I post their player cards. Player card hometowns do NOT match my prose’s needs.
8) I hope you enjoy. Please give me feedback and let me know how to improve my first dynasty!

I'll be pretty busy the next couple of weeks, so I just wrote a few things early. I'll try to post something at least once a day when time permits.

[StLee]

Part One: Jeremy Naquin, the linebacker

Jeremy’s Journal
August 5, 2026

I know a lot of y'all have been bugging me to start a blog. Just be aware that I'm really busy, and you just have to wait sometimes. Remember, I'm a student, too, and it's hard concentrating on football and an education. However, I promise I'll try as much as possible. So, welcome to my personal sync. Anyone want to give me a nickname? I'm tired of Coach Johnson calling me 'Bonehead' and 'You'! I'm a three year starter!



Fall practice has been in full swing, and I am a little sad that this will be my senior season with the Demons. Ever since I was a boy, I knew I wanted to be a football player. Even though my dreams of playing at LSU were dashed, I have still had a hell of a time here at Northwestern State.

Dad paid me a visit last week, and he wanted to make sure I had my head in the right place. It’s true I’ve been a little down. I don’t know why. Angela (She let’s me call her Angie sometimes, but not often) is applying some marriage pressure, and I’m graduating this semester, and I want us to finally make the playoffs and win a championship. And Coach Murray already made me defensive captain, and I’m a preseason first team All-American and we’re Southland Conference favorites. It all just seems to be too much for my mind right now. Hell, I just need a beer!

I need to get my head on straight. I am a football player, and I am documenting my life in my personal blogs. Don’t worry—especially you, Mom, if you’re reading this!



I am Jeremy Naquin and this is my Personal Football Journal.

[StLee]

Jeremy’s Journal
August 23, 2026

I attached an article in The Natchitoches Times about our season preview. The season’s about to start, and I feel much better than before. We’re going to have one of the top defenses in the nation again, and it looks like our offense finally has the spark it needs. You can read the full article if you go to the sync site, but I just put what I like, so it’s not the full article and might seem a bit choppy. There’s a quote by me in there, too!

The Natchitoches Times, via elbeesports.sync
By Babe Kilbarney
August 22, 2026


Northwestern State is this season’s Southland Conference favorites for a reason. And it starts up top.

Coach DeVincent Murray has been building an up and coming program, and this year’s senior-laced team is primed for a run at the IAUA Division B title.

“It’s been a long road the last four years trying to earn some respect,” Coach Murray said. “I won’t take things for granted, but this year we got some horses ready to run the Derby.”

Leading the Demons in their quest for the SLC championship is senior quarterback Jackson “Jakey” Cancienne. Cancienne took over as the starter in the middle of his sophomore season and has since grown as a quarterback. In his 17 starts, Cancienne has thrown 14 touchdowns and only four interceptions. He also threw for over 300 yards in two games last season. According to Coach Murray, Cancienne has made considerable strides from the end of his junior year to this year’s fall practice.

“Jakey’s making all the throws. I give him a lot of room to work.”

…

The Demons defense, led by fiery defensive coordinator Ferdinand Johnson, runs a 3-3-5 allotment. Last year, the defense set a team record of holding opponents to only 12.5 points per game. Still, according to Coach Johnson, there’s room for improvement.

“We kept guys out the end zone, but we still need to get the ball. We only forced eight turnovers all year.”

The leader in generating turnovers was deep safety DeJuan Brown. He intercepted three passes last year, returning one for a touchdown.

“DeJuan is like our QB in the secondary,” Coach Johnson said. “He moves around well, and that’s why I have him in the DS. Most places would play him at corner, but I think he gives us more in the deep.”

…

Leading the front six is middle linebacker Jeremy Naquin. Naquin, who has started in every game since his redshirt freshman year and is the defensive captain, is poised to build on his team-leading 130 tackles and seven sacks from a year ago. He was named an International Association of University Athletics (IAUA) Division B 2^nd team All-American last season.

“I think we have what it takes to be a championship team,” Naquin said. "I guess we’ll see what happens.”

…

For Northwestern State, who finished 6-6 overall, 4-3 in the SLC, in 2025, better conference play and more offensive production are needed for a team that scored only 15.6 points per game. According to Coach Murray, an IAUA Division B championship should not be talked about until the Demons can be more successful in the conference.

“Our first goal is winning the SLC. Once we get in the playoffs, then we’ll think about winning there. Until then, we have to get to the playoffs first.”

The IAUA Division B is the second level of competitive football. Formerly known as the Football Championship Series and Division I-AA when the NCAA was in operation, the IAUA Division B has enjoyed a steady run of top-rate football since 2016. Northwestern State has never won a championship.

Northwestern State opens the season August 29 at Idaho. Season schedule printed below.

August 29 @ Idaho

September 5 vs Elon

September 12 @ UCLA

September 17 @ Texas State*

September 26 vs Southern Illinois

October 3 vs Nicholls State*

October 10 @ Sam Houston State*

October 17 vs Mississippi Valley State (HC)

October 24 @ Central Arkansas*

October 31 BYE WEEK

November 7 vs Lamar*

November 14 vs Southeastern Louisiana*

November 21 @ Stephen F. Austin*

[StLee]

Crap. I have no idea how to include graphics in my posts. I guess I had better study some html.

[StLee]

The Natchitoches Times, via elbeesports.sync
Demons fall in opener
By Babe Kilbarney
August 29, 2026

Moscow, ID - If the 2026 season is to be a success, ignore the first game.

Northwestern State traveled to a Division A opponent’s home field, the University of Idaho, and came out with a 21-10 defeat.

The game was not surprising for the underdog Demons (0-1), but Coach DeVincent Murray was hoping for an upset.

“It’s tough for Division B teams to go into the house of a Division A and pick up a win,” Murray said. “It happens, but not that often. Still, we fought hard.”

The Demons pulled the game to a 14-10 deficit with 10:36 in the third quarter on a three-yard Patrick Hansen run. However, an ensuing drive of nearly five minutes, with a one-yard plunge by Matt Butters, ended the Demons’ hopes of an upset.

Butters abused the Demons’ defense, rushing for 154 yards on 34 carries and two touchdowns. He also scored on the first drive for Idaho (0-1), a six-yard run off left tackle.

According to Murray, Butters made the difference. “We lined up man to man, and (Butters) just blew us off the line. We couldn’t match up on the inside, and that let them control the clock.

“It was a tough day for our defense. We have some healing to do before next week.”

Jackson “Jakey” Cancienne led the Demons’ offense, going 23 for 34 passing for 287 yards and one late interception. Hansen was the leading rusher with 67 yards on 23 carries.

The Vandals were led in passing by David Young, who went 12 of 27 for 124 yards with one touchdown. Young also rushed for 38 yards on six carries.

Idaho took the lead in the first quarter on a nine-play, 80-yard drive that took 5:11 after the Demons punted into the Idaho end zone. The score was set up by a 22-yard scramble by Young, one play before Butters took in the score.

On the first play of the second quarter, the Vandals went up 14-0 when Young connected with Adrian Sharpe for a 25-yard strike.

Tim Minden got the Demons on the board, connecting on a 34-yard field goal with 11:34 left to cut the score to 14-3 at the half.

Northwestern State will be at home next weekend against Division B foe Elon.

[StLee]

The Houma Courier, via elbeesports.sync
Former Terrebonne standout looking to go pro
By Keith Zeringue
August 31, 2026

Houma, LA – When Jeremy Naquin lined up with the Terrebonne High Tigers, he was known as a terror on the gridiron.

“He never knew when to quit,” THS coach Mark King said. “He never knew what it meant to say die. Some of the coaches used to call him the Goonie. He never ever said die.”

That tough work and dedication to football has paid off for Naquin, a standout senior middle linebacker for the Northwestern State Louisiana Demons. Naquin, who is a four-year starter since his redshirt freshman season in 2023, was named a Division B Second Team All-American to end his junior season.

Last season he compiled 130 tackles with 43 assists, seven sacks, and one forced fumble. In his career, he has 287 tackles, 109 assists, 11 sacks, four forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.

Coach DeVincent Murray of Northwestern State has noticed his aggression, too.

“Jeremy (Naquin) has a nose for the football. He is always around the ball, and he makes my job easier. He makes all of the defense look better.”

This season, Naquin hopes to propel his success and dedication into a breakout season for the Demons. Northwestern State is favored to win the Division B Southland Conference, the same conference in which local Nicholls State University in Thibodaux plays.

And more might be waiting for Naquin in the future. Based on Murray’s thoughts, Naquin might see more field time after his Northwestern days are over.

“He’s a hell of a player, and I think pro scouts will be giving him a good look. There’s nobody out there better in space as far as I can tell. So I can see him getting picked up as a small school project. If I was a pro coach, I'd take him.”

Naquin was not available for comment due to class obligations. However, The Courier was able to contact his father, Josh Naquin.

According to Josh Naquin, Jeremy’s success was never in doubt.

“He was always sleeping and eating football. We had to find ways to get him to study when he was a kid because the only thing on his mind was football.

“My other boys are good football players, too, but they don’t have anywhere close to the same dedication as Jeremy when it comes to football. I just hope he gets to keep playing.”

Jeremy Naquin has two younger brothers currently playing for Terrebonne. Josh, Jr., is a senior wide out, getting recruited by several Division A schools as either a wide receiver or defensive back. Travis is a sophomore who is expected to make his Terrebonne High premier next week in the season opener.

“I love the dedication those Naquin boys have,” King said. “I wish all my players had the fire they have. We’d win a state championship every year in that case.”

