1959 Season Preview and Schedule

 1959 Schedule

This season will kick off in Long Island with the Gold Stars visiting the Raiders on Thursday Night Football. Canada Day will feature a Wednesday evening game between the Royals and the Blue Wings, and the 4th of July game will be held in Louisville against the Independents. Rivalry week continues to be on during week 6, and Labour Day will feature two games with the Blue Wings visiting the Victors and the Athletics visiting the Royals. 

Schedule Legend
TNF = Thursday Night Football
FNF = Friday Night Football
SNF = Saturday Night Football
CA Day = Canada Day
4th JL = 4th of July
LB Day = Labour Day 

1959 Season Preview

Power Rankings
* = New Captaincy

1 - Long Island Raiders
1959 Record: 7-5
1959 Result: Won McCallister Cup
The defending champions come into the season with an opportunity to repeat. The defence only lost a depth piece in LB Sharquay Bradford and they replaced him with a young LB Deon Wiggins who will get to continue his development behind the 3-headed monster of LB Rusty McVee, LB Elijah Goldwater, and LB Gene Bensen. The defence as a whole should be able to maintain their great form from last season. As for the offence, 1959 Rookie of the Year, RB Dareion Fields will be aiming to make more noise in his second season while QB Lyle Painter might finally bring more to the passing game after overcoming his critics in the McCallister Cup last season. The Raiders should continue to be the favourite to win the West. 

Captains
C - DL Vernon Spears
A - LB Elijah Goldwater
A - WR Robert Lang 

2- Ottawa Royals
1959 Record: 12-0
1959 Result: Lost McCallister Cup
After an unbeaten regular season, the Royals were unable to bring home the championship. They will be hungry this season after falling short in back-to-back years. The Royals didn’t really add anything of major note during the offseason that really created a major shift from the team they had last season. But that was a team that finished 12-0, so there isn’t always a lot of space to make changes with a team like that. However, they still have some exciting young players that will be looking to make a statement in the LB core with LB Douglas McDougall getting more snaps in his second season and LB Killian Reed looking to break into the starting role. Ottawa will also have a coaching change in the defence and will have to hope that Matthew Carson can keep their defence at its best following the departure of Harry Meadows to Providence. 

Captains
C - QB Jean Matieau
A - DL Olaf Viktorsson
A - DB Uzzia Hayes 

3 - Boston Independents
1959 Record: 7-5
1959 Result: Lost Division Semi-Finals
QB Nathaniel Braddock’s rookie year was a bit of a roller coaster. After starting the year with a minor injury, Braddock was able to form great chemistry with star WR Ellis Lindholm. Unfortunately, Lindholm would miss the second half of the season leaving Boston’s offensive attack lacking. GM George Hanson knew he had to add a 2nd WR and some help on the O-line. He would go out and get Worcester WR Clyde McIntosh to help out Lindholm and then bring in former Blue Wing OL Ronnie Elliot to strengthen the O-line. Boston’s developing defence and stronger offence make them a competitor in the East this season. The only concern about Boston is their secondary with DB Lester Murphy on the last legs of his career and DB Clayton Malone returning from a season-ending injury from last season. Hopefully, the two can help Carson Scott and keep the Independents right up at the top. 

Captains
C - LB Brent Harper
A - OL Andrew Furrson
A - WR Ellis Lindholm 

4 - London Tigers
1959 Record: 6-5-1
1959 Result: Lost Division Final
The Tigers enter their second season with QB Riley Kiernan under centre. As a whole, the offence looks as scary as ever with WR Max Sutton reportedly taking a major step forward in a WR core with both Wilbert Benjamin and Benedict Spencer already playing well in. RB Clifford Russell has also been super consistent behind a strong O-line. The defence remains strong and getting better with the youth developing under the lead of LB Aengus Lynch. The Tigers are primed to be a super competitive team, and the rest of the league is just waiting for them to explode into a super team. Unfortunately, every time it seems like they may finally be tapping into their potential, they fall apart and finish around the middle of the league. They hope with HC Roy Aguirre having the entire offseason to work with the team, that this will finally be their time. 

Captains
C - LB Aengus Lynch
A - WR Wilbert Benjamin
A - QB Riley Kiernan*

5 - Montreal Rouge
1959 Record: 5-7
1959 Result: Missed Playoffs
The Rouge were easily the hottest team at the end of the 1958 season winning their final 3 games. QB Stanislav Ovechkin finally found his footing in the Montreal offence and was able to get things going. If he carries that on into this season, Montreal could easily find themselves fighting for a home playoff game this season. RB Scott Mallard-White is back on a big contract and will be looking to give Montreal what they paid for in another strong season. The big x-factor for the Rouge will be the defence which is still young and could be an issue in some situations this season, but they are developing and will be more impactful than last season. Keep your eyes on LB Sam Fitzroy and DL Dexter Barbarcos who might be the key players for the team this year. 

Captains
C - QB Stanislav Ovechkin
A - OL Eugésippe Chalifoux
A - DB Quentin Xavier

6 - Louisville Thunder
1959 Record: 1-10-1
1959 Result: Missed Playoffs
The Thunder will get a lot of praise for the past two offseasons and how they turned their team into a competitive group. The big headline, of course, is grabbing arguably the league’s best DB, Alexander Bradley. He’ll slip into a young and potentially deadly secondary that may make Louisville torture to pass against. They also made the big move of bringing in former Athletics HC Emil Riddle to coach the team which has had a major effect in keeping LB Silas O’Brien and many other players wanting to play under the 2-time Coach of the Year winner. The key will be the continued development of QB Leonidas Dumont, who looked good last season, but will need to be even better to get Louisville to the next level. The good news is the team looks to have several key pieces in WR Ben Roland, WR Piers Key, and RB Stavros Balck on the rise to help Dumont. Dumont will also be taking on a bigger leadership role this season with Riddle assigning a completely new captain group with Leo at the top. Don’t be too surprised if Louisville finds themselves in the running in the West Division this season. 

