*The Great Offseason Experiment

[SwagSloth]

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With players preparing to return to Training Camp and the NSFL Offseason nearing its end soon, the Advocate sat down with Eric Kennedy once more to discuss his return to the field for the NSFL’s 4th season. In his last interview a few months, Kennedy revealed that something secret was in the works and today he’s finally able to reveal what he’s really been up to this offseason.

ADVOCATE: Welcome back. Now that your offseason work is no longer a secret, what can you now tell us about it? What has been happening for you these last few months?

KENNEDY: Absolutely. I can finally reveal all the details and I’m excited to share the news. To be honest, the results were beyond my expectations. When we sat down a few months back, I had no idea it would go so well.

ADVOCATE: Well, you look rejuvenated. Something has certainly changed in you. Have you lost weight?

KENNEDY: Well, that’s the big secret. This offseason, the Yellowknife Wraiths partnered with the LSU Tigers for a special post-season Training Camp. This is the first time they’ve done anything like this and they were excited to be sponsored by an NSFL team for it. The camp featured myself and several local players from LSU and surrounding colleges. The concept was focused on taking players with a lot of raw talent, but using the offseason to give them that extra push. In the camp, we focused heavily on finding ways to improve speed, conditioning, and overall ball handling skills. I was brought in as an instructor, but I ran all the drills myself. I was on the field for every single bit of it. And, man, it was hard work, but I think it did these kids some good and I know it was a game-changer for me, too.

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ADVOCATE: Giving up your offseason for additional practice is unusual. Was this intended to be something big for you or was the work on the field just a nice side effect?

KENNEDY: I think it was always a joint venture focused on a mutual benefit for myself and the students. I work closely with the LSU staff for appearances when we can coordinate together and they had asked me to attend a few of the drills as a guest instructor. They didn’t have the funds to pay me, which isn’t a big deal in and of itself. I’m willing to give back. However, it got to the point that even the program’s funding was in jeopardy last minute, which is unheard of for LSU, but this was an unusual type of program and I think the brass up top didn’t see it as a necessary expense. I believed in the program, though, and I decided to pitch the idea to the Wraiths and they came through big time. They sponsored the program and tossed in a bonus for me. That allowed me to become a full participant and attend every session. I offered guidance in-between drills, but I was involved in every single drill that the kids were and the results are obvious. Honestly, I think it was great for everyone involved.

ADVOCATE: The result is quite noticeable. How much weight did you drop?

KENNEDY: Initially, at the start of Season 3, I was at 245 lbs., which is way too big for someone who’s under six feet. I had entered the Season 2 prospect camp at 220 and was given some bad advice from a third-party to just bulk and focus on increasing my strength. I think Yellowknife was initially on-board, which is why I packed on so much weight throughout Season 2. As a fullback, it’s not the worst idea, but I think they knew I was capable of a lot more in the long run. After my first season, the drastic weight change was extremely noticeable and, by the time I showed up for the Season 3 training camp, the trainers had started to grow concerned and expressed a lot of concern over my weight. I wasn’t necessarily fat, but I had been on a power lifter’s diet for over a year at that point. They liked the strength gains I was seeing, but the extra weight was seriously limiting my mobility and overall effectiveness. Even worse, it was affecting my health. To be honest, I just didn’t feel like myself at 245. I’ve always been a stronger guy, but the gains were too much too fast. I think we knew something was seriously wrong as early as the end of training camp. The trainers suggesting starting to ease me down immediately, but we couldn’t risk dropping a large amount of too much weight during the season. There are injury risks that come with extreme shifts in weight and you have to be extremely careful when you’re actively participating in competition during something like that. So, we discussed the idea of having me drop most of the weight during the offseason. To Yellowknife’s credit, they were behind their trainers 100% when they suggested that the extra weight I was carrying could be a threat to my long-term quality of living. The Training Camp at LSU turned out to be a great way to resolve that while still giving back to the community. And thanks to that opportunity, I’m happy to report that I’m now weighting in at 210 lbs. and hoping to stay around that weight going forward.

ADVOCATE Wow. 35 lbs.? That level of weight loss sounds unheard of in only a few months.

KENNEDY: To be fair, not all of it was lost in camp. I’m thinking 10, maybe closer to 15 lbs. came off in the season, but the majority of it definitely did come in a short period of time. Also, without the camp, I would have probably piled it back on due to inactivity in the offseason. These drills made sure that I was able to keep the weight off and continue to make even more progress. It has been a difficult transition, but I attribute my success to the trainers at Yellowknife and LSU, who just found a way to keep me motivated over the last year. And I think this weight range is the right move for me on both a personay and professional level. The last time I felt this good was prior to setting foot on an NSFL field, which is saying something. I can’t thank them enough.

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ADVOCATE: It’s glad to hear that you’re feeling much healthier from a personal standpoint. How do you see this affecting your performance on the field?

