1966 Season Preview

1966 Season Preview

1966 Schedule

Power Rankings

1 - Long Island Raiders
1965 Record: 7-5 (1st East)
1965 Result: Won McCallister Cup
The Raiders had a historically elite defence last season, and that helped them to their second title in the NAAF. This season, that defence returns. The only starter the team lost was DL Blaine Caswell, who they replaced with an upgrade in DL Dexter Barbarcos. That change only makes the defence even stronger. The one concern for the team will be if QB Stanley Troyer can step up a little more in the passing game which was a rough patch for the team last season. Most other teams will likely be aiming to force the team to move the ball through the air rather than on the ground with RB Dareion Fields. 

Captains:
C - DL Vernon Spears
A - RB Dareion Fields
A - OL Elliot Winterbottom

2 - Buffalo Blue Wings
1965 Record: 7-5 (5th West)
1965 Result: Missed Playoffs
Missing the playoffs was a head-scratcher for the Blue Wings. To be fair, the team’s record should have been enough to make the playoffs, and frankly, they likely would have had a real good shot at the title if they did get in. This season, the team returns with the steller D-line headlined by Lonnie Vincent and William Sanderson, and the strong QB-RB combo of Charles Lemieux and Jimmy Golden. The Blue Wings have the most skilled team in the league and should be one of the biggest contenders this season. 

Captains:
C - QB Charles Lemieux
A - DL Lonnie Vincent
A - OL Georgio Stephan

3 - Boston Independents
1965 Record: 6-6
1965 Result: Lost East Division Final
The Independents did lose some key pieces on defence with LB Brent Harper calling it a career, and DL Robin Hill moving onto Montreal. The defence as a whole will be younger and could be weaker than in the past, but the hope is new head coach, Johnathan Fox, will help to lessen the blow of those losses with his defensive mind. However, with QB Nathaniel Braddock leading the way on offence, you can never count Boston out of the race. There is even more excitement as the team could have the best WR core since Braddock started his career with WR Felix Fontaine being added to WR Evan Clanton and WR Alexei Dubois. If things work out, the team could be right back at the top of the league.

Captains:
C - QB Nathaniel Braddock*
A - OL Graham Chambers
A - K Johnnie Berg*

4 - Toronto Steelheads
1965 Record: 9-3 (1st West)
1965 Result: Lost West Division Final
It's the last shot for the current core of the Steelheads. Several veterans, namely LB Rusty McVee, LB Daniel Carpenter, and DL Chester Avery, all decided to return for one last shot at a NAAF title with the game being played in Toronto. The Steelheads as a whole are not the most skilled team in the league, but you can't completely count them out as they showed that they were able to overcome that last season. They hope the team can find some more magic to take a shot at the title.

Captains:
C - QB Todd Baker
A - LB Daniel Carpenter
A - S Daniel Perry

5 - Halifax Mariners
1965 Record: 5-7 (5th East)
1965 Result: Missed Playoffs
The Mariners are looking to finally make the jump into being a contender this season. With the acquisition of QB Lyle Painter and the mountain of young players coming into their own, they look like a team that could be very scary for many others across the league. Painter is going to have some strong weapons offensively with WR Shane Steadman, WR Jav Kerrigan, and RB Ronald O’Sullivan, and then the defence is going to be a tough one to play with DL Wayne Baxton, DL Pat Butler, and DB Joe Robinson ready to tear up offences. There is an obvious concern with the lack of experience and have not proven if they can be a team to beat, which does hold them lower in the rankings.

Captains:
C - OL Ward Briscoe
A - DB Joe Robinson
A - DL Pat Butler*

6 - Louisville Thunder
1965 Record: 8-4 (2nd West)
1965 Result: Lost McCallister Cup
The Thunder had a great turnaround after a tough start last season going on to an 8-4 season with a 6-game win streak to close it out. However, there are still lots of concerns for the team after they lost LB Scotty Williams to retirement and have a significantly weaker front 7. However, they still have arguably the league’s best secondary and a young WR core that could start to provide QB Leonidas Dumont with more options on offence. HC Emil Riddle also knows how to get the most out of his teams so you can’t count the Thunder out completely.