Captains
C - QB Leonidas Dumont*
A - LB Silas O’Brien*
A - DB Alexander Bradley* 

7 - Providence Gold Stars
1959 Record: 6-6
1959 Result: Lost Division Final
Providence looks to be in a transitional year. Their veterans are getting older, but they are hoping that the youth will start to find their way to the front of the lineup. With QB Connor O’Rourke at the top of his game, the Gold Stars are certainly not going to go into a full rebuild. With GM Allen Hutchinson and HC Harry Meadows taking over this season, there does seem to be a bit of a different feel about the Gold Star squad. While the dark horse is not different, this season they really feel like a wildcard that could be really good or really poor, only time will tell if the ageing team will fall off or if they will maintain strong enough play to keep in contention. 

Captains
C - DB Lee Wolfe
A - QB Connor O’Rourke
A - DL Calias McDonough* 

8 - Buffalo Blue Wings
1959 Record: 6-6
1959 Result: Lost Division Semi-Finals
It seems clear that the Blue Wings’ rebuild is beginning heading into this season. While only two years removed from their 1957 title, the Blue Wings team is on the older side and this year could be a rough one while the youth develops. Despite the rebuilding atmosphere, the Blue Wings were still able to make some strong acquisitions to keep build a bit of a future foundation. GM Dwight Gilbert was able to bring in RB Johnnie Stafford from Providence and WR Ronald Vernon from Boston to help with the offence, and then bring in 27-year-old LB David Marx over from Ottawa for the defence. Buffalo is certainly expected to be on the weaker side this season, but in the end, experience, which they have with QB Angelo Medina and DL Sean Bowen, could help them to some wins this season. 

Captains
C - DL Sean Bowen
A - S Frazier Brooks
A - OL Casey York* 

9 - Worcester Athletics
1959 Record: 4-8
1959 Result: Missed Playoffs
The Athletics should certainly be a team competing at this point with a young QB in Gene Bishop, a strong RB in Marcus Devonshire, and a star LB in Scotty Willams; however, when you lose so many key pieces in just 3 years, there’s no way you can stay as competitive as you were. HC Dean Parrish is going to have a tough time this season figuring out how to get the crumbling Athletics back into a competitive spot. They will be hoping that Gene Bishop has a stronger second season as well as the youth to take a step forward. Rookies OL Ward Briscoe and WR Zachariah Pembroke will certainly be key pieces this season as they will likely see the field a lot. A lot of pressure will certainly be on DB Dennis Kirchner to fill the shoes of Alexander Bradley, and based on his previous NAAF showing, will not likely be able to replicate that level of play. Worcester is in a mess and had a good chance to end up at the bottom of the East Division.

Captains
C - LB Scotty Williams
A - QB Gene Bishop*
A - RB Marcus Devonshire*

10 - Indiana Victors
1959 Record: 5-7
1959 Result: Missed Playoffs
The Victors unfortunately run into the issues that come with being a developing team in the NAAF. They really don’t have much to offer other teams or players to bring them into the team. The attempt to be competitive out of the gate has completely backfired and has landed GM Jacob Harrell on the hot seat. While Indy may be in for a real rough go, they still have some exciting young players that will look to give the Victors some wins this season. RB Rodney Clark looks to continue where he left off last season being a touchdown machine, while DB Kelly Kirkland and DL William Sanderson will look to make some noise on defence this year. Indy is in for a tough go, but they hope that they can take the right steps to keep moving forward.  

Captains
C - DL William Sanderson*
A - DB Kelly Kirkland*
A - RB Rodney Clark* 

Wallflower's Season Predictions

WEST
Long Island 9-3 - y
London 8-4 - x
Louisville 5-7 - x
Buffalo 3-9
Indiana 1-11

EAST
Ottawa 9-3 - y
Boston 8-4 - x
Montreal 7-5 - x
Providence 5-7
Worcester 3-9

DSF
WEST - LDN over LOU
EAST - BOS over MTL

DF
WEST - LDN over LI
EAST - BOS over OTT

41st McCallister Cup - Montreal
LDN over BOS

I think Long Island and Ottawa will take the division titles narrowly this season, London and Boston will slide into the #2 seeds in each division while Montreal returns to the playoffs and Louisville sneaks in. I just have a feeling the Tigers will finally break loose in the playoffs and go on a tear to the Cup while Boston will finally end Ottawa's Cup streak. I'm going to gamble with the Tigers taking home the Cup.

1959 NAAF Free Agency

 1959 NAAF Free Agency 

Bradley Shocks The League
Former 2nd overall pick and 4-time all-star, DB Alexander Bradley, was the talk of the free agency period. Almost every team made a push for the 27-year-old. The early rumours had the DB heading to a team with money. Boston and Montreal were at the front of that conversation with Providence being mentioned here and there. Both Boston and Montreal would be great landing places for Bradley as up and coming teams, but there was also talk from teams that were just really competitive. Long Island and Ottawa both looked like likely landing places, with London getting mentioned due to former Athletics QB Riley Kiernan and OL Magnus Gunnersson both going there last season. However, with everyone talking about those teams, they missed one team that would ultimately bring Bradley to their secondary. After being fired by the Athletics and joining Louisville, Emil Riddle made a huge push to bring Bradley to the Thunder. He would succeed in doing so adding Bradley to a deadly secondary that has S Johnny Berger, DB Jayden Mills, and this year’s 1st overall pick DB Oliver Langstrom. Bradley ultimately wanted a team with support in the secondary and Louisville certainly has that. He also was excited to be reunited with LB Silas O’Brien who would re-sign with the Thunder earlier in the offseason. His contract would end up being 5 years at $31,500-$32,000 a season which makes Bradley the highest-paid defensive back in the league. 