[StLee]

I'm not going to report on all of Jeremy's college games since I am not running a TCY sim, so I'll break down his game-by-game stats with results:

@ Idaho 10-21 L (Naquin: 12 tackles, 8 solo, 1.5 tackles for loss)
vs Elon 37-6 W (Naquin: 10 tackles, 6 solo, 1 TFL, 2 passes broken up)
@UCLA 7-42 L (Naquin: 11 tackles, 7 solo, 1 TFL)
@ Texas St.* 27-23 W (Naquin: 13 tackles, 12 solo, 2 TFL, 1 sack, 1 PBU)
vs So. Illinois 24-16 W (Naquin: 4 tackles, 3 solo, 1 TFL, 1 PBU, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery)
vs Nicholls St.* 31-6 W (Naquin: 12 tackles, 8 solo, 0.5 TFL, 1 PBU, 1 FF)
@ Sam Houston St.* 20-12 W (Naquin: 11 tackles, 4 solo, 1 PBU)
vs MVSU (HC) 40-17 W (Naquin: 13 tackles, 10 solo, 2 FR, 36 yards returned for TD, 1 interception)
@ C. Arkansas* 36-3 W (Naquin: 15 tackles, 9 solo, 1 FF, 1 INT)
vs Lamar* 19-17 W (Naquin: 11 tackles, 7 solo)
vs SELU* 24-16 W (Naquin: 12 tackles, 6 solo, 3 TFL, 1 sack, 1 PBU, 1 FF)
Next: @ S.F. Austin* (7-4 overall, 5-2 Southland)

--------------------------------------------------

ESPN.sync
NAU's Noble, Northwestern State's Naquin named Div. B Players of Week
from Wire Reports
October 19, 2026

NYC - University of Northern Arizona wide receiver Dustin Noble and Northwestern State University's Jeremy Naquin were named Division B National Players of the Week.

Noble, a junior, caught 12 passes for 213 yards and 3 touchdowns in the Lumberjack's 43-11 rout of division foe Portland State. Noble's performance marks the first time a Northern Arizona player has been named a national player of the week since early in 2017 when quarterback Tyler Durden passed for 417 yards and six touchdowns.

Naquin, a Second Team All-American in 2025, has been exploding this year, with his best game of the season to earn the Defensive Player of the Week award. Naquin recorded 13 tackles, 10 of those solo, along with an interception and two fumble recoveries, one returned for a 36-yard touchdown, in a 40-17 win over Mississippi Valley State . Northwestern State, which improved to 6-2, is looking to earn a playoff berth out of the Southland Conference.

Naquin also received a Defensive Player of the Week award in 2025 with a 19-tackle and two-sack performance against Nicholls State.

[StLee]

Jeremy’s Journal:
November 19, 2026

We had an outstanding practice today. Coach Johnson really worked us hard on D today. Jakey, our QB, has been lights out against opponents all year, but that’s only because we give him suchn a hard time in practice.

For an example, Jakey ran one of his favorite plays, basically a play where the RB lines up in the slot and the flanker goes in motion behind the QB. Now, I know the play and all the options it presents, but I won’t talk about them to give our opponents any advantages. Anyway, the obvious options could mean run or pass. On this play, Jakey chose to pass. I saw D-Tron, the TE, just sitting there acting like he was going to block, but Van, our Will, ran by him untouched. “OK,” I thought. “Pass to D-Tron.” Sure enough, D-Tron breaks into a sprint straight for the corner. I recognized it so I had already taken a step towards the sideline and broke into my own sprint. Jakey lofted a pass. I saw it and took a quick glimpse to see where DeJuan was (he’s our DS), and he was nowhere in my vision, so I knew I was alone. Fortunately for me, I had the right angle, or else D-Tron was going to catch the pass and run it in for the score, and the D—mostly meaning me and DeJuan for blowing the play—would have to run some shuffles after practice. Instead, my angle was right on, and I swatted the ball away before D-Tron could nab it. Play over. In simulation it was time for a punt. Coach Johnson was happy. He told me I’m on my way to being a fine pro MLB, in his own profanity-laced way, of course.

Like I said. Outstanding practice. I would love to make a play like that for a regular game. As for now, I just have to be content swatting down as many balls as I can over the middle.

Anyway, see you in the playoffs! 9-2 and Southland Conference Champions, baby! Now we just need to win our rivalry game in Nagodoches this weekend against SFA and we clinch a Top 8 seed.

[StLee]

The Natchitoches Times, via elbeesports.sync
By Babe Kilbarney
November 21, 2026

Nagodoches, TX – Northwestern State used an outstanding defensive performance to clinch an undefeated season in Southland Conference play in a 33-11 win over archrival S. F. Austin.

The Demons (10-2, 7-0) now await for the announcement of its placement in the IAAU Division B playoffs. With the victory, Northwestern State is guaranteed at least one home game in the playoffs.

“This was what we worked hard for all season,” Northwestern State coach DeVincent Murray said. “These boys worked hard, and they deserve to be a top seed in the playoffs.”

Trailing 3-0 with 1:54 in the first quarter, senior linebacker Jeremy Naquin sacked ad stripped Lumberjacks quarterback Pat Swayze. After a short scramble, Naquin picked up the ball and returned it 33 yards to the S.F. Austin one-yard line. One play later, Demons tail back Freedy Johnson plunged in to give Northwestern State the lead.

Naquin, who finished with 13 tackles, a sack, a fumble forced, and a fumble recovered, continued his season-long dominance, shutting down the strong Lumberjack rushing attack.

“Jeremy (Naquin) came to play today,” Murray said. “Those boys on the other side usually run right down everyone’s throats, but the interior guys kept them in 2^nd and long and 3^rd and long all day.”

The Lumberjacks entered the game leading the Southland Conference in rushing at 211.6 yards per game, but Northwestern State allowed only 34 yards rushing on 29 carries.

In the second quarter, Northwestern State blew the game open. Jackson “Jakey” Cancienne connected with Earl Little for a seven-yard scoring strike to make it 14-3 with 11:22 remaining in the half. After a S.F. Austin interception, Tim Minden connected on a 34-yard field goal to make it 17-3. He later connected on another field goal with 1:16 left to give the Demons a 20-3 half time lead.

The Demons continued to pound on S.F. Austin in the third quarter. Cancienne again connected with Little for a 34-yard TD to give the Demons a 26-3 lead. A bobbled snap on the extra point attempt prevented Northwestern State from converting.

Cancienne finished 22 of 30 for 218 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran three times for 16 yards.

Patrick Hansen completed the Demons' scoring with a 17-yard run with 58 seconds left in the third quarter. Hansen finished the day with 76 yards on 15 carries.

S. F. Austin got its lone touchdown with 2:19 left in the game when backup quarterback Taylor Lajolla connected on a 13-yard pass with Gabe Korner.

S. F. Austin (8-4, 4-3) has an outside shot at the playoffs, especially with its early-season win over Big South champions Coastal Carolina. Announcements are at 8 PM EST on the Creme Sports Network.

[StLee]

Can anyone give me some input on this dynasty? It's going to be an FOF dynasty, but I wanted to give some depth to my stars, too. Should I continue the collegiate narratives or just jump straight into the FOF sims?

I am almost finished with Jeremy's college story, but if nobody cares, I may just skip any narratives about the 2nd and 3rd brothers' college careers.

[StLee]

Division B Playoff Match Ups Set
elbeesports.sync
November 22, 2026

#1 Boston University (CAA) 12-0
#16 Columbia (Ivy) 7-5

#8 Alabama State (SWAC) 9-3
#9 Eastern Washington (Big Sky) 10-2

#4 Howard (MEAC) 11-1
#13 Liberty (Big South) 8-4

#5 Northwestern State (Southland) 10-2
#12 Monmouth (Northeast) 7-5

#2 Tennessee State (Ohio Valley) 12-0
#15 Marist (Pioneer League 7-5

#7 Coastal Carolina (Big South) 9-3
#10 South Dakota (Great West) 8-4

#3 Sacramento State (Big Sky) 11-1
#14 Lafayette (Patriot) 9-3

#6 Furman (Southern) 11-1
#11 Youngstown State (MVFC) 9-3

[bbgunn]

I say go ahead with the narratives.

[StLee]

Division B Playoffs
First Round Results

#1 Boston University 34, #16 Columbia 7

#2 Tennessee State 26, #15 Marist 18

#3 Sacramento State 41, #14 Lafayette 17

#13 Liberty 16, #4 Howard 13

#5 Northwestern State 21, #12 Monmouth 6

#11 Youngstown State 35, #6 Furman 34

#10 South Dakota 18, #7 Coastal Carolina 16

#8 Alabama State 45, #9 Eastern Washington 10

[StLee]

Division B Playoffs
2026 Quarterfinal Results

#1 Boston University 28, #8 Alabama State 9

#10 South Dakota 32, #2 Tennessee State 28

#3 Sacramento State 44, #11 Youngstown State 17

#5 Northwestern State 31, #13 Liberty 16

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Division B Playoffs
2026 Semifinals Results

#1 Boston University 13, #5 Northwestern State 7

#3 Sacramento State 24, #10 South Dakota 20

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Jeremy’s Journal
December 20, 2026

I am so pissed! We had that game. Geez, Boston got a gimme in the semis.

I won’t assume everyone knows what I’m talking about, so I’ll explain here. Sorry for not updating much, but, you know, with classes and football, I’m pretty busy.

