The Gains Report - 1964 Draft Preview

The Gains Report - 1964 Draft Preview

The 1964 draft is shaping up to be a pretty average draft, however, there are still some next-level players that could help teams take a big step forward. The first is RB Max Tracy, who is electrifyingly quick and has good size making him a very tough back to stop. Behind is S Ernie Osborne, who has lots of potential at the safety position. The big question will be if he slides at all due to the lack of spots available at the position. QB Tom Applewhite is the top gunslinger in the draft. He’s got a big arm and some decent running abilities, but much like the safety position, there could be a lack of opportunities available early on. 

A major player to watch could be DL Winfield Winchester. He’s the only DL that looks to be a top 25 prospect, and with a few teams needing some help on the line, there could be several offers coming into the teams holding the top 3 picks. As the draft carries on, there will be several WRs and OLs available for teams to build up their offence as well as a couple of RBs that could go in the 2nd round in George Seahorse and Robert Jack. 

Top 25 Prospects
1 - RB Max Tracy - Brad Cumberland - DireBear
2 - S Ernie Osborne - Brad Cumberland - DireBear
3 - QB Tom Applewhite - Dewey Thomas - Rugrat
4 - DL Winfield Winchester - Timmy Bjarnathan - NoE38
5 - DB Jerome Caldwell - Wally Flowers - Wallflower
6 - WR Yahui Sun - Jimmy Yamamoto - QCS
7 - OL Gary Bies - George Stefanakis - Dan O’Mac
8 - LB Randall Lambert - James Herr-O’Nark - JamHeronArk
9 - WR Nathan Murray-Lawrence - Vincent Desjardins - Kingsfan11
10 - DB Bobby Bastian - Sterling Brantley - Darknes
11 - S Paul Christopher - Ivan di Marco - ItDoesntMatter
12 - TE Jesse Butler - Vincent Desjardins - Kingsfan11
13 - S Ezekiel Locke - George Stefanakis - Dan O’Mac
14 - RB George Seahorse - Ronald Wilke - ThisIsFine
15 - RB Robert Jack - Mark Houston - H-Town1141
16 - WR Doug Piva - Ivan di Marco - ItDoesntMatter
17 - OL Mathieu Roy - Vincent Desjardins - Kingsfan11
18 - WR Colby Bancana - Dick Dingleberry - Stickman
19 - OL Clancy Harrison - Sterling Brantley - Darknes
20 - QB Leif Christiansen - Ronald Wilke - ThisIsFine
21 - QB Jace Beleren - Sterling Brantley - Darknes
22 - OL Keith Barker - Vincent Desjardins - Kingsfan11
23 - LB Ed Krzano - George Stefanakis - Dan O’Mac
24 - OL Randall Graham - Brad Cumberland - DireBear
25 - OL Harrold Kera - James Herr-O’Nark - JamHeronArk
----------------
45 - OL Harvey Stephenson - Dean Musky - ANDY!
51 - RB Kevin Terrell - Joonas Van Dijk - Osctheg
54 - S Chris Crosswell - Travis Ronnigen - ProsecutorMilesEdgeworth

Needs and Picks
1 - Toronto Steelheads - RB, LB, WR, DB
Picks: 1, 12, 23, 34, 45
2 - Halifax Mariners - DB, DL, LB, WR, RB
Picks: 2, 13, 24, 35, 38, 46
3 - Indiana Victors - DL, LB, DB, QB, RB, WR
Picks: 3, 14, 25, 32, 47
4 - Buffalo Blue Wings - OL, DL, LB
Picks: 4, 15, 26, 28, 37, 48
5 - Long Island Raiders - DL, OL, LB, QB
Picks: 5, 16, 20, 27, 36, 49
6 - Montreal Rouge - OL, DL, WR, LB
Picks: 6, 17, 39
7 - Louisville Thunder - WR, DL, LB
Picks: 7, 18, 29, 40, 51
8 - Ottawa Royals - OL, WR, DL, LB, DB, S
Picks: 8, 19, 30, 31, 44, 52
9 - Boston Independents - OL, DL, LB, WR
Picks: 9, 42, 50, 53
10 - Providence Gold Stars - S, DL, OL, LB, WR
Picks: 10, 21, 43, 54
11 - London Tigers - DL, LB, DB, OL
Picks: 11, 22, 33, 55

