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6/20/2021 5:19 pm  #1591


Re: North American Association of Football - NAAF

1964 Retirements

LB Aengus Lynch - Charlestown, MA - Creator: Darknes
Drafted: TOR 1952 - 1st Round - 4th Overall - (from OTT)
Teams: Toronto/Ontario/London Tigers (1952-1963)
Captaincy: ON/LDN C - (1957-1963)
McCallister Cups: 2 (1960, 1963)
Awards: Defensive Player of the Year (1956)
All-Stars: 8 (1954-1961)
Lynch will go down as one of the best Tigers of all time. After being taken 4th overall in 1952, Lynch quickly found his footing as the anchor of the defence. By his third year, he was making the argument for being the 2nd best LB in the league behind LB Scotty Williams. He would have 8 straight All-Stars as well and a Defensive Player of the Year award (1956). He would also become the Tigers' first and only captain in 1957. As the captain, he would finally help the team get over the top in 1960 and once again in his final season 1963.


S Frazier Brooks - Bristol, CT - Creator: Captain Mort 3D
Drafted: BUF 1952 - 1st Round - 6th Overall
Teams: Buffalo Blue Wings (1952-1963)
Captaincy: BUF - A - (1957-1960) - BUF C - (1961-1963)
McCallister Cups: 2 (1952,1957)
Awards: Playoff MVP (1957), McCallister Cup MVP (1957)
All-Stars: 4 (1953, 1957-1959)
Another captain will leave the game with S Frazier Brooks calling it a career. Brooks was often overlooked throughout his career, but his leadership and ability to show up when his team needed him most make him one of the best at the safety position. While his accolades don’t jump off the page, he certainly has a lot of respect behind a great 1957 playoff run and 4 all-stars. Brooks is a very intelligent player and is very likely going to find himself coaching moving forward. 


OL Jean Mathieu-Baptiste - Montreal, QC - Creator: Darknes
Drafted: BUF 1953 - 1st Round - 8th Overall
Teams: Buffalo Blue Wings (1953-1963)
Captaincy: BUF A - (1960-1963)
McCallister Cups: 1 (1957)
All-Stars: 4 (1957-1960)
Another longtime Buffalo veteran calls it a career. Mathieu-Baptiste has been a consistent member of the Blue Wings’ O-line since being drafted in the first round in 1953. He peaked during the late 50s with 4 All-Stars. He would follow those years up by taking on the A for his final 4 years in the league. A solid career that may also be extended into coaching moving forward.


RB Marcus Devonshire - Boston, MA - Creator: ZO82
Drafted: WOR 1953 - 2nd Round - 10th Overall
Teams: Worcester Athletics (1953-1959), Providence Gold Stars (1960-1963)
Captaincy: WOR A - (1958-1959)
McCallister Cups: None
Awards: Breakout Player of the Year (1956)
All-Stars: 2 (1957,1961)
Devonshire had a pretty solid career. He was a bruising back that would power through tackles. The perfect player for important runs where teams would stack the defence up the middle. He put himself in conversations for awards throughout his career; he would win a breakout player award in 1956. He would also snag a pair of all-stars at the RB position which is typically more difficult since only 2 get picked each year. After 7 seasons with Worcester, he would close out his career in Providence, helping them reach the 1963 McCallister Cup, however, he was still never able to win the title.


S Shawn Jensen - Toledo, OH - Creator: Wallflower
Drafted: WOR 1952 - 3rd Round - 17th Overall
Teams: Worcester Athletics (1952-1960), Providence (1961-1963)
McCallister Cups: None
All-Stars: 3 (1954-1956)
Jensen is often known as one of the best steals in NAAF draft history. A player that was projected to go late-1st round, early 2nd round, slipped all the way to the third. The Athletics were stoked to have the eventual 3-time All-Atar as their mainstay on the back end. Much like Worcester teammate Devonshire, he would move over to the Gold Stars for his last 2 seasons. 


TE Jervonte Howell - Philadelphia, PA - Creator: Wallflower
Drafted: OTT 1952 - 2nd Round - 12th Overall
Teams: Ottawa Royals (1952-1963), London Tigers (1963)
McCallister Cups: 5 (1954,1955,1956,1959,1963)
All-Stars: 7 (1954-1958, 1960-1961)
If he isn’t the only player, Howell is one of few that have been able to bring home the McCallister Cup 5 times in his NAAF career. Easily one of the best TEs of the NAAF, Howell was consistently an All-Star and a special weapon for QB Jean Matieau. He played for the Royals for all but 7 games in his career, as he was traded to the Tigers midway through his final season. 