Anyway, it was the fourth and we were down by 6, 13-7. It was a hard fought game, and Jakey was doing his best to keep us in it, but what are you going to do when Boston has a great D? Hell, statistically, they were better than us. So you know they can play ball. And, of course their all-everything man, Shaun DeBoer, just wreaked havoc on us all game. He ended up with three sacks and was in Jakey’s face all day long. Still, we had a chance to win it late. We drove down to their three. Jakey ran our custom play on 3^rd and goal. D-Tron intentionally misses his block on the Sam, gets up, and goes straight for the empty corner. Perfect set up, perfect throw, perfect catch. But what happens? Official says his foot was out. I watched that play over and over, and he wasn’t even close to being out. Didn’t college ball used to have replay? Can we bring that back? Coach Murray was already told he can’t protest a judgment call. Bullshit.

Final score: Boston U 13, Demons 7.

People keep telling me not to worry because I had a good game. I keep telling them individual accomplishments are nothing. They keep telling me not to worry because I’m getting drafted. I say, “I don’t give a damn about that. I wanted a national championship.” Dammit! Now I have to watch Boston and Sac State play for the title. We got robbed. So pissed . . .

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Division B Playoffs
2026 National Title Game
Nashville, Tennessee

#1 Boston University 27, #3 Sacramento State 17

------------------------------------------------------------------

[StLee]

Jeremy’s Journal
January 6, 2027

I just got word that I got a few honors on the individual front. Just a reminder to my friends and family reading this, I play in Division B. There’s no New York awards ceremony. We just get a phone call and then read about it online. Coach Murray told me the school would receive some trophies later and put them in the case.

Here are the awards:
IAUA Division B First team All-American
Backbreaker Top Tackler Award
IAUA Division B Linebacker of the Year Award
IAUA Division B Defensive Player of the Year – 2^nd Runner Up (As expected, DeBoer out of Boston won the award. He only finished with 34 sacks! And he’s going to be a top five pick in the WSAFL draft in April)


My season total in stats, according to elbeesports.sync:



Regular season -

137 tackles
12 tackles for loss
3 sacks
5 fumbles forced
4 fumbles recovered, 1 returned for TD
2 interceptions
7 passes broken up


Playoffs -

32 tackles
8 tackles for loss
1 sack
1 interception
1 pass broken up


Totals -

169 tackles
20 tackles for loss
4 sacks
5 fumbles forced
4 fumbles recovered, 1 returned for a TD
3 interceptions
8 passes broken up

[StLee]

Jeremy’s Journal
February 1, 2027

Good news for me! I just got a call and have been invited to LSU’s pro day in two weeks! I hired a personal trainer as soon as the season was over, and I’ve been working my ass off trying to get drafted. Coach Johnson told me I’m the best MLB he’s ever had, and I respect that, but it won’t stop me from being even better.

The toughest thing for me to do is get my speed up. I know I’m not the fastest guy on the field, but I have good game speed, and I’m able to work well in traffic. Still, I’m a small-school backer compared to the Div-A guys, so I’ll do whatever they need me to do. That’s the thing about me. I’m not so proud to say no to any of the scouts or coaches out there. If they tell me to line up at long snapper, I’m going to try to be the best LS in the league. But I’ll be honest, too. I want to play MLB in the pros. That’s where I played since middle school, and that’s where I want to keep playing when all is said and done.

[StLee]

Jeremy’s Journal
February 17, 2027

I am beat! I worked hard yesterday, but had a great time, too.

I knew there would be some LSU guys on the same field as me, but I didn’t know who else would be out there. I was told Tulane has a pro day today, but I’m glad I got invited to the LSU pro day instead since I always had dreams of playing at Tiger Stadium. LSU has top-notch facilities, let me tell you!

Since I’m looking at a copy of the program for the pro day, I’ll go ahead and tell who else was working out to be a pro besides me.

Most of the guys were LSU guys, of course. The rest of us were the North Louisiana players. I felt surprised a bit, though, to be the only Division B guy out there. Still I held my own. OK, some of the other guys:

From LSU:
Their TE Ernie Shea was there. I actually played ball against him in high school, so I know a little about him. He’s one of those typical N’Awlins boys, cocky and conceited. But he’s all right. We jabbered at each other a lot on the field, but I think it’s because we’re both competitive. He told me he thought he’s a long-shot for the pros, but he wanted to give it a shot anyway.

They also had their kicker Jessie Domangue. I didn't get a chance to see what he did, but I heard he was a pretty decent college kicker.

Of course, the big draw for the Tigers was the “Stone Wall,” which dominated every offensive line all year. All four of LSU’s DL were seniors, and they’re all damn good. LSU is going to be hurting without them next year. Anyway, they are Artie Schouest and John Rodrigue at DE, and Donnie Lyon and Byron Church at DT. If you asked me which one would make a good pro, I would say all of them. But Artie and John looked the best out there. They’re super quick off the ball and simmed well on pass rush. Donnie and Byron are bigger boys than anybody we had at NSU, so they could be a force in the middle.

That was it for LSU. They had two more seniors on their team, but neither got invited. I guess it’s like DeJuan at NSU with me. I thought for sure he’d be invited to a pro day, too, but we both got disappointed. I still hope DeJuan gets drafted or picked up as a free agent. I think he can play with anyone.

The other guys came from Tech and ULM. We didn’t get a chance to play ULM while I was in Natchitoches, but we did play Tech my sophomore year. The guy at pro day, Dixon Schulz, said he remembered me, but I didn’t remember him. He said that’s because he was only playing on the field goal team at the time. He’s a DE, too, but he didn’t match up too well compared to Artie and John. He looked pretty frustrated by the end of the day, too, and kept quiet at dinner.

ULM had two guys invited to pro day: THE Big Daddy Garrett, who is the biggest man I have ever laid my eyes on (he’s listed as 6-8, 338 on the program, but my guess is that he was actually 8-0, 600), and their speedy WR Alvin George. I saw Big Daddy playing at RT mostly, and he swallowed up everyone on power rushes, but Artie and John got around him a few times on speed rushes. I guess that’s why Artie and John will be first-day picks, though. For Alvin, he’s quick, quicker than me, but I had to cover him in space a few times. I did OK, but when he got near me, he just blew past me. I’m curious to know what his 40 time is.

That's it for the people besides me. I guess I should talk about my day. Well, it was eventful, that’s for sure. I arrived there by about 6:00 in the morning, even though we didn’t have to be there until 7. I was the first. Everyone else was there by 6:45, though, so we started early calisthenics and warm up jogs. Then they let us rest and eat breakfast.

After breakfast, we got interviewed. Everything on the day tended to be done in alphabetical order, so I had to wait a little while. To be honest, I think I was more nervous about the interview than anything else. They asked me all kinds of questions. Lots of “what if” questions. I can’t remember everything, but I’ll share a few I remember. One question was if your wife and your baby were caught in a fire and you could only save one, which one would you save? I’m not even going to tell you what I put, just in case I marry Angela and she reads this one day!

Another question asked me about where I would like to play. Now, keep in mind that I was sitting by myself in a room full of people, all of them wearing various pro team gear. I was careful with this one, but honest. At first I said, “I want you to know that my first priority is playing pro ball, regardless of where. That’s the truth. I don’t care where I play. But, I will say that I would love to play ball in front of friends and family. That’s the reason why I passed up on offers to some Division A schools when they offered me. But, TV and the internet were invented for a reason, and my parents can always watch me there.”

Let’s see. They asked me a bunch of down-to-earth questions, too. They asked me about my family and hobbies and favorite foods. They asked me how much I typically drink and how much fast food I eat. They asked me about Coach Murray and Coach Johnson and how I got along with my teammates. That’s about it for the question time.

After interviews, we had a small lunch and then started the second round of questions. This time, though, was the test. It was short, but I think me and the kicker were the only two guys not sweating profusely from having to take a test. I’m not the greatest test taker, and I had no idea what to answer on some of the questions, but I think I did OK. They wouldn’t tell us how we did. Said we had to wait until all players across the IAUA take the test to figure out mean scores. I bet Pat, the NT at NSU would ace this test. That dude’s always working on those logic puzzles like my Uncle Lee does.

After the test, they finally let us go on the practice field for good. We all had to warm up again, and then they let us run drills and sprints. This time we got to keep our scores. After, we went to the training room to lift weights.

I’ll be honest. I can remember some things, but not all exact measurements. After all, they told me, but I had so much going through my mind that I just can’t remember. I know for a fact that I ran a 4.67, which really disappointed me. I’m not the fastest guy on the field, but I thought I had better straight-line speed than that. And my trainer’s watch must have been off. He told me several times that I was running a sub 4.6, but I felt like my best run ever was on pro day. When they told me it was almost 4.7, I was disappointed.

But I did make up for it. I killed in agility drills, proving once and for all that I can play LB in the pros. I can’t remember exactly what the time was (something like a 7.2), but they told me it was their best yet of ALL LBs IN THE COUNTRY!

There were some more things tested and prodded, but I’d rather focus on what may have boosted my draft stock.

[StLee]

Jeremy’s Journal
February 21, 2027

Things are moving fast for me, especially with today’s news!

I have been on the phone with quite a few agents over the last couple of weeks. My dad’s been dealing with most of it, but we finally got a deal worked out. And . . .

I signed with En Fuego Sports Agency!!! They’re one of the top agency firms in the nation. Kurt Reed is my personal agent, and he is by far one of the best! He has around 200 football players alone, and he’s usually pretty good at working out good deals with his clients. Like I said before, my commitment is to football, not the money or the place. But it sure is nice!

[StLee]

Jeremy’s Journal
February 25, 2027

Now the contacts from teams are starting to pour in. Big Kurt, my agent, recommended that I get a separate PAD for business-related reasons, and it was a good idea since my new business PAD has been syncing a lot.