1964 Free Agency Part 1

1964 Free Agency Part 1

BRADLEY LANDS IN LONG ISLAND AND COULD MAKE RAIDERS A SERIOUS THREAT
The Newark native decided to return closer to home this offseason, signing a 2-year deal with the Long Island Raiders. A team that has been struggling to find its footing in the last 3 seasons, will be very excited to add Bradley to their secondary. Bradley is likely going to take on the top DB spot with youngsters in DB Rutherford Winters and DB Lauri Hayha sitting right behind them. The rest of the Raiders are filled with younger players that could take the team to the next level if they develop this offseason. Bradley’s addition can only strengthen the team and potentially put the Raiders back into contention.

WIDE RECEIVER FRENZY...SO FAR
With all the WRs available, there are either two things happening. Either WRs are getting a lot of offers and taking them, or there are some waiting for teams to get desperate after failing to sign others. On the taking offers side, WR Chester Bennett decided to head down to Boston to pair up with WR Ellis Lindholm on a 1-year deal. There is also WR Sammy Moss who got quite the haul from his deal to Louisville. The Thunder were a little extra desperate to bring in a true difference-making weapon. WR Marshall Leonard also would sign for a surprising 4-year, $19,000 deal with the Royals. Ottawa, who is looking to start bringing in emerging talent, is very excited about the signing. On the waiting side, we have WR Ben Roland, who is hoping someone is willing to toss down a few extra bills, and WRs Darryl Duke and Benedict Spencer, who are just seeing if more options develop. It looks like those waiting will hope that more options become available following the draft. 

AUSTIN ANDREWS LANDS WITH TIGERS
The shocking release of the young RB by the Steelheads created some questions about Andrews. The 24-year-old certainly has lots of potential to be a great RB at the professional level, however, with the release some were wondering if there were some issues with him. That left a lot of teams hesitant to approach him. In the end, GM Joseph Johnson of the Tigers would meet with Andrews. Within the conversation, Johnson was on board with the RB stating Andrews was very excited and humble. A few days later, Andrews would sign with the team as the potential predecessor to RB Clifford Russell. 

Andrews did mention his decision to go to the Tigers was heavily affected by his time in Kitchener, the former home of the Tigers. The fans of the city were still fans of London, despite their move away, and he started to like the team as well and wasn’t going to miss the chance to play with them. 

FREE AGENT ROUNDUP
Among the rest of the signings, there were some interesting stories. LB Marco Price, who was looking to get out of the shadow of LBs Brent Harper and Konrad Aust would land on the shores of Halifax for this season. It is likely he takes on a #1 role with the young team. QB Stanislav Ovechkin did not see much available for himself in the market and ended up returning to Louisville, a team that may have him in consideration for some starts this season. LB Rusty McVee would end up heading close to home, being the first major NAAF free agent to sign with the Steelheads. The Royals would grab a couple more young players in Gatineau native DB Jacques Gaul and DB Wesley Nires. Halifax was interested in both players, but they would end up with former Steeler DB William Quincy on a 3-year deal instead. 