LB Silas O’Brien - Falmouth, MA - Creator: Dan O’Mac
Drafted: BOS 1952 - 1st Round - 5th Overall
Teams: Boston Independents (1954-1955), Worcester Athletics (1956-1957), Louisville Thunder (1958-1963)
Captaincy: LOU A - (1959-1963)
McCallister Cups: 1 (1962)
Awards: McCallister Cup MVP (1962)
All-Stars: 3 (1958,1959,1961)
O’Brien was never able to truly live up to the expectations of a 1st Round selection, however, he still managed to make the most of his career. He had a rocky start to his career, as he was traded to Worcester after only 2 years in Boston. He was then dealt to Louisville 2 seasons after that. His time in both first cities was alright, but nothing special, however, he was able to break loose in Louisville. He took to the leadership role on the young Thunder team and eventually was named an alternate captain in 1959. He would help the Thunder win their lone title in 1962 with the game’s MVP. Silas has loved being in Louisville and is expected to stick around in retirement. 


OL Bruce Wesley - New York City, NY - Creator: Wallflower
Drafted: BUF 1953 - 3rd Round - 24th Overall
Teams: Buffalo Blue Wings (1953), Long Island Hawks/Raiders (1954-1963)
McCallister Cups: 1 (1958)
All-Stars: 4 (1956-1959)
On to another player that was traded early in his career. Bruce Wesley was originally drafted by the Blue Wings in 1953, but was then shipped to Long Island a year later as one of the main pieces in the trade for DL Sean Bowen. Wesley wasn’t expected to be much out of the 3rd round, but he would prove people wrong with 4 all-stars with the Raiders. Wesley was a solid addition for the Raiders O-line and would help them reach the top in 1958. 


DL Vinny Brown - Albany, NY - Creator: Captain Mort 3D
Drafted: WOR 1953 - 4th Round - 26th Overall
Teams: Worcester Athletics (1953-1961), Montreal Rouge (1962-1963)
McCallister Cups: None
All-Stars: 3 (1957,1958,1960)
Worcester didn’t seem to miss in the first couple of NAAF drafts. Brown was a strong selection out of the 4th round in 1953. He would develop into a mainstay on the D-line for many years and would make a strong impact with 3 All-Stars in his career. Many Worcester fans love Vinny, especially when he would stick around right up until their final season in Worcester. He would close out his career with a couple of seasons with Montreal but was unsuccessful in winning the cup. 


OL Wilfred Gibson - Peterborough, ON - Creator: Wallflower
Drafted: PRO 1952 - 2nd Round - 13th Overall
Teams: Providence Gold Stars (1952-1963)
Captaincy: PRO A - (1961-1963)
McCallister Cups: None
All-Stars: 1 (1957)
Gibson was no elite player, but he had a strong career with the Gold Stars. He would be a leader for the team taking on the A in his final 3 seasons. He played a major role in helping to develop some of the younger Gold Star OL that are currently starting today. 


Other Notable Players
* = won championship during that time
LB Daevion Shelton - Norfolk, VA - Creator: Wallflower - Drafted: PRO 1952 - 4th Rd - 29th Ovl - Teams: PRO (1952-1963)
OL Shawn Lawrence - Hamilton, ON - Creator: Wallflower - Drafted: TOR 1952 - 3rd Rd - 18th Ovl - Teams: TOR/ON/LDN (1952-1963)**
WR Truman Harry - Bangor, ME - Creator: Rugrat - Drafted: HAR 1953 - 2nd Rd - 12th Ovl - Teams: R.HAR/LI (1953-1955), LI (1955-1956), LOU (1957), OTT (1958-1960)*, LOU (1961-1963)*
DL Tyrone Affalo - Bronx, NY - Creator: Darknes - Drafted: HAR 1953 - 2nd Rd - 17th Ovl - Teams: HAR/LI (1953-1960)*, LOU (1961-1963)*
RB Connor Riley - Boston, MA - Creator: Captain Mort 3D - Drafted: PRO 1953 - 4th Rd - 29th Ovl - Teams: R.PRO (1953-1954), LI (1955-1963)*
TE Phineas Vandenlangenberg - Weekapaug, RI - Creator: Dan O’Mac - Drafted: Undrafted - Teams: R.WOR (1955-1957), OTT (1958-1960 & 1962)*, LOU (1963)


 

6/21/2021 5:04 pm  #1592


Re: North American Association of Football - NAAF

1964 Uniform Changes and Updates

INTRODUCING THE TORONTO STEELHEADS
The process to decide on a new look for the now merged Toronto-Hamilton team was certainly difficult. Jerry Anderson knew that Toronto fans would not want to see the classic Lakers name go, but he still wanted to honour the Steelers from Hamilton. One of his branding assistants eventually came up with the idea of the Steelheads. A brand that would include the steel element from Hamilton while also keeping the Lakers involved with the fish from the lake. It was the perfect mix for Anderson. 

