![[DEV] ISFL Forums](http://dev.sim-football.com/forums/images/emerald/logo.png "[DEV] ISFL Forums"){kind=logo}
+- [DEV] ISFL Forums (http://dev.sim-football.com/forums)
+-- Forum: Community (http://dev.sim-football.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?fid=5)
+--- Forum: Media (http://dev.sim-football.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?fid=37)
+---- Forum: Graded Articles (http://dev.sim-football.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?fid=38)
+---- Thread: *Declan Harp about his decision, plans and other.. (/showthread.php?tid=8523)
*Declan Harp about his decision, plans and other.. - OBESE - 05-04-2018
We do not have many of them but they are out there, in the far lands, doing what they probably never thought they would be doing. These man are going against all odds to achieve what they want and what they are passionate about and that is the reason they are not afraid to follow the dream and make it true. I am talking about our brits that have decided to go against their roots of football and rugby and combine them both together and land themselves as players of American Football. We might not agree or be mad when Americans call American Football just football but our game a soccer but let’s remember that it was us who started to call football a soccer like 100 years ago but it’s not about that, it’s about another hopeful that has set his foot on American soil and is going to work of becoming a great name in American Football history.
The native Londoner, that a true rugby fan should know, Declan Harp decided to leave his promising career as a rugby player and follow a different path. When I say promising career as a rugby player I mean it as Declan has been one of England’s biggest young players out there and a lot of people were looking forwards to see him joining one of the teams but it seems that it is going to be a disappointment to a lot of British rugby fans as this is the very first media peace after Declan’s official decision to move from rugby to American football.
Declan did not want media to make a fuss about this decision and make money on it, so instead of doing this interview with any paid media outlet, he agreed to do this interview with the free newspaper “Metro” that every Londoner can pick up at every train or bus station for free and read on their way to school, work or other destinations.
Without further ado let’s start the interview. We met with Declan two weeks before his departure to states where he will start his journey and we agreed that this interview should be published on the day of his press conference in the states, so if you manage to read this before the presser, then some of the questions might be already answered here already.
We met at some local pub where apparently Declan is an often visitor and even has his sign shirt framed and put on the wall. At first it did confuse me as he is only 18 which is a legal age for drinking but the fact that Declan has stated in many interviews that he is a full professional and do not use any alcoholic beverages beer, wine and ciders including. So the choice for the meeting was a bit of a mystery for me. Fear not, of course that was my first question to him right after we sat down at a table.
*So a pub eh? I thought you are a non-drinker? How is it come that we are meeting here? Also I heard from the usual’s in this establishment that you come in here at least few times per week!?
Hahaha, nah mate, you got it all wrong! It is true that I do not drink but I am visiting this place quite often. The thing is that they have brilliant kitchen here, which might come as surprise as none of the pubs in Britain have decent kitchen. I always come here for Sunday roast dinner and then now and then during a week for some lunch. And no worries, I always drink glass of water with my meals, either tap or sparkling.
*Ahh, makes sense! I was starting to worry that you have been either lying to all the media and your fans or you have gone off the hook. Now when that is off my chest, let’s start with the main questions, shall we?
Sure, let’s go!
*So probably the main question on everyone’s mind is why this decision? You had a great possibilities here at home, why states?
I understand that it might be quite confusing for a lot of people, especially those who were following my career as a youngster and expecting me to come in guns blazing in the big leagues, but truth to be told a got tired of it. When you aim to be a professional athlete you want challenge, you enjoy challenges, you need challenges but since U-16 I got this feeling that I do not feel myself to be challenged. Sure someone might say ask how I can say such thing when I have not even played in the big league yet. True, but I have seen it and I have played with most of them and when you’re 15 and you feel that you can keep up with them, minus few things that are age limited where you have some disadvantages but you realize that by the time you join them you will be way superior, you start to lose interest. Do not get me wrong, I am not bragging here that I am the best or that our pro players are low level, all I am saying is that the new generation is coming and this generation is way stronger than the previous ones. In my age group we had several really good guys but I was not willing to wait these extra 2-3 years to get into the major league where I would be challenged again. If I am not challenged I am not improving, I would even say I am either stuck or regressing, for that reason I decided to take up the challenge to learn American Football and after some time I started to enjoy it so much that I decided to actually shift my career choice towards it.
*So you have been studying American Football for last couple of years, don’t you think that they will not look at you seriously as most of the players they draft have been playing this game since they could walk, while you have been doing rugby, which is similar, but still different?
Of course they might, but that is the challenge I am getting, the challenge that is going to push me to work harder to achieve what I want to achieve and prove them that I am what they need, that I am the player what they need! There is actually no doubt that they not going to think that I am good enough with no experience on the field in this type of game, but that is good. Because all I need is this one team or coach to believe in me or just give me a chance and I will be able to prove them wrong. This game requires a lot of mentality as any other and being youngster from a different country where this game is not popular will work in my advantage when the enemy players will underestimate me and learn the hard way that I am not someone to mess with!
*You picked Tight End Possession archetype position. Why?
Simply because I felt that that is sort of role that I would be the best at. I have good hands and good speed which will only grow with experience. In rugby you don’t need that much agility as it is more or less straight forward speed and strength, but I will get there eventually. You see, just a simple position choice is giving me already so much material to work on, to improve in myself. I am really excited about this, honestly.
*Won’t you be missing home? England, London, this pub, your family?
