1962 NAAF Draft

1962 NAAF Draft

1st Round

1 - Indiana Victors - OL Jean-Baptiste Desjardins - Gatineau, QC
There were several options for the Indiana Victors at the top of the draft, however, when it came down to it the team would look to find a solution to their biggest problem. It certainly is not a flashy pick, but it is a necessary one as Desjardins will be able to step in immediately and make an impact on the O-line. 

Cameron Gordon’s Scouting Report
A passionate player, Desjardins is a great addition for any team. He gives it his all as long as he has a goal in mind. He wants to be the best and wants to win. He will do what it takes, however, if he’s in a bad situation, he can get a bit discouraged. Desjardins is pumped to be heading into the NAAF, just hope that the Victors can start finding some success.

2 - The Athletics - DL Pat Butler - Manchester, NH
The game plan for the Athletics was to simply pick the best available. When Larry Larson stepped into the GM role, the scouting system was all over the place. He would have to rely a lot on his own knowledge and the Gains Report. They had a couple of options at #2, but Larson would decide to add on the DL with Butler after getting a strong LB prospect in the Scotty Williams trade.

Johnny Singleton’s Scouting Report
While he is undersized, the young DL is strong as ever. He makes up for the height with an ability to bring people down with his strength and mobility. His smaller size does allow him to have greater mobility on the field. He knows how to bring the pressure with his agility and ability to get around guys with speed. On top of his skill, he is a hard worker that will do what it takes to be at his best, which is a great building block in the true reset of the Athletics. 

3 - Long Island Raiders - DB Lauri Hayha - Fort Drum, NY (Born in Helsinki, FN)
The Raiders would come up to bat with the 3rd pick of the draft. With the loss of DB Slay Mitchell, GM Wayne Tillman thought they had to go with DB here. He would take his shot on the potential dark horse pick in DB Lauri Hayha. With the team grabbing DB Rutherford Winters in last year’s draft, they are starting to develop a strong secondary once again. 

Lawrence Gainsborough’s Scouting Report
The Finnish-born DB had only appeared on the radar over the past year. He had a breakout year during his senior year of college. Coming out of the smaller Oneida College near Syracuse, Hayha hasn’t gotten a lot of attention, however, Hayha broke through with a conference-leading 15 Interception season. He seemed to always be where the ball was going and that type of skill is hard to come by. Along with that, he is fast and agile which makes for a serious threat all over the field. The question will be if he was at too low of a level in college, and will he be able to translate his performance to the professional level. 

4 - Ottawa Royals - RB Corbyn Knight - Hamilton, ON
The Royals would follow up the Raiders with their highest draft pick since 1952 when the team had the 4th pick and traded up to take RB Alexei Volkov at 2. It would end up being a repeat from that early pick with the Royals taking an RB once again. Corbyn Knight had been expected to be headed to the OFU, but he ended up deciding the NAAF was a better option. He will remain in Ottawa as the Royals look to the future of the franchise. 

Lawrence Gainsborough’s Scouting Report
Many would overlook Corbyn Knight at first, due to being what is considered undersized, however, once he steps on the field, there is no catching him. The speedster is one of the fastest RB to come into the NAAF draft. He will likely match players like RB Dareion Fields and Clifford Russell in speed if he isn’t already faster. He also has strength that can be deployed when he needs it. The Royals might have fallen onto another great piece that can lead to more success in the future. 

5 - Buffalo Blue Wings - LB Orion Carter - Pawtucket, RI
The Blue Wings had LB Orion Carter at the top of their board heading into the draft. In fact, there were rumblings that new GM Reginald McMahon was talking to several of the top teams about a potential trade-up just to get him. However, the rest of the teams were pretty set on who they wanted. It would work out for the Blue Wings in the end as Carter fell to them at the #5 pick. 

Ivan di Marco’s Scouting Report
Carter is a passionate player that really gets into the game, while that has been an issue at times, he still remains a strong piece for the Blue Wings to add to the defence. Carter’s specialty is stopping plays coming out of the backfield. He is a great tackler and will find a way to the RB if he ever breaks through a hole. He does lack in coverage ability but makes up for it as a key piece to add pressure. A comparable would be LB Rusty McVee for Orion Carter, who will look to make an immediate impact in Buffalo. 

6 - Providence Gold Stars - WR Owen Paisley - Bangor, ME
The Gold Stars took a while to make their pick at 6. To no surprise, it was due to the team aiming to make a trade down from the pick since their top pick in Orion Carter had already gone. With QB Michael Benedict, being the top pick they thought they would be able to bring in a trade partner, but no one bit so they took WR Owen Paisley to add another weapon to the offence heading into this season.

George Stefanakis’ Scouting Reports
Paisley is a tall, big body WR who is really good over the middle being able to use his size to make his own space. He also has a solid blocking ability which means he can step into the TE position if needed. He is also a very genuine kid, who is easy-going and many of his teammates like him. An overall solid pick for the Gold Stars.

TRADE ALERT
Louisville was in the same situation as the Providence from the pick before, they really didn’t see much for them at the 7th pick. With QB Michael Benedict still on the board, it was expected that a team in need of a QB would make a move. However, when it was announced that the Blue Wings were the ones trading up, there were some heads scratching. The Blue Wings already had a young QB in Charles Lemieux. 

