(S6) - PT1 - Draft Day Fever

[JuOSu]

I remember my draft very well. There was a lot of speculation where and when I would be drafted. On the draft day itself, my eventual draft place changed several different times. At first I thought I might be a Sabercat, then I was sure I would be an Outlaw and in the end, the Otters picked me up. I was incredibly happy to be taken in the first round but it still strikes me as crazy many seasons later that the Sabercats took a sister above me. It is insane to think what value they might have given up that day. The moment itself was rather lovely. Just hearing your name being called feels amazing and then having all of my new teammates welcome me, it was really everything I ever dreamed of and hoped for. The locker room immediately made me feel welcome and still, seasons later I am part of the Otters for a reason. It all comes back to the draft day and how everyone was so great to me and again, that moment of the first round passing slowly, it was a great moment to hear my name called, even if I felt like I could have gone higher still.

[37thchamber]

I knew I wasn't going to be drafted early -- I was a three star recruit coming out of high school, and while I was a playmaker at college, it wasn't on a grand scale -- but I wanted to take my grandmother to the draft anyway. She was so excited about the ceremony of it all, I don't think she realised I hadn't been called by the end of the night. But while it was easy for me to accept not being drafted early, each round that passed, each team that selected another defensive back over me, it stung a bit more. By the time my name was finally called, it was something of a relief. It was a strange feeling because at the time, I probably would have said the Hawks weren't among my preferred destinations. I'd just been thinking "man, it gets pretty damned cold up there". Then they got me in an office negotiating my contract, and it hit me that I was a professional football player now. I walked out of the office and called my wife -- we weren't even engaged yet at the time -- and told her it was done. Start looking for a nice house in Baltimore. I wasn't really in the right mental space to process the reality of achieving a dream, and making plans for the future at the same time.

[AdamS]

Charlie Law spent his draft day with his family. The decision ruffled a few feathers at the time, but also was perfectly representative of who the teams would be getting in the outspoken, off kilter, hard working, passably handsome Tight End from Boise State. He’d announced it days ahead of time, and the team that ultimately drafted him (the Outlaws of course) said that it didn’t affect their decision at all. Some experts had Law falling pretty far even before what was described as a “stunt” at the time. History has of course shown that the supposed stunt was really just Law being Law. And of course that anyone who passed on the him for this reason was, to quote Shakespeare, “a fucking idiot”. He did turn out to be the moderately agreed second best Tight End in the league, barring a flash in the pan Tanner here and a never actually panned out Askins there and a no, no, this time it’s really gonna happen Crush later on. He went in the second round, despite the predictions of certain unnamed analysts *cough @RedCyranath * said he was an 8th round prospect who would go to the fledgling DSFL. Law received his phone call from Outlaw management and signed his contract the following day after flying out with his family on the team’s private jet to tour the stadium and meet coaches. He has since led the Tight End position for touchdown receptions and pancake blocks in two of his three seasons.

[TetrisTech]

Monday, February 13, 2018. DSFL Draft Day.

It's the day my life changes forever. My entire career, reputation, legacy, will be changed in the next few hours based on what team calls my name. Will I be taken by a pass heavy team that makes it easier for me to put up numbers and become a legend? Will it be an old-school running team and my days will be spent throwing blocks for my RB?

Wherever I go, one thing is for certain, and that's that I see a familiar name on the list of prospects. Kevin Kendrick. The only running back in the draft, and my friend I've known since childhood. Will we play each other multiple times a year or will we be in the same locker room, both trying to earrn the same team an ultimini?

Well, time for speculation is over, the commissioner is up. And there goes the first pick, not me. And the second. Third, fourth. Here comes fifth... and it's another wide receiver, Footballer Catcherman. The Marshals thought Catcherman was a better prospect than me? No, wait, they're taking me too? They took me, Catcherman, and Applehort all in a row?

Well get ready for a passing yards record, DSFL.

[ExemplaryChad]

My draft day was one of the most exciting days of my young life. Unlike most top picks these days, I genuinely didn't know where I was going to end up. Arizona had the first pick in the draft that year, and word was that they were going in a different direction, making Noah Goodson the first overall pick. Was I a little bothered another linebacker was going first? Yeah, a bit. It has given me a nice little chip on my shoulder over the past couple of years. But I know Goodson is a good guy, and the rivalry has never been anything but friendly. Anyway, that left Colorado and (then) Las Vegas who were likely to take me at 2 or 3. Then, of course, there was the possibility that I could fall farther than that. Really, any team but Arizona was a possible landing spot.

Las Vegas decided to pass on me in favor of a safety, Blackford Oakes. He's been a solid pick up for them I hear, though we haven't talked much. When I got the call from the Yeti, I was obviously elated. It was a city I'd heard nothing but good things about, never having been there myself. The management seemed great in talks leading up to the draft. And there was the appeal of helping a rebuilding team get back on their feet. Things have really worked out pretty well for me since that day, and it's still one of my fondest memories as a football player.

Haruki Ishigawa

Word count: 257

[ItsJustBarry]

I remember draft day. Back in a time where offensive lineman were a real thing and everyone needed them. A time when kickers were taken in the first round. Who am I kidding, as history shows, as long as there are kickers in the draft, there will be teams drafting them in the first round.

