I Know That Guy...A 'dynasty' following one man.

[kazijen]

I've been playing a fair amount of video football here lately, and I have been slightly disappointed by the hollow feeling I get playing newer games. In my nostalgia, I booted up NCAA 2006 and rediscovered Race for the Heisman. After playing a bit, I had an idea. What if I created a player in NCAA 2006 and followed him through the 2008-09 NCAA season and straight into Madden 2010? This is an attempt at satisfying my own desire for a deep, long-lasting, rewarding and story-driven video game football experience.

A few notes about this little project:
1) This is purely for my own enjoyment. I am posting here in case this is the kind of thing anybody else might enjoy.
2) Madden 2010 may not be the Pro leg of the journey. My other options are updated NFL 2k5 and updated Madden 08 (PC). I will be jumping across platforms at some point either way.
3) This is as much about the story as it is about the game. I was feeling nostalgic for older football games and wanting to read/write a good little story, so...two birds, one stone.

I think I'll enjoy playing/writing this. If it seems like something you'd enjoy as well, feel free to follow along.

[kazijen]

"Flower Mound High School senior Jules Baird (QB) exploded onto the scene this year, toppling school and district records in his first year at the position. As a wide receiver, his ability to get open and make defenders miss partially made up for his less-than-blazing speed. As a quarterback, his elusiveness in the open field meshed well with his surprising accuracy and smart running style. He had the interest of top college programs around the nation. Now, he has their attention." - From (fake) football news website Third and Long.

Jules K. Baird. The 6'1", 205 pound receiver-turned-quarterback out of Flower Mound High School. He's a good student, model citizen, and natural athlete. He's also the main character in this little project of mine.

http://aristeros.wix.com/third-and-l...b-aritcle/c9g5

The website isn't entirely complete yet. I'm trying to set up a nice, immersive and professional-looking way to follow Baird. Something a little nicer than a forum post, a little more interactive than a screencap. Besides, I have time on my hands and it's a project. Third and Long will not be my only means of updating the story, though.

Tomorrow I'll start the actual Race for the Heisman and probably play a few games.

[kazijen]

They brought cameras.

It was all I could think of while I waited in that little room. "Nervous?" The voice surprised me. I had forgotten anyone else was in the room. It belonged to a young woman sitting across from me. She was blonde. Cute.

"Yeah, a little." I smiled at her, she smiled back. "I though media was for top recruits," I said. Players from Flower Mound signed with college programs every year, and every year they got their picture on the school website. They didn't end up on the evening news.

"Generally," she said. She brushed her hair behind her ear. She was wearing a bluetooth headset. High tech, professional. "That video was impressive, though. People are talking," she shrugged.

It started with a video.

Somebody in the stands had videotaped a play in the Mound Showdown, our rivalry game against Marcus High School. It was third and twelve on the thirty-seven yard line, and we were down by six with just a minute to go. I took the snap and the play immediately broke down. I picked my way down the field and into the endzone. I remember the cheers.

Afterward, I didn't celebrate. I handed the ref the ball and trotted to the sideline. We wouldn't have been in that situation if I had completed a pass on second down. We still would have had the lead if I hadn't fumbled in the second quarter. There was a bad taste in my mouth, and I needed to talk to Coach. But nobody sees that. All they see is a thirty-seven yard touchdown run.

"I'm kind of a football fan myself." She was talking again. "Your run wasn't like other scores I've seen. You didn't go through anyone, or blaze right past them. You went around them, made them miss. It really was impressive. You're popular now."

"Hmph. Popular." I didn't like the word. It didn't taste right. It hit a nerve. "It was one play, and we ended up losing that game," I said. "I don't get why there's all this hype. Nobody wanted me as a receiver. "Not fast enough," they said. I'm nothing special at quarterback. My hands are too small to play effectively at the next level. I had no intention of playing college ball, now I'm on the news? I mean, what the hell?"