That is a nonsense question! Of course I will! Unfortunately the life is not fear and not always you can be around things you would like to be around, or have everything you want. It is important to prioritise and adapt. I will adapt to the changes. I will find a new place I enjoy having my lunch at, I will find a way to communicate with my family as often as possible. I mean I miss a lot of things but that does not mean I did not move on from them or found a way to adapt. I believe that it will make me mentally stronger and it will benefit my game. Some people might break under such things like missing family and friends, but I will not as it is not the end of the world and as I said I will find a way.
*One of the main reasons we are even having this conversation is because you wanted to have this before you move to states. Why though? Why did you asked this to be published on the day of your presser in the states?
Because I love my country and let’s call this a gift to everyone that is in UK and was following me and is interested in rugby. I am a patriot and I prioritise my country over any other, so you guys get the exclusive from me and the chance to call it original, main, first source.
*As you are not going to follow the path in rugby you can now tell it to everyone – did you had any offers already from any of the professional teams?
I did yes, several actually! And to be honest they were pretty impressive on the scales of what a player of my age would get in an offer. We are talking millions of British pounds and many extras.
*And that was not enough to make you change your mind?
It did make me to think everything through again but I am pretty stubborn person and if I put something in my head it will not be easy to change it. Money and fame is secondary things in my book as I have had my fair share of fame as a young and promising player, my family has a normal life, we are not rich, but we do not need big amounts of money. My dad has a stable job, my mum is a teacher and gets paid well as well. My sister is still young, so she will have her chance to earn for herself, so nothing from what I got offered was priceless and something I could not refuse. Honestly my whole life I have been raised to not think much of money as it does destroy people. I am here to become a great player and play this game. Of course I will expect to be paid equally to what is my worth, no questions there, but all I am saying is that I am not here to milk money just because I can. The game and growth is more important for me.
*Have you had any offers already or interest shown from any of the DSFL teams?
Not at this point no! Honestly I do not expect to receive no offers yet and I have a plan what I want to do and how I want to present myself to the league and the teams. It will start with the presser I have already mentioned to you and then will see how it goes. The best case scenario would be if I would be picked up from waiver by any of the teams as that would work very well towards building up my portfolio. There is a reason why I am announcing my entry into the S9 draft right now, not later, closer to the actual draft. As a newcomer I need people to look at me and build their scout-reports. At this point everyone who is going to be in my draft class will have their scout-reports built up for many years as they’ve been followed. In my case, no one has no report about me, they might take a look at my achievements and statistics but they will need more materials to work with and that is what I am going to give them.
*Have you thought about possibility that you might end up not getting what you want or becoming a bust as they say?
Even there always is such possibility, it would be stupid to think about it. That is the last thing you want to do as an upcoming professional player. Like why waste your time for stuff that gives you no good? The best thing you can do is to make sure you do not become a bust and that your dreams do become true, if maybe not for all the hundred percent, then at least partially. When you were studying journalism, did you thought about – what if no newspaper hires me? I don’t think so! There are so many mentalities when it comes to understanding life or living it. Mine is the live for today and deal with tomorrow, tomorrow. So if it does happen and I am a bust and my dreams do not become true, then I will deal with that situation when it will be a real thing. I am not going to waste my time and energy on possibilities and theories.
*Do you think you could come back to rugby if anything?
I have not thought about it so I do not know. I guess, I am not sure how would people and the rugby people look at it though as I think that if I would have to come back my career would be on the edge of destruction and probably I would have to look for a job as a highway maintenance guy haha. Yeah, that is not something I’m thinking about or considering as again, like I just said, I don’t have time for that.
*Our time is slowly going to an end too, so one last question – don’t you think that this interview will make some of the overseas media outlets angry and that they might land some harsher word towards you in their articles?
No, I actually do not care because it is up to me when I talk to press, if I talk to press etc. As I explained earlier I am giving my gift to my people and sports fans before leaving. You guys might not have such chance anymore and all the overseas outlets will have all the opportunities they want when I will be there and make my way through the leagues. Besides I specifically chose to talk to you guys from “Metro” not “The Sun”, “Daily Mirror” or “Daily Star”. I want everyone to be able to read this and I do not want media to make misleading article names just so sell more and make this interview as a business opportunity. With you guys I know that the newspaper is freely available to anyone, all around the London and other bigger cities. Even if you do come up with some misleading name for this interview it will not change a thing as no one will spend money on it. I cannot say that I like to be in front of media, I know I have to do it time after time, but at the same time I do not intend to do it more that necessary. So if they want to make the bad boy out of me, so be it, this interview will serve as other source for people to learn about my decision and plans.
*Well, thank you for your time and answering all my questions! I wish you the best on your journey on the new fields of American Football and I hope to meet with you again, sometime later when you have achieve some of your goals to talk about the road from here till then.
No worries, thank you for meeting me and I hope that readers will enjoy the interview and forgive me for breaking their hearts and expectations. I had to do it, I made my decision and I will stick to it. Cheers!
After the interview we had lunch together as I must say that Declan was right when he said that the kitchen in that pub is exceptional. I really enjoyed my food and pint of a great Strongbow.
Code:
2,708 words 13,717 characters*Declan Harp about his decision, plans and other.. - Roly - 05-04-2018
Love it!
Looking forward to the damage you can wreck this season and where you end up after the DSFL draft