Top 25 Free Agents
1 - DB Alexander Bradley LOU -> LI 2Y, $28,000 - NTC
2 - WR Chester Bennett OTT -> BOS 1Y, $18,000
3 - WR Sammy Moss PRO -> LOU 2Y, $21,500
4 - WR Ben Roland LOU
5 - LB Harrison Bennett IND -> BUF 1Y, $18,000
6 - LB Marco Price BOS -> HFX 1Y, $20,500
7 - QB Stanislav Ovechkin LOU -> LOU 1Y, $15,000
8 - WR Darryl Duke MTL 
9 - WR Benedict Spencer PRO
10 - WR Marshall Leonard HAM* -> OTT 4Y, $19,000
11 - RB Eddie Thompson LDN
12 - RB Don Gregson IND
13 - LB Rusty McVee PRO -> TOR 1Y, $16,500
14 - OL Ulysses Fairgrove PRO -> BUF 1Y, $14,000
15 - QB Robert Humphrey HAM* -> LI 1Y, $15,000
16 - LB Terry Long HAM* -> OTT 1Y, $12,000
17 - QB Terry Bourbon LI
18 - OL Alen Williams HAM* -> BUF 1Y, $13,000
19 - LB Killian Reed OTT -> BOS 2Y, $14,000
20 - DB Jacques Gaul BUF -> OTT 3Y, $16,500
21 - S Cal Clemmons IND
22 - RB Austin Andrews KCH* -> LDN 3Y, $15,000
23 - DB William Quincy HAM* -> HFX 3Y, $13,000
24 - DB Elvin Waters HFX -> LOU 2Y, $16,000
25 - WR Moe Schafer BUF -> BUF 2Y, $10,000

1964 Re-Sign Stage

1964 Re-Sign Stage

QUESTIONS ARISING OUT OF TORONTO FOLLOWING THEIR CONTRACT DECISIONS
Following the Steelheads’ selecting of players from the OFU, they had to get all of the players signed to NAAF deals to stick around. It certainly is not an easy task and the Steelheads would have to figure out who they felt was going to be best. In the end, it seemed like there was a lot of favourability towards former Lakers. This was evident with the former Lakers being offered contracts first and with higher salaries. The Steelheads were starting to find that they might have a bit of cap crunch so they had to let some guys go. The most notable being WR Marshall Leonard, who was especially displeased as he was often looked at as the best WR in the OFU. They would also drop several veterans in LB John MacDonald, LB Terry Long, QB Robert Humphrey, and OL Alen Williams. The other player that was surprisingly dropped was RB Austin Andrews, however, that may mean the Steelheads are targeting one of the top RBs in the draft. 

LYLE PAINTER SIGNS TO STAY IN INDIANA
There were plenty of expectations following the trade that sent Painter to the Victors that the former 1st overall pick would be headed to free agency following the season. The one exception to this would be the Victors committing to him as the starter. While Indiana hasn’t confirmed anything yet, the 2-year, $25,000 contract looks a lot like the team is committing to the QB for the time being. Painter was alright with Indiana last season and the team is hoping that in his second season with the team he can start to become comfortable and can finally get the Victors into the playoffs. 

JEAN MATIEAU IS NOT DONE YET
A major injury took the 3-time MVP out of the 1963 season, and there were many questioning if the QB would ever see the field again. At 38-years-old, Matieau doesn’t have a lot of time left, and the major injury took a little extra time away. Since the injury, Matieau has been working hard to recover and get back to full health. He felt that he could not close out his career with the injury and at the very least wants to step on the field in front of the Royals crowd, one last time. He would take a fairly cheap 1-year deal at only $18,000. It is expected Matieau will start the season, but both QB Lee Rogers and QB Landon Ross will be itching to get a shot. 

NEVILLE LOCKS IN FOR 5 MORE YEARS IN PROVIDENCE
One of the biggest young stars had a big decision to make this offseason. DB Neville Falkner has only been in the league for 3 seasons and he already has 2 Defensive Player of the Year awards. He has been one of the best young DB’s in the league’s history and his rookie deal has finally ended. It was a tough situation for the Gold Stars to handle, as there have not been that many players with the level of success that Falkner has gained in his first 3 seasons. It was quite a process, but Falkner ended up signing on to a 5-year deal at $34,000 a season. Falkner has enjoyed playing for the Providence fans and is hoping that the team will be able to finally get over the top during his time with the team. 