My favorite was from Coach Crandall of the Orlando Orbit. He’s going to be a first-year head coach there, but he had a chance to scout his team and likes what the Louisiana boys are doing for the Orbit. He said they’d like me to come out for a visit when I get a chance, but he was sure he’d sit down with me next month in Vegas for a talk during the scouting combine.

I got calls from a lot of other guys, too. Of course, being a Louisiana boy, I enjoyed talking to Coach Samson of Baton Rouge. He’s the d-coordinator of the back-to-back Power Bowl Champion Rhinos. And he has a good D, too. He told me they had me projected as a Will right now, but they’d see how I do in traffic at the combine and work from there. That was the only thing a little disappointing. I know I said I’d play anywhere, but I love playing the Mike.

Most of the other calls came from LB coaches. And one team's ST coordinator called. He said they were trying to fill in some coaching positions, so some of the remaining coaches were delegating duties.

[StLee]

Jeremy’s Journal
March 10, 2027

Two things. And I had better be careful how I order them.

I proposed to Angie! Thanks to finally having some money in my pocket (Thanks Big K!), I went to a jewelry shop in New Orleans over the weekend, picked out the most expensive diamond they had and bought a ring on the spot. I told the jeweler I’d tip him well if he could finish the ring that day. Three hours later, he synced me, and I picked up Angie’s ring. She met me in New Orleans, and we went to the French Quarter. I sat her down to dinner, ordered two lobster dinners, along with a plate of snow crabs, grilled oysters, fried shrimp, fried catfish, and fried frog legs. I wined her and dined her, and then after we were stuffed, I stood up from my chair, shouted out “I love you,” which embarrassed her. And then I pulled out the ring with a big rock on top. She started crying and said yes before I could even finish asking her to marry me. That’s right, boys! I’m about to start a pro football career and I’m engaged. What could be better than that?

Now the second thing that I didn't have a chance to tell before today. I got my official invitation to the scouting combine in Vegas. I have to show up on Saturday, March 27, and leave Saturday, April 3. There I’ll get my final official weigh-in and workouts and interviews. I’ve been trying to bulk up a little, but my metabolism is too damn good. Those linemen out there eat less than me and still grow a big gut. I eat the horse and its hoofs, and I just take a really big crap. Anyway, I’ll try to record everything that happens while I’m there, and I’ll report back.

Uncle Lee, I know you’ve been reading this a lot. Is my grammar getting better? And, yes, I got your questions. No, I wouldn’t mind playing for Seoul. At least I know I’ll have a free place to stay! You and Esau had better be there if I don’t play for Seoul but have a game scheduled there. Tell Aunt Haejin I said hello!

[StLee]

Jeremy’s Journal
April 5, 2027

I’m back in town from my Vegas trip. I thought I was tired after the LSU Pro Day. Geez! Those WSAFL coaches are going to kill me! No wonder pro athletes have shorter life spans than the common man! I got worked until I couldn’t move my legs far enough to take a step, much less walk. I wanted to ride one of the wheelchairs in the hotel lobby.

Well, let me tell you where I am. I’ll start with what coaches were telling me and go from there. First, though some said they would try me in multiple positions, most said they were looking at me as a Will only. For those of you reading the blog and not familiar with the Will, he’s the guy that plays on the weak side. Most times, the Will gets to cover the flat or a RB coming out of the backfield on pass plays or cover a full back or running back coming out of the backfield. Also, most times running plays go away from him, so he has to cover the “backside,” to prevent those sneaky running backs from breaking a big run away from the blocks. The good thing is that the Will LB is usually the most athletic LB on the field. So that’s saying something good about me. I’ll talk more about my times and what not later, but I graded out as the second most athletic LB in the draft.At least, that's what the coaches were telling me.


The really bad thing I’m hearing from the coaches is a knock on my football intelligence. They said I’m a decently smart guy, but I need to be a smarter football player. A few mentioned my small-school status as pinning me in a corner. They said that I would have had more knowledge of the game if I was at a bigger school because I would’ve been one of many players fighting to get on the field. Since I was a star from my freshman year at NSU, it limited me learning as much as I need. So I don't know if that limits me or not, but most coaches think of me as a dumb player only based on my school’s low reputation. I’ll just have to prove them wrong.

Coaches were all over the place with where they expect me to go in the draft. I heard from late on the first day (that’s late in the third round) all the way to late in the draft. Every team interviewed me, and every coach said that I was definitely on their radar. My conclusion was that some coaches thought I could be a better pro than others. I figured the ones going on and on about my football intelligence thought that I would be an experimental pick, so they probably graded me as a late pick or undrafted free agent.

For others, they seemed a little more enthusiastic, and said they could see me as a quality special teamer at first, and they would work me in to the rotation as the season went on. I say it’s all more incentive to work my ass off as hard as I can and prove to all teams out there that passing me over was a big mistake.

The one thing I wanted coaches to come away with as an impression is that I’m a “never say die” kind of guy. If they can see I’ll do whatever it takes to succeed, then someone is going to give me a chance. And I’ll prove them right.

[StLee]

Jeremy’s Journal
April 7, 2027

Well, that didn’t take long! I received a sync mail on my phone from Coach Kim Louis, the defensive coordinator of the Amsterdam Illusion. I’ll paste it here to my blog:

AMSTERDAM ILLUSION

7 April 2027
Kim Louis
D. Coordinator
Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Dear Jeremy Naquin:

Hoe gaat het? I’m Kim Louis of the Amsterdam Illusion. You may remember me, I was the coach who told you I loved eating gombo in New Orleans when I went there in college. I forgot to tell you this but back then they used to have this place near the river called Cafe Dumond and they served this dessert like a donut. I think they were called bayneighs. Anyway, they were delicious! Boy, do I miss sugar!

I’m writing to tell you that I’ve been reviewing some of the players we interviewed. I was watching some film on you and I like what I see. I know the Def. Cordinator is supposed to give his full defense attention, but I LOVE me some LB playmakers! I want to tell you that I like what I’m seeing of you, and we would like one more workout from you. I know your agent is probably telling you to tone it down right now, and that;s why I;m contacting you personally. I could see us giving you a hard look on the first day, especially since we might be losing some quality guys to free agency.

Let me know what you think, then we can work out the details if your interested.

Good meeting you! Wherever you end up, your a fine young man.

Coach Loo

The funny thing is I didn't know what the place in New Orleans he mentioned was. So I asked my parents. They both said it’s Cafe Dumonde and they served beignets, a deep fried dough covered with powdered sugar. That does sound awesome.

Now I have to think of what I should do. I will probably contact Big K anyway, just to run it past him. But if I can guarantee I get drafted the first day, I say why not?

[StLee]

Jeremy’s Journal
April 11, 2007

I’m about to board a flight bound to Paris. I don’t have time right now, but I’m going work out with a whole lot of teams. I’ll add details when I can.





Jeremy’s Journal
April 22, 2027

Man, Kurt is known as one of the best in the business for a reason! After I shared my sync with him, he jumped on the phone with coaches, and I’ve been on the road and either working my butt off or flying ever since.

First Big K called Coach Loo in Amsterdam and said, “Tell me you’re thinking about taking my guy on day one, and I’ll send him to you. Tell me he’s going on day two, and I’ll shop him around some more.” Coach Loo said they could definitely see taking me in the third round. I did a quick check on my phone and saw Amsterdam has the 24^th pick in the third round. I was happy with that.

But then Big K got on the phone with other teams, too. He called Moscow, Mexico, Portland, Toronto, Richmond. That's all I remember from that day’s phone calls. While he was talking he was scribbling notes with pen and paper. Who does that anymore? Well, after about two hours of solid phone calls, he booked eleven workouts in eight days. Every team said they were looking at me in about the third round!

I had a blast and stayed busy and never had a chance to update my blog. But here you go, peeps!

The draft is in two days, and now I’m pumped. We have a big party scheduled at the Houma Dome. I’m about to be the first ever player from Houma drafted to play pro ball. I know there were some guys a long time ago who played, but none of them were drafted. Next time I blog, I’ll announce my draft day experience.

[StLee]

Jeremy via phone sync

April 24, 2027

I’m sweetin frunk so I have to type sloww. Got drafted by Auckland. 80. I’ll update later . tomow, happy as hell. I’m a pro!

[StLee]

Jeremy’s Journal
April 25, 2027

Sorry about my post last night! After the draft party was over, we kept drinking and went to the clubs. I figured it was time for some celebration after all the hard work I’ve been doing for the past seven years to get where I am today. Tomorrow I have to fly to New Zealand for a press conference and some general business. But I’m a Penguin, baby!

Today, I am just sitting in my room at my parents’ house soaking in everything. Also, I’m watching the rest of the draft to see who some of my teammates will be. I’ll give a break down of those guys later, based on what I saw.

It looks like Auckland is going small school this draft. I remember meeting with them, but they never seemed any more interested than anyone else. So far, I see we got Kim Antoine, a QB out of LIU/C.W. Post. I never heard of LIU/C.W. Post, but I know he had a killer career there based on the highlight reels. Also, he made all those Division A QBs look like fools at the Combine. Thank God! I guess I’ll face him in practice now. In the second round, we got Jermaine Mullin, who was All-American at Sac State. That’s who we would’ve played in the final if BU didn’t get that gift game from us. Bah! The fourth round is almost over. We got Cornell Johnston, TE, Temple in the fourth round, our first Division A guy. I’ll update this when all seven rounds are finished.

[StLee]

Jeremy’s Journal
April 25, 2027





OK, the draft is done now. I’ll tell you about the rest of the guys we got, as well as how everything happened yesterday. I’ve been getting syncs non-stop, and I checked out what some of the Penguins fans think about me. Some great things! Man, I feel like I’m on the sun right now, I’m so happy.

