*Ashley Owens Holds First Ever Presser

[run_CMC]

Despite both being a high draft pick and having a tumultuous free agency, Ashley Owens has mostly avoiding the press for the first few seasons of his young career. Midway through his first season with Colorado, he’s now holding a press conference.

Ask away...
(But really, please ask, I need money)

All answers are in-character unless said otherwise... denoted by "OOC" (out of character)

How would you say your time in Austin shaped the way you approach the game?

How has your time in Colorado compared to you or first two season in Austin?

Any teammates you particularly enjoy playing with?

What are your personal goals going forward?

Playing in Austin with the Copperheads for my first two seasons definitely taught me a lot. First of all, and I'm not even kidding here... prepare for heat. I was born and raised in Wisconsin, and then I played college football for the Badgers, so I rarely ever had to play in the heat. in the DSFL I was with San Antonio, but, the level of play in the DSFL isn't, obviously, on par with that of the NSFL so the conditioning and weather preparation is, dare I say, less important. In the NSFL, there's no plays off against some damn good athletes across from you. So you have to be ready to play any time, any climate, any place, any conditions. Another thing I learnedi n Austin was simply what type of player I wanted to be. I model my game after NFL runningback Christian McCaffrey, but in the DSFL I became a run first, receive later type of back, even if I was splitting snaps with someone else. And, that made me question if the type of player I wanted to be in the NSFL was possible - if it was foolish of me to want to be someone who's a threat out of the backfield, in the slot, anywhere. Even if I ended up leaving for Colorado, Austin showed me that was possible.

My time in Colorado has been... different. I won't say better or worse, because I do value those two years I spent in Texas. I'll say I think Colorado is a better for me as a player, and Colorado is showing a tendency towards winning that Austin didn't have during my tenure there, and both of these things contribute to me having a generally higher motivation and optimistic attitude going into games, and about my performances. So Colorado has been better to me in that way: more optimism, and I can see the playoffs and a champion as a real possibility within the duration of my contract. Again though, only love for Austin. Colorado's a better fit, but I love those guys and they have their stuff together.

Everybody, and I mean that sincerely. Laslo, Wolfie, Thumper, Sinclair, etc have all been amazing teammates. Amazing guys to play alongside, and incredible guys to train and practice against on the practice field. I miss some guys from the Austin lockerroom, but now that I'm in Colorado I can't imagine leaving the place. Also whoops... answered the questions below (by Frick) first by accident. So look there if you wanna read more about yourself

My personal goals... continue to boost my receptions numbers would be one. Two all-time lists I really wanna fight my way on to are the career rushing yards list and career receptions list. They epitomize what I aspire to as a runner receiver, and so just in general, maintain and improve the performance I'm having in Colorado right now over future seasons. Also, helping my team win an Ultimus trophy is really big to me. So there's that. Also, I've gotten to the Pro Bowl as OFLEX once now... let's see how many times in a row I can get.

How do you feel your first season in Colorado is going.

Who is your newest favorite offensive teammate and why?

Who is your newest favorite defensive teammate and why?

I think my first season with the Yeti is going pretty well in every regard, really. Statistically, I'm on track for a better season than season 18, and in season 18 I managed to reach the Pro Bowl at the OFLEX position. And speaking of flex, even if my running game has been pretty poor - relatively - these past couple games, on the season, I've been able to make a positive impact for my team in both the rushing and receiving game, which I like a lot. The more wins I can help this team get the better. Outside of the game itself, Colorado has been good for me. The city has really welcomed me, and more than anything, the team has welcomed me. I feel like I've been able to make new good friends here pretty quickly, which is nice. Which somewhat leads into your other questions...

Obviously I love all the guys, but Wolfie is just the greatest. He's actually a big part of why I came to Colorado. Obviously the connection with the quarterback is important for any offensive position, but in free agency, Wolfie reached out personally to get to know me, to sell the idea of coming to Colorado, and he struck me as really genuine. When I got here, I got to see even more that that's just who he is. He's a guy I can trust and rely on, and also just a good friend. Also really funny. The only downside is that he roots for Rutgers. This isn't like, a bad trait to me, he just gets really really sad every Saturday.