HALIFAX COMMITS TO ONE MORE SEASON OF A BATTLE BETWEEN THEIR YOUNG QBs
The Mariners have two young QBs in Michael Benedict and Buck Murphy. In their first few seasons, they have both been given some opportunities to show what they got. In the end, the Mariners decided to give both guys another shot this season to prove who is their guy for the future. Benedict still has his rookie deal, but Murphy would need a new deal and would end up on a 1-year $15,000 deal for this season. It should be an interesting QB battle heading into this season. 

MAJOR CONTRACTS SIGNED
WR Ellis Lindholm BOS - 1Y, $31,000
LB Konrad Aust BOS - 2Y, $29,000
DB Dean Hawkins BUF - 2Y, $18,000
S Wesley Jones BUF - 3Y, $19,750
LB Terrence Patton IND - 5Y, $22,000
DL Fred Webster IND - 3Y, $18,000
OL Ward Briscoe HFX - 3Y, $22,000
RB Stavros Black HFX - 2Y, $21,000
DB Jackson Miles LDN - 4Y, $26,000
DL Richard Blunt LDN - 4Y, $22,500
DL Pionk Bjorkkstrand LI - 2Y, $17,500
LB Gene Bensen LI - 2Y, $26,500
DL Bjorn Sigmarsson LOU - 4Y, 22,500
S Johnny Berger LOU - 3Y, $33,500
WR Taylor Karis MTL - 5Y, $20,000
DL Lucas Kipling MTL - 2Y, $15,500
WR Carter Henderson OTT - 3Y, $17,500
DL Howard Grant OTT - 3Y, $14,000
RB Rashed Smith PRO - 2Y, $17,000
DL Calias McDonough PRO - 1Y, $24,000

Free Agent Preview
Looking into free agency, a lot of eyes will be on the top prize of DB Alexander Bradley. The Thunder dealt with being right up against the cap last season and did not feel like Bradley would be worth bringing back at his asking price. The question will be if Bradley will want to shoot for the most money on a middle to lower-end team or if he will want to take less to be on a competitor. Regardless, he will be the top target this free agency period.

The next position of note will be at wide receiver with several strong options becoming available. WR Chester Bennett is wanting to still try and compete as the Royals head into a rebuild. WR Sammy Moss and WR Ben Roland are aiming for money and bigger roles, however, it may be hard to find. WR Darryl Duke will also be looking for a competitive team. The most interesting could be WR Marshall Leonard, who is quite good at only 26-years-old. 

After those main positions, there are going to be a couple of top-end LBs available with Harrison Bennett and longtime Boston #3 LB Marco Price. There is also Rusty McVee looking for a home for what is likely his final professional season. There are also a plethora of RBs and QBs that certainly will be hoping for a starting opportunity, if not a strong backup position. 

Top 25 Free Agents
1 - DB Alexander Bradley LOU
2 - WR Chester Bennett OTT
3 - WR Sammy Moss PRO
4 - WR Ben Roland LOU
5 - LB Harrison Bennett IND
6 - LB Marco Price BOS
7 - QB Stanislav Ovechkin LOU
8 - WR Darryl Duke MTL
9 - WR Benedict Spencer PRO
10 - WR Marshall Leonard HAM*
11 - RB Eddie Thompson LDN
12 - RB Don Gregson IND
13 - LB Rusty McVee PRO
14 - OL Ulysses Fairgrove PRO
15 - QB Robert Humphrey HAM*
16 - LB Terry Long HAM*
17 - QB Terry Bourbon LI
18 - OL Alen Williams HAM*
19 - LB Killian Reed OTT
20 - DB Jacques Gaul BUF
21 - S Cal Clemmons IND
22 - RB Austin Andrews KCH*
23 - DB William Quincy HAM*
24 - DB Elvin Waters HFX
25 - WR Moe Schafer BUF

1964 Offseason Update

1964 Offseason Update

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

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

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

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

1964 Coaching Changes

1964 Coaching Changes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1964 Uniform Changes and Updates

1964 Uniform Changes and Updates

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

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

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

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

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

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

NEW SIGS
For those who might want a Toronto Sig:

