Run Like Hell - The Legend of Dillon Powers

[djp73]

Re: Run Like Hell - The Legend of Dillon Powers

Game|Opponent|Car|Yds|TDs|Rec|Yds|TDs|KR|Yds|TDs|P R|Yds|TDs
12|@ New York (A)|34|187|3|3|6|0|2|38|0|6|46|0

Dillon Powers - AFC Offensive Player of the Week

[djp73]

Re: Run Like Hell - The Legend of Dillon Powers

"So with that kneel down by Geno Smith the Jets will knock off the Dolphins 27-24. The Dolphins lose their third straight game and drop to 8-8 and will now be officially eliminated from the playoffs."

Reggie watched as Dillon threw the remote across the room, shattering it against the wall next to the television. He knew better than to say anything as the injured rookie sat up abruptly and stormed from the room.

"Should you go talk to him?" Sarah, the girl Reggie had been seeing for a few weeks, asked.
"I'll probably let him be for now. He'll come around."
They heard the front door open and slam. Sarah looked a Reggie.
"He's fine." Reggie said, waving off the situation. He stood up and shut the tv off.

---

He wasn't sure where he was going or how long he'd been running for, but when he had calmed down Dillon realized he had never run this far in this direction and he wasn't sure where he was. He had left the house in such a hurry he hadn't even brought his phone. He looked around and saw a small, dingy looking bar across the street and headed that direction.

"What'll ya have son?" A lanky, worn down old man asked from behind the bar as Dillon approached.
"Actually I was hoping to use the phone?" Dillon asked.
"Phone's broke, alls we got is that old pay phone." The man replied, pointing into the far corner.
"Thanks." Dillon replied, patting his pockets and realizing they were empty.
He approached the phone and stared at it blankly.
"Son of a bitch!" He exclaimed, somewhat under his breath.
"You can use my cell phone." A female voice said from behind.
Dillon turned around to see a pair of young girls, both too good looking to be in a bar like this, the one on the left was holding up an iPhone in a pink case. She bit her lower lip as she extended the phone to Dillon.
"Thanks." He said, somewhat nervously. He punched in Reggie's number and hit send.

"Hello?" Reggie answered the phone.
"Reg, it's me. Can you come pick me up?"
"Where the hell are you?"
"Uh..." Dillon looked around. "I dunno." He looked at the girls. "Where are we?"
"Feeney's on 23rd." The girls answered in unison.
"Feeneys on 23rd." He repeated into the phone.
"Hold on, let me punch it in..."
"Ok."
"Yeah, I'll be there in 20."
"Thanks." Dillon answered before ending the call and handing back the phone.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome Dillon." The girl answered with a giggle.
"How did you know my name?" He asked, intrigued.
"We love the Dolphins!" The other girl answered as she pointed to both of their shirts. The girl with the phone had a Dolphins t-shirt on that fit just right, the other girl was sporting a Tannehill jersey.
"Well, since you know my name I should know yours."
"I'm Elisha." Phone girl said, extending her hand.
Dillon shook it. "Nice to meet you Elisha."
"I'm Shannon." Her friend said as Dillon shook her hand."
"Nice to meet you too Shannon."
"How long until your friend will be here?" Elisha asked.
"He said like twenty minutes so for him probably an hour." Dillon answered with a chuckle.
"Want to join us for a drink?"
"Well I'm only 20 and I don't have my wallet but I'll sit with you."
"Oh you're just a baby." Shannon giggled as she playfully nudged Elisha.

The three sat and talked about football and all manner of things until Dillon saw Reggie's Tahoe pull up outside the bar.
"That's my ride ladies." Dillon said, almost reluctant to leave.
"Aww, do you have to go?" Elisha said with a feigned pout.
"I'm afraid so. Hopefully I'll see you again though?" Dillon asked hopefully.
"Hold out your hand." Elisha said as she pulled a pen from her clutch.
"There. Now you can be sure you'll see us." She said as she wrote her phone number.
Dillon smiled and stood up. "Nice meeting you both, thanks again for the phone call."
"Nice to meet you too." Shannon and Elisha answered.
As Dillon walked to the door he heard the girls giggling behind him, he felt ten feet tall as he hopped into the Tahoe. For the first time since his injury Dillon had something to smile about.

