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8/11/2022 3:33 pm  #2141


Re: North American Association of Football - NAAF

1969 Retirements

WR Max Sutton - Quincy, MA - Creator: Captain Mort 3D
College: New England
Drafted: 1957 - ON Round 2, Pick 17
Teams: Ontario/London Tigers (1957-1968)
McCallister Cups: 2 (1960, 1963)
Awards: Most Valuable Player (1960), Offensive Player of the Year (1961), McCallister Cup MVP (1960)
All-Stars: 6 (1959-1961, 1963-1965)
Player of the Week: 3

Max Sutton retires as one of the best wide receivers in the NAAF’s history. After being drafted in 1957, he took a couple of seasons to find his rhythm in the Tigers’ offence, but he quickly developed amazing chemistry with QB Riley Kiernan. By his 3rd season, he earned his first All-Star nod and would go on to be an All-Star in 5 of the next 6 seasons after that. In 1960, Sutton had his biggest season, where he became just the second WR to win the MVP catching a league-leading 12 touchdowns and having the most receiving yards. In that same season, Sutton also won the McCallister Cup MVP during the Tigers’ first championship run. Sutton continued to be a strong WR, winning Offensive Player of the Year the next season. In the past 3 seasons, Sutton’s play had dwindled, but he remained a strong leader in the Tigers’ locker room. He still was able to catch one last touchdown this season despite coming off of the bench. Sutton is unsure what he will do in retirement but expects to be involved in football at some level.

QB Connor O’Rourke - Weymouth, MA - Creator: Darknes
College: Cambridge of Boston
Drafted: 1953 - PRO Round 1, Pick 5
Teams: R.Providence Gold Stars (1953), Providence Gold Stars (1954-1968)
Captaincy: PRO - A (1957-1959), PRO - C (1958-1968)
McCallister Cups: 0
Awards: Most Valuable Player (1957), Playoff MVP (1964), Breakout Player of the Week (1955)
All-Stars: 2 (1957, 1963)
Player of the Week: 17

Connor O’Rourke could be argued to be one of the best QBs to never win the McCallister Cup in his career. His career got off to a shocking start with the Gold Stars who surprised everyone by taking the QB with their 5th overall selection in 1953. After sitting behind QB Bruce Woodard for a pair of seasons, O’Rourke was handed the reins. The young QB made a great first impression, winning the Breakout Player of the Year award in 1955. Just two seasons later, O’Rourke would have an MVP season, leading the Gold Stars to 9-3 and first in the East Division. Unfortunately, the team would be knocked out by the Royals in the East Division Final. O’Rourke was able to get his first playoff win the next season, beating the Independents 21-6, but fell to the Royals again in the East Final. In 1960 and 1961, O’Rourke suffered injuries that would certainly hurt the longevity of his career. Not to mention, the team hit rock bottom with a 1-11 season in 1960. However, O’Rourke would recover and with a stronger defence would make 3 straight playoff appearances. While the first two seasons ended in losses in their first game, the 1963 season would see O’Rourke reach his first and only McCallister Cup where the Gold Stars would fall just 4-points short of the Cup, losing to the Tigers 34-31. Following the cup appearance, O’Rourke’s play would decline as the team got older and they would miss the playoffs in 3 consecutive seasons. However, in 1967, O’Rourke would make one last push, getting the Gold Stars back to the East Division Final, but they were still unsuccessful. This past season, O’Rourke was clearly not the same QB he used to be and his body was getting harder to manage, so O’Rourke has decided to call it a career. Though he is expected to still be involved with football down the line.
[img]https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq1Vel5X4S6pePMY_3_9U_obpHQVLSZZ8-yDgNvIRWvkCfbJQEQooAqKz8zBTVr4olzzIu265Ikm4CzHOPbtfvs0MXY5te89jKRzWOw_6fVWL4qmLyw6zqiE25RNVu_vhzsmqI3LIMiZhR6OQp76gWF-hqcmIkUR5Q7GSfmqCEkzkzAkNQUsok7gws/s180/PRO%20Home%20-%209%20Connor%20O'Rourke%20-%20QB-01.png[/img]
WR Derek Cross - South Bend, IN - Creator: Darknes
College: Michigan U
Drafted: 1957 - MTL Round 1, Pick 5
Teams: Montreal Rouge (1957-1967), Long Island Raiders (1968)
McCallister Cup: 0
All-Stars: 3 (1960, 1961, 1964)
Player of the Week: 3

Cross was one of the most electrifying deep threats in the NAAF during his career. Cross broke into the league as a first-round pick in 1957, however, he truly broke out in the 1960 season. Topping his previous career-best 4 touchdowns, with a 10-touchdown season. Cross’ career took off, even more, when the Rouge acquired QB Gene Bishop, whose arm was perfect for hitting the speedy Cross down the field. With Bishop as his QB, Cross would help the Rouge to make a pair of McCallister Cup appearances in 1962 and 1966. However, they never were able to win the big one. Cross saw his targets and role dwindle in the Rouge offence over his last couple of seasons with the team, mostly due to the great play of WR Taylor Karis and his reducing speed. The lower reps led him to change teams to the Raiders for his final season. Cross didn’t see much time with the Raiders, so he ultimately knew his career was done and stepped away from football.

LB Deon Wiggins - Hempstead, NY - Creator: Captain Mort 3D
College: Long Island State
Drafted: 1958 - LI Round 4, Pick 37
Teams: R.Long Island Raiders (1958-1959), Long Island Raiders (1960-1968)
McCallister Cups: 1 (1965)
All-Stars: 2 (1963, 1964)
Player of the Week: 1

Wiggins is the pure definition of a hometown hero. He grew up on Long Island, went to Long Island State, and then was drafted by the Long Island Raiders. Wiggins would take a couple of years to develop, but he would become an important member of the Raiders’ defence over 9 seasons with the team from ‘60-’68. Wiggins was never the star of the defence, but he did have a couple of All-Star seasons in ‘63 and ‘64, which cemented him as one of the better LBs to play during his time. While he did just miss out on the Raiders' first run to the Cup in 1958, Wiggins was able to help the team win their 2nd title in the 1965 season. Wiggins retires after some injury-riddled seasons which was signalling the end of his playing days. 

DB Orville Blake - Toronto, ON - Creator: Wallflower
College: St. George
Drafted: 1957 - OFU - Toronto
Teams: Toronto Steelheads (1964-1968)
Captaincy: TOR - A (1967-1968)
McCallister Cups: 0
All-Stars: 2 (1965, 1965)

Orville’s time in the NAAF was very short, but he was one of the most under-the-radar players in the league. He was not a huge game changer like Oliver Langstrom or Neville Falkner, but he still was a sturdy DB for the Steelheads over their first 5 seasons. He would get some recognition for his play in the ‘65 and ‘66 seasons being named to the West Division All-Stars. Blake was never able to win the McCallister Cup, but he did win plenty while playing in the OFU prior to the merger. Blake is likely to continue to work with the NAAF, potentially being a future part of the league’s administration. 

LB Douglas MacDougall - Saint John, NB - Creator: Darknes
College: Nova Scotia
Drafted: 1958 - OTT Round 1, Pick 9
Teams: Ottawa Royals (1958-1966), Halifax Mariners (1966-1968)
McCallister Cups: 2 (1959, 1968)
All-Stars: 1 (1964)
Player of the Week: 1

MacDougall came out of the U of Nova Scotia as one of the best talents coming from the area at the time. After the Royals took him with the 9th overall pick in the draft, MacDougall would get right to work. He helped the team get their 4th Cup in 1959, which would be the first of two that MacDougall achieved in his career. The hard-working player would continue to work his way up to the top of the Royals’ LB core and be a staple in that position for many seasons. During that time, MacDougall had his lone All-Star season in 1964. As the Royals continued to go through their rebuild, MacDougall would end up on the trading block and would be sent to the Halifax Mariners to return to the Maritimes. After the ‘66 season, MacDougall would stay with the Mariners, although taking on a smaller role, and would help bring the Cup to Halifax in what would be his final season. 