Royals’ GM Jon Neal Makes Several Moves to Boost Depth
The Royals would be involved in 3 trades over the course of the free agency period. The first was a lateral move which saw 3rd String QB Micheal Kramer heading back to Worcester in exchange for fellow veteran QB Andrew Glover. Worcester ultimately would just be looking for a slightly cheaper QB to back up QB Gene Bishop, as well as the team resenting Glover for being put into the starting role near the end of last season.  

Glover would not be a Royal for too long though. A week after being acquired by Ottawa, he would be sent over to Louisville in exchange for veteran DB Jesse Scott. Glover ultimately adds leadership and great teaching ability to the Thunder who are looking to further QB Leonidas Dumont’s development. Ottawa ultimately gets a depth DB in Jesse Scott as well as opening a spot on their roster for up and coming undrafted QB Dick Ray.  

​Now Ottawa would make one more big move by moving on from LB David Marx. With LB Douglas McDougall and LB Killian Reed’s development, Marx became expendable. He would be sent along with a 3rd round pick to Buffalo in exchange for veteran LB Ben McCray and WR Toni Radovanvic. McCray is a great backstop to add stability in the middle of the field in the young Royals LB core begins to struggle. Radovanovic on the other hand is a very interesting story having been in Ottawa just a year ago where he was traded to Montreal before being flipped to Buffalo and now sent back to the team that drafted him. He should find himself in the #4 WR spot for this season and will get opportunities if injuries occur.  

Top 10 Free Agent Round-Up
After Bradley went off the board the remaining top free agents would find a new home. OL Ronnie Elliot would take his talents to Boston to add to easily the best offensive line in the league heading into this season. RB Johnnie Stafford would be looking for a new start by heading to Buffalo to take over for the recently retired RB Arthur Conner. Endzone threat, WR Christian Venegas, would be a highly sought after piece who would end up heading to Providence to team up with QB Conner O’Rourke. WR Ronald Vernon would find himself heading to Buffalo to join WR Daniel Irons and WR LeRoy Krueger in a steadily improving receiving core. LB Sharquay Bradford would join Venegas in heading to Providence, while his former teammate DB Amyre Rouleau would end up heading back to Long Island instead of a new team. WR Peter Brooks would also join Rouleau in Long Island and he looks to take a shot at the title with the Raiders in what will likely be his final season. DB Louie White and QB Andrew Sexton would join the Rouge, with Whtie getting to play in his hometown to finish out his career.  

Top 10 Free Agents
1 - DB Alexander Bradley - WOR -> LOU - 5Y, $31,500-$32,000
2 - OL Ronnie Elliot - BUF -> BOS - 3Y, $17,500
3 - RB Johnnie Stafford - PRO -> BUF - 2Y, $18,000
4 - WR Christian Venegas - WOR -> PRO - 3Y, $18,500
5 - WR Ronald Vernon - BOS -> BUF - 3Y, $15,000
6 - LB Sharquay Bradford - LI -> PRO - 2Y, $14,000
7 - QB Andrew Sexton - LDN -> MTL - 1Y, $11,000
8 - DB Amyre Rouleau - LI -> LI - 1Y, $15,000
9 - DB Louie White - BUF -> MTL - 1Y, $13,500
10 - WR Peter Brooks - PRO -> LI - 1Y, $10,000 

1959 Re-sign Stage

1959 Re-sign Stage

Draftmates Get Paid In Canada
RB Scott Mallard-White and RB Clifford Russell have been very strong in their first 3 seasons in the NAAF, and this offseason, they are getting paid. Clifford Russell would be the first to sign a contract, landing in London for 4 years at $25,000 a season which made him the highest-paid RB currently playing. However, that would be topped by Mallard-White who locked into Montreal for 6 years at $30,500 a season in the first 3 seasons, and then $31,500 for the last 3 seasons. The RBs are likely to be headliners over the next decade in the NAAF and they will likely be at the top for a while. 

Konrad Aust Gets Paid
After putting up some strong numbers this past season, LB Konrad Aust gets to be paid similar to that of captain LB Brent Harper. He locked into a 4-year deal for $25,000 a season. Aust and Harper are quickly becoming a dynamic duo in the middle of the defence and if they continue to improve will be the best duo in the league. Boston was also able to lock up their recently acquired WR Clyde McIntosh to a 2-year contract at $18,500 a season. 

Stafford Moves On From Providence
Since being drafted in the 1952 draft, RB Johnnie Stafford has been in a constant cycle of having to prove himself over others. He was thrust into the starting role during his rookie season which he was not ready for. Then he was immediately replaced the next season by RB Pierre LeStrange. He would still win back the job but would end up leaving after feeling like the Hawks gave up on him. He would join Providence, but after a little time, he would be replaced by RB Laurent Brazeau and RB Élisée Marchal in back-to-back seasons. Despite being the starting back in all 12 games last season, Stafford is hoping to find a team that will put their faith in him.  