KENNEDY: I mean, clearly, we’re trading power for speed. And the results are undeniable. The rest of the Wraiths are going to feel like I’m a whole new guy when they see me on the field. I’m much, much quicker and more agile, probably more than I’ve ever been in my life.

ADVOCATE: Of course, that trade-off has to have a cost, too. The one thing that’s set you apart the most so far in your career has been your strength. Are you concerned that giving up so much weight will cost you the thing that’s set you apart the most so far?

KENNEDY: Well, it’s not exactly a 1-for-1 trade. I’ve definitely lost some power, that’s true, but a lot of that weight I put on was added with the intention of building up even more strength in the long term. The end result would have been a very strong guy that wasn’t mobile at all. I was basically training like an offensive lineman, which anyone will tell is wrong for my position. In fact, I think it was really to blame for a lot of my struggles. At the end of last season, I blamed just about everything else for my failures, but seeing the difference from this weight loss has made me realize that it was the added mass was main thing holding me back. And, while I have lost some strength, I’m retained a lot of it. Pound for pound, I’m still one of the strongest guys in the NSFL. The key thing I’ve also learned over these last 2 seasons is that you need that mobility to succeed in the NSFL. The Running Backs here that tend to be the most competitive are the faster guys. Granted, I’m probably not going to be the fastest guy on the field anytime soon, but the gap is a lot closer now than it was before. And I think that combination of speed and power is going to be something special once I get better accustomed to playing at my new weight.

ADVOCATE: I know that the NSFL has internal classifications that they use to identify players based on height, weight, and ability. Often, these are things that a team looks at when positioning players in the depth chart. Previously, you were designated as a “Power Back”, but these new changes align more with a “Receiving Back”, which is more of a RB2 or Fullback designation. That fits with your previous role in Yellowknife, but it isn’t an archetype that tends to align with a Starting Running Back, which you’ve said in the past is your goal. Assuming that’s still the case, are you worried at all that this might deter teams from looking at you as a pure Running Back?

KENNEDY: I don’t think so. Or at least it shouldn’t. Being a multi-faceted Running Back is tough and certainly the bar is a lot higher when you’re trying to be successful at several different aspects of the game. It takes an extremely driven player, but I believe I’m up to the task. In fact, I would go so far as to say that I can be effective in the RB1 designation and still heavily contribute to the passing game. There are always going to be players that excel at one aspect of the game or another, but the truly great ones always find multiple ways to stand out and that’s what I’ve aimed to do. This archetype, if you will, is a great fit for my current role with the Wraiths, but I don’t think that this adjustment comes at the expense of any long-term success elsewhere. If anything, I think it will drastically increase my long-term value to the league because I’ll be able to be a benefit to both passing and running teams.

ADVOCATE: With the actual Season 3 Free Agency still somewhat in effect, I know you’re not looking to distract from that with talks of your potential Season 4 Free Agency, but the question has to be asked. Being that Yellowknife funded this camp, it feels like a long-term investment. How does that affect your views on Free Agency?

KENNEDY: You’re right that this wasn’t a charity donation. It was done primarily to help Yellowknife. I was concerned when I initially made the final pitch for the camp that there would be strings attached, but Spike made it very clear that this was not the case. He saw this as a way to help a member of his team better prepare for next season and that’s where our focus has been with this camp. Regardless of anything that might follow, we both want this next season to be a great one and our ultimate goal is to return to the play-offs and compete for the Ultimus. Personally, though, I am very grateful. It’s improved not only my performance on the field, but my own well-being and health. The care that the training staff showed me for last season was above and beyond. Honestly, I took it for granted, but now that I’m finally seeing the benefits of their advice, I’ve come to appreciate it. And credit goes to Spike Crown and the rest of Yellowknife management for being supportive every step of the way.

ADOVOCATE: It’s nice to see a team put their players first.

KENNEDY: That’s always been my experience with Spike. And, if I may be so blunt, I’m actually here today to make two headlines. I had an excellent conversation with Spike and his team this morning. I’m here in my hometown, not far from the school where I made a name for myself. And I can’t think of a better place to announce that, despite all the drama I’ve caused at the end of last season, I’ve decided to try and work out a long-term deal that will have me staying with the Yellowknife Wraiths after this season.

ADVOCATE: Did I hear that correctly? That’s a pretty big announcement.

KENNEDY: The deal’s not done yet, but we’ve both interested in reaching an agreement. At this point, I think there’s a number somehow in the middle that both sides can agree on and we’ve just got to figure out what that number is.

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ADVOCATE: Being that you’re looking to return, do you still have concerns about your usage?