Well, Saturday morning, we arrived at the party in the Houma Dome. I picked up Angie from the hair shop and we met up with my parents and brothers and their girlfriends. Angie’s parents couldn’t make it from Shreveport because of some problems at their business, but it’s all right.

When we got there, the place was packed! There were a bunch of people there I hadn’t seen in ages, and many more people I met that day. The mayor, Lugenius Breaux, was there, too, trying to hog time on the microphone, but people made sure to tell him it was MY day. J Thanks for the help, Little Cole and Devin!

I had asked for a quiet booth in case any of the coaches called me to let me know I was about to be drafted, and that’s exactly what happened. The draft began at 10:01 AM, and Commissioner Needham announced that the Montreal Storm was on the clock. They waited about five minutes, I guess to see if any no-doubt trades would come their way, but nobody called, so they made their selection. Everybody knew it was coming. The first pick was the Division A national championship QB, J.T. Tatum. And Oregon was so talented that three more Ducks went in the first ten picks. And my nemesis from Boston U got picked early, Shaun DeBoer. Man, I hate that guy! He’s that good.

We sat around for most of the day, watching the draft on the big screen, syncing, talking, eating, and drinking. I didn’t drink anything before I got drafted, but Dad busted out the champagne and Abitas after I did.

Back to that, once the third round started, I started getting a few syncs and calls. Auckland had the 80^th pick (3^rd round’s 16^th pick). Well, not many calls were coming before, but then I started getting a few. Then Auckland’s coach, Daryl Weber, called me. He said he needed a willing young linebacker, and he asked me if I was up to the task. “Tell me you’re going to work hard for me, and you’ll see the field early and often,” he said. “I’m getting up there in years, so I can't wait too much longer to win another championship.” I said my yes sirs to him, and he told me to make sure I watched the draft announcement site for my big day. I hung up with him, and told people I was about to be drafted, so everyone got silent and watched the big screen. At 7:27 PM, Vice Commissioner Dan Owl stepped up to the mic:

“With the 80^th pick in this year’s draft, the Auckland Penguins select Jeremy Naquin, outside linebacker from Northwestern Louisiana State. Madrid is now on the clock.”

After that, we started drinking and celebrating, and by 1 AM I was plastered and worn out. Angie and I got a ride back to my parents’ place, and I plopped down on the bed and snored loudly.

I said I would mention some of the other guys who got drafted on my team. I’ve been a little too lazy to find out more about them other than their names and positions. Here’s what I got on elbeesports.sync: 5^th - Lake, Allen, C, Oklahoma State; 5th - Southern, Roger, K, Fayetteville St., 6^th - McCarthy, Rufus, DE, Memphis, 7^th - Fields, Terrell, CB, Oregon State.

[StLee]

Jeremy’s Journal
April 26, 2027

I read some reviews on the draft. I was a bit surprised that people thought so highly of our draft with three Division B guys going in the first three rounds. But the consensus is that Auckland had an A- in the draft. Here’s one draft review of me:

Dirty Dave’s Draft Day Decisions Auckland … 3rd Round, Pick #80 Jeremy Naquin, WLB, Northwestern (La.) State 6’1”, 235#, 4.67, 19 reps Not the strongest or fastest LB in the draft but very fluid in and out of traffic. Scored second best among all linebackers in agility drills with 7.12 seconds. Low bench reps made it impossible for him to stay at MLB in the pros. Four-year starter at MLB and led NW St. La. to national semifinals his senior year. Division B Second Team All-American as Jr., First Team All-American as Sr. Strengths: A Playmaker. He reads plays well and is comfortable in running and passing situations, giving him a chance to stay on the field all three downs. Great in space and decently athletic. Tough to throw his way, he knocks down lots of passes. Weaknesses: May be a burden on special teams. Tends to get blown off the line by bigger players. Can’t fight through blocks well, especially by pulling linemen. Needs to be coached up to be successful in WSAFL but may not have football smarts to switch positions successfully. Might have been a better fit as a 3-4 ILB.

Again, people are talking about my football smarts. I don’t know what I am doing so wrong on the field that people keep saying that. I guess I’ll have to ask my DC when we start practicing.



And for Dirty Dave, am I good in space or not? If I get blown off the line by blocks so much, why would anyone want me as a 3-4 ILB? Wouldn't that mean I get blown up more? Well, time to get to work. Getting drafted is the first step. Now I have to earn my spot.

[StLee]

Jeremy’s Journal
April 28, 2027

It’s great to be treated like a celebrity! The press conference was great. All PR stuff. This will be the last easy day of my life! Hah! This weekend we’ll have our rookie camp.

I sat down with Coach Weber and Coach Nickle, the DC. They both told me that they’re slotting me in the WLB slot, but they’re still going to see what’s out there on the market. They don’t want me to have too much pressure on me as a third-round rookie, but they told me that I had better be ready to step up to play defense and special teams.

Coach DC told me, “Don’t go cashing your rookie bonuses just yet, son. You have work to do, so if you ever want a second contract, you had better make sure you’re working to get better, and not just happy to be here. If you’re happy to be here, you’ll be less happy when your fat ass is sitting at home eating rice snacks and baked potatoes and watching us play on TV.” I think he and I will get along well.

Speaking of getting fat, New Zealand has a more lackadaisical policy about the worldwide sweets ban. I actually got to taste some syrup! We had pancakes, eggs, sausage, ham, bacon, roast beef, roast boar, roast lamb, and some animal called kiwi. But the pancakes were the best. I covered them with two types of syrup. One was called Canadia Maple Leaf Syrup and the other was Raspmelon Syrup. Both were like angels in my mouth. You have got to try syrup if you ever come to New Zealand! That’s the first sweet thing I remember in over ten years!

[StLee]

God Mode:

[StLee]

Jeremy’s Journal
May 5, 2027

Mini-camp is over and I have been working out with some of the private training staffs out here, hoping to find somebody to work with.

I was really disappointed in my mini-camp. Guys here are a lot faster than Division B guys, and I think I’ll end up as second string at best going into training camp. So, what Coach DC said, was pretty much right on. I had better work harder, or I’m going to get left behind. I don’t know what to expect of our team. Of course, I want a Power Bowl win, but it’s all so overwhelming that I just don’t know what to expect. When I get back home, I’m going to take a look at how my teammates did last year and see where the “experts” think we should be. Last year, Auckland won the Oceania Division with a 9-7 record and got to the conference semifinals before getting knocked out by Seoul.

I hope more than just my family and friends are following this! You Auckland fans out there should sync me! Then maybe I won’t be so long-winded. Of course, I know what you’re thinking, Uncle Lee! But I’m no pro writer like you. And you’re no pro football player like me. So na na na na! J

[StLee]

Jeremy's Journal
May 16, 2027

Oh my God! I have no idea what is going on exactly in the front office, but I just got word that a few of my teammates in the mini-camp just became ex-teammates. Apparently, Auckland needed to make some cuts to save some salary. The biggest cut today was one of the LBs, Jon Kennedy. He was a first-round pick a few years ago, and was a really tough tackler. He's a 150 tackles a year kind of guy (looking now and see that he had 138 last year). I'm really surprised by that move.

[StLee]

Jeremy's Journal
May 19, 2027

I posted a few days ago about Kennedy, our All-Pro LB. Well, he got picked up quick by Richmond. Some of the local news has been talking. I lifted our GM Tomas Gaskell’s quote from nzherald.sync: “We’re not in a rebuilding process at all. Yes, we had to make some cap space, but we have a great crop of young players coming in. We went with some underrated players in the draft whom we think very highly of. We brought in a few veterans we feel can help make our team better. Unfortunately, we had to drop some guys we like, including Jonathan (Hardy) and Jon (Kennedy) only because we needed to free up space in the cap.”

We cut quite a few guys before I was drafted, too. Apparently there was a big-time tackle signed just a year ago who helped the team a lot on its playoff run, but he had some undisclosed problems with the celebrity rounds. I don’t know anything other than hearsay from mini-camp talk. It’s like a Pedro Club in pro lockers!

We also signed a few LBs that I’ll have to compete with for first-year playing time: Devon Svrcek, MLB, Victor Shawver, OLB, and Eric Grabowski, OLB were all free agent pick ups.

[StLee]

Jeremy's Journal
May 21, 2027

Guys, I'm going to be off line for a while, trying to get myself ready for training camp. It's my first one, and I want to impress the coaches. I was really pissed at the mini-camp. I KNOW I can do better than what the coaches saw, and I am bound to prove it.

I've been narrowing down some private trainers. What I want is someone who will push me beyond my abilities without taking any shortcuts and without allowing me to take any shortcuts. Big K provided me with a list of some A-list trainers, some of those who get actors ready for action movies and the like. He also warned me that I need to watch myself in New Zealand. He said teams in small countries like New Zealand usually have a tough time with players getting too caught up in The Life and not concentrating on football. I told him not to worry. Hell, I even cut down drinking to only a six pack a day. Like I said, I'm committed!

Just know that I won't be updating my football journal during that time. I'm treating this like a mini training camp. I'll post a few status updates for my friends and family, but those won't be on my journal. I'll just have to catch you up when I sign on again. Until then, Geaux Penguins! There's a Cajun boy wreaking havoc among these Kiwis. That's what New Zealanders call themselves. I can dig it.

[StLee]

July 12, 2027

I’ve been doing lots of things the last couple of months. You all saw my status updates, right? I know I promised to give some more updates, but what can I say? It’s a lot easier to type a sentence or two rather than a whole essay.