[djp73]

Re: Run Like Hell - The Legend of Dillon Powers

Rookie Diary
Dillon Powers
Runningback - Eastern Washington

From time to time we will feature a guest blog by former Eastern Washington RB Dillon Powers as he attempts to make the journey to the NFL

Hey all. First off I want to apologize for not posting in so long. Things got really hectic and I couldn't find the time. As I'm sure most of you already know I missed the last four games of the season with a separated shoulder. That was very frustrating and disappointing for me. We missed the playoffs, another frustration.

Overall I feel like I had a really good season. I finished with just under 1,500 yards and I had 14 touchdowns. I really wanted us to make the playoffs but we have a great team to build on for next season.

I'm sure most of you know this but I got invited to play in the Pro Bowl. What an amazing honor! I can't wait to play with all the superstars of the league. Pretty excited about the trip to Hawaii too! I'll post about that when I get back for sure.

Who do you guys have in the superbowl? I think the Broncos will beat the Bengals and I think Drew Brees will lead the Saints over the Eagles. Post in the comments section below.

I'll be back on after the Pro Bowl. Thanks for reading!

[djp73]

Re: Run Like Hell - The Legend of Dillon Powers

Rookie Diary
Dillon Powers
Runningback - Eastern Washington

From time to time we will feature a guest blog by former Eastern Washington RB Dillon Powers as he attempts to make the journey to the NFL

Just got back from the Pro Bowl. What an amazing experience! I took a ton of pictures that I will get posted. I'm gonna post a short day to day summary here.

Tuesday

Tuesday was all about travel. We flew out of Miami to LA then to Honolulu. We have five players from the Dolphins. Myself, FB Owen Marecic, guard Dallas Thomas, center Mike Pouncey and of course Cameron Wake. Lucky for the rest of us that Cam was there, he was the one that knew what we were supposed to be doing and where we had to be.

Anyway, Tuesday we just pretty much checked into the hotel and hung out. Me and Reggie took a swim in the ocean, that was awesome!

Wednesday

Wednesday we had our first practice. It was very laid back. The playbook is pretty basic, high school stuff almost. We took things pretty slow. The practice was at Pearl Harbor so that was pretty incredible. There were tons of local fans there and we all signed a lot of autographs. One kid had my jersey on! That was wild, of course I had to sign it! After practice there was a play 60 event, we all had a blast running around with the kids.

Thursday

Thursday we had another practice and actually had a lot of free time. Owen, his girlfriend, Reggie and I did a ton of sightseeing. We went scuba diving and took surfing lessons. I don't think I'll be getting back on a surfboard anytime soon. Owen did pretty well though.

Friday

Friday was the last real practice. Later on we got our jerseys and took team pictures. Me and Eric (Weddle) traded jerseys to see if anyone would notice. We both had 32 and nobody noticed until one of the photographers called Eric Dillon. They made us trade back. Friday night a bunch of us went out to dinner, Rob Gronkowski from the Patriots was there, he had us all rolling all night.

Saturday

Saturday was a day to really just do a final walk through practice and relax. Reggie and I went to lunch with the rest of the guys from the Dolphins. It was nice to hang out with those guys in a different environment. One of the coolest parts of the whole experience was when Charles Woodson announced he was retiring. He was one of my favorite players growing up so to be around him and be one of the first to hear that was pretty amazing. I was five when he got drafted.

Sunday

Game day! The game was a ton of fun, you have to kind of remind yourself that it's a different game and you're not really out there to go 110%. It was weird not starting but it was also a lot of fun to be on the sidelines with the other guys watching, almost like a spectator. Danny (Woodhead) started and tore it up. I really want to model my game after him, work on my receiving skills. Anyway, Drew Brees had a monster game and the NFC ended up winning 43-35. I had a decent game but it was really more about the experience for me.

We just got home about two hours ago so I think I'm gonna sleep for like a week.

Who do you guys have in the Superbowl? I was really surprised the Eagles took down the Saints, they're the hot team right now but I don't know if they have enough for Denver. Post your picks in the comments. Thanks again for reading. This may be the last one but I'm not sure yet.

