*Timmy Dimbi Post-Draft Interview

[Tylar]

Timmy Dimbi Post-Draft Interview

How did you feel before the draft?
Heading into draft day I was excited but also kind of nervous. Like I really did not have any clue where or when I would be going which kind of made it more exciting for me. I was kind of just looking forward to getting this part of my career over, but also enjoying it. I was just ready to see who put faith in me, and then get back to work. Overall it was a fun night and it was a great experience for myself, my friends and especially my family. 

Did you have any feelings of where you were going to be drafted?
I honestly thought the Colorado Yeti showed the most interest in me heading into the draft. I thought that I would have ended up there honestly, but obviously it did not work out. I guess I could have been a Colorado Yeti since they had the pick right after mine, but I guess we will never actually know? I just had that feeling that they wanted me and I felt pretty good about going to Colorado if that is where I ended up. I felt a lot of teams had interest in me, but were unsure about my future and how committed to the league I would be, which I understand. I knew coming into this draft, I was a bit of a risky pick that is kind of like a boom or bust. It makes sense why maybe some teams got a bit scared off but I won't hold it against them. All I can do it try and prove people wrong and prove Chicago right.

Are you happy with being drafted by the Chicago Butchers?
Yes, I am pretty happy, although I would have been happy being drafted anywhere If I am being honest. I really went into this draft with an open mind and had no preferences or wants. I am happy to be picked by Chicago and I hope to make them happy by proving them right for believing in me. I do not really know too much about them but it looks like they had a decent season and almost won their first round playoff match-up against the Sailfish. I think they have a solid foundation and obviously a good future. I kind of know one of the general managers from outside football so I guess it makes sense I ended up in Chicago. I am very honored they believed in me and my intention is to go out there and become a solid player for them.

Are you happy with being drafted by the Chicago Butchers?
I felt pretty good about my interview with them. There seemed to be a lot of interest from their side of things. I just went into all my interviews with full honestly about my situation and let them know how I feel things may or may not pan out. I did not want to lie and say I am going to be a hall of famer or pro bowler. I went in and just said what I feel and left it at that. I think overall, all the teams appreciate my honesty in the interview process which may have left them either with a good feeling about me or maybe a bit of a sour taste in their mouth. I just knew I could not promise things that I may not be able to keep. I never want to break a promise. I was as genuine as I could be. Overall though, I felt good about all my interviews including the one with the Chicago Butchers. 

What did it feel like to finally hear your name being called?
It was a special moment for sure. I was sitting around the couch and television with my close family and we were just waiting. I was about to take a bit of some pizza bites and my phone rang. We knew it was happening. It was pretty exciting. I picked up the phone and it was the Chicago Butchers. I was kind of stunned, it took me a second to gather myself and answer the phone properly. It was a quick call, but it was a life changing one. There was a lot of cheering, crying, hugs and just excitement. Then my phone started to blow up from teammates, family and friends. I could not even answer or read my phone. I just left it alone, and left it for the next day when I could get to it. It was a lot to process but It was a special moment for myself and my family.

Were you surprised you went a bit earlier than expected?
I was kind of expecting to end up near the fifth or sixth round If i am being honest, so going in the fourth round was a bit of a surprise, a good one though. I think I was projected to be a fifth round pick at most, so going in the fourth is good. Although, draft position does not really matter, it is the work you put in after the draft that counts. I plan to put in the work to become a starter at the International Simulation Football League level, and be a player for the Chicago Butchers. I know I can do it, and I am excited to get the opportunity to do so. I hope that maybe in future re-drafts of this class, I can improve on where I was picked at 54th overall. Overall, it was a bit surprising to me to be picked in the fourth round but I am excited to be given the opportunity and looking forward to playing in Chicago in a season or two.

How do you feel about being dubbed a “steal” by many scouts?
I feel like maybe a little bit of pressure? I mean it is kind of cool to be thought of that highly and I am definitely honored. I feel like it also kind of fuels me to prove those people right and be that steal that people say wow he went in the fourth round or wow Chicago got themselves a player! I also do not want that kind of stuff to get too far into my head and make me super cocky, because I am not that type of person. I definitely enjoy hearing good things about myself but I can not let it take over. I just got to keep grinding, and success will come.

Do you know where you are playing next season?
I will be back with the Tijuana Luchadores for the foreseeable future. I believe I could even be back there for two seasons, but that I am unsure about. I know for sure I am a Tijuana Luchadore next season and I am looking forward to it. I know we lost a lot of guys to call ups, but we are getting a lot of key guys back and I am sure we will be bringing in a lot of good players via the draft. I think I should have a much better season in the Developmental Simulation Football League this upcoming season. I feel like I am more prepared and ready. I hopefully will be able to get some more snaps, but if not I will just play where they want me to. Iam unsure whether I will still play at defensive tackle or maybe move to defensive end for Tijuana. Overall, I am glad to get another chance at playing in the Developmental Simulation Football League with the Tijuana Luchadores and I believe we will have a great season.