KENNEDY: Yes, I do and that’s oddly part of what draws me back. Securing a clear role on this team has been a problem for me, but you don’t just run from your problems. The truth is that I’d rather fight to find my place on the Wraiths than skip town and settle for the next best thing. It’s going to take a lot of work to become the Wraiths’ starter. I’m behind one of the best Running Backs in the league. That means that, if I want to start, I have to become one of the best in the league. I’ve made a lot of progress over the last 2 seasons and I think the competition in our locker room is a central part of that. I could go to another team and be their starter, but then I wouldn’t necessarily be as good as I’d stayed here and continued to push myself even further. A lot of guys wouldn’t give up their offseason to train the way I did. It wasn’t easy or fun, but it was important. And there were a lot of times that I found myself sitting on that practice field after a long day, thinking about how far I’ve come. That was the field that I cut my teeth on, the place where I became the man I am today. And that reminded me of the obstacles that I’ve had to overcome to get here. Yellowknife is not the first place I’ve encountered difficulty. When I was in high school and college, I met guys that were better than me. And the only way that I got better was by putting myself up against them.

ADVOCATE: A few teams have already made comments off the record that you could be a potential starter, but we haven’t heard much from Yellowknife on the plans for Bubba Nuck and yourself going forward. It sounds like you’re just as much in the dark as we are. Aren’t you worried that you may be passing on a starting job just to end up back where you were before?

KENNEDY: You’re not wrong. Oddly enough, I’m at a point of my career where staying is more of a dice roll than moving onto something new. However, my goal isn’t just to be the best Running Back on an NSFL team. My goal is to be the best Running Back in the entire league. I think that every Running Back on an NSFL team wants that, but for me, I think the best path to that goal is the path that I’m on right now. Seeking the path of least resistance is certainly tempting. In a lot of ways, though, it’s a lot like my training in the offseason. Ultimately, I was there by choice. There were a lot of days that pushed me to the limit. When other guys were sitting on their couch, I was on a field with 19-year-old kids doing sprints until I couldn’t see straight. If I wanted to make an excuse and take a break for a few minutes, no one would have said anything. And that was the hardest part because it would have been so easy to take that shortcut. But that’s why they call them shortcuts. Because they’re meant to be easy. And easy isn’t going to get me anywhere in the long run.

ADVOCATE: That’s certainly a big change of heart. And you speak highly of Yellowknife. You’ve expressed before that you regret the way you announced your intentions to become a free agent, but you didn’t indicate that you regretted seeking free agency. Now that you’ve decided to stay, have you come to regret discussing it so openly?

KENNEDY: I think I do. I prefer to be open with my fans, but this experience has taught me a lot and I feel terrible about the way that this has played out in the media. When we last spoke, I admitted that I did make a lot of mistakes in the way I’ve handled this. I’ve had to make amends with some of the other guys on the team for things that I’ve said. But the truth is that we’re a family in Yellowknife. And sometimes families fight, but they’re still family. It takes something big to make you appreciate what you have. This is the team that took me in when everyone else counted me out. The great stories that we grow up hearing are about people that set goals and work hard. They’re not about people that start to struggle and take the easy way out when the chance comes. That’s not how you repay someone who gives you a chance. Part of being an athlete is that, like it or not, you’re also a role model for kids. And it’s important for us to consider the way our actions impact the way people look at us.

ADVOCATE: This year’s Free Agency has been a bit of a wild ride. Several free agents have made leaps that could have a big impact on the league for years to come. On the Wraiths’ side, their biggest free agent signing was matched by RFA and two of their biggest players have gone elsewhere. Now that you’re looking at the next few seasons from the mindset of a Wraith, how does that make your feel? Your determination to stay is commendable, but those losses have to take affect the team’s outlook for the near future.

KENNEDY: Obviously, it does. And I think that was the other big factor in my decision to stay. I’m certainly guilty of wanting to do things the hard way, but this team took some big hits recently and it made me think about the impact that we have as players. Season 3 was heartbreaking. The Wraiths missed the play-offs for the first time and it weighed heavily on us. Several of the guys were looking forward to starting over as a team in Season 4, but obviously, not everyone was willing to stay. Some outright left. Others asked to be traded to another team. Regardless of their reasons, they chose to take the easy way out rather than stay and fight for what they believed in. Granted, maybe they don’t believe in the Yellowknife Wraiths, anymore. Maybe they never did. But I did and I still do. And that’s the other reason I’m stayed. I still have a lot more to do back in Yellowknife. And, as long as they want me here, I’m going to make the effort to try and make it work.

ADVOCATE: Thank you again for taking the time to speak with me today. It’s great to see you so fired up for the upcoming season. I’m sure our fans here in Louisiana will join us here at the Advocate in wishing you and the Wraiths all the best not just this season, but for many seasons to come.

KENNEDY: Thank you as well. I’m looking forward to rejoining my teammates out on the field, so that we can make Wraiths Nation proud.

3,339 Words
Ready for Grading

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[jaskins811]

Excited about this announcement man! Love playing along with you on offense!

[dustyatters]

Great article, loved it!