And I also have an updated Boston Sig since they have another championship:

1964 Retirements

1964 Retirements

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1964 League Meetings

1964 League Meetings

OFU-NAAF MERGER PLANNING
Throughout the 1963 season, Ontario Football Union commissioner and Toronto Lakers’ Owner Jerry Anderson had been trying to put together a merger plan with the NAAF. It had been determined last offseason that the OFU was going to cease operations following their own 1963 season. The OFU and NAAF had started talks about merging the leagues to have some OFU teams join the NAAF. It was very likely that the Toronto Lakers and Hamilton Steelers were going to get in while the Toronto Brawlers and Kitchener Blue Tigers were likely going to fold or become amateur teams. The only stick in the mud with this proposal was Hamilton owner, Arnold Gibson. From the start, Gibson has been against the decision to fold, since it will likely kill the sport of Canadian Football. Both Gibson and Anderson were trying to work out ways for both sides to be happy and even still looked into how the league could potentially find a way to survive. However, the plans would have to be scrapped over the season as attendance plummeted in the OFU and rose in the NAAF. With both Ottawa and London finding success this season in the NAAF, fans were starting to gravitate to those teams more, especially in Kitchener for the Tigers. 

Anderson would move forward with the merger plans. The main proposal as stated before would see the Toronto Lakers and Hamilton Steelers join the league, however, as they were approaching the end of the season, Gibson decided to completely pull out of the whole ordeal. The longtime owner felt that his time to move on from the team was coming, and since the OFU was folding, it would be the perfect time to step down. The sudden decision would not make things easier for Anderson. He would have to try and find a new owner for the Steelers just to be financially viable. Unfortunately, there were no stable options available for new ownership. To make matters worse, on top of buying and running the team, Hamilton was likely needing a new stadium soon which was another big cost to an owner hoping to buy the team. Gibson was likely the only man who was able to keep the team afloat, and he was gone. With the tough situation, Anderson would decide to merge the Hamilton Steelers with the Toronto Lakers. The new team would receive a name change to try and please the Hamilton fans and honour the team which will come at a later date. 

OFU-NAAF MERGER
Anderson would arrive at the NAAF’s annual league meetings with the final merger proposal. The NAAF would absorb the Ontario Football Union and its players, the merged Toronto-Hamilton team would join the NAAF as a new team based in Toronto for next season. 

From that simple proposal, the NAAF would develop a plan to handle the team next season. First, the season would likely see a couple of extra weeks next season as the odd number of teams would mean bye weeks are necessary. However, they will still maintain the 12 game season. The Toronto team would be added to the West Division and the Long Island Raiders would finally be able to shift into the East Division to play closer opponents. 

As for the actual formation of the team next season, Toronto would get the first choice of players from the OFU teams to build their team from. They will also receive the 1st overall pick in the 1964 draft with Halifax receiving the 2nd overall pick. 

ADDITIONAL NAAF EXPANSION
With the addition of Toronto, the NAAF was at 11 teams. The odd number of teams was not ideal for the league, so they would make the decision to seek out a location to add a 12th team to the league. The league will immediately start looking for options that are available in hopes of making a decision on a home by the end of the offseason. They will be looking for a financially stable owner and a ready-to-go stadium in order to have the team ready to play in 1965. 

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

ACFL
On the ACFL’s side, there have been some improvements coming from their new teams. Mainly Rochester who saw a fairly competitive second season with GM Dwight Gilbert finding a way to bring in some strong young talent. The fans have been supporting the team quite well, which means they are here to stay for now. As for the Boston Shamrocks, well, in 2 seasons, they only have 1 win to their name. The fans of Boston do not support the team at all. Some enjoy some football once the Independents’ season comes to a close, but they still don’t even fill half of the stadium. Steven Van Fossen has gotten a lot of questions about the team and why it hasn’t worked. The frustrated commissioner is still staying the course and believes as the team improves, they will start to see more people come out to watch exciting football. 