Do you have any goals this upcoming season in the Developmental Simulation Football League?
My main goal is to just keep getting better with every game and every week. I think statistics wise, I would want to double my totals from this season, So if I was asked for hard numbers, 22 tackles, 4 sacks and 2 tackles for loss. I feel like those are decent numbers for me to strive for. I feel like I have a lot of room to improve on last season and I feel confident I will be able to. I also think I will be getting some more playing time this upcoming season which should hopefully help as last season I played limited snaps for the most part. I just want to get better with every week and just keep learning the Developmental Simulation Football League which will better prepare me for the International Simulation Football League.

Do you see a future position swap in the future with Chicago?
I know most of the teams asked me if I was interested in a position swap, so I knew it would be something I might have to consider. I am okay with the possibility of doing it. Chicago has not yet asked me if I will be switching positions, but if they do, I would be more than willing to do it. I think for now, I will be staying at defensive tackle which is completely fine by me. I believe their biggest is the defensive line which makes me believe I will stay as a defensive tackle. For now I am preparing as if I am playing as a defensive tackle for Chicago and will adjust if needed when asked by Chicago.

What are your main focuses training wise this season?
This upcoming season my main training focus will be on strength. I know I am pretty strong already, but I want to be at my maximum possible strength. I am going to grind hard in the gym and the weight room. I want to be able to man handle anyone in my way and battle hard with the offensive lineman I go up against. I know I have the speed to beat them, but sometimes I may run into problems out muscling them. So this season, I want to have no problems out muscling anyone. I want to be one of the strongest defensive players in the league and hopefully that will help my stat line as well as the team. I know if I want to get called up, I will need to be as strong as I can be as strength is an important part of the International Simulation Football League.

What do you think you will have to improve most before you get to the International Simulation Football League with the Chicago Butchers?
As I mentioned in my pre-draft interview, I need to work on my tackling technique. I know early in the season I will be focusing on my gains and grinding the gym, but I will also have to eventually do some skills development and work on my tackling. I feel like I will need to have better tackling to be an effective International Simulation Football League starter, but for now in the Developmental Simulation Football League I think I am okay where I am. Tackling is not as important down in the Developmental Simulation Football League as it is up in the big leagues. It is something I am aware of and will eventually get to. For now, I need to be physically ready and the skills development will come. I know I can do it.

What is your timeline for making it to Chicago?
For now I am trying to focus on my season with the Tijuana Luchadores and hopefully contributing to a championship. But I think my goal would hopefully to be up in Chicago in season 26 but if that does not happen, I would not be disappointed. I do enjoy being in Tijuana. It is a close knit group and they have been pretty great to me thus far. I kind of hope we win a championship because I honestly believe this group deserves it. But yeah, I kind of hope I will be up after this upcoming season but I will not be upset if I am not. I know I am kind of a project type player so it may take a bit longer for me to end up in the International Simulation Football League which is totally fine by me.

What do you think you can bring to the Chicago Butchers?
I honestly believe I bring a high character to the team. I think I bring a positive energy and just overall good attitude. I know I may not be the best player but I am willing to do what I have to for the team and want the team to do well. I am strong and fast which I think will help the defensive line in the future. I know one of their needs is defensive line, which I believe i will have no problem filling for them. I just think I will be a good starter for them in the future whenever they decide to call me up. I will be waiting for that call, and try to have an impact as soon as possible. I am excited to be a Chicago Butcher though.

Now that you have signed your contract, what will you do with your winnings?
Yeah, the contract starts started pretty early and I think it turned out well. I got a good chunk of money upfront. Overall I am pretty pumped about it, they were pretty upfront with what they wanted and could afford. I did not really have any demands or anything so it all happened pretty quickly. As for what I will do with it, probably save a bit of it to buy myself a nice place for whenever I get called up. I think that is the smart play because yeah, I can not spend it all at once, haha. But seriously, I will probably help my parents out a bit since they have sacrificed and done a lot for me over the years.

What is the first thing you are going to do in Chicago?
I can honestly say I will head to many pizzeria’s for some famous Chicago deep dish pizza. I will get some intel from my new teammates and hit the best place. I honestly love pizza so it is a no brainer for me. I will also head to the many sights around the city. I have not really been in Chicago too much in my life, but I will definitely go exploring as I love some adventure. Another site I would wanna see is the bean because if you go to Chicago you got to go see it right? At Least that is what I heard.

Timmy Dimbi will be an interesting prospect to follow in the seasons to come. He will be heading back to the Tijuana Luchadores and looking to play more snaps and have a better season than his rookie season. The Luchadores have lost some key pieces but are returning many of their sensational defensive line. They can also say they gained Timmy Dimbi as he did not play that much last season. Dimbi will look to make more of an impact and try to earn or force the Chicago Butchers to call him up next season.

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[Crodyman]

bruuther, the pizzas are on me! Excited to be your teammate! You write some great media.

[Pat]

Chicago low key had a great draft.