OL Nicholas Waller - Dover, DE - Creator: Dan O’Mac
College: The Colonial College
Drafted: 1958 - PRO Round 2, Pick 18
Teams: Providence Gold Stars (1958-1968)
McCallister Cups: 0
All-Stars: 1 (1962)

Waller was always a player that flew under the radar. His introverted personality caused a lot of people to overlook him throughout his career. He may have also been underestimated in the 1958 draft where he went 18th overall. Waller, again quietly, became a staple on the Gold Stars’ O-line throughout his career. Unfortunately, he didn't get a lot of eyes turning his way since the Gold Stars have never really had an O-line that was above the league average in terms of skill. Despite that, he did have an All-Star season in 1962 as some became more aware that he was playing really well on the weaker O-line. He continued to play well up until this past season where he dealt with a major injury that likely led to the decision to retire. Unfortunately, spending his whole career in Providence means he was unable to get a hand on the cup.  

DL Mickey Daly - Buffalo, NY - Creator: GoRedSox96
College: Western New York
Drafted: 1957 - BUF Round 1, Pick 6
Teams: Buffalo Blue Wings (1957-1965), Pittsburgh Blacksmiths (1966-1968)
McCallister Cups: 2 (1957, 1964)
Player of the Week: 1

For a 6th overall pick, Daly’s career might be a bit of a disappointment. Not only was he a high pick, but also picked by his hometown team. Sure he was a completely serviceable starter throughout his career, being a strong piece to the Blue Wings’ D-line through his first 8 seasons, and helping them to a championship in 1964 (he also won in ‘57 as a rookie). However, he never was a true star that you would expect from a 6th overall pick. After 8 years in Buffalo, Daly would leave his hometown to play with the Blacksmiths over his final 3 seasons, where he was strong in his first season, but took massive steps in decline over the last two years.

Other Notable Retirements
QB Oscar Rigano - Bronx, NY - College: Rhode Island State - Creator: ZO82 - Drafted: 1956 MTL - R2: P9
Teams: R.MTL (1956), MTL (1957-1959), OTT (1960-1961), LI (1962), BOS (1963-1968)
S Neil Graham - Huntington, WV - College: Central Ohio - Creator: Captain Mort 3D - Drafted: 1957 ON - R2: P18
Teams: ON/LDN (1957-1968)**
LB Sam Wynn - Pawtucket, RI - College: Rhode Island State - Creator: Rugrat - Drafted: 1958 - BUF R1: P10
Teams: BUF (1958-1964)*, PIT (1965-1966), LI (1967), LOU (1967-1968)
DL Martin Garfield - Kitchener, ON - College: Kitchener-Waterloo Provincial - Creator: DireBear - Drafted: 1958 - LI R2: P17
Teams: LI (1958-1962)*, HFX (1963-1966), LDN (1967-1968)
LB Sebastian Andrews III - Montreal, QC - College: Montreal Provincial - Creator: Sevsdast - Drafted: 1958 - MTL R2: P19
Teams: MTL (1958-1964), PRO (1964), TOR (1965-1968)
OL Stanley Witt - Boston, MA - College: New England - Creator: Captain Mort 3D - Drafted: 1958 LDN - R2: P13
Teams: R.LDN (1958), LDN (1959-1960)*, BUF (1961-1964)*, BOS (1965-1968)
OL Byron Foster - Lexington, KY - College: Daniel Boone - Creator: Rugrat - Drafted: 1958 - LOU R3: P30
Teams: R.LOU (1958), LOU (1959-1966)*, PRO (1967-1968)
DL Theo Conte - Oyster Bay, NY - College: Brooklyn Metropolitan - Creator: Darknes - Drafted: 1958 - LOU R3: P21
Teams: R.LOU (1958), LOU (1959-1964)*, PIT (1965), IND (1966-1967), HFX (1967), MTL (1968)

***FULL LIST OF RETIREMENTS***


 

8/17/2022 4:35 pm  #2142


Re: North American Association of Football - NAAF

1969 Staff Changes

(I’ll start with a side note, when I was going through the coaching staff this season, I ended up doing a little more research and have re-evaluated how old coaches are when they retire. I have decided that some of the older coaches should probably retire at this point so over the next couple of seasons there is going to be a bit of a wave of retirements expected. As for my in-story reason, at this point, running a professional football team has become an increasingly demanding job and many of the older coaches are beginning to get tired from the job and are deciding to retire.)

As the 1969 NAAF offseason started to roll on, there was a lot of movement in the coaching carousel. Of course, Minnesota would need to hire an entire staff, while some others would be making some changes. Boston, after another disappointing season, are hitting the reset button yet again and have let go of their entire main staff, this includes GM Allen Hutchinson, HC Dean Reed, OC Charlie Shepard, and DC Hugo Martinez. These two seemed to be the only teams looking for new staff members, but then the rest of the league was hit with a flurry of retirements. It appears that the level of competition in the NAAF has made the coaching jobs in the NAAF a very high-demand job. So several of the older coaches have decided to put down the clipboard. The first was Roy Aguirre. The 3-time coach of the year winner and 2-time McCallister Cup winner, has finally stepped away from the sport after 11 seasons with the London Tigers. After Aguirre, came the retirement of Jimmy Sargent. Sargent was not very happy following a very disappointing 1968 season with Montreal and felt that he couldn’t put the same energy into the team that he felt was necessary. The last major coach was Indiana’s, Dannell Willis. Willis’ retirement is a bit of a surprise considering the team was in the McCallister Cup, but it was reportedly talked about at the start of the year that it might be Willis’ last. Dean Reed and Hugo Martinez also joined the other coaches in retirement, along with several other coaches not in the NAAF.

The sudden retirements spiked the number of teams in need of new staff members. The first hires would come with the Boston and Minnesota General Managers. Boston would elevate Assistant GM Richard Price to the GM role, a move that some thought might happen back when Boston was looking to replace Earnest Bryan but had instead hired Allen Hutchinson. Price is a strong scout, so a boost of young talent is expected, however, there are some concerns that Price is awfully familiar to the pretty conservative/passive Earnest Bryan. 

As for Minnesota, they would hire Calvin Carpenter as their GM. Carpenter was last employed by the Louisville Thunder, where he had been for 10 seasons. Carpenter has experience managing an expansion team, having been Louisville’s first GM, which certainly is a plus for the Serpents, not to mention, Carpenter was able to get the Thunder a McCallister Cup victory by year 6. There are still concerns over Carpenter’s below-average negotiation skills, but when building a young team, a former scout may be the best thing for them.

Moving on to the head coaches, there were 5 spots to fill and plenty of candidates. Urick Wilkins was easily the most talked about candidate. He had previously been the head coach of the Mariners and was a well-liked coach for players. Buffalo OC, Soni Dionne, was also among the conversation, having built a stellar offence with the Blue Wings as well as having past experience under Joseph Curry and the Royals. There was also talk about Raiders DC Kenneth Chaney, who has continuously put out one of the league’s best defences. Recently fired Boston coach, Levi Bray, and Thunder DC, Carroll Moss, also have head coaching experience and could easily be candidates. 