[djp73]

Re: Run Like Hell - The Legend of Dillon Powers

[djp73]

Re: Run Like Hell - The Legend of Dillon Powers

Key Retirements

HC Tom Coughlin
QB Tom Brady
QB Rex Grossman
QB Matt Hasselbeck
QB Michael Vick
HB Fred Jackson
HB Willis McGahee
WR Randy Moss
DE James Harrison
DE Richard Seymour
LB John Abraham
LB Takeo Spikes
CB Nate Clements
FS Ryan Clark
FS Charles Woodson
K Jay Feely
K Sebastian Janikowski
K Adam Vinatieri

[djp73]

Re: Run Like Hell - The Legend of Dillon Powers

"Dillon, are you sure you have to leave so soon? Can't you stay just a few more days?"
"C'mon mom. I told you I have a lot of work to do before next season."
"But the season doesn't start until September. It's only March."
Dillon looked to his mother, then to Tom, her husband. He shook his head and continued eating his pork chops.
"Dear, there's much more to playing football than just showing up for games. Dillon has got to be ready." Tom explained as Dillon chewed and nodded.
Part of Dillon wishes he could stay longer, but there was work to be done and Dillon wanted to be even better than he was the year before. He wanted to start every game, no more injuries.
"I know." She replied. "I just miss having you around."
"Well. You guys should come visit. We have an extra room. Miami is beautiful."
"That sounds nice honey."

Dillon finished his meal and got dressed for a jog. He grabbed his iPod and headed out on a familiar route. He was engrossed in his workout and the music when he thought he heard his name. He pulled out one of his ear buds, slowed his pace and looked around.

"Dillon? Dillon Powers?" A female voice asked.
Dillon turned around to see Ashley Higgins, a girl that grew up a few miles away. She was maybe five or six years older than Dillon and had actually baby sat him when he was younger.
"Ashley!" He replied with a smile as she approached.
"I haven't seen you in forever!" She said as the two embraced.
"I know, since before I left for college I think."
"Yup, that's right." Ashley answered as she looked Dillon over. He had always been in shape but she definitely noticed the extra bulk. She resisted the urge to squeeze his bicep.
"What have you been up to?" Dillon asked as he tried to recall what she had been doing before he left.
"Oh still doing the office thing, pays the bills. Everyone knows what you're doing Mr. Football Star." She said with a smirk. "I watched most of your games."
"You did?" He asked, surprised she had kept tabs on him.
"Yup. College too. How long are you here for?"
"I actually fly out to Miami in the morning."
"Oh" Ashley replied, not hiding her disappointment. "I was hoping we would have time to catch up."
"That would be nice." Dillon said, wishing he could stay.
"I'll give you my number, call me next time you're home." She smiled.

[djp73]

Re: Run Like Hell - The Legend of Dillon Powers

As he carried his bags to the car Dillon noticed a nip in the air.
"Not gonna miss this." He said to himself as he zipped up his jacket and flipped up his hood. He loaded his last bag in the trunk of Tom's car and closed it as he looked around. He knew there were things he would miss about being home, but he was ready to be back in Miami getting ready for the season. After missing four games last year he felt like he had something to prove. He didn't want to be as good as he was last year, he wanted to be better.

"All set?" Tom asked, snapping Dillon from his daze.
"Yeah." He replied, walking to the passenger's door.
"Sorry your mom couldn't drive you, things are pretty busy at the office."
"It's ok, she always gets so emotional."
"Yeah, that's her." Tom said with a chuckle.

The drive to Portland International Airport was only about 20 minutes, there was no traffic on a Monday morning. Tom and Dillon made small talk, but the conversations were never deep. Tom and his mother had gotten together while he was away at college. Dillon liked Tom and he made his mom happy, Tom never tried to be a father figure and Dillon appreciated that.

Tom pulled up to the unloading zone and popped the trunk, the two got out of the car and unloaded Dillon's bags. He had packed lightly as he still had plenty of stuff back home.

"Take care of yourself and good luck this season." Tom said with a smile as he extended his hand.
"Thanks. Appreciate it." Dillon replied as he grabbed Tom's hand and shook it.

---

Dillon found his seat and reached to put his bag in the overhead. He packed it away and took a seat. He dug out his iPod and settled in for the nearly 8 hour flight. He sat back in his seat and closed his eyes as he let himself get lost in the music.