Camp starts in just over a week, and I think I’m ready for it. I’ve taken a few trips back to Auckland and finally found the personal trainer I want. HER name is Trapper Pine. It’s a bit of a different name, but everything is different in N.Z. Louisiana has no mountains. None. Some hills, yes, but nothing like the landscape in New Zealand. I mean, it’s amazing here! My mom told me to check out an old movie, something about rings that she watched a long time ago, but why watch an old 2-D movie when I can experience New Zealand for myself? This place looks like one of those Canterbury quests I used to read when I was little. I wouldn’t be surprised to see unicorns and dragons out here. Seriously!

Speaking of Trapper Pine, she is a man’s woman. I don’t know much about her personally, but I bet she doesn’t like shopping or makeovers or knitting. This woman can kick ass and take names, and she looks great doing it. She put me through this workout routine she calls Judo Butt. Basically I crawl around using only my ass cheeks. After about five minutes of it, my abs burn like lava, but she makes me crawl around for thirty minutes. I can already see that my abs, which I thought were great before, have been even more toned. She must be an ab lady, too, because she keeps testing mine out! Heh, I swear she’s felt my abs more in a week than Angie did in three years! Oh yeah, if you didn’t hear, Angie and I are done. She didn’t like the idea of leaving Louisiana. I have no choice but to be away for the entirety of my playing career, and even beyond that if I ever go into coaching.So, I guess loyalty to home trumps loyalty to your lover.


Well, let me go for now. I’ll send out some syncs tonight. I’m going to work out and then meet up with Trapper Pine for some drinks. She promised to introduce me to some of her other celebrity clients out here. I don’t know any New Zealand celebs, but I’ll tell you all about my new single exploits, if there are any. Of course, football still comes first, and my life is about to be consumed by football really soon.

[StLee]

Jeremy’s Journal
July 13, 2027

Well, hell. I feel like I got hit in the face with a basketball. I drank some neon green drink last night, and I don’t remember much of anything after 12. The problem is that we went out at 11 and lasted until the sun rose.

I woke up this afternoon in a hotel in my underwear. Can’t find my clothes. Don’t know where they are. I hope my first mixer night didn’t include some of those antics I participated in at NSU. That wouldn't be good.

I did meet a few people. I met this one guy name Mathew Nix, a rugby player. All I remember him yelling out was how American football players are a bunch of "meows" because we wear pads and leave the game when we break a leg or get a concussion. He said three of his teammates died in matches last year, and there was no stoppage in play, much less any injury timeout. Good for him, I thought. I hope I don’t have to deal with Mr. Nix anymore.

I also met a lounge actress, Lisa Millinger. She was very pretty, but there wasn’t much going on up there. I asked her about her life, but she could only talk about learning lines and set points and other stuff I didn’t give three craps and a piss about. Besides, Trapper Pine stayed close the whole time. I think she is a little protective, but I’ll be all right. Well, as long as I don’t drink anymore of those neon green drinks. I remember people kept giggling at me, and I remember giggling after awhile, and Trapper Pine kept giggling and pulling me away from people. But nothing is clear. Guess I should be syncing Trapper Pine instead of writing all this. Mom’s probably worried to death if she’s reading it. I want to be honest, but if I see some videos synced I might be horrified.

[StLee]

Jeremy’s Journal
July 14, 2027

Apparently syncing public celebrity antics was banned in New Zealand in 2021, so I am safe. I guess that means I’m a celebrity. I hope it also means I didn’t do anything worth syncing other than being really drunk. My clothes were in Trapper Pine’s car. She said I said I was hot and took them off AFTER we left the party. Silly me. Apparently my NSU days aren’t over.

I realize this blog has taken a definitive turn away from its purpose: football. I’ll try to keep it focused on just that, but I like to write about what’s going on in my life, too. Training camp is starting soon, so I have no choice. I’ll be busier than hell. I know us rookies have to show up two days earlier than the veterans. That’s good because it means two days of not getting hazed and being treated like a dog. After the vets show up, I have to work my way onto the field.

Speaking of football, I hope you liked the pictures I synced! Everybody’s asking me why I’m not wearing my college number of 12. Well, first, the WSAFL has a positional numbering system in place. Most times, LBs wear numbers in either the 50s or 90s because that’s the way it has been for a long time. Some linebackers wear different numbers. I wanted to be a big man in Auckland if possible, so I chose the second biggest number possible, #98. Coach Weber told me he was reserving #99 for his future hall of fame defensive end, so I was happy with 98.

[StLee]

Jeremy’s Journal
July 17, 2027

I just signed my contract about an hour ago! Thank, Big K! I’m a millionaire now!

The final details on my contract are:
$1,440,000 signing bonus – that means the money is already in my pocket!
$700,000 guaranteed salary for my first year, with weekly payments over 16 weeks.
$1,080,000 guaranteed salary for being on the season-opening roster in 2028.
$1,410,000 guaranteed salary for being on the season-opening roster in 2029.

By the way, I know some of you asked which denomination I would be paid in, and I didn’t know before. The answer is U.S. dollars since the league’s headquarters are in the U.S.

Now it’s time to put on the pads and play some ball!

[StLee]

Jeremy’s Journal
July 19, 2027

Tomorrow we rookies start training (boot) camp. I won’t be available to sync or blog for over a month. I’ll let you know how I did once training camp is complete, sometime after our second preseason game. Geaux Penguins!

[StLee]

God Mode:

After training camp he's moved up just slightly.

[StLee]

God Mode (need some insight to decide to fast track Jeremy's brother or not):

I see Jeremy Naquin has moved up from 22/38 post draft to 27/45 post training camp to (cheated and moved ahead when I had lots of writing time) 28/45 in Week One. Pre-draft he was in the red in agility at 7.12 and he was in the blue for PSpec at 35. The rest of his pre-draft specs were black. He's on a team in cap hell, so lots of quality veterans got cut. My question here is this: does Jeremy look like he has staying power of five years based on his raw data? I know I can "wait and see," but I want to know if I'm wasting all this writing time on a probable bust or if I'm wisely using time on a guy who will turn out to be a solid pro. BTW, I am NOT controlling Jeremy's team, so I have no say in any personnel decision his team makes.

[StLee]

Jeremy’s Journal
August 16, 2027

Training camp is now complete and we’ve played two exhibition games so far. I’ll actually have time to write again now that it’s over, and tell you how much TC whipped my ass and humbled me. First I want to let you know what’s been going on in play. I’ll talk about my own personal hell tomorrow.

In the first game I got to see some action but not a whole lot. We had a home game against Mexico City. I was in on 24 total plays, one of those on special teams (where I got blown up trying to tackle on kickoff coverage).

Of the 23 plays I had on defense, not a whole lot came my way. Mexico City is a run-first team and they try to go to the strong side a lot. Since I’m playing the Will, that means I was just playing contain most of the game. So I had only two tackles. The first was on a pass play over the middle. I tried to jump the pass, but I was a split second too late. Then I had to hang on to the WR for dear life. Thankfully Vick Shawver, the Sam on the play, was there to help me out, and we dragged the Scorpion wide out down for only a six-yard gain.

My other tackle was also in the first. This time MC lined up with a strong-side left, meaning their TE was lined up next to the LT. I lined up behind Ian Praw, our left end, on the play. It was a run right, right at me. Praw drove through their RT and got a hit on the RB. I came in and nailed him for a two-yard loss as he tried to bounce outside. I heard some of our guys saying, “Nice play, rook,” after the play. I felt like a pro on that one. Their RB, Childs, I think, is quicker than I am.

That was it for my defensive stats. There were a couple of more runs in my direction and a couple more pass plays. On the runs, I was getting blocked, and on the pass plays the QB was really just throwing it away. Praw got in the face of the QB one play, and he threw it right at my feet.

In our second game, we traveled to Edmonton. This was where I made my mark (so to speak—tell later if you keep reading).

We lost this game 12-6 in overtime when our backup QB Harding got pick sixed. But it was the kind of defensive game an LB like me has got to love. Each team turned the ball over four times, one of those caused by yours truly!

On the second play of the game, I forced my first turnover. And it was all me! Coach Nickle played it three times in the film session and he kept saying, “That’s why we got them big ole dumb linebackers for! Them boys got some fuckin’ heart! Fuckin’ heart, I tell ya!”

The Edmonton Polar Bears put a 5^th-round rookie QB out there, Herb Farmer out of Texas. He rifled a pass for about a 20-yard completion on the first play. Then he had what looked like a run play to my side (strong side was on the d-right, so I was lined up on the left for the first two plays). My D call was to fake blitz and drop in zone. Well, as soon as I showed blitz, Pauley (that’s Jonathan Pauley, our 1^st round pick at MLB from a year ago, and a damn good Mike) slid over to my spot. Farmer saw the line was stacked, so he started barking out an audible. Well, Pauley started barking out an audible, too. For me, the call was to maintain my play, so I still showed blitz. Farmer got the ball and went for a play action, but I didn’t bite. I jumped towards the line and saw the fullback look my way for the block on the blitz, but I immediately bailed and ran about 10 yards back. Farmer never saw me and half-assed his throw towards his WR, Armstrong. I ran up and snagged the ball before the collision. I-N-T!!! No return on it because Armstrong and I arrived at the ball at the same time, but no doubt it was Armstrong’s catch to make if Farmer had zipped it in there. Farmer didn’t, and I’ll take my first big play of the season. Now if I can do that half a dozen times in the regular season, our D will be in great shape (and so will my next contract!). BTW, on the next play we fumbled the ball right back to EPB, so I didn’t get a whole lot of time to celebrate my INT.