Louisville took the trade for the main reason of getting QB Stanislav Ovechkin on a reduced salary. The team felt like they needed a backup for QB Leonidas Dumont if they were going to be able to truly compete. This comes from QB Christian Stewart stepping in for Riley Kiernan in 1960 to get them to the final, and seeing Connor O’Rourke’s injury for the Gold Stars being a big reason they struggled early on. They would also receive the 15th overall pick as well.

7 - Buffalo Blue Wings (via Louisville Thunder) - WR Julius Drake - Grand Rapids, MI
Following their trade, the speculation about the Blue Wings’ move was all over the place, where they going to replace Lemieux? Or are they gambling on something else? In the end, the Blue Wings just wanted a strong WR and they were not going to get Julius Drake at 15th overall. 

Brad Cumberland’s Scouting Report
Drake is similar to Owen Paisley, who went one pick above. A tall and strong WR that can dominate the middle. Drake has a bit more vertical potential to go down the field rather than just be over the middle. He had leadership qualities and has a desire to win, though he can get frustrated if he doesn’t have a chance to do that. Overall, with the changes the Blue Wings have made, he might be in the right position. 

8 - The Athletics (via Montreal Rouge) - QB Michael Benedict - Dowagiac, MI 
Up next, with the pick they received for OL Cliff Strautzenberger in the 1961 season, the Athletics would aim to set up the future with a pick at QB. Larson was a bit hesitant to take a QB, but seeing Benedict there at 8, he felt like it was the right time and choice for the team. 

Dick Dingleberry’s Scouting Report
Statue-like mobility is how I describe him, he doesn’t move a lot, he has a wicked cannon that can get the ball off really quickly. He’s got accuracy to back it up and good decision-making. Some may say he’s not too dissimilar to Larry Larson himself, as an accurate passer with not too much mobility. He has lots of talent, however, he is likely to face a lot of pressure with the Athletics, so it could be a tough first season. 

9 - London Tigers - OL Jeffery Uduike - Moncton, NB
The Tigers would look to find a replacement for OL Kazimir Smirnov with their first pick taking New Brunswick native, Jeffery Uduike. 

Cameron Gordon’s Scouting Report
Uduike is a big guy that is going to be able to stand his ground. He’s got great pass blocking which is going to be important on a Tigers team that likes to throw the ball. He does lack some mobility which makes him weaker in run blocking, but with some more training, he could be a solid all-around OL for the Tigers. 

10 - Boston Independents - DL Sammy Pickett - Sydney, NS
With the final pick of the 1st round, the Independents would reach into the second round and grab DL Sammy Pickett. The Independents have continuously been looking for more pieces on the DL and Pickett was the best available to meet that need.

Dewey Thomas’ Scouting Report
Pickett is a strong leader on and off the field. He keeps his teammates up and fighting. Along with that, he has a strong IQ that helps him figure out where the play is going on the line. He also has a knack for getting into the backfield and creating havoc for the QB on blitzes. Pretty much a prototypical DL that any team would want. However, he does lack some of the fundamental moves to get past better O-linemen, and some have concerns about him jumping into the more difficult league. 

1962 NAAF Draft

2nd Round
The second round would kick off with the Victors taking their second OL of the draft in Elias McCarren. They are in desperate need on the line so they are more than happy to take multiple players. The Athletics would follow up by taking a new RB in Ronald O'Sullivan, a smaller back that tends to run through people. 

The next two picks would be a little more significant with QBs going back-to-back. The Raiders would be the ones with the choice and they ended up going with the Allentown native, Joshua Nolan. Nolan has size that makes him tough to bring down, and he is able to deliver the ball quite well. The Royals would then take the other QB in Landon Ross. Ross is a little more of an all-around pocket passer that is able to use accuracy and strong decision-making to make plays. Both teams still have their starters, so it’s likely the two will take some time to develop yet. 

After the pair of QBs, there was the second trade of the draft that had the Thunder and Gold Stars swapping the 15th and 16th overall picks. The Gold Stars really wanted a LB and Victor Falknesteig was there, however, several teams were interested so Providence made a strong offer to make sure they didn’t miss out. The Thunder would also get a 3rd rounder from next year. 

The draft would continue on the defensive train with the Thunder, Athletics, and Rouge all taking defensive pieces in DL Jordan-Eugene White, DB Ole Snurlson, and DB Ty Boone respectively. The Tigers would snag the first TE of the draft in Tranquille Rousseau and Boston would close out the second round with WR Evan Clanton. 

2nd Round Picks
11 - IND - OL Elias McCarren - Satan’s Kingdom, MA - Darknes
12 - ATH - RB Ronald O’Sullivan - Providence, RI - Kingsfan11
13 - LI - QB Joshua Nolan - Allentown, PA - Rugrat
14 - OTT - QB Landon Ross - Cincinnati, OH - ZO82
15 - PRO (via BUF from LOU) - LB Victor Falkensteig - Gary, IN - Wallflower 
16 - LOU (via PRO) - DL Jordan-Eugene White - Boston, MA - ItDoesntMatter
17 - ATH (via LOU) - DB Ole Snurlson - Portland, ME - JamHeronArk
18 - MTL - DB Ty Boone - Augusta, ME - Captrain Mort 3D
19 - LDN - TE Tranquille Rousseau - Saguenay, QC - ZO82
20 - BOS - WR Evan Clanton - Rome, NY - ProsecutorMilesEdgeworth

3rd Round
The third round began with the Victors taking a potential new safety in Calvin Hobbes, then the Athletics and Thunder would take back-to-back WRs to add to their offence. Following the picks, the Royals would trade back from the 24th pick to grab OL David Alexander and the 31st pick from Indiana. The Victors would also get the 34th pick in the trade. They would then select LB Tyrone Butler.