Wilkins was scheduled to interview with all 5 teams and was likely the top candidate for all of them. While Wilkins made the rounds, the teams would also look for a plan B, interviewing other candidates. The news about any hirings went quiet for about a week and a half as the teams waited on Wilkins’ decision. Finally, news would break and it came out of London. However, it was both expected and unexpected news. The Tigers announced that they have promoted Offensive Coordinator, Dewey Doyle to Head Coach. Doyle had been with the team for 9 seasons already and GM Joesph Johnson felt confident in keeping it within the organization. The move was expected of the Tigers, however, the unexpected was that the team never actually interviewed with Wilkins and had said Doyle was their top choice from the get-go. 

It would be another couple of days, but finally, the big domino would fall. The Indiana Victors announced that Urick Wilkins had agreed to an extension with the club that would make him the Head Coach of the team. Wilkins decided to stay with Indy, considering it was probably the best situation of the bunch being the only true contender, while it also remained relatively close to his hometown of Detroit. 

After the Wilkins news, the rest of the teams started to find their coaches. Minnesota would be the next to hire a coach, outbidding the Rouge for Blue Wings’ OC, Soni Dionne. Dionne hasn’t been a head coach since 1959, but has gained a lot of experience since then and should be a great addition to the young team. Montreal would fall back into plan B, hiring Halifax Mariners’ OC Alfred Deniau. It appears the Rouge wanted to return to having a French Canadian coach again and were pursuing both Dionne and Deniau. Being in Halifax, Deniau had flown under the radar, but Montreal GM Martin Gagneaux had noticed the strong offensive play from the Mariners throughout their playoff run. 

Boston was the only team yet to hire a Head Coach and the rumours had them in talks with former Boston DC Carroll Moss, and Raider DC, Kenneth Chaney. In the end, the Independents would take the gamble and go with Kenneth Chaney as the next head coach, making their last two major hirings, both of the former Raiders coordinators (Levi Bray being the other). Chaney should make a difference on defence, the clear weakness of the Independents over the last couple of seasons. 

With all the GMs and Head Coaches in place, the coordinator spots would end up being filled. Boston would hire a pair of veteran coaches in OC Theodore Ortiz and DC George Mitchell. Mitchell had previously coached with Providence in 1965, while Ortiz hadn’t been employed in the NAAF since 1958, but had a strong showing at Majeure Montreal University this season. 

Buffalo would end up hiring Levi Bray as their new OC, which might be the steal of the offseason, as Bray, despite not getting along with Braddock in Boston, is still a very smart coach and could make the Blue Wings even tougher to beat next season. 

Halifax would replace Alfred Deniau with Don Neuman. Neuman had connections with Mariners’ HC Ben McMillan from his time in Boston before he had taken on a job with the Boston Shamrocks (ACFL). Neuman lost his job and was able to find a new one with McMillan. Neuman is a tactician and should bring a new spin on the Mariners’ offence next season, however, there are concerns over his somewhat cold communication style. 

Indiana would add Haynes University Coach, Colton Forrest, to replace the promoted Wilkins as Defensive Coordinator. Forrest’s expertise is in coverage which should balance well with Wilkins’ strength as a run-stopper.

London would hire former Boston OC Charlie Shepard. Dewey Doyle is still expected to be the primary play caller, while Shepard, a former ACFL QB, will be a great addition for younger players, especially QBs.

Long Island would fill the gap left by Kenneth Chaney with up-and-coming coach Theo Espinoza. Espinoza had been on a lot of team’s radars at Brooklyn Metropolitan University, including the ACFL’s. However, his connection to Wayne Tillman lands him with the Raiders. Espinoza is believed to have the potential of being a head coach at some point in his career and might be a move for the future by the Raiders. 

Minnesota would add to Dionne with a pair of interesting hires. At offensive coordinator, they would hire Tim Bakersfield away from Montreal. The Rouge had decided to look around at other options for coordinators but had reportedly asked Bakersfield to inevitably come back, but he didn’t like that he was potentially going to be replaced and left for Minnesota. Along with Bakersfield also came former NAAF Safety, Frazier Brooks, who would become the team’s DC. Brooks is a very intelligent player that knows defences inside and out. Sure he needs some experience, but he could be a very strong hire by the Serpents. Brooks also has connections with Bakersfield, having been with the Blue Wings when Bakersfield was coaching there.

With Bakersfield gone, Montreal would end up hiring Louis Jonsson, a semi-pro coach for the Quebec City Knights. Jonsson is a strong teacher and development coach while Deniau will deal with the offence. Montreal didn’t stop there, they also let go of DC Louis Batteau and replaced him with Majeure Montreal DC, Jordan Sauveterre. Sauveterre is not the strongest coach but has helped a lot of Majeure Montreal students get to the next level, so should help with the younger talent on defence.

Overview

Boston
OUT

GM Allen Hutchinson
IHC Dean Reed - Retire
OC Charlie Shepard
DC Hugo Martinez - Retire
IN
GM Richard Price - From BOS Assistant GM
HC Kenneth Chaney - From LI DC
OC Theodore Ortiz - From Majeure Montreal HC
DC George Mitchell - From RISU DC

Buffalo
OUT
OC Soni Dionne
IN
OC Levi Bray

Halifax
OUT
OC Alfred Deniau
IN
DC Don Neuman

Indiana
OUT
HC Dannell Willis - Retire
IN
HC Urick Wilkins - From IND DC
DC Colton Forrest - From Haynes HC

London
OUT
HC Roy Aquirre - Retire
IN
HC Dewey Doyle - From LDN OC
OC Charlie Shepard - From BOS OC

Long Island
OUT
DC Kenneth Chaney
IN
DC Theo Espinoza

Minnesota
IN
GM Calvin Carpenter - From Daniel Boone Athletic Director
HC Soni Dionne - From BUF OC
OC Tim Bakersfield - From MTL OC
DC Frazier Brooks - From Haynes DC

Montreal
OUT
HC Jimmy Sargent - Retire
OC Tim Bakersfield
DC Louis Batteau
IN
HC Alfred Deniau - From HFX OC
OC Louis Jonsson - From Quebec City Knights (ECSFL)
DC Jordan Sauveterre - From Majeur Montreal DC


     Thread Starter
 

8/18/2022 4:04 am  #2143


Re: North American Association of Football - NAAF

Its cool to see some Buffalo connections with the Serpents staff with them being my two teams and all



 

8/18/2022 5:08 pm  #2144


Re: North American Association of Football - NAAF

1969 Coach Retirements

With the new retirements, I wanted to give a proper send-off to those coaches who have been some of the best in the league’s first two decades.

Coach Roy Aguirre - Toronto, ON
Teams/Positions: OC Toronto/Ontario Tigers (1951-1955), HC Providence Gold Stars (1956-1958), HC London Tigers (1958-1968)
McCallister Cups: 2 (1960, 1963)
Awards: Coach of the Year (1959, 1961, 1963)
Regular Season Record: 96-57-0
Playoff Record: 9-8

Aguirre is one of the most successful coaches in the league’s history, and is (to my knowledge), the winningest coach in the league’s history, outdoing Joseph Curry (94) by 2 wins. Aguirre entered the NAAF as an Offensive Coordinator with the Tigers before he would get a head coaching job with the Providence Gold Stars. Aguirre was strong with the Gold Stars leading them to a pair of playoff appearances and an East Division title, however, after a 2-4 start in 1958, the team fired Aguirre who would go on to get hired by the Tigers a couple of weeks later. Aguirre took over the Tigers and along with QB Riley Kiernan would lead them to have one of the best stretches of seasons in the league’s history. They would appear in 4 of 5 McCallister Cups, winning 2 of them. Aguirre also won coach of the year in 3 of those 5 seasons. Since the 1963 title, the Tigers have not been able to recreate the success they had, but Aguirre kept the team competitive even when it seemed like they would collapse. 