"Jules," she said, her voice cool and collected, "you've got scholarship offers from four top-twenty programs. That means you've been singled out and recruited by some of the best football programs in the country. If that's not enough validation for you, I don't know what is."

I realized I was leaning forward in my chair and settled back. "That wasn't reported correctly," I said. "Only Texas and Florida State offered me scholarships. The other schools want me to walk on."

"What's so bad about that?"

I sighed. "Can't afford it."

A small, balding man came into the room holding a clipboard. He was breathing heavily. The woman, who unless I miss my guess was an intern, said, "Time to go?" The little man nodded and looked at me.

"Up. Let's go." I followed him out the foyer, where there was a table set up with some ball caps on it. My parents were out there, wearing mile-wide grins. Tears and a hug from Mom, firm handshake and "Congratulations" from Dad. In front of the table was that damn camera.

The balding man tapped my arm. "Have a seat. When I say so, announce your school, put on a cap, and sign your letter." He walked away and started barking at the crew about lighting and sound. I sat down.

On the table were three ball caps laid out in a row. One for each of three schools that had offered me athletic scholarships. To my left was Tulane. New Orleans is my favorite city in the world, but they have six quarterbacks on their roster with more committed. Right in front of me was Texas. Coach Brown said he liked me, but with five guys already there and the fifteenth best quarterback in the nation committed, it's crowded. That left Florida State to my right. Four quarterbacks and a light recruiting class.

I needed to go where I could hang on to a roster spot and, more importantly, a scholarship. I needed to play well enough to pay for my education and graduate in four years. The decision was easy. I had already made it.

The balding man checked his watch and looked at me. "Go ahead."

I picked up the Florida State cap and put it on. "I'll be going to Florida State University." I was handed a letter of intent and a pen. Jules Kaelen Baird. Three words on the dotted line. I took a deep breath and smiled for the camera.

***

Jules has committed! No games yet, but they're on their way. I had surgery last week and popped some stitches today, so I have to go back in tomorrow, but then I should be able to do a couple weeks.

[kazijen]

First: A fundamental change to my little project. Because I want to get into Madden 10 (a game I'm more familiar and comfortable with) and I have had no end of trouble getting a rewarding gameplay experience out of Race for the Heisman games, I'll be creating Baird and running a sim dynasty for four years. Then I'll create him in Madden and roll through franchise mode following him. Why not create him as a Superstar? 1) Limited control over starting attributes. 2) Supersim does not work. At all. I think I'll have more fun doing things this way.

So, what's going on in Baird's world, anyway?

June 2005 - http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2084954
-----------------------------------------------------------------
With Sexton out of the picture, Xavier Lee and Drew Weatherford are expected to compete for the starting role.

August 2005 - FSU Seminoles Practice
--------------------------------------

Quote:

The No. 12 Florida State Seminoles held their first day of fall practice Tuesday afternoon in Tallahassee. The team worked out for 20 periods in shorts. Head coach Bobby Bowden announced the team's motto for 2005: MAGIC, which is an acronym for Make a greater individual contribution. The battle for the starting quarterback job got underway with Xavier Lee taking the majority of the snaps with the first team offense. Drew Weatherford will work with the first team on Wednesday. They two redshirt freshmen will both see equal time with the No. 1 offense throughout preseason drills according to Bowden. True freshman Jules Baird, meanwhile, took snaps with the backups.

Quote:

"They moved around good and naturally I spent most of my time watching the quarterbacks. What I expect to see out of them is you have to see improvement everyday. The main thing I told the coaches to be sure to do is get them both equal reps. We'll try to work them equally and just see what happens. That's all we can do."

-Coach Bowden on the starting quarterback race between Lee and Weatherford.

Quote:

"He really impressed me. Granted he was playing against our backup guys, but still. That kid is definitely football smart. If he keeps it up through practice, we may get him out there with starters a few times a day and see what happens.

-Coach Bowden on Jules Baird.

Quote:

True freshman quarterback Jules Baird captained the Seminoles' backup unit in this afternoon's scrimmage, and he did not disappoint. Baird displayed the same quick decision making ability and elusive running that caught Coach Bowden's interest while he was a high school senior.

