*Trae Bacon - DT Prospect Pre-Draft Presser

[RobCubed]

[table border=\\\'0\\\' align=\\\'center\\\' width=\\\'95%\\\' cellpadding=\\\'3\\\' cellspacing=\\\'1\\\' id=\\\'QUOTE-WRAP\\\'][tr][td]QUOTE [/td][/tr][tr][td id=\\\'QUOTE\\\'][!--QuoteEBegin--]Ready for grading!

You can find a little background information on Trae here if it would help form any questions:

Wiki including College Stats
Magazine Cover - Note that the quotes on the cover are a bit tongue in cheek joking around, probably shouldn't center any questions around them
Trading Card

Highlight Clip - Double Forced Fumble w/ Defensive Touchdown
[iframe width=\\\"560\\\" height=\\\"315\\\" src=\\\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/NTQX4IxxyIY\\\" frameborder=\\\"0\\\" allowfullscreen][/iframe]

Trae Bacon is ready for his first ever round of questions, as is his user (just specify who you're asking - Bacon or just RC for me) - so let's light it up!

ValorX77 asks:

[!--QuoteBegin-ValorX77 date=1565480820](User Question) How do you like your experience in the league so far?[/quote]
Honestly it's really cool. I love football, and I'm a huge nerd, so this sort of light roleplay environment with stat tracking and earning upgrades is just super fascinating. The Discord channels are entertaining and there are a ton of really friendly people. This is my first sim league, so I'm still learning the ropes but very excited.

(User Question) Why did you choose DT and why?

From a personal perspective, I love watching these guys bust through O Lines to put pressure on the QB. From a more pragmatic perspective, at the time I signed up there seemed to be a need for DT - it's a pretty big draft class so if that's still true, it remains to be seen. I am open to switching positions based on need.

(Bacon Question) How do you feel about the upcoming prospect bowl?

"Man I'm pumped. I am excited to get out there and show what I've got when up against some of the other premier prospects for this year's draft. It's the start of a new chapter in my life and my career. I know some people say this game don't matter that much because you don't win anything, but every time I'm out on the field I'm there to win. I'm gonna lay it all out, especially the O Line."

((Bacon Question) Is there a DSFL team you want to play for?

"This is a tough question to answer, because I'd honestly love to play for any of them. I've always loved the underdog. I'd love to bring help to some of the defenses that have struggled this past season, to make a real impact for them. I feel like the Coyotes could use my help, they put up a winning record last year with only 13 sacks which is crazy. Imagine if they had some help on the defensive line! That's the kind of impact I want to make."

wolker11 asks:

Thoughts on your fellow prospects? Players you'd like to play with? Players you'd especially like to hit?

"We got a hell of a draft class here. I'm honored to be among them.

Who I wanna play with? Otto VanJensen out of Kent, that dude is fast. I know I could open up some holes for him to push through and make some hits on the QB.

The people I wanna hit? Any of the quarterbacks out here - haha, that's a bit too easy - if I had to pick one I'd say Victor Bravo out of Buckeye. Guy's got a good arm, he's smart, and he's accurate. He's the kind of guy I'd need to play my best against and put some pressure on him to keep him honest. I love a challenge."

Who do you look up to in the league?

"For the DSFL? I think that's obvious, Rowan. Guy led in sacks for the season, and made a real impact for the team. For the NSFL Riposte and Leaf Jr. are both really impressive. Again, making those sacks, putting that pressure on the QB, and knockin' the ball away. Real impact players."

Rank the following in terms of tacklability: a football, an infant, Saba Donut, Trae Bacon, a kangaroo, the Appalacian Mountains.

"Alright, so... I'll go easiest to hardest.

1. A football - I mean the thing just sits there.
2. A kangaroo - They're strong but I seen a guy half my size punch one in the face and get dazed. I'm pretty sure I could take one down pretty easy.
3. Saba Donut - Dude is fast, and I probably won't get many chances to tackle him since he's a receiver and not my responsibility, but if he came near me I'd have no problem bringing him down.
4. Trae Bacon - Man, look at me. I'm over 300 pounds and hit like a truck. Somebody tries to tackle me they're the ones going down. I know that's not as impressive as I move into the big leagues, but still, I'm gonna be hard to take down.
5. Appalachian Mountains - Man that's over 2,000 miles of mountains, and over a mile tall. I mean it ain't going nowhere so you can hit it but you ain't bringing it down.
6. An infant - The hell is wrong with you? That's a baby, you don't tackle babies. That's basically murder."

Where would you like to play in the DSFL? What about the NSFL?

"I already answered about the DSFL, I wanna make an impact there. I feel the same for the NSFL. I know everybody wants a ring but I want to join a team that I can make a real impact on for defense, even if that means I don't get that Ultimus in my first couple seasons. I got time. I'll get there. And I wanna be part of the framework that gets a team there, not just be carried."

Crispy or floppy bacon?

"It's gotta be crispy, but not burnt. You want some fat still on there. My ma makes the best damn bacon, actually makes it in the oven, and it comes out perfect."