Upon revealing the name, there was certainly backlash from Toronto fans, but Anderson was expecting it. He explained his reasoning regardless of what the overall feel would be, as he felt that he did his best for the team. 

As for the actual branding, they will have a new logo that features the “T” that the team used for the Lakers previously with a silver steelhead over top. They would take the old Lakers’ blue (though darken slightly) and the Steelers’ silver for the colour scheme. They also will have a simpler fish as an alternate with Toronto written on it.  

For the jerseys, they have a brand new striping pattern from their previous Lakers’ set, (that was a singular stripe to a double stripe). Their away will alternate colours with the two stripes. The most interesting thing for this team will be the addition of the alternate jersey. Anderson really wanted to have a Hamilton jersey, since the design was most likely going to be heavily related to the Lakers’ look. Jameson and many others loved the idea and approved the third jersey option for Toronto. 

PROVIDENCE’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY
The Gold Stars formed back in 1914, which means 1964 will mark 50 years for the franchise. Much like the Royals did in 1958, the Gold Stars have made a simple patch for their jersey. However, they have taken a different approach to the application of the jersey with it being placed onto the helmet as well as the right side of the chest. Owner David Maxwell has been interested in adding something else to the helmet, but never really knew what to put on there so he decided this was a great idea.

MONTREAL SHIFTS TO ONE PAIR OF PANTS
The first move for the new Montreal owner, Alvon Martineau, was to shift to just one pair of pants. A move that mirrors Louisville’s decision to move to just gold pants. Nothing else changes, but Martineau promises a greater change will be coming.   

*This was meant to be in the league meetings but I forgot to make the change, so here it is now. 
ADDITION OF OVERTIME
Following a bizarre season that saw the Ottawa Royals have 3 ties, the league was considering the addition of regular-season overtime. There were a few things to note before the rule could be introduced with TV stations and game timing potentially becoming an issue if there is a back-to-back, as well as player safety and fatigue with potential for longer games. In the end, the league decided to add a single period of overtime during the regular season. It will function as overtime has in the past, with whoever scores more points by the end of OT will win the game. If the game remains tied after the overtime period, the game will be a tie.

NEW SIGS
For those who might want a Toronto Sig:
 
And I also have an updated Boston Sig since they have another championship:

Last edited by Wallflower (6/21/2021 5:04 pm)


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6/22/2021 9:09 am  #1593


Re: North American Association of Football - NAAF

I love the Steelheads look, and I like the way you merged two franchises well. A great looking team.

Providence is... different. I really like the three stars on the helmet stripe. The patch is... nothing too out there, just a good solid patch. With it just being the 50 on the star, it feels more like something they'd do with jersey numbers, so I don't know how I feel about the application on the helmet. I like the idea of using just the star after this season, however.

The Rouge going to just gray/silver pants feels like a step back. They've always felt like a red and white team only, so the gray/silver pants feel out of place to me.



2x Alt Champion :: AltLB Champion Oklahoma City Bison - 2022 :: AltFL Champion New York Emperors - 2022

 

6/22/2021 2:40 pm  #1594


Re: North American Association of Football - NAAF

Dan O'Mac wrote:

I love the Steelheads look, and I like the way you merged two franchises well. A great looking team.

Providence is... different. I really like the three stars on the helmet stripe. The patch is... nothing too out there, just a good solid patch. With it just being the 50 on the star, it feels more like something they'd do with jersey numbers, so I don't know how I feel about the application on the helmet. I like the idea of using just the star after this season, however.

The Rouge going to just gray/silver pants feels like a step back. They've always felt like a red and white team only, so the gray/silver pants feel out of place to me.

Thanks Dan!

Toronto came out solid and should be a good addition to the league.

Providence...well they're built different haha, I think they may end up being a team that tries wacky things before anyone else. This is a prime example of that. Yea the patch is simple, but it fits with what I had done for the Royals back in 1958 for their 50th anniversary. 