Captains:
C - QB Leonidas Dumont
A - S Johnny Berger
A - DB Jayden Mills*

7 - London Tigers
1965 Record: 7-5 (4th West)
1965 Result: Lost East Division Semi-Final
Much like the Steelheads, the Tigers could be on their last ride. They have many ageing veterans on the team especially on the defence with DL Olympus Heights and DB Richardo Salvador. They do have some youth hoping to make a mark, notably RB Austin Andrews who will look to improve on his first season as the starter, but they are running out of time with this core. They should still be in the fight this season with a great coaching staff and still one of the best QBs in the league in Riley Kiernan. 

Captains:
C - QB Riley Kiernan
A - DB Jackson Miles
A - OL Emil Jennings*

8 - Montreal Rouge
1965 Record: 5-7 (3rd East)
1965 Result: Missed Playoffs
The Rouge enter this season with one big question. Will QB Gene Bishop be able to recover to his usual form? Bishop suffered a major season-ending injury last year. Over the offseason, the QB suffered a couple of setbacks that could impact his play this season. They will hope he can get back to form as they are still a very talented team that should be contending for the Cup. They did add some help with DL Robin Hill on defence and OL Elliot Barett on offence to help support the QB. However, the play of Bishop is still likely the most important factor in Montreal’s season which leaves them this far down the list.

Captains:
C - DB Quentin Xavier
A - LB Sam Fitzroy
A - RB Scott Mallard-White

9 - Indiana Victors
1965 Record: 7-5 (3rd West)
1965 Result: Lost West Division Semi-Final
The Victors had their best season last year, however, they had QB Lyle Painter leading the way. This season, they are going to have to rely on the young hands of QB Tom Applewhite. It certainly does not mean the Victors won’t find success this season, but it does not inspire confidence when you lose your MVP-winning QB. Indiana still was able to add DB Cameron Taylor and plenty of youth which certainly should make the team into a strong foe this season regardless. It will ultimately come down to the play of their young QB to see if the team can take the step into some consistent success this season. 

Captains:
C - DB Kelly Kirkland
A - TE Emmanual Hines
A - LB Terrence Patton

10 - Providence Gold Stars
1965 Record: 4-8 (6th East)
1965 Result: Missed Playoffs
The Gold Stars had a horrid season last year, however, they were certainly not the least skilled team. This offseason the new regime made some strong moves that could lead to a bounce-back year for the team. However, with the new coaching staff and still some uncertainty with 3 rookie-starters on the defence with DL Bartolo Cruz, LB Kurt Warlock, and DB Perry Ferris. Providence is the biggest wildcard this season which could be both good and bad for the team. 

Captains:
C - QB Connor O’Rourke
A - DL Calias McDonough
A - DB Neville Falkner

11 - Ottawa Royals
1965 Record: 5-7 (4th East)
1965 Result: Missed Playoffs
This season is still a building one for the Royals. They are likely going to give QB Landon Ross a shot this season as the starter and see what he can do. That certainly could lead to some growing pains for the purple and gold. They do have some interesting young players in WR Colby Bancana, LB Sam Wheeler, and DB Sergio Alvarez which should bring some excitement for the fans. Overall, you can’t count Ottawa out as long as HC Joseph Curry and OC Jean Matieau continue to do what they do best. 

Captains:
C - S Randall Green*
A - WR Marshall Leonard
A - LB Douglas MacDougall*

12 - Pittsburgh Blacksmiths
1965 Record: 2-10 (6th West)
1965 Result: Missed Playoffs
The Blacksmiths are still the weakest team in terms of pure skill, however, it doesn’t mean they won’t show improvement from last season. They will have a question at QB this season. QB Louis Vaughn was taken with the 1st pick in the draft, but it is unlikely that he starts right away. QB Buck Murphy started most of last season and should be the starter for week one, but it is also likely the team could deploy QB Magnus Torrensen at some point as well after he showed some promise at the end of last season. Regardless of who is under centre, they will have a strong group of guys to support them in the backfield with veteran RBs Stavros Black and Cody Barnes, and youngster RB Carter Roy. Overall, Pittsburgh may not be amazing, but they will be exciting to watch.