My stats weren’t great for the game. Coach kept swapping me in and out in different situations throughout the game, and again not a whole lot came my way. In the 4th quarter I got in on a TFL with our rookie safety Bright Light (Max Barton). Let’s see, looking at the final stats, I was in on 19 total plays on D, with three assists and my INT. I was also in two kick coverage plays, but neither returned to my side.

One of the hard knocks of football, our first-round pick Kim Antoine (QB out of the Post) sprained his knee and will be out the rest of the preseason. That’s too bad for him. He’ll be our QB of the future, so we need him out there on the practice field learning as much as possible. LaJun “Pete” Burks is the franchise QB and almost a lock for the HOF, I think, but he’s in his 13^th year and may not be here much longer. I say a few syncs around the time I was drafted where people were surprised he wasn’t a cap casualty. For now he’s still ticking, but it’s a fact that Antoine is meant to be our QB of the future.

After the game, I got one of the game balls for my pick. Coach Nickle also has a star system, kind of like a college football program. I guess it’s his open way of showing what guys have to do to make the team in the preseason. Well, I got two stars for the game after the film session. So, I’m pretty pumped. As a third-rounder, I’m pretty much guaranteed to make the squad, but I’m motivated to earn my spot on the field as much as possible. We'll see. I’ll write tomorrow about how much TC sucks turtle ass!

[StLee]

Jeremy’s Journal
August 17, 2027

Here’s my one-word for what training camp (known from now as just TC, which has its own double meaning) is like: turtlecrap. OK, it’s technically two words, but who cares right now?

What I know is that I now am spending part of my days relaxing in my new pad here in New Zealand. I’m a little confused right now about what the exact name of my city is. It’s so different from Louisiana. I don’t live in Auckland, but in a place called Maraetai, which is part of the suburb city of Manukau City. It’s all so complicated to explain, especially since I have spent less than a second here since TC started.

After TC broke, Coach Weber let us have some relaxation time for a day. No practice, no film, no drills. Just rest. Only the guys who had to go in for treatments had to worry. For us, so far, eat some cake, that has been just a few guys. And the pros have some tough nuts. Mel Metcalf, our RG, broke his wrist, I mean, bone popping out of the skin and shattered broken. Yet he’s still out there playing ball with a big ass club on his hand. That’s toughness!

On my day, I passed on some of the other rookies going out to a local pub to make some noise and chase girls. I told them I needed a girl break. They made fun of me, but it’s all good. One of the guys, Chris Hayes, a Yankee FB out of Syracuse U, is supposed to come over to play some video games and drink a couple of beers with me. He’s been beating me up so much in TC, I figured we should be friends. He’s undrafted, but I think he has a great chance of making the team. I think Coach Weber wants to go young. We're definitely a rebuilding team. I say that because the veterans here are not as cocksure as some of the guys I met in workouts before the draft.

The veterans here do certainly haze, though. We had 25 rookies in TC, and about two veterans for each of us. Of course, the vets pull a few of the obvious hazing rituals: waking us up in the middle of the night, making us carry their pads, and fetch water, balls, jockstraps, etc.

But the thing that absolutely disgusted me and pissed off a few of us rookies (and Mom, I PROMISE I won’t ever do this to another rookie) was what they called, appropriately for our TC vocabulary, Turtle Jizz. Basically, during breakfast one day, vets kept cutting us to the food line. They would eat a little of their food, and then come right back to line to refill their plates. We rookies have to wait until all vets are fed before we can go through the mess line. That day, the vets finished off the food. And we rooks thought that meant we weren’t getting fed. Well, we were partially right. A.J. Morton came out with a huge bucket, yelling out “Turtle Jizz Time!” All the vets then started putting their scraps together in the bucket and it looked like puke rather than jizz. Then the vets said “eat up!” All of us rooks said no way, but they made us. They said we would get a treat if we ate three bites. I was one of the last to do it after some of the other rooks chomped down. Ass kissers! After all of us got in a big, vomit-inducing bite, the guys came out with a few breakfast biscuits of eggs, bacon, and cheese. And lots of juice. It sucked, but we got through it. Turtle Jizz bleeping sucks!

I realize I haven’t even talked about the workouts yet. Here was a typical day:
6:00 AM: Lights on. Dress and go to breakfast.
6:10 AM – 11 PM: Work your ass off
11 PM – 12 AM: Shower/Relax/Cry
12 AM – 6 AM: Sleep

Coach Weber told us he was getting soft in his old age. He said players used to only have four hours to rest and sleep. I say, thank God I didn’t play for him 20 years ago!

On the positive side, I feel like I progressed as a football player due to TC. Coach was right when he said I would learn twice as much football in one day of TC than I had in a year of college ball. Playbooks are immense. Expectations are immense. Practice is immense. Everything is a battle.

[StLee]

Jeremy’s Journal
August 18, 2027

We’re flying out to Las Vegas tomorrow. No time for gambling, though. It’s all business.

Before I forget, I wanted to post our season schedule. You already know we hosted the Mexico City Scorpions and traveled to the Edmonton Polar Bears so far. For the rest of our preseason schedule, we have two more games scheduled. This Saturday, we will be in Las Vegas against the Gorillas. Then we finish on August 28 at home against the Toronto Knights. When I can, I’ll sync my information. Otherwise, I guess you guys can go to elbeesports.sync to find out what happened. Maybe I can sync some of the articles in the local NZ papers.

Here’s our regular season schedule:

Sun, Sept. 5 – Melbourne Koalas
Sun, Sept. 12 – at Vancouver Action
Sun, Sept. 19 – at Seoul Reapers
Sun, Sept. 26 – BYE WEEK
Sun, Oct. 3 – at Paris Wolves
Sun, Oct. 10 – Brisbane Admirals
Sun, Oct. 17 – at Melbourne Koalas
Sun, Oct. 24 – London Legends
Sun, Oct. 31 – Dublin Luck
Sun, Nov. 7 – at Madrid Bulls
Sun, Nov. 14 – Sydney Kangaroos
Sun, Nov. 21 – Montreal Storm
Sun, Nov. 28 – Amsterdam Illusion
Sun, Dec. 5 – Toronto Knights
Sun, Dec. 12 – at Brisbane Admirals
Sun, Dec. 19 – at Edmonton Polar Bears
Sun, Dec. 26 – at Sydney Kangaroos

The schedule makers definitely didn’t do us any favors by starting (minus our opening home game) and ending our schedule on a three-game away streak. Hopefully we can win a lot of key games in between those rough spots.See you on Sept. 19, Uncle Lee!

[StLee]

No advice on my player's specs?

[StLee]

Jeremy’s Journal
August 19, 2027

At the airport and about to board the plane for Vegas. I wanted to say that I found this neat syncapp on my phone! It’s called WSAFLopolis. I can enter a search for different players. I could go crazy with this, but I’ll try to mostly just follow some of my fellow rookies. Maybe I can measure up how I did against some of the other guys. I definitely want to monitor how other linebackers taken before me did. So here are results of some of the lists I subscribed to. I’ll post some of these guys’ stats from time to time:

2027 Drafted players – LB Picks 1-1 ~ LB Picks 3-15:
Kahlid Stargell, MLB, Oregon St., 1-5, Orlando Orbit
Billy Strong, OLB, Maryland, 1-11, Austin Griffins
Daniel Murphy, MLB, Arizona St., 1-17, Montreal Storm
Burt Hoang, MLB, San Diego St., 1-25, Columbus Hornets
Leonard Cochrane, OLB, Tennessee, 1-32, Rome Blazers
Edwin Rigley, OLB, Stanford, 2-2, Montreal Storm
C.J. Diaz, OLB, Memphis, 2-21, Oklahoma City Twisters
Terrell Turnbull, MLB, Duquesne, 2-25, Amsterdam Illusion
Stanley Gilmore, OLB, Notre Dame, 2-26, Rome Blazers
Rob Wright, MLB, Troy, 3-6, Melbourne Koalas
Ten LBs before me? Wow. Those listed at the Will are Strong, Rigley, Diaz, and Gilmore.

2027 Drafted players – Auckland Penguins:
Kim Antoine, QB, LIU/C.W. Post, 1-18, Auckland Penguins
Jermaine Mullin, RB, Sacramento State, 2-17, Auckland Penguins
Jeremy Naquin, OLB, Northwestern (La.) St., 3-16, Auckland Penguins
Cornell Johnston, TE, Temple, 4-19, Auckland Penguins
Allen Lake, C, Oklahoma St., 5-17, Auckland Penguins
Roger Southern, K, Fayetteville St., 5-18, Auckland Penguins
Rufus McCarthy, DE, Memphis, 6-17, Auckland Penguins
Terrell Fields, CB, Oregon St., 7-16, Auckland Penguins

2027 Drafted Players – Louisiana Universities –minus Naquin:
Aaron Andrews, DT, Grambling, 1-6, Berlin Blitz – Player has not been signed
Artie Schouest, DE, LSU, 1-27, Beijing Pandas
Big Daddy Garrett, OT, UL-Monroe, 2-9, Rome Blazers
John Rodrigue, DE, LSU, 2-23, Moscow Miracles
Byron Church, DT, LSU, 2-28, Edmonton Polar Bears
Edward Diaz, CB, UL-Lafayette, 4-32, Baton Rouge Rhinos
Louie Limbert, DT, Tulane, 6-22, Rome Blazers
Alvin George, WR, UL-Monroe, 7-10, Tokyo Samurai

2027 Drafted Players – Picks 1-1~1-3:
J.T. Tatum, QB, Oregon, 1-1, Montreal Storm, Unsigned (Signed for first week of reg. season)
Junior Apocada, CB, Oregon, 1-2, Los Angeles Spiders
Shaun DeBoer, DE, Boston U., 1-3 Brisbane Admirals

2027 Undrafted Players – Auckland Penguins:
Curtis Givens, RB, West Virginia
Chris Hayes, FB, Syracuse
Bryant Donofrio, WR, Arizona St.
Daniel McGee, WR, Miami
Burt Hass, WR, Pittsburgh
Bert Laney, OG, Air Force
Michael Brown, CB, Clemson
Max Barton, FS, Houston

2027 Undrafted Players – Louisiana universities:
Broderick Uribe, WR, Tulane, Athens Myths
Ernie Shea, TE, LSU, Beijing Pandas
Leon Myers, OLB, Grambling, Dublin Luck
Warren Beale, K, Tulane, Portland Thunderbirds
R.J. Thai, DT, McNeese St., Seoul Reapers
Pete Muse, OLB, UL-Monroe, Auckland Penguins - cut

2027 Undrafted Players – tried out, not signed list:
Mickey Wakefield, QB, UL-Monroe
Jessie Domangue, K, LSU
Pat Preston, DT, Northwestern (La.) St.
Donnie Lyon, DT, LSU

I’m disappointed to see Donnie on here. I thought he had a good shot of making it in the WSAFL. I hope he works his way in. Of course, I would like to see PP make it to the WSAFL, but he knew it was a long shot since he didn’t get invited to a combine.

