Hello and welcome to behind the wall, where I interview Offensive lineman and get to know the man behind the facemask. Today I will be interviewing Clay Stallworth once again to gauge his feelings on his performance in the DSFL, the Coyotes season, the yearly awards race, and his hopes for the ISFL. Welcome back Clay!
“It’s a pleasure to be back. Long time no see!”
That it is. How have you been doing Clay?
“Well I haven’t been too bad. Mostly preparing myself for the ISFL.”
Good. We will get to your ISFL expectations in a second. First I would like to talk to you about your rookie season in the DSFL and the Kansas City Coyotes. You missed the playoffs by a single game, and it was really your game to lose. How are you feeling about that? Have you reflected on it at all?
“I have done quite a bit of reflection on those last two games of the season. I really think I was so caught up in chasing the pancake record that I was distracted from what I really needed to do. I feel a lot of guilt and hold myself responsible for the team’s performance in those games.”
Not how you thought it would end?
“Not in the slightest. We split our series against the DSFL champs though so I can’t be too mad about that.”
You’re absolutely right. To follow up on chasing the record, what was that like?
“Well, after setting the single game record against London, I realized I had a chance at a second record. To be honest, I had a lot of anxiety about it. As a 5th rounder I am not who people think are going to be breaking any records. So to all of a sudden have these expectations suddenly projected onto me was pretty stressful, especially given how sudden it was. Towards the end of the season, I tried to lean into it and be more accepting of the expectations. My thought process was that I need to accept this type of pressure if I want to maintain this level of play when I move up to the ISFL.”
That's a pretty interesting insight. Normally fans think of athletes as these superhumans who never struggle, but in reality you are human just like the rest of us. I appreciate the vulnerability, and I am sure the readers will too. But, despite your initial struggle with it, you did break the single season record as well, and by nearly a games worth of pancakes too. Congratulations. That is no small feat. That record stood for 20 seasons.
“Thank you.”
So, looking forward, what do you see for yourself in the ISFL draft and the future of your career?
“I look forward to the ISFL. I do really expect some struggles though. It’s a whole different ball game when you move up like this. I don’t anticipate that I will be this successful right away, but I do think that I will get there quickly.”
Do you think any records are in danger?
“I like to think so. Right now there are only two offensive linemen in the Hall of Fame, so it will take a Herculean effort to make it there myself. I would need to break most of these records to make it there.”
I have seen quite a few mock drafts where you are not even one of the first linemen taken. Do you feel disrespected by these mocks?
“Yes and no. On one hand, obviously my play is worthy of being a top pick, but on the other hand, there are other factors that make the other linemen more attractive with a top pick. Archstone is a great teammate and leader. Those don’t show up on a stat sheet, and that makes him a more attractive pick. I understand that.”
Well thank you for your time Clay. Good luck!
“Thank you sir.”
“It’s a pleasure to be back. Long time no see!”
That it is. How have you been doing Clay?
“Well I haven’t been too bad. Mostly preparing myself for the ISFL.”
Good. We will get to your ISFL expectations in a second. First I would like to talk to you about your rookie season in the DSFL and the Kansas City Coyotes. You missed the playoffs by a single game, and it was really your game to lose. How are you feeling about that? Have you reflected on it at all?
“I have done quite a bit of reflection on those last two games of the season. I really think I was so caught up in chasing the pancake record that I was distracted from what I really needed to do. I feel a lot of guilt and hold myself responsible for the team’s performance in those games.”
Not how you thought it would end?
“Not in the slightest. We split our series against the DSFL champs though so I can’t be too mad about that.”
You’re absolutely right. To follow up on chasing the record, what was that like?
“Well, after setting the single game record against London, I realized I had a chance at a second record. To be honest, I had a lot of anxiety about it. As a 5th rounder I am not who people think are going to be breaking any records. So to all of a sudden have these expectations suddenly projected onto me was pretty stressful, especially given how sudden it was. Towards the end of the season, I tried to lean into it and be more accepting of the expectations. My thought process was that I need to accept this type of pressure if I want to maintain this level of play when I move up to the ISFL.”
That's a pretty interesting insight. Normally fans think of athletes as these superhumans who never struggle, but in reality you are human just like the rest of us. I appreciate the vulnerability, and I am sure the readers will too. But, despite your initial struggle with it, you did break the single season record as well, and by nearly a games worth of pancakes too. Congratulations. That is no small feat. That record stood for 20 seasons.
“Thank you.”
So, looking forward, what do you see for yourself in the ISFL draft and the future of your career?
“I look forward to the ISFL. I do really expect some struggles though. It’s a whole different ball game when you move up like this. I don’t anticipate that I will be this successful right away, but I do think that I will get there quickly.”
Do you think any records are in danger?
“I like to think so. Right now there are only two offensive linemen in the Hall of Fame, so it will take a Herculean effort to make it there myself. I would need to break most of these records to make it there.”
I have seen quite a few mock drafts where you are not even one of the first linemen taken. Do you feel disrespected by these mocks?
“Yes and no. On one hand, obviously my play is worthy of being a top pick, but on the other hand, there are other factors that make the other linemen more attractive with a top pick. Archstone is a great teammate and leader. Those don’t show up on a stat sheet, and that makes him a more attractive pick. I understand that.”
Well thank you for your time Clay. Good luck!
“Thank you sir.”
Always run the ball if you got the ‘Stall
![[Image: -_Clay_Stallworth.png]](https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/751250013677682694/761722029627801630/-_Clay_Stallworth.png)
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![[Image: GlimsTC.gif]](https://sig.grumpybumpers.com/host/GlimsTC.gif)