Anyways, after the first round concluded, I was still waiting on my name to be called. That’s fine, Yellowknife was up next with the #9 pick. Watching the stream live, I began to get excited. With the #9 pick in the NSFL S3 draft, the Yellowknife Wraiths select…. Francois Lamoraux. Are you fucking serious? I guess him taking a ridiculous rookie deal and going inactive serves them right for passing up the opportunity to draft me.

Up next was Arizona. Now I wasn’t scouted by many teams but Arizona was one to reach out. Unfortunately, with my interest in joining the Outlaws at a minimum, I didn’t respond to any pre-draft inquiries and just hoped their feeling of me was mutual. All of a sudden, a trade was announced and Arizona had traded away the #10 pick to Baltimore. Baltimore used that pick to secure yours truly and the rest is history.

[run_CMC]

With the first pick of the Season 5 NSFL draft, the Colorado Yeti select... TE Carlito Crush!

No surprises there. Jackson was the highest rated kicker entering the draft in NSFL history, but first overall? Don’t be ridiculous.

With the second pick, the Colorado Yeti select... CB Andre Bly Jr!

As he watched Bly walk to the stage to through a chorus of applause, Jackson couldn’t stop himself from being ever so mildly disappointed. He’d been in extensive talks with the Yeti coaching staff and general managers, but the Yeti were rebuilding. They needed a kicker, but other positions were understandably higher priority.

With the third pick, the Baltimore Hawks select WR John Wachter!

Jackson smiled; Wachter would be a dominate receiver in a few years. He played on a different team than the kicker, but he’d met him many times, and Wachter was a stand-up guy. Plus, there was 0 chance the Hawks draft Jackson when they’ve got the leagues best kicker on a multi-year contract.

With the fourth pick, the Yellowknife Wraiths select S Cameron Taylor!

Damn. Jackson didn’t expect to go to the Wraiths, but they were his best shot in the first round. Now he expected to fall to the Yeti at the first pick of the second round. The last four picks of the first were Baltimore who had Turkleton, Orange County who’d shown little interest in him, and the Arizona Outlaws who’d just lost their kicker Christiano Ronaldo to a scandal, but only got in touch a matter of days before the draft. The Arizona team had called their pick publicly, saying they’d take Jackson if he was available at 5, but that had to be a bluff. He’d love to play for his hometown team, but it just wasn’t logical. Jackson sighed and leaned back in his chair just as the commissioner took the stage once more.

With the fifth pick, the Arizona Outlaws select K Dean Jackson!

Time seemed to freeze for a moment. Had he heard him right? Did this just happen? As he was led to the stage, his surprise turned to excitement. “NSFL: here I come.”

(347 words)

[Chukka]

Man I was lazy as shit when I was drafted. I'm actually a little surprised that I was even drafted in the first round but, I guess my raw talent showed through. I never went to practice, did know extra work, barely did any weightlifting and I was still drafted. I have a lot to thank from the Pythons organization and PDXBaller to help show my talent and shop me for the draft. I was put in a position to succeed from the beginning of my DSFL career. Unfortunately for the legion, I was still my lazy self when I got to Las Vegas. After staying down in the DSFL an extra year and dominating I realized I needed to get in better shape for the upcoming season. I didn't realize until later that I was traded for and that the Arizona Outlaws really saw that I was a talent in this league. From the support I got here in Arizona and the wonderful facilities that were offered I was able to dominate my rookie season just to get snubbed for DROY. Shoutout to all the great motivators in my career and I hope to continue to make those backfields scared shitless this coming year in the NSFL.

(208)

[Roly]

Darren Morris does not have fond memories of draft day in the NSFL. For him, it was spent in the simulation hospital, unconscious after a devastating hit in the DSFL East Conference Championships the playoffs before his NSFL draft. Leading into the playoffs, Morris was being hyped as a potential first round pick, even upper tier first round pick. That coma, suffered after a quadruple backflip and horrific landing that, although terrible to watch, was also quite funny and almost ended with a American Funniest Home Video prize.

Regardless, on draft day Morris was still unconscious to the world and his draft stock plummeted. Most were unsure if he would ever put on cleats again and play the sport he loved. However, after he woke up from the coma weeks into the NSFL regular season, he was very excited to find out that he was drafted by the Arizona Outlaws. The GMs in Arizona had been kind enough to leave many notes and well-wishes while he was in the coma, so after waking up he felt the need to make good on the commitment demonstrated to him by the Outlaws in going twelfth overall on a player who was not able to even attend the draft ceremony.

207 words

[JKortesi81]

I’ll never forget the day I was drafted to the NSFL. Fresh off an Ultimini victory with the Pythons, I was excited to figure out where I’d end up come draft day. After talking to a few teams, most notably Colorado and Baltimore, I had a feeling where I’d end up. I didn’t have to wait long, as the Colorado Yeti bestowed upon me the shine that comes from being the #1 overall pick in the S5 draft. After that, I knew I was in the right place. Colorado, you see, had picks 1 and 2 overall. They had to draft Andre Bly Jr, since he’s a GM player. So instead of the GM player being drafted first overall, @sapp2013 selflessly allowed me to go first, and him second. That showed me a lot about the character of the GMs of this team, and just a few minutes into my draft experience, I felt at home. The rest of the day was awesome, as I got to be interviewed on the twitch show, and it was a very fun experience. I really love doing interview and things like that during my sim experiences, so it was awesome to just talk to the hosts about the Yeti, and how it felt to be drafted first overall. As far as sim leagues go, it was a top moment for me for sure. (230)