Coach Dannell Willis - Toronto, ON
Teams/Positions: DC Buffalo Blue Wings (1954-1955), HC Buffalo Blue Wings (1956-1963), HC Indiana Victors (1964-1968)
McCallister Cups: 1 (1957)
Awards: Coach of the Year (1957, 1965, 1966)
Regular Season Record: 69-81-4
Playoff Record: 5-5

Willis entered the NAAF as an understudy to legendary Blue Wings coach Bobby Hooper. After just two seasons in the role, Willis was given the reins. In his second season as the head coach, Willis would shock the league and lead the Blue Wings to the title, earning his first Coach of the Year award. Unfortunately for Willis, he would end up being the coach of the team through a heavy rebuild during the late 50s-early 60s which hurt his overall record significantly. Eventually, the Blue wings returned to being a competitive team, however, Willis still struggled to get the team to the next level, so he was let go. He would get a job in Indiana following the firing, and he managed to pull the squad out of their endless pit of despair, getting them to the playoffs for the first time ever in his second season. Willis continued to keep the Victors competitive, winning 2 Coach of the Year Awards back-to-back. In his final season, Willis came so close to winning a second Cup, but the Victors fell short in the final against Halifax.

Coach Jimmy Sargent - Washington DC
Teams/Positions: DC Hartford Hawks (1953), HC Long Island Hawks/Raiders (1954-1961), HC Indiana Victors (1962-1963), DC Montreal Rouge (1964-1965), HC Montreal Rouge (1966-1968)
McCallister Cups: 1 (1958)
Awards: Coach of the Year (1955)
Regular Season Record: 72-74-4
Playoff Record: 6-6

Sargent lived up to his name throughout his career, having a pretty structured and hard-nosed approach to coaching. He had a system, and if the team bought in, they were going places. Luckily for Sargent, his players bought in early when he took over the coaching job in Long Island. He would turn a 0-10 team around to a McCallister Cup finalist in 1955, earning him his lone Coach of the Year award. Then, a few years later, he would lead the team to a McCallister Cup win over the unbeaten Royals in 1958. He continued to keep the team at the top of the West Division over the next couple of seasons, however, they were unable to win a title. Sargent’s position did eventually sour due to a pair of bad seasons in the early 60s, which would lead to his firing. Sargent would catch on with the Victors the next season, but failed to get the team anywhere in his two years as Head Coach. After the stint in Indy, Sargent would take a Defensive Coorindator role with the Rouge, which would eventually lead him to get the head coaching role after a couple of seasons. Sargent’s system worked again in getting the Rouge to a McCallister Cup in 1966 and keeping them competitive the next season. However, in his final season, Sargent was slowing down and the team didn’t have the defensive talent to make up for the aging coach, so Sargent knew it was time to call it a career.

Coach Dean Reed - Brooklyn, NY
Teams/Positions: DC Boston Independents (1952), HC Boston Independents (1953-1959), HC Montreal Rouge (1960-1963), IHC Boston Independents (1968)
McCallister Cups: 0
Awards: Coach of the Year (1960)
Regular Season Record: 66-61-2
Playoff Record: 4-9

Reed, much like Dannell Willis, had been mentored by a legendary coach (Peter McDuffin), before taking on the head coaching role. He would find early success, leading the Independents to a McCallister Cup appearance in 1954, however, he too had to deal with a deep rebuild. Reed did a fine job and was able to get the team back into a competitive spot over the late 50s, but it wasn’t good enough and Reed was let go after the 1959 season. He would land in Montreal where he immediately had an impact. The previously struggling Rouge, would make their first playoff appearance in 5 years during Reed’s first season, earning him his Coach of the Year Award. They would win the East Division the next year before making it to the McCallister Cup in 1962. Unfortunately, Reed’s 4th season with the team would be a disappointing one and he would be fired. Reed was likely done from professional coaching following his stint with Montreal, but would make a return as an Interim Head Coach for Boston in 1968 before officially calling it quits.

Coach Perry Powell - Providence, RI
Teams/Positions: OC Providence Gold Stars (1951), HC Providence Gold Stars (1952-1955), HC Louisville Thunder (1957-1958), OC Montreal Rouge (1960-1963), HC Montreal Rouge (1964-1965)
McCallister Cups: 0
Awards: Coach of the Year (1953)
Regular Season Record: 41-45-2
Playoff Record: 1-3

Powell will likely attribute a lot of his success in his career to one particular season. In just his second season as the Gold Stars’ Head Coach, Powell would lead them to a franchise-best 9-1 season, taking them all the way to the McCallister Cup. That 1953 campaign would lead to Powell being viewed as a pretty strong coach, especially after he was awarded Coach of the Year. However, after the stellar season, the Gold Stars would miss the playoffs on both of the next 2 seasons with a combined record of 9-11. Powell would be fired after the ‘55 season, but would find work in 1957 with the expansion Louisville Thunder. Powell’s time with the Thunder was forgettable as the team went 4-19-1 during his time as a coach. He would land with the Rouge as an Offensive Coordinator a couple of years later, which would eventually lead to the coach getting one last crack at a head coaching role. His time with the Rouge was much better, leading the team to an East Division title in his first season, however, the team fell back down to 5-7 the next year. He would be let go again, and would never find a new job in the NAAF. 

GM Vigil Gross - Boston, MA
Teams/Positions: GM Providence Gold Stars (1953-1958), GM Montreal Rouge (1960-1964)
McCallister Cups: 0

Gross never really had the success in his career to really make him memorable, but his philosophy certainly did. Gross was easily one of the wildest GM’s in the NAAF’s history. He just made moves, trades, and signings whether the team needed to or not. He was not too bad at making teams better. In fact, he seemed to be the perfect GM early in his stints as he would make the moves to help a team take the next step. However, the drawback was always that he never stopped making moves. Even when the team was at the top of the league in competitiveness, he just kept trying to make the team better. Unfortunately, for Gross, he would overdo it, often destroying chemistry by sending away players that were important members of the team, or just losing sight of what the team actually needs to improve upon. 

The coaches have been added to the retirement spreadsheet from the previous post.


     Thread Starter
 

8/19/2022 4:07 pm  #2145


Re: North American Association of Football - NAAF

1969 Expansion Draft Protections Lists

Ahead of the Minnesota Serpents’ Expansion draft, the protection lists for each of the other 12 teams. From the remaining available players from each team, the Serpents will select 3 players from each team, however, only 1 of those 3 can be a 24 and under player.

As mentioned in the League Meetings, each of the 12 NAAF teams will be able to protect 12 players of any age as well as an additional 4 players under the age of 24. Teams are allowed to protect more than 4 under 24 players, but that will count to their normal protections.