"Excuse me sir." Dillon heard as he felt a tap on the shoulder. "That's my seat." An older woman said, pointing to the window seat.
"Oh. Sorry ma'am." Dillon replied as he hurriedly got up, allowing the woman to reach her seat.
"Thank you dear." She said with a smile.
Dillon nodded and smiled back, returning to his seat once she had settled in.
He put his headphones back in and drifted off.

Dillon felt a tap on his shoulder and awoke.
He looked around groggily before realizing the tap had come from his neighbor, the older lady.
"I'm sorry, could I ask you to let me squeeze by?"
"No problem." He said with a smile as he allowed her out. He settled back down and watched her head to the bathroom. He didn't get too comfortable, knowing she would return soon.

She made her way back and plopped down into her seat.
She looked at Dillon and smiled.
"Are you a Dolphin's fan?" She asked, pointing to his sweatshirt and hat.
"Actually I play for them."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I'm going back to get ready for the season."
"Oh, that's so exciting. I'm going to Miami to visit my daughter and grandson, he's a big Miami fan."
"That's great. Always good to hear that." Dillon said with a smile. "Hang on one second." He said as he stood to reach into his carry on. He found a sharpie and sat back down.
"What's your grandson's name?"
"Billy, and I'm Ruth. What's your name?"
"I'm Dillon. Dillon Powers."
"Nice to meet you Dillon." Ruth said with a smile, extending her hand.
"Nice to meet you too, Ruth." He said, delicately shaking her hand. He took off his hat and signed it. "To Billy. Dillon Powers #32"
"Here you go Ruth, for Billy."
"Oh that's so sweet!" She said with a huge smile.

[djp73]

Re: Run Like Hell - The Legend of Dillon Powers

"How was the trip cuz?" Reggie asked Dillon as they bumped fists.
"Trip was good, always good to get home. Long *** flight though."
"Yeah man. I hear ya. Good to have you back man. I'm over here." Reggie said, pointing to the Tahoe.
"New rims man?" Dillon asked, noticing the shiny chrome additions.
"Yeah. That new deal we got, figured I'd dress it up a bit."
"Looks mean man." Dillon said, looking at them as he tossed his bag in the back seat.

The two caught up as they drove back to the apartment. Dillon felt a buzz from his phone and pulled it from his pocket. He smiled as he saw it was a text from Ashley.

"Was great seeing you. Dont be a stranger "
"it was great to see you too. ill keep in touch if you do."

[djp73]

Re: Run Like Hell - The Legend of Dillon Powers

The month of April flew by, Dillon spent most of his time in the gym, aside from a few team events and appearances. He felt stronger than last season. He felt good. He was ready. He looked over at Reggie, who was running on the treadmill next to him. Reggie caught his glace and gave him a nod.
"You good?" Reggie asked.
"Gimme like..." Dillon looked at the timer on his machine, it read 55:13. "Five minutes."
"Sure." Reggie answered.

"Good workout man." Dillon said as he and Reggie exited the gym.
"Hell yeah. Feeling good." Reggie said with a nod.
"So what's up this week?"
"Nothing special, I'm free all week. Just workouts."
"Nice. You wanna do something for the draft?"
"Probably just chill and watch it. The first round at least. See who we get."
"Sounds good. Want to get some people together or keep it low key?"
"Maybe I'll ask a couple guys from the team. Nothing crazy."

---

Dillon, Reggie, Charles Clay and Jordan Kovacs are all gathered at Reggie and Dillon's apartment to watch the draft. The first round is about half over.
"When do we pick again?" Jordan asked.
"Soon. 19th?" Charles answered.
"Yeah. 19." Reggie confirmed with a nod.
"This **** takes forever." Dillon said as the analysts talked about the most recent pick.
"No **** man. Imagine being there waiting to get picked? No thanks." Jordan said, shaking his head.
Jordan had gone undrafted, like Dillon and Charles was picked in the sixth round. None of them had that experience.
"So what do you think they're gonna draft?" Reggie asked.
"O line probably." Dillon theorized.
"Yeah. Hopefully." Charles agreed.
"We need some ****in' backers too." Jordan interjected.
"With the eighteenth pick..." Roger Goodell announced.
"Oh here we go. We're on the clock." Reggie said as he turned up the TV."
"I got a hunny it's a o lineman." Charles said, slapping a $100 bill on the table.
"I'll take that. Linebacker." Jordan smiled as he threw down two fifties.