BUBBAAAAAAAAA! Man, Bubba Thumper and I were teammates and friends back in our DSFL days with the San Antonio Marshals (may that beautiful brand rest in peace), and it's amazing to be back on the field with him. Like Wolfie he reached out during the Free Agency process (although it was less surprising, us already being friends and all) and man do I love him. Also he's got the cutest little guinea pigs... he's a good man, and a damn good defensive tackle.

How do you see this season finishing for the Yeti?

Who would you say has most influenced your career?

Would you ever consider a fully vegan diet?

What offseason changes do you think would most positively impact your team?

Well, after a few disappointing losses in games we should've won, I don't see us winning more than 7 games by seasons end, which is unfortunate. However, I do think we'll end with 7 most likely, beating San Jose away and Orange County at home to close off the season. And hey, if we can underperform in some games, no reason we can't over-perform!

In the NSFL, I think I have to say Darren Smallwood. The OG receiving runningback. Yates, and of course Eric Kennedy, are up there too though. Overall? NFL star Christian McCaffrey. I mean, he's just the best in the game today if you ask me. He runs like the best runningbacks and catches like the best receivers. He's so versatile and good at everything he does that it's insane. He's who I've modeled my game off of since college, and the one I aspire to be like.

Nope. Can't do it. I can see myself giving up meat and being a vegetarian under certain circumstances, but vegan? Man, I LIVE off of dairy. Like come on bro, I'm from Wisconsin! Milk runs through my veins, and my body is probably 60% cheese curds.

Hmm... 2 things. One, acquisition of another star linebacker like Mo Berry. Right now we have a lot of DBs with a variety of skill levels, but since we lack linebackers, I imagine it's hard for the coaches to prepare for all kinds of offensive schemes - we're defensively one dimensional. Two, just an offseason of hard work and practice. Even with the under-performing losses, we're right on the edge of greatness I feel. If all the young guys like myself can effectively utilize another year of play in the books to learn from and improve on, I think we can have a killer roster just from guys who are already here for the most part.

Thoughts on how Free Agency played out?

How are you enjoying Colorado?

Can you tell Dean Jackson to stop using fake words in our Scrabble games?

You're currently on pace for your worst statistical season yet. Worth it?

It was... an experience, personally. Although I definitely think I ended up in the best place for myself, obviously. As for everyone else, I didn't expect Toriki to go to New Orleans, so that was a surprise. And other than that... to be completely honest, I didn't follow the rest of free agency that much.

I'm loving it dude. Some of my other questions and answers cover this already, to a point, but it's just fantastic. The city is wonderful, the state is beautiful (although I still like Wisconsin more), and above all else, the lockerroom is full of awesome guys who I'm lucky and motivated to play alongside. I know not all lockerrooms are as good as this one, and I count myself blessed to be here.

Oh gosh... we're not even related, he's just a mentor of mine, and yet I've still taken to calling him Uncle Jackson... fake words sounds like something he'd do. Ima leave that to you to deal with. ... Hey, so, the Kicker Mafia isn't an actual mafia, right...?

I'm... not though, I don't think? Season 18 I had 623 rushing yards, 692 receiving yards for a total of 1315. This season, season 19, I'm on pace for 849 rushing yards and 676 receiving yards... which is a nice bit better at 1525 total yards. I didn't check touchdown numbers - is that what you mean? I know my receiving numbers have dipped sadly, but my yardage has increased, so I'm not too concerned.

Why do you have a woman's name?

OOC: When choosing a name for my new character, I knew it had to be good, since my third player I already know will either be Dean Jackson Jr. or a giant salamander. So, I thought of names I like, and Ashley is a name that I like and that I think is pretty good, as far as names go. The downside is, of course, that Ashley is a woman's name. And since I'm neither Jiggly nor an actual woman, my player was going to be a man. So I looked up the origins of the name Ashley, and wikipedia says that it used to be a name for male children in Old English, so hah. Ashley Owens. Excellent name. Not a woman.

What did you like most about the draft process?

Any advice for those coming up in the next draft?