Worcester Issues Get Worse
It seems like Worcester keeps making every wrong decision in the eyes of their players. This past season, DB Alexander Bradley was not pleased with the trading of Riley Kiernan and the continued lack of help he was getting in the secondary. As the team started losing this season, his frustration grew. It started to become clear as his play took a hit as he tried to do more on the field feeling like he had to make a play which would lead to more troubles. While there were some early negotiations, they were reportedly looking to pay him even less, after his poor performance this season. He was not exactly happy about that but was still looking to do what is best for the team. However, when the entire staff was fired, Bradley had enough and decided to walk away completely. Bradley was not the only player leaving as not long after WR Christian Venegas also walked away. The wideout was not happy about trading Clyde McIntosh on top of the team’s reluctance to pay him more. Worcester certainly needs to hope that their youth takes over next season or they could be in big trouble. 

Top Free Agents
1 - DB Alexander Bradley - WOR
2 - OL Ronnie Elliot - BUF
3 - RB Johnnie Stafford - PRO
4 - WR Christian Venegas - WOR
5 - WR Ronald Vernon - BOS
6 - LB Sharquay Bradford - LI
7 - QB Andrew Sexton - LDN
8 - DB Amyre Rouleau - LI
9 - DB Louie White - BUF
10 - WR Peter Brooks - PRO 

1959 NAAF Draft

1959 NAAF Draft

1st Round 

The 1959 draft was nowhere near as chaotic as last season’s draft which saw the first 3 picks of the draft traded. In fact, this time around, there were no trades in the opening round as a whole. There were some rumours for trades around teams like Ottawa, Providence, Buffalo, and London, but nothing came of it. Without further ado, here are the selections of the first round. 

1 - Louisville Thunder - DB Oliver Langstrom - Toronto, ON
The Thunder make Langstrom just the 3rd defensive player to go with the #1 selection. While both S Garet deVale and S Cal Clemmons were highly talented options, S Johnny Berger already seems to have the S position locked down for Louisville. Going for the top DB was certainly the right decision as Langstrom with last year’s #6 pick DB Jayden Mills and S Johnny Berger will form a strong secondary for the future. 

The Gains Report
Langstrom is a very calculated player. He can see the field and often attacks plays that he sees developing in front of him. He is ruthless in the pursuit of breaking up the play, using his speed to get involved in the play. Of course, his predictions can run him into trouble, if he is wrong and gets caught out of position. As a whole, Langstrom will have the potential to be up there among the best DBs in the league that will be an annoyance to many QBs in the NAAF. 

2 - Worcester Athletics - OL Ward Briscoe - Columbus, OH
The Athletics look to replace their major loss with OL Magnus Gunnersson going to London last offseason. They also still have S Shawn Jensen on the back end, so safety was not a major need for the team.

Brad Cumberland’s Scouting Report
Briscoe is the definition of a perfect OL prospect, he’s got a high football IQ, plays with passion, and gives it his all on every play. Briscoe has strength and power that allows him to take control of the line. He uses his power to create holes for rushing plays, which makes him valuable to any run-heavy team. Worcester fits the bill and Briscoe should fit right in.  

3 - Montreal Rouge - S Garet deVale - Springfield, MA
Montreal becomes the first to take one of the two safeties at the top of the draft board. Despite S Jumon Cobb’s strong play, they know that they can’t pass up on a superb safety prospect. Montreal’s secondary certainly gets a lot better with deVale joining DBs Quentin Xavier and Jontray Cox. 

Cameron Gordon’s Scouting Report
deVale is a lighting rod, super-fast, and looks to break up plays before they fully develop. The nickname “Jupiter” has been given to deVale for his “lightning” quick abilities resembling that of the Roman god of Jupiter. While his speed is very attractive to teams, his attitude and off-field issues have been a concern. He lets his emotions get the better of him sometimes which has landed him in hot water both on and off the field. 

4- Indiana Victors - S Cal Clemmons - Sandusky, OH
The Victors had a pretty easy choice in taking the last of the players considering in the top 4. At this point, the Victors could use anyone to help move their team forward and Clemmons will have an immediate impact on the back end of the defence. 

George Stefanikis’ Scouting Report
Clemmons has a super high ceiling. He can do it all; he makes tackles, breaks up plays, and brings in interceptions with strong fundamentals and skill. He can do that with few mistakes if he’s not caught in his own emotions and showboating. The fiery safety can get caught in his desire to be a star and let his emotions fly. While sometimes it helps his team get fired up, there are times when it becomes a distraction and can cost the team.  

5 - Buffalo Blue Wings - DL Lonnie Vincent - Lowell, MA
The Blue Wings would kick off what looks to be the start of their rebuild with a young future replacement for DL Sean Bowen. The D-line is a major place of need for the Blue Wings, so Vincent was a great pick at #5. 

Johnny Singleton’s Scouting Report
Vincent is a strong player, with a large wingspan and size that allows him to grab an advantage over offensive linemen. He has high endurance which means he plays every down with the same effort as the last. He always looks to improve on the field by watching film, training, and working closely with his teammates and coaches. He has great leadership and relationships with staff members which makes him a highly sought-after prospect. 

6 - Louisville Thunder (via Boston) - WR Piers Key - Naperville, IL
With the 1st rounder that they got from Boston in the “Braddock” trade at last year’s draft, the Thunder looked to find a young receiver to pair up with WR Ben Roland. Both Piers Key and Zachariah Pembroke were options, but Key seems to be the safer option of the two. 

Ronald Wilke’s Scouting Report
Key is a great athlete with abilities, to not only bring in receptions but make defenders miss and overpower DBs to make big catches. In fact, he is at his best in the endzone using his height and catching abilities to make plays in tough coverage. He’s shown these strong abilities in college, but he’ll still need to work on the more detailed skills of a WR. He can be a bit reckless and try to take things into his own hands if he sees the opportunity, but he truly is trying to win and in fact, has a leadership element that can come out when necessary. 