Boston Independents
QB Nathaniel Braddock - NTC
RB Reggie Whitehead
OL Reynold Gilbertson
OL Harrold Kera
WR Zachariah Pembroke
WR Felix Fontaine
WR Jimmy Franks
TE Spencer Gripentrog - U24
DL Moses Abraham
DL Adam Thweatt - U24
LB Byron Turner - U24
LB Mads Stralman - U24
DB Oliver Langstrom
DB Mordecai King
DB Lawrence Ralph
S Ernie Osborne

Top Available
OL Graham Chambers
WR Alexei Dubois
DB Ole Snurlson
RB Rodney Clark
OL Mackens Stevenson - U24

Buffalo Blue Wings
QB Charles Lemieux
RB Jimmy Golden
RB Jasper Dickerson - U24
OL Garth Brooklyn
OL Clancy Harrison
WR Jimmy Jack
WR Tracy Driscoll - U24
TE Paul Arturberry
DL Lonnie Vincent - NTC
DL Ned Hedman - U24
LB Orion Carter - NTC
LB Randall Lambert
DB Ezra Power - NTC
DB Dean Hawkins - NTC
S Mathieu Cazenave - U24
K Ryan Perch - NTC

Top Available
WR Julius Drake
WR Sebastian Dassler
DL Albert Sullivan
S Wesley Jones
DL William Sanderson

Halifax Mariners
QB Lyle Painter
RB Rene Lyons - U24
OL Clifford Pratt
OL Millard Streety
OL Kane Warwick - U24
WR Shane Steadman - NTC
WR Jav Kerrigan
DL Wayne Baxton - NTC
DL Pat Butler
DL Bernard King
LB Bear Donnelly
LB Walker Colson - U24
LB Frederic Macnamara - U24
DB Joe Robinson
DB Aquilio Ruiz
S Jay Shephard

Top Available
RB Ronald O’Sullivan
OL Flint Boyer
WR Edward Webb
LB Pepper Burress
S Peter Sellers

Indiana Victors
QB Tom Applewhite
RB Raymond Green
RB Shannon West - U24
OL Viktor Stahl
OL Jean-Baptiste Desjardins
OL TJ Overton - U24
WR Ed Edwards - NTC
WR Jake Abbredezzi - U24
TE Eric Peterson
DL Ron Prumple
DL Brandon Hall
LB Marshall Langenbrunner
LB Mike Francis
DB Cameron Taylor
DB Carl Odebell - U24
S Tom Parrish

Top Available
OL Elias McCarren
OL Taylor Alexander
WR Evan Clanton
DL Fred Webster
DB Adam Levesque

London Tigers
QB Emmitt Jackson - U24
RB Austin Andrews
OL Emil Jennings
OL Jeffery Uduike
OL Hamish Esposito
OL Felton McDowell - U24
WR Cole Fletcher - U24
WR Jessie Lambert - U24
TE Tranquille Rousseau
DL Timothy Bits
DL Mo Kahn - U24
LB Dallas Dillard
LB Gerrard Miller - U24
DB Bernard Wilkins
DB Jackson Miles
K Nimrod Handsworth

Top Available
DL Teddy Piper
QB Magnus Torrensen
S Ezekiel Locke
QB Michael Miranda
OL Barry Florence

Long Island Raiders
QB Ivan Sanchez
RB Dareion Fields
RB Scott Norton - U24
OL Forrest Green
OL Gary Bies
OL Doyle MacInnis - U24
WR Larry Mossholder
WR Otto Washington
WR Frank Drysdale
TE Walter Lafleur
DL Pionk Bjorkkstrand
DL Ilya Mikaelov
LB William Washington II - NTC
DB Rutherford Winters
DB Lauri Hayha
S Eric Willis

Top Available
OL Mason Fitzpatrick
WR Chad Anderson
DL Abraham Adams Jr.
LB Ed Krzano
DB Nick Ulbach

Louisville Thunder
QB Buck Murphy
RB Théodore Lemieux
RB Neil Bradley - U24
OL Taylor Forbes
OL Kash Wilder - U24
WR Lloyd Lane
WR Casey Coleman - NTC
TE Rex Williamson - U24
DL Bjorn Sigmarsson
DL Aaron Henderson - U24
LB Le’Darius Wynn
LB Daniel Timothy - U24
DB Jayden Mills
DB Bobby Bastian
DB Oswald Murray - U24
S Tom McDougall

Top Available
OL Jordan Bryson
WR Carter Henderson
LB Brian O’Flaherty
S Johnny Berger
QB David Simmons

Montreal Rouge
QB Gene Bishop
RB Hugo Hughes
OL Mathieu Roy
OL Elliot Barrett
OL Bradley Clark - U24
OL Shane Willis - U24
WR Taylor Karis
WR Yahui Sun
DL Lucas Kipling - NTC
DL Alan Franjkovic - U24
LB Conrad Kurst
LB Aloysius King IV - U24
DB Jayson Klyde
DB Lamar Brown - U24
S Garet deVale
S Etienne LaMond - U24

Top Available
WR Russell Wilcox
OL Paul O’Doherty
TE Hunter Ziegelbauer
DB Ross Conroy - U24
DL Sebastian Hamilton - U24

Ottawa Royals
QB Drake Young - U24
RB Corbyn Knight
OL Crawford Starrick
OL Tommy Reynolds - U24
OL Amos Sewell
OL Matt Helmut
WR Marshall Leonard
WR Colby Bancana
TE Luiss de Brands - U24
DL Bernhard Hartmann - U24
DL Zane Tannith - NTC
LB Sam Wheeler
LB Wallace Jordan - U24
DB Jerome Caldwell - NTC
DB Sergio Alvarez
S Marc Bellecourt

Top Available
QB Martin Keller
DB Wesley Nires
WR Piers Key
OL Xavier Villeneuve
LB Enzo Morello

Pittsburgh Blacksmiths
QB Louis Vaughn
RB Tresean Jones
OL Ben Jammin
OL Erik Nelson
OL Lars Nordssen - U24
WR Taylor Austin
WR Orlando Barrack
DL Matthias Hartmann - U24
DL Tyrone Powers
DL Arthur Bradshaw -U24
LB Patrick Hamilton
LB Quinn Masters
DB Aiden Sargent
DB Zed McLaughlin - U24
DB Jim Norbel - U24
S Jarrett Sutherland

Top Available
WR Nathan Murray-Lawrence
RB Carter Roy
LB Red Clarkson
DB Corey Ross
S Calvin Hobbes

Providence Gold Stars
QB Ulysses Lawyer
RB Ronnie Byers - U24
OL Joseph Samberg
OL Herman Mecklenburg
OL Bobby Shields - U24
WR Doug Piva
WR Owen Paisley
WR Mark Taylor - U24
DL Craig White
DL Bartolo Cruz
DL Newton Dalton - U24
LB Victor Falkensteig
LB Kurt Warlock
DB Neville Falkner
DB Perry Ferris
S Paul Christopher

Top Available
RB Rashed Smith
OL Ted Cole
DL Ryan Sargent
DB Charles Grimm
WR Cedric Peterson

Toronto Steelheads
QB Todd Baker
RB Max Tracy - NTC
OL Gregory Farrell
OL Wolfgang Vander Waal
OL Alan Farquharson
WR Edmund Landry
WR Al Allmendinger - U24
WR Sterling Underhill - U24
TE Jesse Butler
DL Allen Barrera
DL Johnathan Ellison
LB Lincoln Webster
LB Judge Barrett - U24
DB Luke Warren
DB Dwayne James - U24
S Charles Clerk

Top Available
LB Kenneth Mercer
DB Felix Roy - U24
LB Grover Smith - U24
DL Richard Blunt
QB Matt Fletcher


     Thread Starter
 

8/20/2022 4:16 pm  #2146


Re: North American Association of Football - NAAF

1969 Minnesota Serpents Expansion Draft

The selections for the draft were announced 3 at a time or team-by-team. The selections are listed below with contract status next to it.