Quote:

"He's still a ways from starting, but he's a very talented young man. His hands are a little smaller than we'd like, so we're having him try out some gloves. Hopefully that'll give him some extra grip. Other than that, though, this kid's got what it takes.

-Coach Bowden on Jules Baird.

September 2005 - The Season
------------------------------
Florida State Seminoles Release Depth Chart for Week One:

Florida State Seminoles Depth Chart - 2005
Regular Offense
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
WR	Willie Reid - SR (RS)	Fred Rouse - FR	Kenny O'Neal - FR (RS)
TE	Matt Henshaw - SR (RS)	Donnie Carter - JR (RS)	Matt Root - SR (RS)
LT	Mario Henderson - JR	Cory Niblock - JR (RS)	Matt Hardrick - FR
LG	John Frady - SO (RS)	Cornelius Lewis - FR (RS)	Jacky Claude - SO
C	David Castillo - SR (RS)	Dumaka Atkins - FR (RS)	Matt Hardrick - FR
RG	Matt Meinrod - SR (RS)	Jacky Claude - SO	Cornelius Lewis - FR (RS)
RT	Ron Lunford - SR (RS)	David Overmyer - SO (RS)	Matt Hardrick - FR
WR	Chris Davis - JR (RS)	Lorne Same - JR (RS)	De'Cody Fagg - SO
QB	Drew Weatherford - FR (RS)	Xavier Lee - FR (RS)	Jules Baird - FR
FB	James Coleman - SR	B.J. Dean - SR (RS)
HB	Leon Washington - SR	Lorenzo Booker - JR (RS)	Jamaal Edwards - SO	Antone Smith - FR
Base 4-3 Defense
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
LDE	Anthony Kelly - JR	Darrell Burston - JR (RS)	Justin Mincey - FR
LDT	Clifton Dickson - JR	Callahan Bright - FR	Andre Fluellen - SO (RS)
RDT	Brodrick Bunkley - SR	Aaron Jones - FR (RS)	Andre Fluellen - SO (RS)
RDE	Kamerion Wimbley - SR	D.J. Norris - SO	Willie Jones - JR (RS)
WLB	Ernie Sims - JR	Lawrence Timmons - SO	Neefy Moffett - FR
MLB	Buster Davis - JR (RS)	Sam McGrew - SR	Jae Thaxton - SO	Derek Nicholson - FR
SLB	A.J. Nicholson - SR	Marcello Church - SO (RS)	Eugene Hayes - FR
CB	Antonio Cromartie - JR	Michael Ray Garvin - FR	J.R. Bryant - SO
SS	Kyler Hall - SR (RS)	Kenny Ingram - FR (RS)	Darius McClure - FR (RS)
FS	Pat Watkins - SR	Roger Williams - SO
CB	Gerard Ross - SR (RS)	Trevor Ford - FR (RS)
Special Teams
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
K	Chase Goggans - SO (RS)	Gary Cismesia - SO
P	Chris Hall - SR (RS)
H	Chris Hall - SR (RS)
PR	Willie Reid - SR (RS)	Antonio Cromartie - JR	Leon Washington - SR	Lorenzo Booker - JR (RS)
KR	Antonio Cromartie - JR	Willie Reid - SR (RS)	Leon Washington - SR	Lorenzo Booker - JR (RS)
LS	David Castillo - SR (RS)	Ron Lunford - SR (RS)	Matt Meinrod - SR (RS)

Week One
----------
FSU Opens Season Big

Quote:

The Florida State Seminoles opened their football season on a high note at home against rival Miami Hurricanes. Quarterback Drew Weatherford threw for 290 yards and 1 touchdown in the 33-17 grudge match, but the real star for FSU was halfback Leon Washington. Washington proved he could fill the role of workhorse by toting the ball a whopping 33 times for 146 yards and a score.