7 - Providence Gold Stars - DB Cameron Taylor - Philadelphia, PA
The Gold Stars are in desperate need to bring in a younger secondary with Lee Wolfe at 35 and Victor Bean at 32. They did have an up and coming DB in Ricardo Salvador, but they sent him to London in order to get RB Laurent Brazeau and DB Paul Gregory for a playoff run in 1956. Taylor was looking like an ACFL prospect but made the move to the NAAF seeing Nathaniel Braddock make the same decision last season. 

Wally Flowers’ scouting Report
Taylor is a great athlete, with strong speed and jumping ability in order to get involved in the play. He has solid awareness in man-to-man, which will allow him to shut down top tier receivers, but zone coverage could be an issue with his weaker tackling ability. The good news is you are getting a competitor who goes for every play he can and will try no matter what. 

8 - London Tigers - LB Dallas Dillard - Buffalo, NY
The Tigers don’t have a lot of positions that have older players or dire needs, so they looked to the future and grabbed Dillard to hopefully develop behind LBs Aengus Lynch and Benjamin Pittman 

George Stefanikis’ Scouting Report
Well, it is a bit unfortunate that a hardcore Blue Wings fan is headed to their rival’s team, but Dillard is going to be a great addition to the squad. Dillard is one of the smartest players out there graduating college at the top of his class and a biology degree. His IQ on the field will certainly help him be a leader and be able to know where the play is going. He has a great tackling ability, but he does struggle in coverage situations, which will be his major point of focus during his early development. 

9 - Ottawa Royals - OL Levi Francoeur - Métis-sur-Mer, QC
The Royals had a tough decision to make on which line to focus on. Since they don’t pick until the 4th round after the 9th pick, they had to go with the best available in either position. In the end, they went to the Quebecois OL Levi Francoeur.  

George Stefanikis’ Scouting Report
Francoeur is a true workhorse, who is often in the gym getting stronger. While he is big and has the strength, the technical skills can be a bit of an issue. While he’s fine in simple run blocking situations and quick throws, he will start to make mistakes if he has to hold a block for longer. Certainly needs some development, but as a whole, his strength and work ethic make him a strong candidate to become a better player in the future for Ottawa. 

10 - Long Island Raiders - OL Brian O’Leary - South Boston, MA
The Raiders would close out the opening round by reaching a bit to grab O’Leary. He was expected to go mid 2nd round, but the Raiders had him on their list and took the chance to grab him at 10. 

The Gains Report
O’Leary has a very happy go lucky personality and gets along with a lot of people. He’s got strong technical skills and fundamentals, but he certainly isn’t a physical specimen. He can hold blocks well, but faster players will be able to get the better of him. With the speed of a lot of newer D-linemen in the NAAF, O’Leary will likely need to work on that flaw to get into starting snaps. 

That wraps up the opening round of the NAAF draft, not a lot of action, but some strong building blocks for the future of these teams, 3 more rounds are ahead, and they will be out soon enough. 

1959 NAAF Draft
2nd Round
The second round continued as the first round went. Louisville would kick off the round by taking LB George Yokoi to add to LB Silas O’Brien and LB Charlie Finster in their defence. Yokoi will need to develop a bit, but he could be great with the younger group. Worcester would follow it up by taking WR Zachariah Pembroke, who surprisingly dropped out of the first round as they look to give Gene Bishop some weapons. Montreal would take hometown DL Hubert Tessier with the next pick to continue to add to the defence. Indiana would go for an offensive weapon in WR Silas Peyton while Buffalo hopes that they could get a 2nd round gem in RB Cody Barnes.  

Boston was rumoured to move up in the draft, especially with Pembroke dropping, but Worcester would beat them to it. With Peyton off the board too, they would instead look to improve the D-line with DL Dennis Hughes. However, moments later Louisville and Providence would make the first trade of the draft.

The Thunder would jump up to the 17th overall pick in exchange for the 21st overall pick and 3rd string RB Lucas Bush. They would then select OL Forrest Green with the pick. An interesting lineman with an abnormal wingspan, that allows him to cover a large area.  

To finish out the round the Tigers would grab WR Jack Duncan, Worcester would bring in DL Ted Madison, and finally, DB Max Lehr would go to Long Island. 

11 - LOU - LB George Yokoi - Brooklyn, NY - QCS
12 - WOR - WR Zachariah Pembroke - Manchester, NH - Darknes
13 - MTL - DL Hubert Tessier - Montreal, QC - Wallflower
14 - IND - WR Silas Peyton - Quechee, VT - Darknes
15 - BUF - RB Cody Barnes - Sudbury, ON - Rugrat
16 - BOS - DL Dennis Hughes - Pittsburgh, PA - Captain Mort 3D
17 - LOU (via PRO) - OL Forrest Green - Sault Ste. Marie, ON - Thehealthiestscratch
18 - LDN - WR Jack Duncan - Wilmington, DE - Captain Mort 3D
19 - WOR (via OTT) - DL Ted Madison - Holland, MI - DireBear
20 - LI - DB Max Lehr - Wheeling, WV - DireBear 

3rd Round
The 3rd round would start with Providence making the pick they traded Louisville for. Unfortunately one of their options, Max Lehr had gone just before them, but they were glad to grab LB Brady O’Conner to add some youth in the middle of their defence. Several linemen would go after that before the biggest trade of the draft occurred. 

The Boston Independents have been looking for a #2 WR to add behind WR Ellis Lindholm. They were looking to draft someone earlier but they were too far back. Instead, they went to Worcester to grab a veteran wideout for the job. They would acquire WR Clyde McIntosh in exchange for the 26th overall pick and S prospect Clancy Scott. McIntosh is without a contract which makes his price lower, and Boston took advantage, if they can lock him up, McIntosh will be a great addition to open up the field for Lindholm.  