IsaStarcrossed asks:

1. Since there is an obvious number one, who do you see going number two in the NSFL draft?

"Since I'm going to be taken number 1, I guess number 2 would probably be Bjørn Ironside. (laughs) Seriously though, I'm not sure. I know that skill positions seem to be taken early in the draft these days so I wouldn't be surprised to see QBs, RBs, or WRs take up the entire first round.

I think that would be a mistake, I think we all know defense wins championships, but you know, I ain't a coach so I'll just keep my mouth shut on that. All the skill positions in the world ain't gonna save you when a defense just shuts you down."

2. What do you think you can work on to make you an elite DT in one of the larger defensive line classes?

"Man I'm already elite! (laughs) Naw, we can always improve, all of us. I can get stronger. I can get faster. I gotta work on my tackling, I know that. I can hit a quarterback - you seen my highlight of the double forced fumble? I mean that was a hell of a hit - two hits, actually - but I didn't wrap him up either time, I just trucked the hell out of him. Worked out for us, yeah, cause he couldn't hold on to the ball and we wound up with a touchdown, but that's on him. I should've wrapped him up the first time. It's something I'm working on and I'm gonna keep working on."

3. Squirrels or opossums?

"You know, I think I gotta go with squirrels. Opossums playing dead just isn't my thing, you know? A squirrel gonna fight if you mess with him and he can't escape, and I feel like I identify with that a little more than just floppin' over and pretending to be dead. I mean you put an opossum and a squirrel in a fight to the death the opossum probably gonna win, but he's probably gonna play dead first and a smart squirrel gonna get some shots in first. Make them shots count."

Revolution5 asks:

1. Bill Belichick has been known for playing mind games. How do we know that his praise isn't just a smokescreen so someone takes Trae Bacon higher than he should go just so his preferred prospect drops to them?

"Man I'm just happy he knows my name. (laughs) All respect to him, one of the greatest, but if that's the case I'm damn well gonna prove him wrong.

And that interview was probably a little tongue in cheek anyway, I wouldn't take it too seriously. I made some great sacks and that's what they were covering - how they got Belichick to comment on it is beyond me."

2. Have you always played on the defensive side of the ball? Or can we expect some Dantari Poe type rushing or passing TD's to pad your stats?

"I played some snaps as Tight End and Fullback back in high school. More blocking, but I got the ball a few times and made it into the end zone... hmmm... three times on offense my senior year? One pass and two rushes. I mean they put me out there and I can make it happen if I need to.

But all of my focus and training has been on the defensive side of the ball. So I can't say that I'd start and play better than the guys that have been focusing on catching and running it for the past decade."

Rublic asks:

1) What made Trae Bacon get into football?

"I was a big ol' fat kid, you know? I was a good foot taller than most of my classmates by third grade, and fat as hell. My dad wasn't having it so he signed me up for sports and made me run, made me play hard. I didn't like it at first but plowing through those other kids was a lot of fun, so it grew on me pretty quick.

I mean I still got some extra meat on me (laughs) and I'm still working on toning this up more, but you know, those of us on the line we always gotta carry a few extra pounds. That mass matters. But the more of it that's muscle, the better. Gotta keep lifting."

2)What is Trae bacon most likely up to when not playing football?

"This is cliche, yeah, but I watch a lot of tape. I watch guys in the NSFL that I wanna be better than, I try to figure out the best things they're doing. I look at the defenses, especially these offensive lines, see what they're doing. I like to learn about the quarterbacks - will they stick in the pocket? Will they roll out to the side easy? Do they break and make a run for it with a bit of pressure? Throw away or tuck it? You know, those things, you gotta look at those to see how you're gonna pressure them. A guy who'll chuck it away or make a bad call, I just wanna get in his face quick, you know, make him do something dumb. But a smart quarterback? I gotta worry about my angles, I gotta make sure when I get there I can wrap him up, or jump when he throws that ball - gotta watch those pump fakes too, I got a list of my rivals back in college in my head, those who pump faked a lot might not get me to jump.

Okay yeah, I rambled on about football. (laughs) That's kind of my life, you know? That's the answer everybody expects, but it's my life. But I do gotta relax. I paint miniatures to relax, which is kinda funny, you know, imagine my big ass leaning over these tiny little dudes with laser rifles and shit and I'm just very carefully painting them. Maybe that helps with my dexterity, with my hands? I got some pictures of them if you wanna see them.

Other than that I love spending time with my family, you know, they're the world to me, especially after my dad passed away. They lean on me a lot and I lean on them."

3) Do you prefer playing in a 3-4 defense or a 4-3?

"If I got a good man at my side, 4-3 is great. We push together, we break through together, and that's great. We played a hybrid 3-4/4-3 back at App State so I got good experience with both formations. I'd say the 3-4 is harder - you know, you lose a guy, obviously - but that extra coverage down the field man, it makes some quarterbacks hesitate, makes them do some stupid things. Gives me extra time to get to them, because you know that offensive line ain't gonna hold me forever."

4) If Trae Bacon had to play somewhere on the offense what position would he play?