Later on in the round, the Blue Wings made another trade moving up to the 27th pick for the 35th pick and next year’s fourth. They would end up taking QB Charles Lemieux’s younger brother RB Théodore Lemieux with the pick to go along with DB Nick Ulbach from 2 picks earlier. 

One of the more odd moments was OL Ross Guillebeaux who left his bowl of Grape-Nuts to go meet the Rouge coaching staff. 

3rd Round Picks
21 - IND - S Calvin Hobbes - Cincinnati, OH - Rugrat
22 - ATH - WR Aaron Hamur - Baltimore, MD - Scratch
23 - LOU (via LI) - WR Julian Santiago - Queens, NY - QCS
24 - IND (via OTT) - LB Tyrone Butler - Brooklyn, NY - Stickman
25 - BUF - DB Nick Ulbach - Chicago, IL - JamHeronArk
26 - PRO - DL Steve Hamm - Albany, NY - QCS
27 - BUF (via LOU from ATH) - RB Théodore Lemieux - Quebec City, QC - Kingsfan11
28 - MTL - OL Ross Guillebeaux - Montreal, QC - JamHeronArk
29 - LDN - LB Caruso Robinson - London, ON - JamHeronArk
30 - BOS - DL Brian Alvagardo - Chester, PA - TargetToad

4th Round
The Royals had moved back in hopes of grabbing LB Caruso Robinson, but the Tigers would take him at 29. So the team would settle with OL Xavier Villeneuve to shore up the OL. Many thought the Victors would be taking a QB earlier in the draft, but they skipped out and went for Jimm Kidd in the 4th. With the final pick of the draft, the Boston Independents would take DB Ross McCurtry, who they wanted to take earlier, but ended up getting him with the final pick. 

4th Round Picks
31 - OTT (via IND) - OL Xavier Villeneuve - Gatineau, QC - Kingsfan11
32 - ATH - OL Wolfgang Vander Waal - Providence, RI - Dan O’Mac
33 - LI - WR Larry Mossholder - Hastings-on-Hudson, NY - Dan O’Mac
34 - IND (via OTT) - QB Jimm Kidd - Indianapolis, IN - Scratch
35 - ATH (via BUF) - LB Kelly Walsh - Boston, MA - Darknes
36 - LI (via PRO) - S Nick Dixon - Queens, NY - ItDoesntMatter
37 - LDN (via LOU) - RB Aaron Walken - Brooklyn, NY - JamHeronArk
38 - BUF (via MTL) - OL Jonah Lucas - Paducah, KY - Jayhawk
39 - LDN - DL Peter Mongoose - Erie, PA - QCS
40 - BOS - DB Ross McCurtry - Kalamazoo, MI - TigerFan93

1962 Draft Preview

1962 Draft Preview

Leading up to the 1962 draft, there was a major prospect that made the decision to join the NAAF. RB Corbyn Knight, a Hamilton native, has been heavily watched by the OFU. The Hamilton Steelers specifically have been keeping their eyes on him since he was in high school. Knight was expected to eventually become the next great RB for the Steelers, however, the recent downturn the OFU has taken and the rapid growth of the NAAF has shifted Knight to the bigger league. The OFU at this point is certainly starting to see the end with a move like that. 

While Knight remains the big story coming in there are some other strong players in the first round. OL Jean-Baptiste Desjardins will be a superb option for any team’s O-line. Then, LB Orion Carter could be a big threat to the backfield, many are comparing him to LB Rusty McVee. DL Pat Butler is a small, but powerful DL that will be looking to stop many teams in their tracks. DB Lauri Hayha, a Finnish-born player, seems to be a dark horse that many are high on, and could be a strong addition to the secondary.

As for gunslingers, QB Micheal Benedict is looked at as the best option coming out of this draft. A true pocket-passer, who doesn’t move very much, Benedict makes up for it with a strong arm that can really open up the field for an offence. A bit further back there are a pair of QBs in Landon Ross and Joshua Nolan who both have made their own case to be drafted into teams looking for a new QB option. 

Overall, the draft class is relatively stronger than usual, and there will be plenty of good players to pick from. 

Now a little side note: I have done the draft class a little differently this season. Since I had upwards of 70+ prospects, I decided that I would be keeping this year's pool at 50 (and for years into the future) because of the high amount since I don't want to have 30 prospects go undrafted. With that, I decided to also showcase all 50 prospects for this year's draft. I typically only show the top 25 but felt like it would be nice for everyone to have clarity on which players would be here. Also, the final prospect K Ryan Perch is in his own category due to kickers having a slightly different value that is hard to place (and honestly kickers don't often get drafted at this point). I was noted that some may prefer to only see the top 25, but if some prefer this then let me know!