WSAFL Veterans – Northwestern (La.) St.:
No players match this search

WSAFL Veterans – Northwestern (La.) St., unsigned:
Jeramie French, TE
Glen Gillespie, TE

Both Jeramie and Glen played with me. They were both great blocking TEs and had a few catches for us. Jeramie was definitely the better of the catchers. I’ll see if anyone picks them up for this year. They both played last year. Glen was a rookie with Athens and Jeramie was a second-year guy with Austin. Wow! Jeramie had 25 catches last year. Why is he not signed?

Those are the lists I subscribed to so far. However, I’ll see what changes take place once preseason is over. There will be lots of guys out there cut. Preseason stats don’t count, so I will try to ignore those. One thing that I just figured out that I never thought about before. Shaun DeBoer, Mr. Division B all-everything, got drafted by one of our division rivals, Brisbane. That means I’m going to have to see that son of a bitch twice per year. I hope he busts! Hah!

[StLee]

Jeremy’s Journal
August 23, 2027

I just got a chance to sync today, so let me tell you about preseason game number three.

First off, we got our first preseason win, with a 17-13 win over the Gorillas. For me, there’s not much to tell. I got three tackles in the game, all of them on pass plays where I had no chance to defend the pass. One was a long pass play where the LV WR broke free and would’ve gone for a score if I hadn’t dragged him down from behind. My best play on the day was a QB hurry. I got the blitz call and came in with a straight shot on their QB Baxter. I thought I had the sack, but I was wrong. Apparently he threw the ball away right before I got to him. That was on a 3^rd down play. The next play was a 4^th down conversion, the one where I prevented like an 85-yard TD. Instead it was a gain of around 30 yards.

[StLee]

Jeremy’s Journal
August 29, 2007

Today is C-Day. That means Cut Day. A lot of the guys are nervous around the locker room. Coach Nickle told me not to worry, so I’m at home right now. That means I made the team! I’ll be playing next week against Melbourne. I’ll sync some info about them later.

Let me give you an update on the game from last night, our last preseason game. First, we got whipped by the Toronto Knights, 26-6, but a lot of our starters rested. I definitely had my best game of the preseason for pure numbers. And I played a lot on D and ST. I can’t remember all the plays I made, so I am looking at the stat line only.

In the game I finished with 10 tackles, 8 solo. Of the 10 tackles, 5 of them were either right at the line of scrimmage or just a couple of yards down field. Toronto rushed a lot off the weak side, meaning they came right at me, so almost all of my tackles came on running plays. I feel a bit bad, though, since on one of the pass plays I pushed their WR out of bounds on a completion and he tripped over someone on his team and got hurt. I didn’t see him come back in the game, so I’m checking on his status now. His name is Shawn Stuart, and I don’t see him on their injury report, so now I don’t have to feel too bad. He’s an undrafted rookie out of Indiana. I most certainly don’t want to stop a guy from making a living, especially on a play that didn’t matter. If anyone out there is reading this and knows Shawn Stuart, I want you to know I didn’t mean it and hope you have no hard feelings if you did get banged up.

Some of the guys on the Pens were telling me about some of the sneaky things coaches do to guys like Shawn and others, so that’s why I’m worried. Some coaches will not list some of those undrafted rookies on the injury report (supposedly through ownership orders) so that they don’t have to pay a full injury settlement. Instead the undrafted guy will get cut and get paid some cash under the table if he can’t play that year.

[StLee]

Jeremy’s Journal
August 30, 2027

So cut down came and went and our final roster is set. We kept 16 rookies on our squad!!! All eight draft picks made it and eight undrafted free agents, including my new best bud Chris Hayes.

Based on the big board, along with what happened in practice, we have a few things set up. I don't know why, but I'm fascinated with what my "class," the fellow rookies can do. Granted, there will be roster moves made throughout the season, so our first game roster may be quite different than our last game roster, especially when injuries start to pile up.

The rookie class, ordered by position, with expected depth chart. (I'm leaving myself off this post. I'll post about our defensive meeting shortly!)

QB - Kim Antoine, LIU/C.W. Post - expected 3rd QB
RB - Jermain Mullin, Sacramento St. - expected backup, 3rd down RB
RB - Curtis Givens, West Virginia - 3rd RB
FB - Chris Hayes , Syracuse - only fullback on roster
TE - Cornell Johnston, Temple - backup TE
OG - Burt Laney, Air Force - backup G
WR - Burt Hass, Pittsburgh - KR/PR, backup WR
WR - Bryant Donofrio, Arizona St. - backup WR
WR - Daniel McGee, Miami - gunner, backup WR
C- Allen Lake, Oklahoma St. - backup C
K - Roger Southern, Fayetteville St. - backup K
DE - Rufus McCarthy, Memphis - backup DE
CB - Michael Brown, Clemson - backup CB
CB - Terrell Fields, Oregon St. - nickel/dime back
FS - Max Barton, Houston - backup safety

As you can see, the Pens are going young this season, but for the most part, they aren't throwing the rookies into the fire just yet. There are always exceptions, though . . .

[StLee]

Jeremy's Journal
August 30, 2027

We had a defensive meeting today in preparation of our first game against the mighty Koalas. That makes me laugh that a team named themselves the Koalas. There isn’t much fierceness in a Koala from what I’ve seen. They just kind of sit there and stare into space. I know, I know. They’re an Australian national animal, but they’re just so cute!

Anyway, we play the Koalas, so Coach Nickle and the other d-staff ran over some things for us, including assignments. Coach Nickle read out the defensive starters for each of our packages. In our base 4-3 defense, he started reading down the list of names. And then he got to Will. “Naquin. Don't disappoint me, rookie.” I was stunned. Here I expected to be a role player my first year in the league, get worked in on some packages, and instead I’m going to be out there on the first defensive play of the game, assuming Melbourne doesn’t start out with a 4 or 5 WR set from the get go.

Based on our meeting, though, I don’t expect to be out there a whole lot. MK’s QB is Stoffel, who has been in Melbourne his entire career. He likes to spread the field and he’s a good scrambler. That’s how he’s kept his career going for so long. I say I don’t expect to be out there a whole lot because Melbourne does love 5-WR sets and I don’t cover WRs as well as a DB. If they’re lining up in base formations, I’ll be out there each time, but not in spread attacks. We’ll see what happens, and I’ll definitely let you know.

When they run, Dominic Hilliard out of LSU is their main RB, but he hasn’t been off to a blazing start in his career. That’s mostly because Melbourne passes so damn much.

According to elbeesports.sync, the series between Auckland and the rest of the EHFC Oceania Division have been pretty even throughout league history. Melbourne is the only squad in the division that holds a series lead over us, 18-17. We’ll look to even that up next Sunday.

[StLee]

Jeremy's Journal
August 31, 2027

I peeked at a preview of our season, according to Jim Gindin. Here’s his EHFC Oceania summary, as well as his playoff picks:

EHFC Oceania Prediction Brisbane Admirals 9-7 (2026: 3-12-1) Sydney Kangaroos 7-9 (7-9) Melbourne Koalas 5-11 (4-12) Auckland Penguins 4-12 (9-7) Outlook: Brisbane finished at the bottom of the conference last year, but a strong draft with Division B Player of the Year Shaun DeBoer and quality free agent pick ups could turn things around for the Admirals in a weak division. The key to success will be at QB where former 1st-round pick Barry Fitzhugh is finally being handed the reigns and told to right the ship. Auckland, who won the division last year, lost several key players through salary cuts and free agency. Lajun Burks returns, though, giving the team a chance to compete. If he goes down or struggles, the Penguins can expect to draft near the top in 2028. The team is definitely rebuilding, and this might be legendary coach Daryl Weber’s last hurrah. WSAFL 2027 Playoff Predictions First Round Columbus over Los Angeles Austin over Toronto London over Brisbane Tokyo over Athens Conference Semifinals Baton Rouge over Columbus Richmond over Austin Moscow over London Tokyo over Paris Conference Finals Baton Rouge over Richmond Moscow over Tokyo Power Bowl XXXVI at Miami, Florida Moscow over Baton Rouge The Rhinos try to make it three straight, but Moscow looks to pull off Miracles.

Can you believe that? My first year in the league and my team is picked dead last, just like my freshman year with the Demons. I don’t see it, though, not with Pete leading us at QB and our D turning it on.

Anyway, this will be my first game of the year, and I am so pumped!!!
vs