Worcester would grab TE Oliver Chandler with the pick, but right before them, Buffalo would take the first QB of the draft with Jack Owens. Buffalo hopes that Owens could be a diamond in the rough to eventually replace QB Angelo Medina, or at least be an option. The final 4 picks didn’t have any real surprises as the teams were grabbing minor needs or local talent. 

21 - PRO (via LOU) - LB Brady O’Conner - Chicago, IL - Rugrat
22 - WOR - OL Otis Bates - Hartford, CT - Captain Mort 3D
23 - BUF (via MTL) - DL Harrison Fink - Windsor, ON - Darknes
24 - IND - OL Jimmy McKay - Falmouth, MA - Dan O’Mac
25 - BUF - QB Jack Owens - Nashville, TN - Rugrat
26 - WOR (via BOS) - TE Oliver Chandler - Indianapolis, IN - Captain Mort 3D
27 - PRO - DB Peter Lee - Ottawa, ON - Wallflower
28 - LDN - DL Nicholas Patterson - Toronto, ON - Wallflower
29 - LOU (via OTT) - OL Daniel Davidson - Boston, MA - Wallflower
30 - LI - TE Andrew Mathias - New York City, NY - Stickman 

4th Round
Ottawa would open up the final round with just their second pick of the draft by taking WR Houston Parker. They would also take WR Russell Montauge later on as they look to add depth in the receiving core. The Tigers would take the only kicker of the draft in London native, K Nimrod Handsworth. They would also grab QB Phil Lowe Jr. with the 38th pick, a QB out of Michigan who seems like a long term project for the team. The remaining picks ended up being teams either going local or taking a shot in the dark.
 
31 - OTT (via LOU) - WR Houston Parker - Washington DC - Rugrat
32 - LDN (via WOR) - K Nimrod Handsworth - London, ON - Stickman
33 - MTL - OL William Johnson - South Bend, IN - Stickman
34 - IND - OL Frank Jorgensen - Big Beaver Lick, KY - Dan O’Mac
35 - BUF - RB Joseph Van Horne - Peoria, IL - Rugrat
36 - BOS - DB Hank McCoy - Louisville, KY - Rugrat
37 - OTT (via PRO) - OL Scott Liebowitz - New York City, NY - Rugrat
38 - LDN - QB Phil Lowe Jr. - Ann Arbor, MI - Rugrat
39 - OTT - WR Russell Montauge - Kenosha, WI - Rugrat
40 - LI - S Phil Fratello - Rochester, NY - Rugrat 

Undrafted Prospects
TE Inder Mallard - Fort Wayne, IN - Sevsdast
DB Larry Pickett - Washington DC - Rugrat
QB Otis Johnson - Stamford, CT - Rugrat
RB Dom D'Amato - Montreal, QC - Rugrat
LB Rick Finklerman - Concord, NH - Rugrat
K Frank Hughes - Dover, DE - Rugrat

1959 NAAF Draft Preview

1959 NAAF Draft Preview 

The draft class of 1959 does not have the same wow factor that the ‘58 class had, but there are certainly some strong prospects at the very top of the list. Teams will be looking to upgrade their secondary if they are in the top 4. DB Oliver Langstrom, S Cal Clemmons, and S Garet deVale all have next-level abilities that will make them immediate threats to QBs around the NAAF. However, with the high talent, you do get some strong personalities so pick at your own risk seems to be the thoughts going into those 3 players. OL Ward Briscoe will also be a top target for a team near the top for anyone that needs to add to their O-line. He is a strong and hard-working player that will be great for run-heavy teams. 

After the top 4, things start to get a little all over the place. WR Zachariah Pembroke and WR Piers Key will both be strong options for teams to add weapons to their offence. Pembroke carries a lot of the physical advantages of a taller receiver with a large wingspan, while Key has more athletic ability and can get open in tight situations making him a red zone target. 

DL Lonnie Vincent will headline the strong defensive additions teams could make outside the top 4, having great size and strength plus a never give up attitude. Both LB Dallas Dillard and LB George Yokoi could be good options. Dillard has a lot of range moving around the field, but his coverage isn’t the best. Some will say that Yokoi could be the more talented of the two LBs but he lacks some confidence in his own play which causes him to hesitate in pressure moments. 

DB Cameron Taylor will also make headlines as he was expected to be an early 2nd round pick in the ACFL’s draft, but he decided to follow QB Nathaniel Braddock’s path and shoot for the NAAF where he looks to be falling around the same spot. He’s another strong athlete, that plays to the whistle, maybe even after the whistle. In the big picture, if more players continue to make the jump to the NAAF, the ACFL will surely have an issue. 