The Gains Report - 1962 Draft Class Preview
1 - OL Jean-Baptiste Desjardins - Cameron Gordon - QCS
2 - LB Orion Carter - Ivan di Marco - ItDoesntMatter
3 - DL Pat Butler - Johnny Singleton - Captain Mort 3D
4 - RB Corbyn Knight - Lawrence Gainsborough - Darknes
5 - DB Lauri Hayha - Lawrence Gainsborough - Darknes
6 - QB Michael Benedict - Dick Dingleberry - Stickman
7 - WR Julius Drake - Brad Cumberland - DireBear
8 - WR Owen Paisley - George Stefanakis - Dan O’Mac
9 - OL Elias McCarren - Lawrence Gainsborough - Darknes
10 - OL Jeffery Uduike - Cameron Gordon - QCS
11 - TE Tranquille Rousseau - Barry Williams - ZO82
12 - DL Sammy Pickett - Dewey Thomas - Rugrat
13 - RB Ronald O’Sullivan - Vincent Dejardins - Kingsfan11
14 - QB Landon Ross - Barry Williams - ZO82
15 - QB Joshua Nolan - Dewey Thomas - Rugrat
16 - LB Victor Falkensteig - Wally Flowers - Wallflower
17 - DB Ole Snurlson - James Herr O’Nark - JamHeronArk
18 - RB Théodore Lemieux - Vincent Dejardins - Kingsfan11
19 - S Calvin Hobbes - Dewey Thomas - Rugrat
20 - DB Ty Boone - Johnny Singleton - Captain Mort 3D
21 - DL Jordan-Eugene White - Ivan di Marco - ItDoesntMatter
22 - WR Julian Santiago - Cameron Gordon - QCS
23 - WR Aaron Hamur - Roger Roy - Scratch
24 - WR Evan Clanton - Travis Ronnigen - ProsecutorMilesEdgeworth
25 - DB Nick Ulbach - James Herr O’Nark - JamHeronArk
----
26 - LB Tyrone Butler - Dick Dingleberry - Stickman
27 - DB Ross McCurtry - Allen Cohn - TigerFan93
28 - WR Larry Mossholder - George Stefanakis - Dan O’Mac
29 - OL Ross Guillebeaux - James Herr O’Nark - JamHeronArk
30 - DL Steve Hamm - Cameron Gordon - QCS
31 - LB Caruso Robinson - James Herr O’Nark - JamHeronArk
32 - DL Brian Alvagrado - Jimmy Franklin - TargetToad
33 - OL Wolfgang Vander Waal - George Stefanakis - Dan O’Mac
34 - RB Aaron Walken - James Herr O’Nark - JamHeronArk
35 - S Nick Dixon - Ivan di Marco - ItDoesntMatter
36 - QB Jimm Kidd - Roger Roy - Scratch
37 - OL Jonah Lucas - Jay Hawkins - Jayhawk
38 - DL Philip Klein - George Stefanakis - Dan O’Mac
39 - LB Kelly Walsh - Lawrence Gainsborough - Darknes
40 - OL Xavier Villeneuve - Vincent Desjardins - Kingsfan11
41 - DL Peter Mongoose - Cameron Gordon - QCS
42 - TE Wayne Bruce - Ivan di Marco - ItDoesntMatter
43 - WR Connor Kyle - Ivan di Marco - ItDoesntMatter
44 - TE Davis Langer - Allen Cohn - TigerFan93
45 - OL Barry Florence - Wally Flower - Wallflower
46 - OL Tom Grady - Perry Matthews - Sevsdast
47 - OL Marvin Lindsey - Vincent Desjardins - Kingsfan11
48 - WR Gera Maksimov - Barry Williams - ZO82
49 - QB Andrew Muffin - Vincent Desjardins - Kingsfan11

K - K Ryan Perch - Ivan di Marco - ItDoesntMatter

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

Love to hear thoughts and potential mock drafts, or even who are the Victors taking first?

1962 Free Agency - Part 1

1962 Free Agency - Part 1

The free agency window opened up with Louisville continuing to build on their strong moves this offseason. They would sign the biggest free agent in OL Cliff Strautzenberger. The veteran was all for joining the plethora of former Athletics on the Thunder. He hopes that the team will be able to be super competitive this season. The Thunder also grabbed RB Johnnie Stafford who will step into RB Stavros Black’s role as the number two in the backfield behind RB Rodney Clark.

Providence was able to get their main need of the offseason in a stronger backup QB. Christian Stewart has lots of experience, most notably a pair of seasons as a starter with the Tigers as well as helping the team reach the McCallister Cup in 1960 following an injury to QB Riley Kiernan. They also added a former teammate of Stewart’s in WR Benedict Spencer, who comes from London to round out a strong WR core.

Montreal was the other top team making major moves with some defensive moves. They would bring in former Athletes DL Vinny Brown and former Independents DB Carson Scott. The two should really round out the defence mixing the youth with the veterans

A pair of lower-end teams made some strong moves. Indiana was able to land the #2 free agent in former Athletic LB Harrison Bennett. The 29-year-old has loads of experience playing next to Scotty Williams, so they hope he will thrive in the lead role on defence. They also locked up young RB Cody Barnes for 3 years to compete with RB Don Gregson for the starting job.

However, it was the Blue Wings with one of the biggest contracts handed out thus far. They ended up landing former Athletics WR Zachariah Pembroke. They would sign him for a $76,000 contract over 4 years. They would also nab former Tigers OL Kazimir Smirnov who was looking for a bigger city to play in and landed in Buffalo for 2 years. 

