I was fortunate to have a successful prospect bowl, and although I knew that everyone shared the same TPE level, I was still proud of my performance. I was able to rack up a lot of tackles, and my team, the Calgary Cavarly, reached the finals. I was optimistic that my player would translate this success to the DSFL immediately. After all, I was joining the depleted Norfolk linebacker corps with Rusty Rucker, another rookie, so I figured we would both get decent opportunities to make an impact. I turned on that first game very excited to start my campaign for Defensive Rookie of the Year. As it would turn out, I made a very minimal impact. I recording a whopping two tackles, while Rucker recorded five. Sam Roes, rookie defensive lineman, performed best for Norfolk, with seven tackles and five for a loss. To really rub salt in the wounds, a rookie linebacker for Portland, Donald McBobby, recorded stats similar to what I was posting in the prospect bowl: twelve tackles and one sack. We won the game, but I was also disappointed and even jealous of the other rookies. I realized that with TPE adjusted, I wasn’t as good of a player as I’d thought. If I had been successful that first game, there’s a chance I might not be as motivated to earn as I am now. A recent media post cited me as the highest post draft TPE earner of the third round, which may not mean much to others, but I saw it as a testament to the commitment I’ve made since that first game. I am finally making the type of impact I had aspired to, and although I’m definitely not in the running for DROY, I’m proud of my current production.
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