Top 25 Prospects
1 - DB Oliver Langstrom - Lawrence Gainsborough - Darknes
2 - S Cal Clemmons - George Stefanikis - Dan O’Mac
3 - OL Ward Briscoe - Brad Cumberland - DireBear
4 - S Garet deVale - Cameron Gordon - QCS
5 - DL Lonnie Vincent - Johnny Singleton - Captain Mort 3D
6 - WR Zachariah Pembroke - Lawrence Gainsborough - Darknes
7 - OL Levi Francoeur - George Stefanikis - Dan O’Mac
8 - WR Piers Key - Ronald Wilke - ThisIsFine
9 - LB Dallas Dillard - George Stefanikis - Dan O’Mac
10 - DB Cameron Taylor - Wally Flowers - Wallflower
11 - LB George Yokoi - Cameron Gordon - QCS
12 - DL Dennis Hughes - Johnny Singleton - Captain Mort 3D
13 - OL Forrest Green - Roger Roy - Thehealthiestscratch
14 - DL Hubert Tessier - Wally Flowers - Wallflower
15 - OL Brian O’Leary - Lawrence Gainsborough - Darknes
16 - WR Silas Peyton - Lawrence Gainsborough - Darknes
17 - RB Cody Barnes - Dewey Thomas - Rugrat
18 - TE Oliver Chandler - Johnny Singleton - Captain Mort 3D
19 - WR Jack Duncan - Johnny Singleton - Captain Mort 3D
20 - DB Max Lehr - Brad Cumberland - DireBear
21 - DL Ted Madison - Brad Cumberland - DireBear
22 - LB Brady O’Connor - Dewey Thomas - Rugrat
23 - TE Andrew Mathias - Johnny Armando - Stickman
24 - DL Harrison Fink - Lawrence Gainsborough - Darknes
25 - OL Jimmy McKay - George Stefanikis - Dan O’Mac 

Louisville sits in a good spot. While some are worried that they made the wrong choice trading out of the Nathaniel Braddock pick last season, they do enter this draft with 3 picks in the top 11. A few teams have had similar experiences and have had success like the Raiders who picked 3 times in the top 9 in 1954 with DL Vernon Spears (1), LB Elijah Goldwater (4), and WR Darryl Duke (9). Louisville looks to likely take one of the secondary players early and then look to one of the WRs later before potentially adding more to the defence at 11.  The top 4 players will likely go to the first 4 picks, but the order is quite split among scouts’ mock drafts. After those 4, there isn’t really much to go off of, and trade rumours are very quiet at the moment, which could make for a less chaotic draft or some big surprises. 

Draft Order and Needs
1 - Louisville Thunder - DL, LB, DB, WR, OL
Picks: 1, 6, 11, 21, 29
2 - Worcester Athletics - OL, DL, WR, LB
Picks: 2, 12, 19, 22
3 - Montreal Rouge - DL, LB, OL, S
Picks: 3, 13, 33
4 - Indiana Victors - WR, LB, DB, S, OL, DL
Picks: 4, 14, 24, 34
5 - Buffalo Blue Wings - RB, DL, LB, OL
Picks: 5, 15, 23, 25, 35
6 - Boston Independents - WR, DL, DB, OL
Picks: 16, 26, 36 - *LOU has 1st rounder
7 - Providence Gold Stars - DB, LB, DL, OL, RB
Picks: 7, 17, 27
8 - London Tigers - LB, OL, DL, WR
Picks: 8, 18, 28, 32, 38
9 - Ottawa Royals - OL, DL
Picks: 9, 31, 37, 39
10 - Long Island Raiders - OL, DB
Picks: 10, 20, 30, 40 

1959 Coaching Changes

1959 Coaching Changes

Worcester Athletics
The first news of coaching changes came from Worcester, who dumped their entire coaching staff. It was clear that HC Emil Riddle and even OC Dewey Doyle were not able to get QB Gene Bishop going. In fact, Riddle’s decision to put QB Andrew Glover into the starting role was the clear indicator that he was not working well with Bishop and might have been showing his frustration over the Kiernan trade. GM Jack Mckinnon felt that it might be a time for a clean slate and fired all 3 coaches. 

Louisville Thunder
Louisville was the next to break the news that they would be making changes firing HC Perry Powell after two seasons and a 4-19-1 record. They would then announce the hiring of Emil Riddle not long after. Riddle is a strong hire for the Thunder, as he was the coach that got the Athletics from a basement dweller to a contender in a short time span. Riddle would continue to make changes by letting go of both OC Theodore Ortiz and DC Jerome Morris. He would hire his former DC from Worcester, Hugo Martinez to take on the defensive responsibilities. Then, he would go back to his days with the Pittsburgh Hammers and hire their most recent head coach Kelly Holder. Holder had worked offensive duties with Riddle back in the day. He took over for Riddle when he left Pittsburgh, but after several rough seasons, Holder was fired. Holder works well with QBs, making some mediocre starters look alright, which should be good news for the young QB Leonidas Dumont. 

Providence Gold Stars
While Providence had a strong turnaround under Interim Head Coach Dean Parrish, they would decide to go in a different direction and hire Ottawa Royals’ DC Harry Meadows as their new Head Coach. Meadows had been with the Royals since 1951 and coached a weaker defence to help in 3 McCallister Cup wins and 5 appearances in total. The head coach role has been a long time coming and he should help to build a crumbling Gold Star defence. They would also bring Ted McMahon back as the OC. McMahon works well with Connor O’Rourke and should make for a good coach for the offence. 

Worcester Athletics (cont.)
Worcester would ultimately hire Dean Parrish from Providence, looking at his 5-2 finish to last season as a strong resume. Parrish is offensively minded so might be a good hire for Bishop. They would then make some interesting hires elsewhere, bringing in Clyde Wall for OC, who is known for some frustration that happened between him and QB Riley Kiernan in London last season. They would then hire George Mitchell for DC who had one season as DC in Long Island during the winless 1954 season.  

Montreal Rouge and Ottawa Royals
Montreal would make a minor switch letting go of DC Paul Byers after a rough year for the defence. They would bring in Carroll Moss, a defensive-minded college coach out of the Boston area, to take on the role. While Ottawa would bring on former Tigers DC Matthew Carson. Carson had been in the OFU before his short time with the Tigers, so he has the experience, but it will be a high-pressure job in Ottawa for the younger coach. 