The general feeling of being wanted was pretty great. And when a team doesn't reach out to you, and so your agent gets in touch with them and tells you they didn't contact you because you're not expected to fall that far, it makes you feel pretty special. So probably that. The training man, that was NOT the favorite part. Training is important, but it sure ain't always fun.
OOC: My first player, kicker / punter Dean Jackson, was scouted by one or two teams in the DSFL and then drafted by one that didn't scout me in the late 20's... and then I was drafted 5th overall to the NSFL, which felt great, but was mocked a lot since... ya know, a kicker drafted in the first round. So going through this draft process as a player that got lots of attention, and going first overall in the DSFL and NSFL, it just felt pretty good overall.

Respond promptly to the general managers who contact you. Make things about you that will be relevant to the team immediately obvious and in the open. For example, if you were, say, a cornerback and you wanted to start at outside corner right away (rather than playing the nickleback position), TELL THEM! It'll be bad for both you and the team that drafts you if they draft you for a role in the offense/defense that you'd rather not fill. Also... enjoy draft day. It's exciting, and it only happens once!

How did you like having Iam Essellemm as an Agent?

How did you decide FA?

Essellemm was an amazing agent. I was really lucky to go through the draft process in the brief era where an agent operated in the NSFL. Going through free agency without one, especially my relatively high profile free agency, was a nightmare of sorts. Essellemm was effective at getting me the things I was looking for in my team and contract, even during the early days of my DSFL career!

Free Agency had a lot of factors, obviously. After the decision that I'd be leaving Austin was made, it came down to money, social fit, and statistical fit. Some teams offered incredible money, others would no doubt have great stats, but in the end, Colorado was the one place where I knew I would like the lockerroom, where I was still offered a sizable contract, and where lots of analytics and specific discussions of the offensive role I would play, as well as conditional player options in my contract, ensured the statistical aspect would be there.

[woelkers]

How would you say your time in Austin shaped the way you approach the game?

How has your time in Colorado compared to you or first two season in Austin?

Any teammates you particularly enjoy playing with?

What are your personal goals going forward?

[Frick_Nasty]

How do you feel your first season in Colorado is going.

Who is your newest favorite offensive teammate and why?

Who is your newest favorite defensive teammate and why?

[br0_0ker]

How do you see this season finishing for the Yeti?

Who would you say has most influenced your career?

Would you ever consider a fully vegan diet?

What offseason changes do you think would most positively impact your team?

[infinitempg]

Thoughts on how Free Agency played out?

How are you enjoying Colorado?

Can you tell Dean Jackson to stop using fake words in our Scrabble games?

You're currently on pace for your worst statistical season yet. Worth it?

[timeconsumer]

Why do you have a woman's name?

[Jay_Doctor]

What did you like most about the draft process?

Any advice for those coming up in the next draft?

[iamslm22]

How did you like having Iam Essellemm as an Agent?

How did you decide FA?

[run_CMC]

All answers are in-character unless said otherwise... denoted by "OOC" (out of character)

How would you say your time in Austin shaped the way you approach the game?

How has your time in Colorado compared to you or first two season in Austin?

Any teammates you particularly enjoy playing with?

What are your personal goals going forward?

Playing in Austin with the Copperheads for my first two seasons definitely taught me a lot. First of all, and I'm not even kidding here... prepare for heat. I was born and raised in Wisconsin, and then I played college football for the Badgers, so I rarely ever had to play in the heat. in the DSFL I was with San Antonio, but, the level of play in the DSFL isn't, obviously, on par with that of the NSFL so the conditioning and weather preparation is, dare I say, less important. In the NSFL, there's no plays off against some damn good athletes across from you. So you have to be ready to play any time, any climate, any place, any conditions. Another thing I learnedi n Austin was simply what type of player I wanted to be. I model my game after NFL runningback Christian McCaffrey, but in the DSFL I became a run first, receive later type of back, even if I was splitting snaps with someone else. And, that made me question if the type of player I wanted to be in the NSFL was possible - if it was foolish of me to want to be someone who's a threat out of the backfield, in the slot, anywhere. Even if I ended up leaving for Colorado, Austin showed me that was possible.