Miami (FL) Hurricanes at Florida State Seminoles
Sept 5, 2005	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	OT	SCORE
#11 Miami (FL) Hurricanes (0-0)	0	7	0	10	-	17
#5 Florida State Seminoles (0-0)	14	5	14	0	-	33

Team Stats Comparison
	MIA	FSU
Total Offense	229	428
Rushing Yards	19	138
Passing Yards	210	290
First Downs	12	19
Punt Return Yards	31	59
Kick Return Yards	138	124
Total Yards	398	611
Turnovers	2	0
3rd Down Converstion	1-11 (9.1%)	5-13 (38.5%)
4th Down Conversion	0-0	0-1 (0.0%)
2-Point Conversion	0-0	0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	2-2-0	4-3-1
Penalties	5-35	5-30
Posession Time	25:52	34:08

Miami (FL) Hurricanes

Florida State Seminoles

[kazijen]

Week Two
-----------

Quote:

Drew Weatherford went 11/18 for 325 yards and 4 touchdowns in last night's blowout of Citadel, but re-injured his left ankle. Weatherford underwent surgery on the ankle last spring and was thought to have made a full recovery. He will miss at least three weeks, during which time fellow redshirt freshman Xavier Lee will take over the offense. Leon Washington carried the ball 18 times for 67 yards and 2 touchdowns, but his performance was overshadowed by Lorenzo Booker's 184 yards and 2 scores. Willie Reid had his second 100 yard receiving game of the season thus far, hauling in just 3 catches but making them all worth big gains. Said Coach Bowden of his team's performance in their first two games, "We're comin' out and playing top-of-the-line football out there. We're really excited about the way the season looks right now, but we've got a few areas we need to work on if we're going to be competitive later in the year." Bowden also commented on Weatherford's injury: "Our medical personnel are in charge of that situation, but Drew's a tough kid. I'm positive we'll see him back out there before too long. In the mean time, I have all confidence in Xavier to go out there and get the job done. Jules may even see some playing time." The Seminoles go on the road next week to take on the #25 Boston College Eagles.

Citadel Bulldogs at Florida State Seminoles
Sep 10, 2005	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	OT	SCORE
Citadel Bulldogs (0-0)	0	0	3	0	-	3
#5 Florida State Seminoles (1-0)	0	31	21	7	-	59

Team Stats Comparison
	CIT	FSU
Total Offense	132	676
Rushing Yards	33	284
Passing Yards	99	392
First Downs	8	18
Punt Return Yards	31	150
Kick Return Yards	178	36
Total Yards	341	862
Turnovers	2	0
3rd Down Converstion	2-15 (13.3%)	3-9 (33.3%)
4th Down Conversion	0-0	0-0
2-Point Conversion	0-0	0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	0-0-0	8-4-1
Penalties	1-5	10-60
Posession Time	25:30	34:30

Citadel Bulldogs

Florida State Seminoles

Week Three
------------

Seminoles On a Roll

Quote:

FSU came up with another win this week against the Boston College Eagles this week, but did not display the same dominance as in their first two games. Quarterback Xavier Lee went 15/23 for 211 yards and 2 touchdowns, but also threw the Seminoles' first interception in his first start. Coach Bowden expressed little concern, however, and stated that Lee would remain the starter for the time being. In spite of Bowden's statements, true freshman Jules Baird has seen an increased role in practices. Leon Washington logged another 25 carries for 143 yards, but was held out of the endzone on the ground. Xavier Lee attempted to stretch his legs a few times, but more often than not ended up getting hit for a loss. He did manage to find the endzone once on a 7 yard scamper, however. Boston College did an excellent job of containing receiver Willie Reid, limiting him to just 2 catches and 14 yards. They struggled to defend short passes to Leon Washington, however, who racked up an additional 121 yards and 2 touchdowns through the air. The Eagles' Tony Gonzalez hauled in 9 catches for 176 yards and 1 touchdown, the best performance by a single receiver against the Seminoles' defense so far. Said Coach Bowden, "We lost a step or two on the defensive side of the ball out there. We'll have to work on getting that spark back. I have to hand to those guys out there for BC, they played some great football." Boston College held the Seminoles to just 17 points in the first half while managing to put up 10 of their own. The Seminoles' highly touted defense returned to form in the second half, however, shutting out the Eagles. The Seminoles return to Tallahassee for a week off before squaring off against Syracuse on October 1st.