Captains:
C - RB Stravros Black
A - DL Sammy Pickett
A - OL Wally McRose

1966 Predictions

Based on last season being a crazy one, I think we could see more craziness this season. I think a team or two could definitely fall further down the standing than they hope, and a few may find their way into a playoff spot when they didn’t expect it. I also think Buffalo and Long Island are going to be really tough to beat, so they likely could be a level above the rest.

WEST
BUF 9-3 -y
LDN 7-5 -x
IND 6-6 -x
LOU 6-6
TOR 5-7
PIT 2-10

EAST
LI 9-3 -y
HFX 7-5 -x
BOS 7-5 -x
MTL 6-6
PRO 5-7
OTT 3-9

DSF
HFX over BOS
LDN over IND

DF
LI over HFX
BUF over BOS

48th MCC

BUF over LI 

1966 Free Agency - Post Draft

1966 Free Agency - Post Draft

There was not a lot to report in the second part of the free agency as the teams simply were looking to just fill up the rest of their teams. Some of the best free agents remaining were WRs. Otto Washington landed in Louisville to add support to their WR core rebuild. Toronto would bring on WR Paul Franklin, who decided to go to the team that is shooting for the title this season over his former team in Boston. Lastly, Sam Nash would head to Ottawa to help add to the younger core. 

There were a pair of trades as well with the Rouge acquiring TE Sylvian Leblanc from the Victors in exchange for OL Henri MacMillian. Montreal needed a backup TE so they made the swap, while Indiana had many TEs already. 

The second trade would see Boston acquire OL Stephane Lloris and LB Eric Dionne from the Royals in exchange for LB Aristofane Zuccaro and OL Sun Guanyu. Boston wanted to get rid of Zuccaro due to having too many LBs on the roster, and they needed some younger help on the OL so they swapped with Ottawa who wanted a younger LB to help their rebuild.

Top 25 Free Agents - Updated - Final Signings for Full Offseason
1 - QB Lyle Painter - IND -> HFX - 3Y, $27,500 (NTC Y3 with $30,000)
2 - DB Cameron Taylor - PRO -> IND 3Y, $26,000
3 - DL Mickey Daly - BUF -> PIT - 2Y, $22,000
4 - DL Robin Hill - BOS -> MTL - 1Y, $20,500
5 - S Drew Porter - BOS -> IND - 1Y, $18,000
6 - DL Dexter Barbarcos - PIT -> LI - 2Y, $16,000
7 - OL Christopher Weeks - PIT -> TOR - 2Y, $15,000
8 - DB Dennis Kirchner - PRO -> PRO - 1Y, $18,000
9 - S Nick Larson - PRO -> BOS - 1Y, $12,000
10 - TE Micheal Bowman III - LDN -> LI - 1Y, $15,000
11 - DL Blaine Caswell - LI -> OTT - 1Y, $16,000
12 - QB Matt Fletcher - LI -> TOR - 2Y, $15,000
13 - QB Stanislav Ovechkin - LOU -> IND - 1Y, $14,000
14 - QB Robert Humphrey - HFX -> LDN - 1Y, $14,000
15 - WR Sammy Moss - LOU -> PRO - 1Y, $15,000
16 - S Clarence Sale - LI -> LI 2Y, $12,000
17 - LB Killian Reed - PIT -> BOS - 1Y, $18,000
18 - TE Andrew Mathias - LI -> PRO - 1Y, $14,000
19 - WR Otto Washington - IND -> LOU - 1Y, $13,500
20 - WR Paul Franklin - HFX -> TOR - 1Y, $14,500
21 - DL Dennis Hughes - MTL -> BUF 1Y, $14,000
22 - OL Benny Germain - MTL -> IND 1Y, $12,000
23 - WR Sam Nash - TOR -> OTT 1Y, $14,000
24 - DB Lou Lake - IND -> BUF - 1Y, $8,000
25 - QB Rigobert St-Hilaire - MTL -> LOU - 1Y, $15,000

1966 NAAF Draft

1966 NAAF Draft

Round 1

1 - Pittsburgh Blacksmiths | QB Louis Vaughn | New England - Brooklyn, NY - DireBear
The Blacksmiths opened up the draft by taking who they hope will be their franchise QB, Louis Vaughn. Now, that statement has been said many times about a Pittsburgh-based team taking a QB early in a draft, and it did not work out the last few times for the Hammers of the ACFL. The fans will certainly be cautious to start believing that Vaughn will reach his potential. However, Vaughn has all the tools to find success at the next level, drawing a lot of comparisons to fellow #1 overall pick, Lyle Painter. He is smart, accurate, calm under pressure, and seems to be an overall great leader, which is a great foundation for a franchise gunslinger.