"With the nineteenth pick in the 2014 draft the Miami Dolphins select..."
"Here we go."
"...Pablo Parker. Runningback..."
Dillon shot out of his seat, flipped the coffee table over and shouted "What the ****!" as he stormed out of the room.
Charles and Jordan looked at Reggie.
"****." Reggie said as he stood up and headed out the door on Dillon's trail.

[djp73]

Re: Run Like Hell - The Legend of Dillon Powers

[djp73]

Re: Run Like Hell - The Legend of Dillon Powers

use the twitter handle to ask Dillon questions via twitter.

[NewscasterNews4]

Re: Run Like Hell - The Legend of Dillon Powers

@DPowers32 how do you feel about the drafting of Pablo Parker?

[djp73]

Re: Run Like Hell - The Legend of Dillon Powers

"Hi this is Erin Andrews and I'm here with Dillon Powers, runningback from the Miami Dolphins. Thanks for joining us Dillon."
"The pleasure is all mine, thank you for having me."
"Dillon, you had a great season last year. You ran for nearly 1,500 yards and you scored 14 touchdowns. Despite only playing 12 games due to a shoulder injury. You won rookie of the year and you made the pro bowl. What was that like?"
"Wow. It was really a rollercoaster for me. There was a couple games early where I kind of felt like I could have played better. Then of course I was able to have a few big games so that was a high point for sure. The injury was a real disappointment. I really felt like I let the team down. Injuries are tough. Then being home and seing us miss the playoffs, that was tough. You always want to do everything you can to help your team win games. Not sitting at home injured."
"Dillon, the question everyone wants me to ask. What was your reaction to the Dolphins drafting Pablo Parker, a runningback, in the first round."
"I'll be honest about it, I was mad. I felt like I had done enough to prove myself. You don't draft anyone in the first round if you don't want them to be the man."
"Joe Philbin said the Dolphins were shocked he fell that low and they couldn't pass him up. What are your thoughts on that?"
"Well, the way I see it is we didn't make the playoffs so obviously we need to improve in a bunch of places. Like I said, I felt like I had done enough to prove myself so I was surprised they went with another runningback."
"Jeff Ireland, the Dolphins GM, said the team had durability concerns about you. Do they have any reason to?"
"I mean, injuries are gonna happen. How many runningbacks play every game these days. I don't think I'm any less durable than anyone else."
"How do you plan to handle the whole situation?"
"I plan to do my job. Whatever they decide my job is. If I'm the starter then I'll do that. If they want us to split carries I'll make the most of my touches and try to help the team win. If they want me to back him up then I'll do that."
"You're alright being a backup?"
"I wouldn't say I'm alright with it. I'll do it though, if that's what they want."
"What are your goals this season?"
"Number one is make the playoffs. I have some personal goals but winning is always number one."
"What are your personal goals?"
"Staying healthy. Getting through the whole season is a big one. I don't want to be sitting at home while we're fighting for a playoff spot. I don't have any specific stat goals really. I'll know at the end of the season if it was a good one or not. Stats aren't everything."
"A few months back you signed a one year deal with Miami. Would you have preferred a longer deal?"
"You always want more than one year. Coming off the injury they didn't want to go longer. Maybe it was better this way, we'll see."
"Well Dillon, best of luck in the upcoming season and thank you for your time."
"Thank you Erin."

[djp73]

Re: Run Like Hell - The Legend of Dillon Powers

"Jesus christ Parker! How many times do we have to tell you not to dance around so *** **** much? Hit the hole!"

Dillon cracked a slight smile as he watched the rookie struggle. For some reason a feeling of guilt crept over him and he forced the smile away.

"Thomas! You're up!" One of the coaches barked.

Pablo Parker, the Dolphins first pick, moped over to the side of the drill, heading Dillon's direction. Dillon had done his best to avoid Pablo to this point but felt compelled to say something.

"Keep your chin up kid." Dillon said as he slapped Parker on the helmet.
Parker looked up, almost shocked, and gave Dillon a nod as he continued to the water cooler.