"I mean you got the offensive line, obviously, I could handle myself there. It's a little different I'm sure you know but I got the mass, I got the power, and I got the experience to do that - I'm breaking offensive lines every damn week so I know how they fail. I think the biggest challenge for a transition there would be that I push, and I push hard. I push you forward, I push you out of the way, that's my job. I might not want to do that on the offensive line, you know, cause then I can open a hole for a LB to get to my quarterback. I gotta not push, I gotta hold them - but without actually holding them you know? (laughs) That's fake too you know, they holding us with their fingers on every damn play out there (points to his underarms) usually right there, so the refs can't see it too good. They only call it when it's real bad.

But if you're talking about a skill position, man you need to get 3 or 4 yards I can do that. I'm a damn freight train and they can wrap me up but I'ma keep moving."

5) If there was a blitz scheme based around Trae Bacon what would the play be called?

"Hmmm... I'd say Bacon Pancakes. You know cause we gonna pancake the quarterback when the bacon gets made. (laughs)"

Hallmonitor_20asks:

You've obviously made some highlight plays and people are keeping a close eye on you leading up to the draft. Do you feel pressured in anyway to make big plays during the prospect bowl?

"You know, I got a sack in the first game, I'm pretty happy with that. I think expectations for the prospect bowl games aren't super high, 'cause we ain't meshed as a team at all, we're running real generic plays, and the teamwork just isn't there like a real team. I'm still gonna put my all out for it - yeah expect to see a few more sacks before it's all over."

Would you rather lead the league in sacks or defensive touchdowns?

"(laughs) That's a tough question man. I mean, both, yeah, I wanna lead in both. But if I had to pick one, I guess I'd want to lead in sacks. You know it's more my job to put pressure on the QB, and if I make him fumble it and my teammate recovers it for a touchdown 'cause my big ass is still rolling around on top of the QB, that's fine by me. It's a team game and my job is to sack, break up plays, and make the QB do stupid things when he sees me comin'."

Are you a fan of Canadian bacon or just the good ol' American stuff?

"Canadian bacon? That's like, ham, right? Ham is fine. But you know bacon is just way better, and it packs so many calories and so much protein in a single bite - how you think I keep my mass up? (flexes both his arms)"

Buttersqauch101:

As a fellow DT, we aren’t known for having the best stats when it comes to defense. When it comes time for you to be drafted high up in the draft. Will you be expecting higher stats then usual for someone playing Defensive Tackle?

"Yeah. You know, being honest, I got a lot of developing to do. We all do, coming into the DSFL. I probably won't be breaking sack records year one, but I'll be putting pressure on the QB, I'm gonna get in his face and force him to make stupid mistakes. Even when I don't get a hit on them, they see me comin' at them and the bad ones will freeze up or throw an interception, the good ones might get out the pocket and throw it away. That's my job, there are a lot of stats that aren't as easy to read as SCK and TFL. But it's about perseverance and hard work, and I'm the guy they're gonna want as I improve my game week over week and year over year. DTs can make a real impact, and I'm gonna be proof of it."

[ValorX77]

To BC:
How do you like your experience in the league so far?
Why did you choose DT and why?
To Bacon:
How do you feel about the upcoming prospect bowl?
Is there a DSFL team you want to play for?

[woelkers]

Thoughts on your fellow prospects? Players you'd like to play with? Players you'd especially like to hit?

Who do you look up to in the league?

Rank the following in terms of tacklability: a football, an infant, Saba Donut, Trae Bacon, a kangaroo, the Appalacian Mountains.

Where would you like to play in the DSFL? What about the NSFL?

Crispy or floppy bacon?

[RobCubed]

Edit: Meant to add to main post

[IsaStarcrossed]

1. Since there is an obvious number one, who do you see going number two in the NSFL draft?

2. What do you think you can work on to make you an elite DT in one of the larger defensive line classes?

3. Squirrels or opossums?

[Revolution5]

1. Bill Belichick has been known for playing mind games. How do we know that his praise isn't just a smokescreen so someone takes Trae Bacon higher than he should go just so his preferred prospect drops to them?

2. Have you always played on the defensive side of the ball? Or can we expect some Dantari Poe type rushing or passing TD's to pad your stats?

[Rublic]

1) What made Trae Bacon get into football?

2)What is Trae bacon most likely up to when not playing football?

3) Do you prefer playing in a 3-4 defense or a 4-3?

4) If Trae Bacon had to play somewhere on the offense what position would he play?

5) If there was a blitz scheme based around Trae Bacon what would the play be called?

[Hallmonitor_20]

You've obviously made some highlight plays and people are keeping a close eye on you leading up to the draft. Do you feel pressured in anyway to make big plays during the prospect bowl?

Would you rather lead the league in sacks or defensive touchdowns?

Are you a fan of Canadian bacon or just the good ol' American stuff?

[Buttersqauch101]

As a fellow DT, we aren’t known for having the best stats when it comes to defense. When it comes time for you to be drafted high up in the draft. Will you be expecting higher stats then usual for someone playing Defensive Tackle?