Florida State Seminoles at Boston College Eagles
Sep 17, 2005	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	OT	SCORE
#3 Florida State Seminoles (2-0)	7	10	9	14	-	40
#25 Boston College Eagles (1-1)	3	7	0	0	-	10

Team Stats Comparison
	FSU	BC
Total Offense	346	340
Rushing Yards	135	65
Passing Yards	211	275
First Downs	17	12
Punt Return Yards	31	38
Kick Return Yards	98	124
Total Yards	475	502
Turnovers	1	4
3rd Down Converstion	8-14 (57.1%)	4-13 (30.8%)
4th Down Conversion	0-1 (0.0%)	1-1 (100%)
2-Point Conversion	0-0	0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	4-3-0	3-0-1
Penalties	4-35	7-75
Posession Time	32:05	27:34

Florida State Seminoles

Boston College Eagles

Three Week Report Card: Florida Seminoles

#3 Florida State is sitting pretty on one of the most potent offensive units currently in college football. Having racked up 1450 yards, only the surprise #1 Iowa Hawkeyes have been more successful moving the ball...by one yard. The Seminoles lead the NCAA in rushing touchdowns, and have finally managed (it seems) to find a rhythm to their ground game after under-utilizing a dynamic backfield in previous years.

Even with their success offensively, the Seminoles' true stars are the defensive unit. Ranking third in sacks with 15, they have made it awfully difficult for opposing quarterbacks to do their thing. Though they have given up quite a few yards to the passing game, the 'Noles always seem to tighten up in the red zone. This bend-don't-break approach means the Seminoles have given up an NCAA low 9.9 points per game thus far.

This is a team that is easily on top of the ACC, a team that has earned its top five ranking. The season is far from over, however, and FSU's schedule is about to get much more interesting. Following their weakest defensive showing of the year thus far, FSU should have no difficulty moving past Syracuse at home. After that, though, they will face off against the equally stingy defense of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Then come tough matchups against Virginia, Maryland, NC State, Clemson, Florida, and Virginia Tech. The hard part is just about to begin, and only time will tell if Florida State can keep its momentum.

[kazijen]

Drew's ankle...

Coach Bowden has been giving me an increased role in practice ever since Drew hurt his ankle. He says I'm the backup now, with Wyatt gone for the year. If something happens to Xavier, it's just me. The next guy on the depth chart is Chris Davis, the wide receiver. I am reminded of the blonde intern from back home. “Nervous?” You bet I am.

The only thing that keeps running through my mind is “Keep that scholarship.” My classes have been going well. I've had plenty of time to study, as up until now I've mostly been working with the scout team. That's a lot of fun for me. I like the challenge, having to learn and execute a wide variety of plays and styles. I think it's made me faster, stronger.

I play in gloves now. My hands are small, and the NCAA ball is bigger than I'm used to. Coach says not everyone makes the transition easily, but I think it's going to be especially tough for me. I'm having a hard time throwing deep, which is nothing new for me, but at this point it's becoming a major concern. Xavier's helping me work on my grip strength to help me get a handle on the ball, and Drew is giving me a hand with my throwing mechanics. I'm more confident now than when I first arrived here. I feel like I belong now.

“Nervous?” There she goes again. My stomach flips and I clench my teeth. I take a deep breath, then another. One more. Cool, let's do this. I wipe my palms on my shorts, even though the sweaty part is in the glove. Force of habit. I set my feet and lean forward. It's just a practice. Keep that scholarship. “Hike!”

[kazijen]

Week Four
-----------

FSU Dispatches Syracuse With Ease

Quote:

The Seminoles rolled into their fourth straight win at home last night, shutting out the Syracuse Orange 31-0.