MONTREAL ROUGE
It was announced shortly after the end of the 1963 season that Montreal Rouge owner Jean Beaulieu had passed away. The longtime owner had been dealing with on and off illnesses over the last several years. His declining health led to the decision to bring in GM Virgil Gross and the rest of the newer staff to try and get one more championship before he passed on. While the Rouge did get to the 1962 McCallister Cup, they were unsuccessful in winning the title. 

Following the news, the Rouge would be handed over to Alvon Martineau. Martineau had been slowly taking on more responsibility as the likely successor. His father, Marc Martineau, was good friends with Beaulieu, and through that connection, Alvon got to learn lots under Beaulieu. Martineau would hold a small press conference, where he talked about some minor changes he wants to look into, while he wants to honour his mentor, he feels like there are things that can be improved on. His main goals initially will be to get this team back to the top of the NAAF, as well as giving the team a refresh brand-wise. While Montreal has a classic look, he feels like the team could use a refresh and they will be working on something over the next season or two. 

1963 Award Winners

1963 Award Winners

Most Valuable Player - QB Riley Kiernan LDN
Kiernan becomes the 3rd player in NAAF history to take home 3 MVP awards in his career. It took true leadership from Kiernan to help the Tigers recover from a horrid 1-5 start. He was able to lead the Tigers on a 6-game win streak in the second half to capture the West Division heading into the playoffs. While he may never be seen as better than the great QB Jean Matieau, he has certainly solidified himself as the second-best QB of his era. 

Playoff MVP - QB Connor O’Rourke PRO
While the Gold Stars would fall short of their first NAAF championship, QB Connor O’Rourke had a stellar playoff run. The QB threw for 10 touchdowns in 3 games over their playoff run. He was consistently the best player on the field as he tried everything to get the Gold Stars on top. A fantastic performance for O’Rourke and a well-deserved award.

Offensive Player of the Year - RB Scott Mallard-White MTL
It was a very close vote between Mallard-White and O’Rourke, but in the end, the Rouge running back was the stand-out choice. He led the league with 20 rushing touchdowns this season being a key piece for the league’s highest-scoring team this season. The 20-touchdown season is the first for a RB since Dareion Fields in 1959. Mallard-White would be just the 3rd player to take home a second OPOY award.

Defensive Player of the Year - DB Neville Falkner PRO
It’s another back-to-back winner at the defensive player of the year award with Neville Falkner taking home the award. Falkner has burst onto the scene with fantastic season after fantastic season. Many will be comparing him to Providence’s other great DB Lee Wolfe throughout the rest of his career, but he certainly seems up to the challenge.

Special Teams Player of the Year - K Johnnie Berg BOS
With the STPOY award being overtaken by Nimrod the last three seasons, it is refreshing to see Johnnie Berg claim his second STPOY award. The kicker has been one of the most consistent throughout his career but always seems to be a step behind the top kicker throughout the season. 

Rookie of the Year - DL Wayne Baxton HFX
Baxton quickly put himself miles ahead of any competition for the rookie of the year as he became an immediate impact on the Mariners’ D-line. His strong play would end up helping the Mariners to a 3-2 start this season. Baxton was one of the best DL this season, so the future certainly looks bright for the young star. 

Coach of the Year - Roy Aguirre LDN
Aguirre has a certain ability to just get a team to score. Even when facing all adversity, Aguirre was able to adjust and turn the Tigers around this season. The combination of Aguirre and Kiernan has been nothing but special in the last few years and they both deserve lots of credit for the fantastic rebound. 

Breakout Player of the Year - DB Lauri Hayha LI
It was a close race between Hayha, Karis, and Paisley, but the 1962 3rd overall pick was the narrow winner. Hayha seemed like a big risk pick last year since he was coming from a smaller school, but the Fin came through with a stellar sophomore year that saw him become a top DB in the NAAF. The Raiders have something special on their hands. 