Boston Independents
1 - WR Alexei Dubois - FA
2 - DB Ole Snurlson - FA
3 - OL Stephane Lloris - FA

The Serpents apparently had the most challenging time picking players from the Independents. In the end, they would take the former #1 overall WR, Alexei Dubois to be a veteran in their WR core. Then, they would also add Ole Snurlson and Stephane Lloris for depth.

Buffalo Blue Wings
4 - DL Albert Sullivan - FA
5 - WR Sebastian Dassler - FA
6 - DB Davey Woods - U24 - 2Y, $7,500

Despite one of the greatest DL in William Sanderson available, the Serpents elected to go a much younger route. With HC Soni Dionne’s knowledge of the roster, Buffalo was one of the easiest teams to pick. First, they grabbed the 25-year-old DL in Albert Sullivan who should be the first star on the D-line for the team. Next Dionne made sure he got one of the WRs that he enjoyed coaching in Buffalo in the German-born Sebastian Dassler. Lastly, the Serpents would grab a U24 player in DB Davey Woods, who was selected 48th overall last season.

Halifax Mariners
7 - OL Flint Boyer - 1Y, $17,500
8 - WR Edward Webb - FA
9 - RB Ronald O’Sullivan - FA

Picking from the champs was certainly going to bring some strong players. Firstly, they would add to the OL with veteran Flint Boyer, who is also under contract for next season. Next, they would grab 25-year-old WR, Edward Webb to add more youth to the WR core. Lastly, they would take the Mariners’ star RB Ronald O’Sullivan who was surprisingly left unprotected and should be a strong piece if he sticks around.

Indiana Victors
10 - OL Elias McCarren - FA
11 - WR Evan Clanton - 2Y, $22,000
12 - DL Douglas Jackson - FA

From Indiana, the Mariners would take one of the best players they are going to have on their roster in OL Elias McCarren. McCarren is a former 11th overall selection and one of the best Offensive Linemen in the league. For the 4th team in a row, the Serpents would take a WR in Evan Clanton, who does have 2 years left on his deal and could be a great anchor to fill in the depth in the passing game. Lastly, they would DL Douglas Jackson as a depth piece on the D-line.

London Tigers
13 - DL Teddy Piper - FA
14 - DB Tyler Hill - 1Y, $7,500
15 - RB Richard Morin - FA

From London, the Serpents would grab DL Teddy Piper, who should be a solid starter on the interior D-line. Next was a U24 pick in DB Tyler Hill, a former 3rd-round pick. Lastly was some RB depth in Richard Morin.

Long Island Raiders
16 - OL Mason Fitzpatrick - FA
17 - S Sully Callahan - U24 - 1Y, $7,500
18 - LB Ed Krzano - 1Y, $18,000

It appears one of the weakest bunch of players is coming out of Long Island. They still got a pair of younger players in Mason Fitzpatrick and Sully Callahan, but they are looked at as depth players. LB Ed Krzano should provide some depth in the defence while bringing some experience being as a starter with the Raiders.

Louisville Thunder
19 - OL Jordan Bryson - 1Y, $12,000
20 - DL Winfield Winchester - FA
21 - LB Brent Mayiski - U24 - 1Y, $7,500

From Louisville, the Serpents would continue to add to their O-line with 26-year-old, Jordan Bryson. They would also get a shocking grab of former 2nd overall pick DL Winfield Winchester. On top of that, they would also grab 1967, 13th overall pick LB Brent Mayiski to round out the group.

Montreal Rouge
22 - TE Hunter Ziegelbauer - 1Y, $15,000
23 - DB Ross Conroy - U24 - 1Y, $10,000
24 - OL Paul O’Doherty - 1Y, $15,000

The Serpents continued to aim for the youth, grabbing a pair of 26-year-old players in starting TE Hunter Ziegelbauer and OL Paul O’Doherty, They would also grab 24-year-old DB Ross Conroy, who was a 2nd round pick in 1967. 

Ottawa Royals
25 - QB Martin Keller - U24 - 1Y, $15,000
26 - LB Enzo Morello - FA
27 - OL Xavier Villeneuve - FA

The Serpents would finally take a QB in former 1st round pick, Martin Keller. Keller is expected to be the starter or at least the future at the position, showing promise in a Week 13 start with the Royals last season. They would also add some strong pieces in LB Enzo Morello and OL Xavier Villeneuve to continue to round out the roster.

Pittsburgh Blacksmiths
28 - DB Corey Ross - FA
29 - LB Red Clarkson - 1Y, $22,000
30 - S Calvin Hobbes - 1Y, $20,000

The focus for the players coming from Pittsburgh was on defence. DB Corey Ross should be one of the most experienced DBs in the Serpents’ secondary, which is saying something considering he is only 26. They do add some real veteran help in LB Red Clarkson and S Calvin Hobbes.

Providence Gold Stars
31 - DL Ryan Sargent - 1Y, $22,000
32 - OL Ted Cole - 1Y, $12,000
33 - LB Austin Ford - U24 - 2Y, $7,500

With the Gold Stars, the Serpents would continue to take some young players in OL Ted Cole (26) and LB Austin Ford (23). Ford was a 3rd round pick last season, which could be a blow to the Gold Stars’ youth.

Toronto Steelheads
34 - LB Kenneth Mercer - FA
35 - TE Lucas Warmer - U24 - 1Y, $7,500
36 - QB Matt Fletcher - FA

Finally, the Serpents had to pick from the Steelheads, who certainly don’t have the deepest roster in the league. They would mainly focus on adding depth with LB Kenneth Mercer, expecting to be a fringe starter, TE Lucas Warmer to be a backup to Ziegelbauer, and QB Matt Fletcher to be a backup to Martin Keller.

S Calvin Hobbes and LB Red Clarkson ended up being the only two players that were selected in the Pittsburgh expansion draft and the Minnesota expansion draft.


     Thread Starter
 

8/23/2022 4:06 pm  #2147


Re: North American Association of Football - NAAF

1969 Re-Sign Stage

NAAF STARS, FALKNER AND DILLARD, TO TEST THE MARKET
A pair of stars are looking at changing teams this offseason. LB Dallas Dillard has spent 10 years as a member of the Tigers and has been one of their best players. However, Dillard has mentioned his childhood dream to play for his hometown team, the Buffalo Blue Wings. Many are expecting the veteran to sign there quickly once free agency opens. As for DB Neville Falkner, his future is much more up in the air. It appears that the former 1st overall pick isn’t exactly happy with the Gold Stars in recent history. As they have only been able to make the playoffs in 1 of their last 5 seasons. Falkner wishes to win a title before his career is over and not end up like long-time teammate QB Connor O’Rourke and retire without a championship. There will certainly be offers coming from the top contenders like Buffalo, Halifax, Ottawa, and Indiana, a couple of dark horses could also be Louisville and Pittsburgh. In fact, Pittsburgh might be a favourite considering Falkner grew up there.

SEVERAL BIG-NAME QBS INK DEALS
8 teams secured their expected starter for the 1969 season with new contracts. The biggest deal that was signed was by QB Charles Lemieux who signed a mega 5-year deal worth a total of $228,000. Lemieux becomes the highest-paid player in the NAAF earning $44,000 this year and increasing over the contract. 

The defending champs would lock up their veteran QB, Lyle Painter, to a new 2-year deal worth $37,500 a season. After a pair of strong seasons, the Thunder have signed Buck Murphy to a new 4-year deal, upping the 30-year-old’s pay to $32,500 a year. The Thunder have also finally seen Leonidas Dumont’s contract end and have let the former 1st overall pick go. 