Quote:

Redshirt freshman Xavier Lee completed 20 passes on 25 attempts for 190 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. He spoke briefly with reporters after the game. "I felt really good out there today. Yeah, I threw the pick, but that ball just got away from me. Aside from that I felt like I had a really good grasp on what their defense was trying to do, and how to handle it." Leon Washington put up 161 yards on 26 carries, but only found the endzone once. The senior running back has inserted himself firmly into Heisman discussions with his performances in the first four games of the season. True freshman wide receiver Fred Rouse lead the Seminoles with 61 yards and two touchdowns through the air. Willie Reid was shut down for the second time in a row, however, hauling in just 2 catches for 5 yards.

Syracuse Orange at Florida State Seminoles
Oct 1, 2005	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	OT	SCORE
Syracuse Orange (2-1)	0	0	0	0	-	0
#3 Florida State Seminoles (3-0)	7	17	0	7	-	31

Team Stats Comparison
	SYR	FSU
Total Offense	171	401
Rushing Yards	49	199
Passing Yards	122	202
First Downs	10	26
Punt Return Yards	8	9
Kick Return Yards	101	0
Total Yards	280	410
Turnovers	2	1
3rd Down Converstion	4-10 (40%)	10-14 (71.4%)
4th Down Conversion	0-0	0-0
2-Point Conversion	0-0	0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	1-0-0	4-2-1
Penalties	10-60	8-64
Posession Time	21:46	38:14

Syracuse Orange

Florida State Seminoles

***

How did I get here?

I swallowed a lump in my throat as I walked out to the huddle. The crowd was cheering. We were up thirty-one to nothing with a few minutes left in the fourth quarter. Lee had opened the quarter with a quick touchdown pass to Rouse. On our next possession, Coach Bowden called me up. "You'll be alright. Just feed it to Booker," he said.

That's what I did. Eleven times. Get ball, turn around, give to Lorenzo. Simple enough. Then Coach dials up a play-action pass. I faked it to Lorenzo and dropped back. The defense reacted quickly, though, and covered up all my receivers. I rolled out to create some space between me and the defensive end, just trying to buy time. Then I saw Lorenzo. He was just supposed to be a blocker on the play. We made eye contact, he nodded and put his hands up. The play went for about twelve yards.

Coach decided he like the outcome, so he called up another pass a few plays later. This time it all fell apart. I had no choice but to step up into the pocket and tuck the ball. I got about three yards before I slid down.

There were high-fives, slaps on the helmet. Everyone was excited about the fourth win. I got back to my dorm room around two in the morning and flopped into bed. I could have just fallen asleep. I should have. Instead, I rolled over, flipped on my lamp and pulled out a textbook. "I'm a student," I told myself. "Student first." As I tried to study, at the back of my mind there were lights and cheering.

[kazijen]

NCAA Football Rankings - BCS Rankings - Updated: Oct 4, 2005
RK	LW	TEAM (VOTES)	W	L	POINTS
1	1	Texas	4	0	1501
2	1	Florida State	4	0	1428
3	2	Louisville	4	0	1347
4	3	LSU	4	0	1336
5	4	Georgia	4	0	1267
6	7	Auburn	5	0	1163
7	8	Miami	3	1	1062
8	9	Iowa	4	1	1017
9	10	Texas Tech	4	0	1012
10	11	Virginia Tech	4	1	952
11	12	Pittsburgh	5	0	906
12	13	UCLA	4	0	869
13	14	NC State	3	0	822
14	15	Boise State	3	1	761
15	17	USC	2	2	636
16	19	Ohio State	2	2	539
17	6	Purdue	3	1	458
18	22	Oregon	4	1	454
19	23	UTEP	3	1	411
20	25	Clemons	4	1	339
21	NR	Georgia Tech	2	2	269
22	NR	Florida	3	2	262
23	18	Hawaii	3	1	256
24	NR	Michigan State	4	1	185
25	NR	BYU	4	0	141