Top 25 Free Agents
1 - OL Cliff Strautzenberger - MTL -> LOU 2Y, $18,000
2 - LB Harrison Bennett - ATH -> IND 2Y, $22,000
3 - WR Zachariah Pembroke - ATH -> BUF 4Y, $19,000
4 - OL Kazimir Smirnov - LDN -> BUF 2Y, $17,000
5 - RB Johnnie Stafford - IND -> LOU 1Y, $12,000
6 - DL Vinny Brown - ATH -> MTL 2Y, $15,000
7 - RB Cody Barnes - BUF -> IND 3Y, $17,000
8 - QB Christian Stewart - LOU -> PRO 1Y, $17,000
9 - WR Benedict Spencer - LDN -> PRO 2Y, $14,250
10 - DB Carson Scott - BOS -> MTL 1Y, $16,000
11 - QB Terry Bourbon - ATH
12 - TE Richard Stewart - BOS
13 - WR Clyde McIntosh - BOS
14 - DB Wesley Scott - ATH -> OTT 2Y, $13,000
15 - QB Oscar Rigano - OTT -> LI 1Y, $13,000
16 - RB Lawrence Sharp - ATH
17 - RB Leo Ravelli - ATH
18 - WR LeRoy Krueger - BUF -> LI 2Y, $12,000
19 - WR Ronald Vernon - BUF
20 - TE Johnny Mantle IV - LI -> BUF 1Y, $10,000
21 - QB Rigobert St-Hilaire - PRO -> LDN 1Y, 12,000
22 - DB Jontray Cox - MTL
23 - DB Mario Richard - BOS
24 - WR Tony Albano - LI
25 - WR Ronald Macquire - ATH

1962 Offseason News and Design Changes

 BREAKING NEWS

“Worcester” Removed from Athletics Name; Full Rebrand in 1963.
Halifax owner, Elliot Hudson, announced that for the 1962 NAAF season the team would still be known as the Athletics, however, they will remove Worcester from the name and be known as just “The Athletics”. The announcement would come with a simplified logo that would feature the new name and the Richard Paul heart patch below. The uniforms will remain the same except for numbers replacing the “W/A” logo on the helmet. 

“The whole process has been quite crazy,” said Hudson about taking over the team, “there is a lot going on. I know that I want to give the team a refresh so Halifax can embrace the new team, but I want to get it right and that will take some time.” 

The team will go through a complete rebrand for next season with likely a new logo, name, and jerseys. 

Along with the adjustments being made, the NAAF announced that they will be scheduling games for the Athletics at Richardson Stadium in Boston, MA, Patrick Smythe Memorial Stadium in Springfield, MA, Bayside Park (a baseball park) in Portland, ME, and Stade Mathieu Tremblay in Quebec City, QC. There were plans to play in Rochester as well, but the plan fell through with the addition of the ACFL team in Rocester. 

Louisville Make Minor Changes
The Thunder ended up wearing their Gold pants in 9 of 10 games last season. They decided that they would remove the white option from their set and have both home and away jerseys paired with the gold pants. Additionally, the team added a more detailed design to the helmet logo adding the detail found on the “Lucky Thunder” logo in Red on the gold outline. 

ACFL’s Boston Shamrocks Strike Deal to Play at Richardson Stadium
The new Boston team in the ACFL officially announced that they would be named the Boston Shamrocks, aiming to strike a chord with the Irish heritage in Boston. They also announced that they had an agreement with Independents owner, Benjamin Harris, to rent Richardson Stadium during the ACFL season. 

Gold Stars owner, David Maxwell, was a little critical of his fellow NAAF owner allowing the team to actually play. “It's a rival league, why would we provide them with the opportunity to potentially succeed? To me that’s a dangerous move, I certainly do not agree with it.”

Harris accepted the criticism, “I made a decision I thought was best. Not everyone is going to agree with me that it was the right one to make, but it is my business to handle and I did just that.”

Harris was surprisingly praised by ACFL commissioner Steven Van Fossen following the move. “He made a good decision that will be beneficial to all in the long-run. That’s a business decision I respect. Overall, we are very excited about the Shamrocks and we will be ready to go this season.”

1962 Re-sign Stage

1962 Re-sign Stage

Scotty Williams leaves the Athletics for good
The 10-time All-Star and only defensive MVP, LB Scotty Williams, was officially going to be moving on from the Athletics this season. Williams was rumoured to be shopped around the deadline this season but stayed around. However, with Williams’ contract being up and the Athletics moving at this point, it seemed like the right time for the veteran LB to move on from the Athletics. While going right to free agency was certainly an option, Williams, who is certainly involved in the overall success of the league, wanted to maintain balance within the league. Williams gave Stand-in GM Larry Larson a list of the NAAF teams ranked by the team he wants to go to most. He agreed that he would sign with whichever team makes a trade for him.  

6 teams were in talks for the LB (BOS, LDN, LI, LOU, MTL, PRO). However, the deal would come down to the Thunder and the Tigers. Both teams with strong teams in contention for a McCallister Cup, which Scotty has been unable to win. Ultimately the Thunder would be the ones to land Williams. The veteran will slot well into Louisville’s defence that is likely going to be one of the best this season. He is reunited with HC Emil Riddle, DC Hugo Martinez, LB Silas O’Brien, and DB Alexander Bradley all from his time in Worcester, most importantly during the 1956 run to the Cup for the Athletics.

The Thunder would send quite the package back the other way. They would trade RB Stavros Black, LB Joe Larkin, OL Nicholas-Charles Richard, a 1963 1st Round Pick, a 1962 2nd Round Pick, and a 1962 3rd Round Pick to acquire the LB. The big-name was Stavros Black, who has been a strong RB for the Thunder. With RB Rodney Clark performing better last season, Black was the man that would have to go. The good news for Stavros Black is that he will be the man with the Athletics for the 1962 season. 

