(S25) - PT 1 - Opening Statements

[GoonerBear]

The time has come to toot my own horn.

Kolby Deringer, linebacker for the San Jose SaberCats from Seasons 10 through 20, has been in limbo on the Hall of Fame ballot for the past two elections. Since he first became eligible, in each election, he received 3 votes, barely enough to remain in consideration for next time.

Across a career spanning 11 seasons, he was named to the Pro Bowl 5 times, was named Defensive Rookie of the Year in S10, won an Ultimus, was named Defensive Player of the Game in a losing effort in the following Ultimus, was DPotG 19 times (including 6 times in S18) and set high franchise marks across the board. At the time of writing, he is 9th in ISFL history in career tackles and 7th in single-season pass deflections (29 in S13). In SJS franchise history, he is the only player to record 1000 tackles in the green and gold, is 3rd in sacks with 66, 2nd in pass deflections with 114, and famously recorded a safety in his first defensive series on an ISFL field. He was a key part of the defensive monolith from the early- to mid-10s, and even in decline, one could say he was snubbed for awards in S18 despite leading the league in tackles with 120 and notching 5 sacks, 2 picks, a defensive touchdown, and forcing a fumble. Registered well across defensive categories, and the best he got was a Pro Bowl nod.

This is not to discount great contemporaries of his day. Austin Roenick, Mason Brown, and Brian Mills had stellar careers. It's more than a bit frustrating that a key part of the SJS 10s teams, a player great out of the gate and for several seasons after, still hasn't gotten the call.

(300)