My time in Colorado has been... different. I won't say better or worse, because I do value those two years I spent in Texas. I'll say I think Colorado is a better for me as a player, and Colorado is showing a tendency towards winning that Austin didn't have during my tenure there, and both of these things contribute to me having a generally higher motivation and optimistic attitude going into games, and about my performances. So Colorado has been better to me in that way: more optimism, and I can see the playoffs and a champion as a real possibility within the duration of my contract. Again though, only love for Austin. Colorado's a better fit, but I love those guys and they have their stuff together.

Everybody, and I mean that sincerely. Laslo, Wolfie, Thumper, Sinclair, etc have all been amazing teammates. Amazing guys to play alongside, and incredible guys to train and practice against on the practice field. I miss some guys from the Austin lockerroom, but now that I'm in Colorado I can't imagine leaving the place. Also whoops... answered the questions below (by Frick) first by accident. So look there if you wanna read more about yourself

My personal goals... continue to boost my receptions numbers would be one. Two all-time lists I really wanna fight my way on to are the career rushing yards list and career receptions list. They epitomize what I aspire to as a runner receiver, and so just in general, maintain and improve the performance I'm having in Colorado right now over future seasons. Also, helping my team win an Ultimus trophy is really big to me. So there's that. Also, I've gotten to the Pro Bowl as OFLEX once now... let's see how many times in a row I can get.

How do you feel your first season in Colorado is going.

Who is your newest favorite offensive teammate and why?

Who is your newest favorite defensive teammate and why?

I think my first season with the Yeti is going pretty well in every regard, really. Statistically, I'm on track for a better season than season 18, and in season 18 I managed to reach the Pro Bowl at the OFLEX position. And speaking of flex, even if my running game has been pretty poor - relatively - these past couple games, on the season, I've been able to make a positive impact for my team in both the rushing and receiving game, which I like a lot. The more wins I can help this team get the better. Outside of the game itself, Colorado has been good for me. The city has really welcomed me, and more than anything, the team has welcomed me. I feel like I've been able to make new good friends here pretty quickly, which is nice. Which somewhat leads into your other questions...

Obviously I love all the guys, but Wolfie is just the greatest. He's actually a big part of why I came to Colorado. Obviously the connection with the quarterback is important for any offensive position, but in free agency, Wolfie reached out personally to get to know me, to sell the idea of coming to Colorado, and he struck me as really genuine. When I got here, I got to see even more that that's just who he is. He's a guy I can trust and rely on, and also just a good friend. Also really funny. The only downside is that he roots for Rutgers. This isn't like, a bad trait to me, he just gets really really sad every Saturday.

BUBBAAAAAAAAA! Man, Bubba Thumper and I were teammates and friends back in our DSFL days with the San Antonio Marshals (may that beautiful brand rest in peace), and it's amazing to be back on the field with him. Like Wolfie he reached out during the Free Agency process (although it was less surprising, us already being friends and all) and man do I love him. Also he's got the cutest little guinea pigs... he's a good man, and a damn good defensive tackle.

How do you see this season finishing for the Yeti?

Who would you say has most influenced your career?

Would you ever consider a fully vegan diet?

What offseason changes do you think would most positively impact your team?

Well, after a few disappointing losses in games we should've won, I don't see us winning more than 7 games by seasons end, which is unfortunate. However, I do think we'll end with 7 most likely, beating San Jose away and Orange County at home to close off the season. And hey, if we can underperform in some games, no reason we can't over-perform!

In the NSFL, I think I have to say Darren Smallwood. The OG receiving runningback. Yates, and of course Eric Kennedy, are up there too though. Overall? NFL star Christian McCaffrey. I mean, he's just the best in the game today if you ask me. He runs like the best runningbacks and catches like the best receivers. He's so versatile and good at everything he does that it's insane. He's who I've modeled my game off of since college, and the one I aspire to be like.

Nope. Can't do it. I can see myself giving up meat and being a vegetarian under certain circumstances, but vegan? Man, I LIVE off of dairy. Like come on bro, I'm from Wisconsin! Milk runs through my veins, and my body is probably 60% cheese curds.