Slay Mitchell Decides to Go Home
Following the major trade with Scotty Williams, it seemed to inspire another. DB Slay Mitchell, a Providence native, had decided following former teammate LB Rusty McVee heading to the Gold Stars last offseason, that he wanted to try and win with his hometown squad. After Williams announced he would sign with the team that traded for him, Mitchell made the same agreement, just that it had to be the Gold Stars. GM Wayne Tillman would oblige in order to get some value from Mitchell. He would send the DB over to Providence for DB Jared Francis, who had only signed with the Gold Stars last offseason, and a 4th rounder for the 1962 draft. Mitchell would then sign a 2-year deal with the Gold Stars at $24,000 a year and would be a great piece between DB Neville Falkner and DB Cameron Taylor. Jared Francis on the other hand would be able to slot into a still solid secondary in Long Island. 

Louisville Locks in Many Important Pieces
With the acquisition of LB Scotty Williams, the Thunder would first half to sign the veteran, then they had to worry about the other important pieces to truly put their name in the hat for the ‘62 title. Williams would lock in for 2-years at $27,500 with a No-Trade Clause. Then they would lock in younger pieces in DB Oliver Langstrom (4Y, $23,000-$25,000) and WR Piers Key (5Y, $22,500). However, the most important piece was QB Leonidas Dumont. The young QB was given a short contract to see how he would do before they would commit long-term. He certainly showed that he had what it takes last season finishing second in passing touchdowns. The team would agree to a 4Y, $30,000 contract with an NTC to keep their young star here. The other interesting piece was DL Tyrone Affalo, which the Thunder had traded for last offseason. They would ultimately bring him back despite an injury-riddled season on a 2Y, $16,500 contract. The Thunder’s moves already have made them one of the favourites going into this season. 

Ottawa and Montreal maintain Veterans
The last of the news comes from Montreal and Ottawa who would end up retaining several veterans each. Ottawa would bring back QB Jean Matieau for 2 more seasons at a reduced $28,500. Matieau hopes a pay cut can help the team build a winner despite his own skills falling off. RB Alexei Volkov would sign on for another year at $26,000 and then DL Olaf Viktorsson would stay put for 2 years at $31,500. 

As for Montreal, they would keep captain OL Eugésippe Chalifoux on a 1-year deal at $18,000. They would also maintain DL Zakary Turbide for a year at $17,500 and then WR Robert Lang would return for one more year at $14,000. All of the players signed by both teams agreed to a No-Trade Clause in their deals. 

Both teams hope to still be fighting at the top come next season. 

Other Top Extensions
S Drew Porter - BOS - 3Y, $18,500
DL Dennis Hughes - BOS - 3Y, $15,000
DL Lonnie Vincent - BUF - 6Y, $26,500-$27,000 - NTC in Y3
DB Lou Lake - BUF - 2Y, $20,000
WR Silas Peyton - IND - 3Y, $15,500-$16,000
S Cal Clemmons - IND - 2Y, $17,500
LB Dallas Dillard - LDN - 4Y, $18,500-$19,500 - NTC in Y3
WR Jack Duncan - LDN - 3Y, $15,500
DL Vernon Spears - LI - 3Y, $28,000 - NTC
S Johan Eckhart - LI - 2Y, $18,500
OL Forrest Green - LOU - 3Y, $13,500
LB George Yokoi - LOU - 2Y, $12,000
S Garet deVale - MTL - 6Y, $23,000-$25,000 - NTC in Y3
DL Hubert Tessier MTL - 4Y, $13,500
OL Levi Francoeur - OTT - 4Y, $14,000 - NTC in Y3
DL Troy Hunt - OTT - 2Y, $13,000
DL Kenny Evans - PRO - 3Y, $17,000
DB Cameron Taylor - PRO - 3Y, $18,000
QB Caldwell Higgins III - ATH - 2Y, $18,000
OL Ward Briscoe - ATH - 2Y, $20,000

Top 25 Free Agents
1 - OL Cliff Strautzenberger - MTL
2 - LB Harrison Bennett - ATH
3 - WR Zachariah Pembroke - ATH
4 - OL Kazimir Smirnov - LDN
5 - RB Johnnie Stafford - IND
6 - DL Vinny Brown - ATH
7 - RB Cody Barnes - BUF
8 - QB Christian Stewart - LOU
9 - WR Benedict Spencer - LDN
10 - DB Carson Scott - BOS
11 - QB Terry Bourbon - ATH
12 - TE Richard Stewart - BOS
13 - WR Clyde McIntosh - BOS
14 - DB Wesley Scott - ATH
15 - QB Oscar Rigano - OTT
16 - RB Lawrence Sharp - ATH
17 - RB Leo Ravelli - ATH
18 - WR LeRoy Krueger - BUF
19 - WR Ronald Vernon - BUF
20 - TE Johnny Mantle IV - LI
21 - QB Rigobert St-Hilaire - PRO
22 - DB Jontray Cox - MTL
23 - DB Mario Richard - BOS
24 - WR Tony Albano - LI
25 - WR Ronald Macquire - ATH

The NAAF finds a New Owner for the Athletics

BREAKING NEWS

The NAAF finds a New Owner for the Athletics 

It took about a month and a half for the Owners to reconvene with a potential owner. It was the Boston Owner, Benjamin Harris, that found a lead. After contacting Commissioner Ryan Jameson, the owners were on their way to Ottawa to discuss the situation.  