As for Montreal, totally understand that they feel more red and white, frankly, I forget that they have silver sometimes, but it has been a consistent thing throughout their history (especially on the home that hasn't changed at all during the project). A proper change will come in the next couple of seasons for them. 

CubsOrSoxs wrote:

Alright, I have a new team to yell at when they throw a interception. What inspired they 3rd jersey, or did you just run out of ideas?

I assume you are pointing out a similarity to the NFL Raiders with your "did you just run out of ideas?" comment, but the answer is no. The jersey is a throwback for the Hamilton Steelers, which I have always imagined to be a black and silver team, so I just designed a jersey I felt fit what I had in my head. I didn't specifically base it on any actual team. It's also a jersey that may only get worn once during the season, but it is there. 


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6/22/2021 5:11 pm  #1595


Re: North American Association of Football - NAAF

1964 Coaching Changes

There were plenty of coaching changes that occurred around the league, especially from some teams that had disappointing seasons. 

BUFFALO BLUE WINGS
After being with the team for 10 years, and being the head coach for the last 8, Dannell Willis was let go by the team. The firing follows a disappointing 4-7-1 season for the team. GM Reginald McMahon felt that it was getting a bit stale with the long-term coaching staff and felt the change was necessary to take the next step. To replace the longtime HC, the Blue Wings would bring in former Victors head coach Maurice Evanson. Evanson’s time in Indiana was certainly not the most inspiring, he was quietly carrying the quite untalented team to a decent season. Overall, it should be a solid hire for a young Blue Wings with plenty of weapons. 

The Blue Wings would let go of OC Tim Bakersfield as well, hoping to find someone who can get QB Charles Lemieux and RB Jimmy Golden to take another massive step forward. Their replacement would be a bit of a surprise with Royals OC Soni Dionne moving over to Buffalo. Dionne felt that he wasn’t going anywhere within the Royals’ organization and was excited for the chance to work with fellow Quebec City native Lemieux in Buffalo. 

INDIANA VICTORS
HC Jimmy Sargent only lasted 2 seasons in the Victors’ organization, but after a very frustrating 4-8 season, GM Everett Henderson felt that Sargent wasn’t the guy to get the team to the next level. To replace Sargent, the Victors would bring in Dannell Willis from Buffalo. Willis certainly has a better track record than Sargent and should certainly help the defence take the next step with his strong defensive schemes. 

MONTREAL ROUGE
Montreal had the most apparent disappointment. Many viewed them as the most talented team last season, but they could only manage a 6-6 record. HC Dean Reed was let go despite being in the McCallister Cup the previous season. GM Virgil Gross would then promote OC Perry Powell to HC. Powell served as Gross’ head coach during his time in Providence (which included Providence’s 9-1 season in 1953). Gross has always liked Powell and had only fired him while in Providence due to the higher-ups. Some are thinking that the change in ownership and the disappointing season gave Gross the chance to finally get Powell back in the HC role. Regardless, Powell still knows how to coach a team and he should be able to unlock an extra level of the offence. 

They would also let go of DC Patrick Taylor based on the tough defensive performance. They would ultimately bring in Tim Bakersfield from the Blue Wings for the OC role and Jimmy Sargent from the Victors for the DC role. Both are very experienced coaches and they should be able to add some stability to the Rouge next season.

OTTAWA ROYALS
The last change would come from Ottawa since Soni Dionne left for Buffalo. To replace the OC the Royals would bring in Kent Winters. Winters was an interesting hire since his last job was a one-year stint with The winless Athletics, however, it might just be a temporary hire for what could be a time of transition for the Royals. 


     Thread Starter
 

6/22/2021 8:09 pm  #1596


Re: North American Association of Football - NAAF

Ooo I like a good expansion team, even if the Steelheads aren’t necessarily an expansion. I like the story behind the name, as well as the whole merger story, which was really well written and enjoyable to read, and the identity looks really nice too. My only quip is that the blue and the silver look too similar and the numbers on the blue uniform would be unreadable. I think the silver in general has a very Cowboys-esq blue tint, which can be nice and unique but it needs to be paired with a much darker blue then baby blue. I think an easy fix would be just swapping the numbers for white ones (which could spark a cool in world story about them having to play a whole season in white uniforms because after taking the field fans realized the silver numbers were unreadable or something) or going as far as darkening the blue or making the silver more, well, silver.
The throwback is nice, I think the black too feels somehow very blue, oddly enough, but it’s nice.