Hmm... 2 things. One, acquisition of another star linebacker like Mo Berry. Right now we have a lot of DBs with a variety of skill levels, but since we lack linebackers, I imagine it's hard for the coaches to prepare for all kinds of offensive schemes - we're defensively one dimensional. Two, just an offseason of hard work and practice. Even with the under-performing losses, we're right on the edge of greatness I feel. If all the young guys like myself can effectively utilize another year of play in the books to learn from and improve on, I think we can have a killer roster just from guys who are already here for the most part.

Thoughts on how Free Agency played out?

How are you enjoying Colorado?

Can you tell Dean Jackson to stop using fake words in our Scrabble games?

You're currently on pace for your worst statistical season yet. Worth it?

It was... an experience, personally. Although I definitely think I ended up in the best place for myself, obviously. As for everyone else, I didn't expect Toriki to go to New Orleans, so that was a surprise. And other than that... to be completely honest, I didn't follow the rest of free agency that much.

I'm loving it dude. Some of my other questions and answers cover this already, to a point, but it's just fantastic. The city is wonderful, the state is beautiful (although I still like Wisconsin more), and above all else, the lockerroom is full of awesome guys who I'm lucky and motivated to play alongside. I know not all lockerrooms are as good as this one, and I count myself blessed to be here.

Oh gosh... we're not even related, he's just a mentor of mine, and yet I've still taken to calling him Uncle Jackson... fake words sounds like something he'd do. Ima leave that to you to deal with. ... Hey, so, the Kicker Mafia isn't an actual mafia, right...?

I'm... not though, I don't think? Season 18 I had 623 rushing yards, 692 receiving yards for a total of 1315. This season, season 19, I'm on pace for 849 rushing yards and 676 receiving yards... which is a nice bit better at 1525 total yards. I didn't check touchdown numbers - is that what you mean? I know my receiving numbers have dipped sadly, but my yardage has increased, so I'm not too concerned.

Why do you have a woman's name?

OOC: When choosing a name for my new character, I knew it had to be good, since my third player I already know will either be Dean Jackson Jr. or a giant salamander. So, I thought of names I like, and Ashley is a name that I like and that I think is pretty good, as far as names go. The downside is, of course, that Ashley is a woman's name. And since I'm neither Jiggly nor an actual woman, my player was going to be a man. So I looked up the origins of the name Ashley, and wikipedia says that it used to be a name for male children in Old English, so hah. Ashley Owens. Excellent name. Not a woman.

What did you like most about the draft process?

Any advice for those coming up in the next draft?

The general feeling of being wanted was pretty great. And when a team doesn't reach out to you, and so your agent gets in touch with them and tells you they didn't contact you because you're not expected to fall that far, it makes you feel pretty special. So probably that. The training man, that was NOT the favorite part. Training is important, but it sure ain't always fun.
OOC: My first player, kicker / punter Dean Jackson, was scouted by one or two teams in the DSFL and then drafted by one that didn't scout me in the late 20's... and then I was drafted 5th overall to the NSFL, which felt great, but was mocked a lot since... ya know, a kicker drafted in the first round. So going through this draft process as a player that got lots of attention, and going first overall in the DSFL and NSFL, it just felt pretty good overall.

Respond promptly to the general managers who contact you. Make things about you that will be relevant to the team immediately obvious and in the open. For example, if you were, say, a cornerback and you wanted to start at outside corner right away (rather than playing the nickleback position), TELL THEM! It'll be bad for both you and the team that drafts you if they draft you for a role in the offense/defense that you'd rather not fill. Also... enjoy draft day. It's exciting, and it only happens once!

How did you like having Iam Essellemm as an Agent?

How did you decide FA?

Essellemm was an amazing agent. I was really lucky to go through the draft process in the brief era where an agent operated in the NSFL. Going through free agency without one, especially my relatively high profile free agency, was a nightmare of sorts. Essellemm was effective at getting me the things I was looking for in my team and contract, even during the early days of my DSFL career!

Free Agency had a lot of factors, obviously. After the decision that I'd be leaving Austin was made, it came down to money, social fit, and statistical fit. Some teams offered incredible money, others would no doubt have great stats, but in the end, Colorado was the one place where I knew I would like the lockerroom, where I was still offered a sizable contract, and where lots of analytics and specific discussions of the offensive role I would play, as well as conditional player options in my contract, ensured the statistical aspect would be there.