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*The Medieval Connection - Blasoon - 05-03-2020 The Medieval Connection Edward III Hey there, everyone. Have you ever spent three years on an undergraduate degree on medieval history, then spent a fourth year on a master’s degree in the same discipline? Do you ever wake up in sweats over your future prospects? I know I have… So I have decided that the best way to use my degree is to earn fake money online by comparing the great duchies, kingdoms and empires of medieval Europe and the Near East to the diagnostics and anatomy of an American football team. For this edition, let’s take a look at one of my favourite monarchs, Edward Plantagenet III, king of England, France, lord of Ireland, and duke of Aquitaine and Gascony. The Front Office General Manager: God. This will be a common theme if I ever do more of these. All Catholic rulers get their authority from God, and as such, God appoints his draft picks through their divine right. The Offence Quarterback – Edward III Plantagenet: Without a doubt Edward would be the quarterback of the team. He’s the face of the franchise, he’s a great leader, and undoubtedly would be able to lead the England Lions to much success. It should also be noted that Edward III is the franchise quarterback that most teams wish they had. A definite first rounder. His games in Crécy and Poitiers show how good he is at leading the offence. Wide Receiver One – Edward ‘the Black Prince’ Plantagenet, Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall: The eldest son of Edward III; the Black Prince. Definitely Edward’s most useful weapon. The Black Prince has also shown how good he is at destroying defensive weapons. His legendary chevauchee routes destroyed the Capetian secondary. The Black Prince’s most famous game was likely the Poitier performance in the Hundred Games Series against the French national team, the Cockerels, where the Lions shut France out. Wide Receiver Two – John of Gaunt Plantagenet, Duke of Lancaster: The second son of Edward III. Lancaster whilst not being as physically able as his older brother, is still an incredibly crafty player, running a lot of trickery plays that have all but destroyed the lifeblood of other teams. He was so valuable to the English cause that he was almost poached by the Castile Castles to become their number one wide receiver. Wide Receiver Three – Edmund Langley Plantagenet, Earl of Cambridge: The fourth son of Edward III. Largely seen as an ineffective player, Edmund has been able to provide some good support to other English players; he is a regular at English games, and even helped his brother, John, in his Castilian cup efforts. Edmund himself can be seen akin to Archie Manning, ultimately a good player, but will definitely be eclipsed by his sons. Wide Receiver Four – Thomas of Woodstock Plantagenet, Earl of Buckingham: Edward’s youngest son. Thomas was a younger player during Edward’s reign as quarterback. During Edward’s twilight years, Thomas was a rookie, learning from his brothers, especially John. But he would not come into his own until Richard II’s tenure as the Lions’ quarterback. Tight End – Lionel of Antwerp Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence: Edward’s third son. An absolute tank of a man, standing at almost seven feet tall. As a tight end, he serves to be an incredible addition to the offensive line whilst also being very athletic and able to make big plays. However, a history of injuries has held him back from achieving his true potential. Halfback – William Montagu (or de Montacute), Earl of Salisbury: Edward’s right-hand man, and many would argue his best friend. The chemistry between quarterback and running back really shows in England’s plays as Montagu is just about everything that a coach would want in a running back as he can do pretty much everything. He can run deep routes as seen in his ability to get through the famously formidable Scotland Unicorn secondary, he can catch from any angle, and most importantly, he is a prolific figure for the team, arguably being a key to their success over the 1320s to the 1340s. The Lions really hit the jackpot when they drafted him. Left Tackle – Sir Miles Stapleton Left Guard – Sir Thomas Wale Center – Sir Hugh Wrottlesley Right Guard – Sir James Audley Right Tackle – Sir Otho Holand The offensive line is composed entirely of knights raised by Edward, himself. Most of these men were late round picks, and served the Lions well, eventually being inducted into the English Order of the Garter, which recognises the most prominent American football players in English history. The Order itself was founded by Edward III. The