1959 Retirements

1959 Retirements

RB Élisée Marchal - Montreal, QC
Teams: Montreal Rouge (1949-1956); Providence Gold Stars (1957-1958)
McCallister Cups: 2 (1951, 1953)
Awards: 3 MVP (1949-1951); Offensive Player of the Year (1953); Playoff MVP (1951, 1953); McCallister Cup MVP (1951)
All-Stars: 6 (1949-1954)
Marchal will leave the NAAF as the best running back the league has seen. He tore up the league in the early years taking home the first 3 MVP awards. He was able to lead Montreal to their two titles in 1951 and 1953 where he earned playoff MVP in both seasons. He took home an OPOY award in 1953 and had 6 All-Star seasons from 1949-1954. After the ‘54 season, Marchal took a step back with the Rouge going into a rebuild and a young RB Scott Mallard-White was coming up through the Rouge organization. In 1957, Marchal signed with the Gold Stars where he would pair up with RB Johnnie Stafford in helping Providence to a 9-3 season. This past year, Marchal didn’t see the field much which ultimately led him to retire at the age of 36. Marchal will forever be a hero in Montreal and I doubt anyone else will be wearing his #25. 

RB Arthur Conner - Buffalo, NY
Teams: Buffalo Blue Wings (1949-1958)
McCallister Cups: 2 (1952,1957)
Awards: Offensive Player of the Year (1955, 1957); McCallister Cup MVP (1952), Playoff MVP (1952)
All-Stars: 4 (1952, 1955-1957)
Captaincy: BUF - A (1957-1958)
Arthur Conner will be remembered very fondly by his hometown crowd. The running back was a centrepiece to their team for the first 10 seasons of the NAAF. His first major breakthrough was in the 1952 season, where he helped the team win their first title in any competition. However, his career really took off as he got older. He won two OPOY awards in ‘55 and ‘57 where he was at the top of the league in rushing categories in both seasons. He would also help the team to their second title in the 1957 season just before he finished out his career this season taking a step back from his dominant play. 

RB Laurent Brazeau - Montreal, QC
Teams: Toronto/Ontario Tigers (1950-1956); Providence Gold Stars (1956); Indiana Victors (1957-1958)
McCallister Cups: 0
Awards: Offensive Player of the Year (1951); Rookie of the Year (1950)
All-Stars: 2 (1951, 1952)
Captaincy: IND - A (1957-1958)
Laurent Brazeau made a huge statement entering the NAAF from the Quebec Amateur League with the lowly Tigers. He had a strong first season in 1950 which earned him the first rookie of the year award that the NAAF gave out. He then made a statement in the Tigers’ first trial game in Kitchener, where he laid a monster stiff arm on DB Lee Wolfe en route to a huge touchdown run. He would take home OPOY that season falling just behind Marchal in touchdowns. Brazeau continued to be a monster down the middle for the Tigers, however, he was never able to get the Tigers anywhere. In his 6.5 seasons with the team, he never played a playoff game. During the 1956 season, Brazeau was dealt to Providence where he would play his only playoff game, scoring a touchdown in a 26-24 loss to Worcester. He would spend his final two seasons with the expansion Victors rushing for 15 more touchdowns over the two seasons. 

K Thomas McFadden - Worcester, MA
Teams: Hartford Hawks/Long Island Hawks/Raiders (1949-1956); Louisville Thunder (1957-1958)
McCallister Cups: 0Awards: 5 Special Teams Player of the Year (1949, 1951, 1952, 1955, 1956)
All-Stars: 6 (1949, 1951, 1952, 1955-1957)
Captaincy: LOU - A (1957-1958)
Thomas McFadden has been the league’s most recognizable kicker over his career. He has reeled in 5 Special Teams awards which is the most a single player has won a single award. He was always consistent throughout his many years with the Hawks/Raiders franchise, however, had been picked up by Louisville before the team won their title this season. He was still able to play in the 37th McCallister Cup game in 1955 with the team. McFadden would serve as one of the Thunder’s assistant captains in his two years with the team, before finally calling it a career.  

WR John Osborn - Watertown, NY
Teams: Ottawa Royals (1949-1952); Providence Gold Stars (1953-1956); Long Island Raiders (1957); Ottawa Royals (1958)
McCallister Cups: 0
Awards: Breakout Player of the Year (1953)John Osborn was not a superstar by any means, but he still had one strong season in 1953 which earned him a breakout player award. The season followed a trade that sent him from Ottawa to Providence where he truly was able to make his mark. However, he was never quite as good as that breakout year, and slowly fell away before playing a season in Long Island and then returning to Ottawa for his last.

Other Notable Retirements
DB Ollie Guy - Worcester, MA - PRO (1949-1954); BUF (1955-1956); IND (1957-1958)
DB Paul Gregory - Markham, ON - TOR/ON (1949-1956); PRO (1956-1958); LI (1958)*DB Dylan Alston - Rochester, NY - BUF (1949-1958)**
LB Mickaël Beaumont - Montreal, QC - OTT (1949-1956)***; IND(1957); OTT (1958)
WR Micheal Mcleod - New Haven, CT - HAR (1949-1952); PRO (1953-1954); WOR (1955-1956); LOU (1957); OTT (1958)
LB Claude Adams - Orchard Park, NY - BUF (1949-1958)**
OL Samuel Weston - New York City, NY - LI (1954-1956); IND (1957); LI (1958)*
OL Bernard Gide - ON (1954-1956); PRO (1956-1958)
LB Leo Davenport - Rochester, NY - PRO (1951); OTT (1951-1957)***; LOU (1958)
DL Garret Mason - Pittsburgh, PA - BUF (1949-1958)**