 

6/22/2021 8:24 pm  #1597


Re: North American Association of Football - NAAF

MyTeamIsDr.Pepper wrote:

Ooo I like a good expansion team, even if the Steelheads aren’t necessarily an expansion. I like the story behind the name, as well as the whole merger story, which was really well written and enjoyable to read, and the identity looks really nice too. My only quip is that the blue and the silver look too similar and the numbers on the blue uniform would be unreadable. I think the silver in general has a very Cowboys-esq blue tint, which can be nice and unique but it needs to be paired with a much darker blue then baby blue. I think an easy fix would be just swapping the numbers for white ones (which could spark a cool in world story about them having to play a whole season in white uniforms because after taking the field fans realized the silver numbers were unreadable or something) or going as far as darkening the blue or making the silver more, well, silver.
The throwback is nice, I think the black too feels somehow very blue, oddly enough, but it’s nice.

Thanks, DP! Glad you enjoyed the story elements!

Yea I totally get the silver-blue. I had some conversations with others that brought it up. I am using the Lions silver from their '64 jerseys which appears a lot closer to white in images, so I would imagine (especially in the sun) the numbers would come off as more white legible with reflections. However, I think the team will likely make some updates fairly quickly as this look is quite rushed due to the quick turnaround. 

As for the alternate, the black is actually the same as the Athletics used, so the blue tinge probably comes from the silver which is again the Lions and some elements (the helmets) use Raiders silver.


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6/22/2021 9:36 pm  #1598


Re: North American Association of Football - NAAF

I like the Toronto Steelheads!  Very nice logo and backstory! Loving the merger idea, very nice to bring both Lakers and Steelers legacies together into one team.  And yeah, I'd imagine the Toronto fans would complain loudly about that, (imagine doing that in today's world, haha!) but in the end, it's a nice looking team with some detailed backstory to them!

True, they remind me a lot of the Detroit Lions (funny that you brought that up earlier!), but I suppose some color combinations will remind you of NFL teams no matter what you do, (wouldn't mind seeing you switch it up-if you do some redesigning for them in the near future like you alluded to in your response to Pepper- and having them be a gray team.   While it's not at all a popular primary color for sports team, I feel like the Steelheads could pull it off and they'd certainly stand out a bit more).

 




 

6/23/2021 7:44 pm  #1599


Re: North American Association of Football - NAAF

I never realized how blue that Lions silver is then. Your probably right too that it’s making the black seem more navy-ish. I was more worried about TV viewers being able to read the numbers, but a) I’m not sure how much real life NFL worried about that, or b) how advanced the TV broadcasting is in this universe, so it’s probably not anything to worry about. It’s a good look!

 

6/26/2021 5:30 pm  #1600


Re: North American Association of Football - NAAF

1964 Offseason Update
Hey everyone! The offseason has been a bit slow, but I do have some smaller posts to just nudge this along a little bit.  

TORONTO STEELHEADS TEAM SETUP AND SELECTIONS
The Steelheads would officially announce their staff and their OFU player selections a few weeks after the announcement of the new brand. To no real surprise, owner Jerry Anderson would decide to maintain the entire staff from the Lakers. The GM is Ronald Martin, who is very loyal to the team and is always looking for the best players to get him to the top. For Head Coach, they have Howard Stinton. Stinton has been around for quite some time and has had quite a lot of success with the team. He is strong all around and should provide some stability for the team early on. He will be paired up with his usual staff of OC Edward Hines and DC William Jennings. 

As for the roster, the Steelheads will be protecting many of the cornerstones of their roster and some of the other rosters. At QB, they will be rolling with longtime Lakers’ QB Todd Baker who is quite good and should be a strong piece heading into the NAAF. Hamilton QB Robert Humphrey was selected as well to be the backup. They also had Toronto RB Tommy Allen to get the team started, however, they did bring in a former top prospect RB in Austin Andrews from Kitchener as well who could develop quite nicely.

Throughout the rest of the team, they will have some longtime Lakers in LB Daniel Carpenter, DL Lawrence Armstrong, and DB Orville Blake, as well as longtime Steelers in DL Chester Avery and S Daniel Perry. The WR core could be quite solid behind Steelers’ WR Marshall Leonard and the trio of Lakers WRs in Edmund Landry, Sam Nash, and Samuel Petri. 

The team will still have to sign the players to new deals due to the switch over the NAAF, but so far the team seems to have a good grip on their “OFU all-star” roster.

Last edited by Wallflower (6/26/2021 11:38 pm)


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