Defence Defensive Tackle – Henry of Grosmont, Duke of Lancaster: One of the veterans of the English secondary. The defensive captain of the Lions and a big factor in how the team has grown and developed. Gaunt has previously said that Grosmont helped him develop into the player that he is today. Grosmont was so instrumental to the team that he was the first player on the roster to be given the captaincy title of ‘Duke’, preceding even Edward’s sons. Grosmont even served on the pro bowl Prussian crusade team. Defensive Tackle – William Ufford, Earl of Suffolk: William Ufford was one of Edward’s closest friends, even having said to have been involved in Edward’s coup to oust former Lions interim head coach, Roger Mortimer, Earl of March and regent of England. As Ufford was an undrafted free agent, the Lions’ decision to pick him up proved to be incredibly smart as he would quickly form a great chemistry with Thomas de Beauchamp, and the two of them, would serve to work quite well together against different teams in the league. Ufford was selected to a pro bowl in 1355. Defensive Tackle – Thomas de Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick: Thomas de Beauchamp was an undrafted free agent who formed a great bond with fellow ‘chip on his soldier’ prospect, William Ufford. Beauchamp was also selected to a pro bowl with his teammate Ufford in 1355. Beauchamp’s best efforts could be seen during the Hundred Games Series against the Cockerels as Edward proclaimed him a ‘Marshall’ of the defence. Beauchamp served an incredibly important role during the highlight games of Crécy and Poitiers. Some have even noted how at Crécy, he tutored the rookie Black Prince throughout the game. Defensive Back – Ralph de Stafford, Earl of Stafford: Potentially an ancestor of Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford. Stafford was likely the oldest player on the team, playing well into his forty’s (in real life, he commanded troops in his sixties). He remained particularly important in the games in Gascony, remaining an important English figure there to the fans, long after he retired. Defensive Back – Roger Mortimer, Earl of March: Not to be confused with his predecessor, the former interim head coach of the England Lions. Despite the inherent ‘stink’ so to speak around Mortimer, due to the actions of his predecessor, Mortimer was able to become a serviceable cornerback for the Lions. He made the pro bowl in 1346. Mortimer remains memorable as a Welsh player in the English team. Defensive Back – Thomas Holland, Earl of Kent: Thomas Holland was another veteran of the English secondary. He was also very well-travelled, playing in Flanders, Brittany, Normandy and Northern England to name a few. His most notable play was intercepting a pass meant for the Count of Eu for a touchdown. For his efforts, he earned a bonus of eighty thousand florins. Free Safety – John de Grailly, Captal de Buch, Count of Bigorre: Once described by Jean Froissart as the ideal of chivalry, Grailly was a notable Gascon playing for the Lions. During the Poitiers game, he produced an incredible three turnovers throughout the game, leading the defence and ensuring the English victory. Strong Safety – Richard de Bury, Bishop of Durham: Another man who was close to Edward and helped him remove interim head coach Roger Mortimer. Probably remembered more for his actions off the field; his secret correspondence with the league’s holy commissioner, the Pope, in getting support for getting Mortimer fired as interim head coach. Linebacker – Sir Hugh de Courtenay Linebacker – Sir Nele Loring Linebacker – Sir John Chandos The linebackers were assembled from a young core of men who were close to the Black Prince. They were not the focus of the Lions secondary but were still an important facet of the English defence. In summary, the English Lions under the leadership of Edward III were one of the most successful iterations of the Lions in English history. Through their playing ability, they were able to handily win the first phase of the Hundred Games Series against the France Cockerels. Of course, the legacy of this team would be mired after the career ending injury suffered by the Black Prince, and Edward’s older years as a quarterback, but their level of success would not again be seen in England until Henry V Lancaster took over the mantle as quarterback. Bibliography Almost all of the information here came from the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. 1512 Words. *The Medieval Connection - Baron1898 - 05-03-2020 I’m really not sure if this counts as media but history is the bomb *The Medieval Connection - moonlight - 05-03-2020 Cool stuff man!