The Blacksmiths have committed to the 1968 Breakout Player of the Year, QB Louis Vaughn, by agreeing to a 4-year deal, paying him $34,500 a season. Elsewhere, QB Gene Bishop would stay with the Rouge on a 3-year deal worth $40,000 a season. While veterans, Riley Kiernan and Todd Baker would remain with their teams on shorter-term deals. However, the most interesting QB decision was in Long Island, as they would have to decide which of their two QBs to sign, Ivan Sanchez or Landon Ross. In the end, the Raiders signed the younger of the two, Ivan Sanchez, to a 2-year deal worth $22,500 a season. Ross is expected to test the market.  

MINNESOTA FARES WELL IN SIGNING EXPANSION PICKS; 3 PLAYERS SIGNED TO EXPANSION TAGS
The Serpents fared quite well in maintaining a majority of the players they acquired in the Expansion Draft. Their biggest signings were OL Elias McCarren to a 3-year deal worth $24,500 a season. McCarren was excited about the new opportunity, especially for a chance to be able to shine outside of the shadow of All-star Offensive Lineman in Viktor Stahl and Jean-Baptiste Desjardins (Desjardins did ink a new 4-year deal with the Victors). 

Former Blue Wings, WR Sebastian Dassler and DL Albert Sullivan, both signed on with the Serpents, likely due to having their former coach with the new team. LB Enzo Morello, DB Corey Ross, and WR Edward Webb also all inked new deals. 

However, there were a few players that weren’t able to come to an agreement. Just like previous teams, the Serpents were able to use up to 3 Expansion Tags to keep a player on the team to at the very least trade the player for some value. Those tags would be used on RB Ronald O’Sullivan, DL Winfield Winchester, and OL Mason Fitzpatrick. WR Alexei Dubois and OL Xavier Villeneuve, on the other hand, will hit free agency. 

SEVERAL RUNNING BACKS AVAILABLE IN FREE AGENCY
A few running backs across the league are going to be testing the open market this offseason. The biggest names are RB Hugo Hughes and RB Rashed Smith. Hughes had said he wanted to remain with the Rouge, but the two could not agree on a contract as they were in a disagreement over salary. 

As for Smith, the threat of losing his job to the much younger RB Ronnie Byers may have been a leading reason as to why the RB left the organization. On top of that, Smith, much like other RBs in the Gold Stars’ history, didn’t get as many touches as they liked with the heavy pass attack the team typically runs. Smith was having one of his strongest seasons in 1968 but unfortunately had it cut short due to injuries. Both Backs should be great pieces for teams to add and many are looking to Halifax to make a move considering they lost their RB Ronald O’Sullivan in the expansion draft. On top of Hughes and Smith, other strong backs like Carter Roy and Rodney Clark are going to be out there as well.

LANGSTROM IS DONE WITH THE TURMOIL
It’s been 2 seasons since the blockbuster trade that sent DB Oliver Langstrom to the Boston Independents occurred. In that time, the Independents have flopped, going 10-14. On top of that, they are going onto head coach #4 in 4 years. Boston as a whole has been going through a lot of changes, and Langstrom is done with it. His career is not going to last that much longer and he wants to compete. The decision is certainly a blow to the Independents, but it’s an understandable one. 

ROYALS PART WAYS WITH CAPTAIN
With the rise of S Marc Bellecourt this season, the Royals have a new star at the position. This fact was solidified by the extension that Bellecourt signed with the Royals, locking him in for 4 years with the club. Green, who has been a career Royal and their most recent captain, is expected to at least see what spots are available but is still open to returning to Ottawa if nothing comes of it.

For a full list of the signings, check out the spreadsheet below:
SIGNINGS

Top 25 Free Agents
1 - DB Neville Falkner - PRO
2 - LB Dallas Dillard - LDN
3 - DB Oliver Langstrom - BOS
4 - S Randall Green - OTT
5 - WR Nathan Murray-Lawrence - PIT
6 - RB Rashed Smith - PRO
7 - RB Hugo Hughes - MTL
8 - WR Alexei Dubois - BOS
9 - WR Carter Henderson - LOU
10 - DL Richard Blunt - TOR
11 - OL Xavier Villeneuve - MIN (OTT)
12 - QB Landon Ross - LI
13 - RB Carter Roy - PIT
14 - DL Dean Leanman - OTT
15 - WR Troy York - HFX
16 - QB Leonidas Dumont - LOU
17 - RB Rodney Clark - BOS
18 - WR Jack Duncan - LDN
19 - S Peter Sellers - HFX
20 - S Clarence Sale - IND
21 - QB Michael Benedict - OTT
22 - OL Calvin Foreman - PIT
23 - QB Michael Miranda - LDN
24 - RB Robert Jack - OTT
25 - RB George Seahorse - LOU

Last edited by Wallflower (8/28/2022 12:48 pm)


     Thread Starter
 

8/23/2022 4:38 pm  #2148


Re: North American Association of Football - NAAF

I fixed the link if anyone tried to access the spreadsheet earlier


     Thread Starter
 

8/24/2022 4:38 pm  #2149


Re: North American Association of Football - NAAF

1969 Hall of Fame Vote
Hello, here is the vote for the next Hall of Fame class. The voting is the same as last time, you can vote up to 8 players, and the top 5 voted should get in. However, this time I may do a run-off vote if they are very spread out and there aren’t any clear winners. The newest eligible players are the retirees of 1964:
LB Aengus Lynch
S Frazier Brooks
OL Jean Mathieu-Baptiste
RB Marcus Devonshire
S Shawn Jensen
TE Jervonte Howell
LB Silas O’Brien
OL Bruce Wesley
DL Vinny Brown
OL Wilfred Gibson


The other candidates are in the sheet linked in the form just like last time.
Let me know if there are any questions!

VOTE HERE


     Thread Starter
 

8/29/2022 6:31 pm  #2150


Re: North American Association of Football - NAAF

1969 Free Agency Part 1

DILLARD, BLUNT MAKE QUICK SIGNINGS WITH EXPECTED TEAMS
The first few days of free agency ended up being quiet, as teams waited on DB Neville Falkner’s decision. However, there was a pair of expected signings that broke in the first couple of days. LB Dallas Dillard had made it clear that he desired to complete his childhood goal of playing for the Buffalo Blue Wings, leaving his long-time team, and Buffalo rival, the London Tigers, in order to make the move. Dillard would ink a 2-year deal worth $23,500 a year to play in Buffalo. While London did lose Dillard, they regained another fan favourite in DL Richard Blunt. Blunt had been traded to the Steelheads at the deadline last season in order to help the Steelheads down the stretch, but Blunt seemed to know that he would be back in his hometown by the next season. He would sign a 1-year deal worth $25,000.