The meetings opened with Harris welcoming the potential owner, Elliot Hudson, the man behind the OFU’s Halifax team. The Halifax team had been once again put on hold due to the lack of funding for a building in Halifax to play. Hudson is not a very rich owner candidate, spending most of his work in not-for-profit, and gives back a lot of what he gains from it. He loves football and would love to bring a team to his hometown, but he has never had the ability to do so. He originally went to Benjamin Harris, who is a long-time friend, to get some insight on what to do. In the end, Harris brought up the Athletics situation and that seemed to spark an idea, one where Harris may help in getting the team. Within a couple of days, they found themselves heading for Ottawa. 

It wasn’t an automatic solution as a move to Halifax had its issues. First, there was still no stadium. There was a plan and a place to build one, there was just the issue of money. Now being that it was an OFU team, the stadium was not expected to be very big, which might be an issue if they were to play in the bigger NAAF. Second, the city was not as big as other markets for teams, and there was certainly some hesitation from several other owners and even Jameson.  

The two major issues seemed to dampen the hopeful mood. There was unease about the decision, but then Indiana Victors Owner Sammy Kirkdale stepped forward: “Look, I know what it is like to be in Mr. Hudson’s shoes. For many years, I tried to get Indianapolis a team in the GLFL. All they told me was, Indy was too small and that I had no place to play. They barely gave me a chance. It wasn’t until the NAAF came along and allowed me to finally fulfill my dream. I can’t stand by and not give Halifax a shot. I will help with funding for the stadium.” 

After the statement, the remaining owners would step up and commit to helping fund the stadium. Boston and Indiana were the biggest contributors, but overall the rest of the teams had a fairly equal share, aside from Buffalo who already had put a lot into their own new stadium. The remaining owners took no issues, especially with Milton Charles and the Blue Wings being a big reason the Tigers landed in London. The amount that the NAAF was putting forward would help towards expanding the original plan to a more suitable size for the NAAF. On top of the NAAF’s funding, they will also help to promote a level of community ownership with the team, selling shares of the team to also boost funding. 

There was still another issue brought up by Elliot Hudson himself. What of the dealings with the OFU?

Well with the lack of funding, it seems unlikely that the Halifax team would be getting going anytime soon. Ryan Jameson would spend a few days having a conversation about the situation with the OFU. In the end, the NAAF would compensate the OFU for taking over the Halifax team and plans. OFU Commissioner and Toronto Lakers owner Jerry Anderson, who took over for his father Donald Anderson a few years ago, has been trying to fish the league out of a hole but has not had the success. The compensation was ultimately more valuable than keeping the Halifax team at this point in time. Jerry Anderson is hoping that the deal will create a stronger bond with the NAAF and the OFU; a relationship his father neglected. 

The deal and the funding confirmed that the Athletics would be heading to Halifax, Nova Scotia. They’re hoping their new stadium will be ready to go by the start of the 1963 season. As for this season, the NAAF is likely going to have the Athletics play at various stadiums in a few different markets. It will make for a tough season for the team, but there aren’t many other options due to their lack of stadium. Elliot Hudson will reveal more details about the team's future plans in the coming months.

1962 Staff Changes

1962 Staff Changes 

Long Island Raiders
After back-to-back West Division Final exits and then a horrid 4-8 season, GM/Owner Wayne Tillman decided to fire both Head Coach Jimmy Sargent and Defensive Coordinator Arnold Baker. The move was probably the most obvious one coming following last season. There had been constant criticisms of how the team was just not able to get things working over the last couple of seasons, especially with Lyle Painter. Offensive Coordinator Levi Bray was hired last offseason and seemed to get a little more out of the former 1st overall pick, which is why he remains with the team.  

Replacing Sargent will be Louisville Thunder Offensive Coordinator Kerry Holder. Holder helped QB Leonidas Dumont to his best season last year with the Thunder and has been a long-time friend of Thunder HC Emil Riddle. Tillman hopes that Holder will help kick start the offence and turn the Raiders into a more balanced team next season. They would also bring on U of Central Pennsylvania DC Kenneth Chaney as the new Defensive Coordinator.  

Indiana Victors
It was finally time for the Victors to start fresh with HC Maurice Evanson, OC Paul McMahon, and DC Steve Pollard all being let go by 2nd year GM Everett Henderson. They wouldn’t take long to find a replacement, bringing in the former Raiders’ HC Jimmy Sargent. While Sargent has struggled recently, he still has won a McCallister Cup and is a great motivator, which might be perfect for the Victors trying to get out of the basement. They would bring in former Raider DC Arnold Baker as well as the new DC, and then they would grab Jack Dorsey, a QBs coach from the GLFL’s Cincinnati Centurions, as the OC. Dorsey, a former QB himself is super fascinated by the Hybrid game and is excited about the opportunity. 

Louisville Thunder
With the Raiders picking up OC Kerry Holder, the Thunder would hire former Victors OC Paul McMahon as the new OC. McMahon has been pretty good about developing young offensive players for the Victors and should only help the young offence in Louisville keep moving toward a title. 

Worcester Athletics
Stand-in GM Larry Larson has decided to keep most of the coaching staff around. Only OC Clyde Wall was let go, but that was on Wall’s terms, who is heading for an ACFL opportunity with the potential Boston team. Larson would hire Kent Winters, a former Gold Stars and Rouge OC, as the new Offensive Coordinator for this season.  