46th McCallister Cup Host - New Providence Stadium - Providence, RI - Capacity: 65,450
It was a heartbreaking loss in the 45th McCallister Cup, but the city of Providence will get to celebrate the team’s 50th anniversary with the 46th McCallister Cup coming to town. The league’s biggest stadium finally wins a vote after getting passed on a couple of times since their last host in 1953.

1963 All-Stars

WEST ALL-STARS
QB Riley Kiernan LDN (6)
RB Dareion Fields LI (4)
OL Taylor Forbes LOU (1)
OL Magnus Gunnersson LDN (6)
OL Elliot Winterbottom LI (5)
OL Bernhard Altermann LOU (4)
OL Jean-Baptiste Desjardins IND (1)
WR Max Sutton LDN (4)
WR Ed Edwards IND (2)
WR Zachariah Pembroke BUF (2)
TE Christopher Gist (2)

DL William Sanderson IND (7)
DL Vernon Spears LI (7)
DL Olympus Heights LDN (5)
DL Lonnie Vincent BUF (3)
LB Scotty Williams LOU (12)
LB Dallas Dillard LDN (1)
LB Deon Wiggins LI (1)
DB Jackson Miles LDN (5)
DB Oliver Langstrom LOU (2)
DB Lauri Hayha LI (1)
S Johnny Berger LOU (4)

K Henderson Schumacher LI (3)

EAST ALL-STARS
QB Connor O’Rourke PRO (2)
RB Scott Mallard-White MTL (5)
OL Graham Chambers BOS (6)
OL Maxence Castex MTL (5)
OL Varo Giovanni PRO (2)
OL Ulysses Fairgrove PRO (6)
OL Ward Briscoe HFX (2)
WR Taylor Karis MTL (1)
WR Sammy Moss PRO (3)
WR Ellis Lindholm BOS (5)
TE Eli Grant MTL (2)

DL Wayne Baxton HFX (1)
DL Craig White PRO (2)
DL Olaf Viktorsson OTT (10)
DL Timmy Kerr LI (1)
LB Konrad Aust BOS (6)
LB Brent Harper BOS (8)
LB Sam Fitzroy MTL (1)
DB Neville Falkner PRO (3)
DB Cameron Taylor PRO (1)
DB Mingan Oliver OTT (5)
S Garet deVale MTL (3)

K Johnnie Berg BOS (5)

1963 League Leaders

Passing Touchdowns
1 - QB Connor O’Rourke PRO - 26
2 - QB Gene Bishop MTL - 22
3 - QB Riley Kiernan LDN - 21
4 - QB Nathaniel Braddock BOS - 18
5 - QB Jean Matieau OTT - 14

Rushing Touchdowns
1 - RB Scott Mallard-White MTL - 20
T-2 - RB Dareion Fields LI - 14
T-2 - RB Jimmy Golden BUF - 14
T-2 - RB Kendall Morgan BOS - 14
5 - RB Rodney Clark LOU - 12

Receiving Touchdowns
1 - WR Max Sutton LDN - 12
T-2 - WR Taylor Karis MTL - 9
T-2 - WR Sammy Moss PRO - 9
4 - WR Ellis Lindholm BOS - 8
5 - WR Owen Paisley PRO - 7

Interceptions
1 - DB Neville Falkner PRO - 9
2 - DB Jackson Miles LDN - 8
3 - DB Oliver Langstrom LOU - 7
4 - DB Lauri Hayha LI - 6
T-5 - S Johnny Berger LOU - 5
T-5 - DB Cameron Taylor PRO - 5

Forced Fumbles
1 - LB Scotty Williams LOU - 7
T-2 - LB Konrad Aust BOS - 6
T-2 - DL Wayne Baxton HFX - 6
T-2 - LB Dallas Dillard LDN - 6
T-5 - DL William Sanderson IND - 5
T-5 - DL Olaf Viktorsson OTT - 5
T-5 - DL Craig White PRO - 5