Achilles Hondo was taken by the Philadelphia Liberty with a first round pick two seasons ago and while he has been even slower to develop than expected, he’s not the kind of guy to take too much time off. He is without a doubt one of the most capable players to ever assume a fullback role with a team in the NSFL. His strength is at the same level as some professional linemen and his athleticism continues to improve the longer he has been in the league. The problem is, it’s hard to say if Hondo is actually making a difference for the Philadelphia Liberty right now. During his two seasons in Tijuana, Hondo lined up in a lot of positions, but was primarily in the fullback spot. If you look at the rushing stats for Tijuana during that time, nothing stands out as extraordinary. The team as a whole was fantastic and they certainly had running back talent with players like Ricky Adams in the backfield, but nothing seems to indicate that Hondo made any difference whatsoever in the running game.
Now, it’s not completely fair to judge the trajectory of Hondo’s career simply from what he did in the DSFL. After all, he looked stronger than ever coming into this season, likely a byproduct of finally getting a chance to train with the Liberty team. Despite this, it still seems like Hondo’s presence on the team isn’t having a huge effect on their success one way or the other. Philadelphia starting running back Marquise Brown is currently leading the league in rushing again, but most of that is just from having the most carries in the league as well. In terms of efficiency, Philadelphia is actually one of the worst when it comes to running the ball with the second lowest ypc among all teams.
This has to be frustrating for a team that has invested so much in their running game with a young stud in running back Marquise Brown and the high pick that was used to take Hondo. Perhaps it’s simply that the team’s commitment to the run makes their gameplan too predictable and easier to counter. Why not stack the box every play when Brown is far and away the best player on this offense? Though there is a lot of talent in the passing game as well including Adriana Falconi, another Liberty first round pick, the passing aspect of the offense is still being brought along. It’s been seen many times in the past that throwing your young quarterback into too much responsibility early on is just a recipe for disaster. Of course, another problem could be that the league just isn’t setup to have success with a traditional run game. Much like the NFL, quarterbacks have become the marquee players in the NSFL. If you don’t have one, you just can’t compete at the same level. A running game with Hondo would benefit most running the ball up the gut and between the tackles, but in the modern NSFL, very few playbooks feature that kind of running style. Hondo has the size, athletic profile and most importantly, willingness, to be a great fullback. It just depends on whether or not it even makes sense to use a fullback at all these day.
Hondo recently voiced some of his frustration over how little he felt like he was contributing to the team:
“You know, I came into the league ready to work hard and make something of myself. I knew it was going to be an uphill battle, there was really no player for me to look at to model myself after. The fullback position just isn’t a typical weapon that teams lean on. I really thought that I could change that, but it seems like maybe it just wasn’t meant to be. I feel like I’ve just kind of let the team down because I think this running game would be the same with or without me. Look at what Brown did last season, the guy doesn’t need help to be a great running back, I was just hoping I could help him take it to another level. A lot of people have said I could easily be a tight end if it didn’t make sense for teams to keep running a fullback. And look I have nothing against tight ends, and I certainly don’t think that I couldn't do it. But I didn’t come in here to be a second rate tight end. I came in here to change the game and when it’s all said and done I’m either going to do just that, or I’m going to be remembered as a mistake.”
Now, it’s not completely fair to judge the trajectory of Hondo’s career simply from what he did in the DSFL. After all, he looked stronger than ever coming into this season, likely a byproduct of finally getting a chance to train with the Liberty team. Despite this, it still seems like Hondo’s presence on the team isn’t having a huge effect on their success one way or the other. Philadelphia starting running back Marquise Brown is currently leading the league in rushing again, but most of that is just from having the most carries in the league as well. In terms of efficiency, Philadelphia is actually one of the worst when it comes to running the ball with the second lowest ypc among all teams.
This has to be frustrating for a team that has invested so much in their running game with a young stud in running back Marquise Brown and the high pick that was used to take Hondo. Perhaps it’s simply that the team’s commitment to the run makes their gameplan too predictable and easier to counter. Why not stack the box every play when Brown is far and away the best player on this offense? Though there is a lot of talent in the passing game as well including Adriana Falconi, another Liberty first round pick, the passing aspect of the offense is still being brought along. It’s been seen many times in the past that throwing your young quarterback into too much responsibility early on is just a recipe for disaster. Of course, another problem could be that the league just isn’t setup to have success with a traditional run game. Much like the NFL, quarterbacks have become the marquee players in the NSFL. If you don’t have one, you just can’t compete at the same level. A running game with Hondo would benefit most running the ball up the gut and between the tackles, but in the modern NSFL, very few playbooks feature that kind of running style. Hondo has the size, athletic profile and most importantly, willingness, to be a great fullback. It just depends on whether or not it even makes sense to use a fullback at all these day.
Hondo recently voiced some of his frustration over how little he felt like he was contributing to the team:
“You know, I came into the league ready to work hard and make something of myself. I knew it was going to be an uphill battle, there was really no player for me to look at to model myself after. The fullback position just isn’t a typical weapon that teams lean on. I really thought that I could change that, but it seems like maybe it just wasn’t meant to be. I feel like I’ve just kind of let the team down because I think this running game would be the same with or without me. Look at what Brown did last season, the guy doesn’t need help to be a great running back, I was just hoping I could help him take it to another level. A lot of people have said I could easily be a tight end if it didn’t make sense for teams to keep running a fullback. And look I have nothing against tight ends, and I certainly don’t think that I couldn't do it. But I didn’t come in here to be a second rate tight end. I came in here to change the game and when it’s all said and done I’m either going to do just that, or I’m going to be remembered as a mistake.”
![[Image: 018p.png]](https://i.postimg.cc/WbJGDCCK/018p.png)
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[OPTION]Regular Season Stats
[OPTION](S2) 14 Games Played
[OPTION](S3) 14 Games Played
[OPTION](S4) 14 Games Played
[OPTION](S5) 14 Games Played
[OPTION](S6) 14 Games Played
[OPTION](S7) 14 Games Played
[OPTION](S8) 14 Games Played
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[OPTION]Playoff Stats
[OPTION] 27839
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[OPTION]Trophy Case/Achievements:
[OPTION]Most Likely to Break the Team Bench When Sitting Down
[OPTION]Pumpkin Chuckin' Rally 2017 Semifinalist
[OPTION]Most Likely to Get Traded in S8 (T-1st)
[OPTION]Ultimus Champion S7, S8