Boston Independents
With GM George Hanson retiring, the team would need their first new GM since joining the NAAF. Owner Benjamin Harris wants to maintain some consistency, so he promoted Assistant GM Earnest Bryan into the role. Bryan has been hoping for an opportunity for a couple of seasons and is ready to take control of the team this year.  

Buffalo Blue Wings
The one most shocking departure came out of Buffalo. GM Dwight Gilbert stepped down from his role in order to return to Rochester and manage the team he had before joining the Blue Wings a few years ago. The decision came out of nowhere from the team, but after the matter, it seemed to make a lot of sense. The team would go looking for a new GM and would find an interesting hire in GM Reginald McMahon out of Toronto. McMahon has slowly been following the NAAF while working his way up in the Toronto area and was putting his name out there. Buffalo bit and decided that the passionate manager might be what Buffalo needs in the next step of their rebuild.  

1962 Retirements

1962 Retirements 

GM George Hanson - Boston, MA
Teams: GM - Boston Independents (1949-1961)
McCallister Cups: 3 (1949, 1950, 1961)
After finally getting Boston back to the top of the league in the 1961 season, GM George Hanson was stepping down from the role to finally retire. He was debating doing it last season but was convinced to go for one more year with the team which ended up paying off with the team winning their first title since 1950. Hanson has been the only GM for the Independents since the team joined the NAAF.  

DB Uzzia Hayes - Ottawa, ON
Teams: Ottawa Royals (1950-1961)
McCallister Cups: 4 (1954, 1955, 1956, 1959)
Captaincy: OTT - A (1958-1961)
All-Stars: 3 (1958, 1960, 1961)
One of the first major players in the Royals’ dynasty has called it a career. The DB decided that he wanted to spend more time with family and to try and pursue some other dreams he has going forward. He was highly respected by his teammates, which is a major reason he wore the “A” on his jersey over his last 4 seasons. He also had 3 all-star appearances over that time, which was just the icing on the cake for 4 McCallister Cup championships. 

“Thank you, Ottawa for supporting me throughout my whole journey. I hope that I can continue to be a part of this city and community going forward. All love. Thank you.” 

DB Victor Bean - Providence, RI
Teams: Providence Gold Stars (1949-1959), Long Island Raiders (1960), Louisville Thunder (1961)
McCallister Cups: 0
All-Stars: 2 (1952, 1953)
Bean certainly did not have the same success in his career as Uzzia Hayes, but he certainly made his mark being a long-time secondary partner to the legendary DB Lee Wolfe. Earning 2 All-Star nods in the early 50s when the two were a lethal force on the back end. He spent 11 years with the Gold Stars but was unable to bring home a title, so he ended up taking his last season to play with contenders but was unable to do it in Long Island and Louisville. Bean calls it a career to return to Providence and move onto the next chapter in his life.  

LB Ben McCray - Manchester, MH
Teams: Hartford Hawks (1950-1951), Buffalo Blue Wings (1952-1956), Louisville Thunder (1957), Buffalo Blue Wings (1957-1958), Ottawa Royals (1959), Louisville Thunder (1960), Buffalo Blue Wings (1961)McCallister Cups: 3 (1952, 1957, 1959)
All-Stars: 1 (1957)
LB Ben McCray had quite an interesting career. He changed teams 6 times while only playing for 4 teams overall. He will be remembered mainly for his 8 and a half seasons and 2 McCallister with the Blue Wings. He loved playing for the Blue Wings and would call Buffalo a second home to Manchester, NH. He also enjoyed playing for the Thunder a lot in the half-season he had before returning to Buffalo via trade, enough to sign with them again later following winning his 3rd Cup with the Royals in 1959. McCray was starting to get less time and he was satisfied with the 12-year career, so he called a career.  

WR Ray Lopez - Halifax, NS
Teams: Montreal Rouge (1951-1961)
McCallister Cups: 2 (1951,1953)
Ray Lopez was one of the most underrated WRs in his career. He was very skillful but was often lost on the typically run-heavy Montreal offence. Lopez was the team’s #1 WR for many seasons and was a mentor to the younger WR Derek Cross. He was a part of Montreal’s 2 McCallister Cups in the early 50s as well. In the past couple of seasons, his role had been decreased and he decided it was time to call it a career.  

LB Benjamin Pittman - Kingston, ON
Teams: Toronto/Ontario/London Tigers (1951-1960), Louisville Thunder (1961)
McCallister Cups: 1 (1960)
Pittman was almost a career Tiger. He played for the team through all their iterations only heading to Louisville in his final season. The long-time #2 to Tigers captain LB Aengus Lynch, was able to help the Tigers win their first title in 1961. Pittman was a fan favourite being involved in any of the communities that he was in during his career. He will likely return to Kingston, ON to move onto the next part of his life.  

Other Notable Retirements
OL Adorat Blain - Ottawa, ON - OTT (1950-1961)****
QB Ollie Rogers - Sherbrooke, QC - RMTL(1951-1952), MTL (1953-1954)*, RPRO (1955), ON (1956), LOU (1957-1960), LDN (1961)
WR Marqués Gardner - Buffalo, NY - TOR/ON (1951-1957), WOR (1958-1959), BOS (1960), PRO (1961)
DL Brayden Mills - Worcester, MA - WOR (1951-1961), MTL (1961)
RB Timothy Weeks - Cleveland, OH - TOR/ON (1951-1954), WOR (1955), LI (1956-1957), LDN (1958-1959), OTT (1960), LDN (1961)