NEVILLE SWEEPSTAKES TAKES THE DB WEST
Some may say that Neville is currently the best player in the NAAF, at the very least, the best defensive player. To no surprise, the DB ended up holding up the rest of the signings due to the amount of interest he had. Almost every team made at least a call into the Falkner camp to field an offer. Over the few days, the number of deals would dwindle from both teams who were in no position to contend and contenders who didn’t have the cap space to spare on the deal. In the end, there would be 3 teams vying for Falkner’s services: The Indiana Victors, Pittsburgh Blacksmiths, and Providence Gold Stars. Throughout the process, Providence was offering the highest salary in a desperate attempt to change the DB’s mind about changing teams, but it was no use as the other offers were more intriguing to Neville. Indiana made the case for being the most competitive team that was in the running after their run to the McCallister Cup last season, while Pittsburgh had shown they have a young team that is on the brink of breaking into the playoffs. Both were considered heavily by Falkner, especially with Pittsburgh as it was an opportunity to return to his hometown, however, he would shock quite a few people by selecting the Indiana Victors. Neville will be heading to Indy on a 3-year deal worth $40,000 a season, making him the highest-paid defensive player in the history of the NAAF. The move is huge for the Victors who will most certainly be looked at as one of the top contenders for the cup next season. When interviewed after the signing, Falkner noted how he loved the experience the group had and that he had a lot of confidence in Head Coach, Urick Wilkins. Falkner also is reunited with former teammate DB Cameron Taylor, who had left Providence to get out of Falkner’s shadow. Taylor, however, said that he is excited to have Falkner on the team and that he has had enough time out of the shadow and is ready to win some football games. A final note, LB Buddy Harwick has given up his #46 so Neville can have it for next season.

LANGSTROM BECOMES SECOND OPTION FOR SOME TEAMS, BUT ELECTS TO RETURN HOME
After the Falkner signing occurred, DB Oliver Langstrom was flooded with offers from several of the teams that missed out on the star. Pittsburgh had especially made a strong push, considering they needed a 3rd starting DB. However, Langstrom certainly felt a little hurt about being some teams’ second option. So he turned to the offers that were there from the start. After lengthy discussions, Langstrom would make the decision to return to his hometown of Toronto and sign with the Steelheads. It was a move that not as many saw coming, as Toronto wasn’t looked at as a top contender like other teams considering they fell apart after RB Max Tracy was knocked out of the season. Langstrom, however, feels the team is underestimated as they have been since joining the NAAF and believes he can bring the championship to Toronto. Langstrom’s contract would come out to 2-years at $38,500 a year. It was also announced Langstrom would wear his usual #17 despite the recently retired, and fan-favourite, DB Orville Blake having had the number for a long time. 

RUNNING BACK CAROUSELL SEES MANY TEAMS WITH NEW FEATURE BACKS
The selection of RB Ronald O’Sullivan from Halifax in the expansion draft seems to have started a flurry of running backs changing teams this offseason. RB Rashed Smith decided to leave Providence with the younger RB Ronnie Byers looking to take his place, RB Hugo Hughes left Montreal in search of more money, and RB Carter Roy lost his job to Tresean Jones in Pittsburgh. Several others joined the group looking for better opportunities to see the field. Halifax, Montreal, and Providence all were looking for a replacement for their missing RBs. Halifax would be the first to get one as RB Rashed Smith would jump on over to the defending champs. Smith shouldn’t have to worry about job security in Halifax considering they don’t have any real 2nd options, and hopefully he can bring a different element to the Mariners’ offence. Montreal is in talks with Hugo Hughes still, but Minnesota has also made a pitch to the back as Ronald O’Sullivan is not fully signed due to being on the expansion tag. Hughes would try to use the competition to raise his price, but eventually the Rouge would end up signing RB Carter Roy to a much cheaper contract. Providence seemed like the only other team that could fight with Minnesota for Hughes, but in the end they would sign RB George Seahorse. Seahorse did a solid job in relief for RB Théodore Lemieux with the Thunder last season. They hope that Seahorse and the younger Ronnie Byers can fill in the hole left by Rashed Smith. Suddenly, Hughes was seemingly left without a place. Minnesota is still an option for the 28-year-old, but he could see the amount he is offered dwindle, especially if Minnesota ends up keeping Ronald O’Sullivan. 

TOP PASS CATCHERS FIND NEW QUARTERBACKS TO PLAY WITH
There were several wideouts that have found a new team to call home. 27-year-old, Nathan Murray-Lawrence was the top available being the best mix of talent and youth. The Halifax native would end up deciding to head back to his hometown signing a 2-year deal worth $19,000 a season. Murray-Lawrence returns to the Mariners after the team had drafted him back in 1964, but had been taken in the Blacksmiths’ expansion draft the next season. Next to sign would be WR Carter Henderson who took a 2-year deal to be a top target with the London Tigers. Henderson wanted a bit more of the spotlight, and London’s offence seems to give that opportunity despite looking like one of the weaker squads in the West Division. Former 1st overall pick, Alexei Dubois, would head back out west and land with the Thunder after 4 and a half seasons in Boston. Dubois should find a lot of free space in the offence with many teams focused on the stars of WR Lloyd Lane and WR Casey Coleman in Louisville. Finally, Providence would add WR Troy York to round out their WR core. 

DUMONT LOOKS FOR A NEW OPPORTUNITY AFTER BEING BENCHED SINCE EARLY 1967
QB Leonidas Dumount has had a rough go since he took the Thunder to the McCallister Cup in 1962. The former 1st overall pick has suffered through several injuries and an overall decline in the time since. He did get the team back to the Cup in 1965, but had another injury riddled season in 1966. The Thunder acquired QB Buck Murphy in the offseason, and the younger QB took over the reins and left Dumont stuck. The Thunder tried to trade Dumont, but no team wanted him for his salary of almost $40,000. Dumont is finally free to find a new place. He would get a couple of offers, most notably from Minnesota and Providence. While Providence was enticing since they were looking to replace the retired QB Connor O’Rourke, he would end up heading to Minnesota, reuniting with the GM that drafted him in 1957, Calvin Carpenter. Dumont isn’t guaranteed a starting spot with Minnesota, but they do like that he brings a lot of experience and should still get some chances to play if the opportunity arises. 

Top 25 Free Agents
1 - DB Neville Falkner - PRO -> IND - 3Y, $40,000
2 - LB Dallas Dillard - LDN -> BUF - 2Y, $23,500
3 - DB Oliver Langstrom - BOS -> TOR - 2Y, $38,500
4 - S Randall Green - OTT -> LDN - 1Y, $19,000
5 - WR Nathan Murray-Lawrence - PIT -> HFX - 2Y, $19,000
6 - RB Rashed Smith - PRO -> HFX - 2Y, $27,500
7 - RB Hugo Hughes - MTL - Unsigned
8 - WR Alexei Dubois - BOS -> LOU - 1Y, $19,000
9 - WR Carter Henderson - LOU -> LDN - 2Y, $25,000
10 - DL Richard Blunt - TOR -> LDN - 1Y, $25,000
11 - OL Xavier Villeneuve - MIN (OTT) -> MTL - 2Y, $19,500
12 - QB Landon Ross - LI -> LI - 1Y, $18,000
13 - RB Carter Roy - PIT -> MTL - 2Y, $19,500
14 - DL Dean Leanman - OTT -> LI - 1Y, $17,500
15 - WR Troy York - HFX -> PRO - 1Y, $18,500
16 - QB Leonidas Dumont - LOU -> MIN - 1Y, $19,500
17 - RB Rodney Clark - BOS -> TOR - 1Y, $18,000
18 - WR Jack Duncan - LDN - Unsigned
19 - S Peter Sellers - HFX -> PIT - 1Y, $18,000
20 - S Clarence Sale - IND -> OTT - 1Y, $18,000
21 - QB Michael Benedict - OTT -> TOR - 2Y, $15,250
22 - OL Calvin Foreman - PIT -> TOR - 1Y, $14,000
23 - QB Michael Miranda - LDN - Unsigned
24 - RB Robert Jack - OTT -> OTT - 2Y, $15,500
25 - RB George Seahorse - LOU -> PRO - 2Y, $15,000

Full list of signings are again linked below. The FA signings should have the team they were formerly on in the second last column. 

SIGNINGS


     Thread Starter
 

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