2 - Providence Gold Stars | LB Kurt Warlock | Rhode Island State - New London, CT - DireBear
It was one of the worse kept secrets that the Gold Stars were going to take Warlock with the second overall pick. Ever since the team hired Garrett Boone (the coach at Rhode Island State) as the new head coach, it became obvious that the coach wanted his defensive centrepiece. The good news is the LB looks like an absolute tank down the middle that could give the Gold Star defence a massive overhaul centred around him. He draws a lot of comparisons to LB Konrad Aust of the Independents as being a guy who loves to hit but can fly across the field and make plays in coverage. 

3 - Halifax Mariners | DL Bernard King | St-Laurent - Caribou, ME - Kingsfan11
The Mariners were the first team that no one knew what they were going to do. In the end, they surprised many by taking 8th ranked prospect, Bernard King. King is certainly not a bad pick. The quiet laid-back persona of King leaves him a little hidden, but once he gets on the field he will roll right through O-line’s like a bulldozer. The addition of King to an already strong D-line with Wayne Baxton and Pat Butler could be very dangerous.

4 - Ottawa Royals | DB Sergio Alvarez | Haynes - Hartford, CT - Dan O’Mac
The Royals were hoping to be able to get DL Bernard King since they lost DL Olaf Viktorsson to retirement but were surprised to see him go to Halifax before them. However, the consolation was getting the top DB in Sergio Alvarez which should create a strong secondary for the Royals for years to come. Alvarez was one of the best coverage DBs in college last season. His ability to stick to WRs in man coverage is at an elite level, and his speed and catching ability are strong enough to create even more problems for QBs in zone coverage. Alvarez joins fellow 4th overall pick, DB Jerome Caldwell, in the Royals' secondary that could be the foundation from something great in Ottawa. 

5 - Montreal Rouge | OL Elliot Barrett | New England - Albany, NY - ZO82
With the injury to QB Gene Bishop, the Rouge knew it would be important to bring on more protection for their QB. Barrett was hands down the best prospect on the line who made life really easy for QB Louis Vaughn at New England. He is one of the most athletic OL the league has seen in a while with speed and strength that makes him dynamic and adaptable on both run and pass blocking. Barrett still needs to clean up on some of the technical aspects, but good coaching should set him up for a long career.

6 - Indiana Victors (from Buffalo) | RB Reggie Whitehead | New England - Portland, ME - Stickman
The Victors have not had the most stable run-game since RB Rodney Clark left for Louisville in 1961. They hope to finally fix that by taking a big RB from New England. Whitehead is a big power-back that specializes in going through defenders instead of around them, much like more old-school backs like Joel Bonner and Laurent Brazeau. Whitehead should be a great partner to young QB Tom Applewhite as the face of the franchise for Indy.

7 - London Tigers | DB Bernard Wilkins | Western New York - Buffalo, NY - Wallflower
London did take a DB in Rob Risker last season, they still were desperate to bring some youth to the secondary. Wilkins’ strength is in man coverage and being able to stick to WRs. However, he is quite conservative as a defender. He looks to make the tackle or knock the ball away over jumping for an interception. Overall, he should be a solid player, but won’t necessarily be a game-changer.

TRADE ALERT
The first trade of the 1966 draft saw the Pittsburgh Blacksmiths make a jump back into the first round. They would send the 13th overall pick, DL Theo Conte, and a 3rd rounder from next year’s draft in exchange for the 8th pick, RB Cody Barnes, and DL Khalid Al-Amin. 

The Victors were looking for some more veteran help on the D-line and would grab Conte for that role, and then they would send RB Cody Barnes to the Blacksmiths to make room for RB Reggie Whitehead. 

The Blacksmiths were excited to get another veteran in the backfield to add some more help for RB Stavros Black. They also add the former 3rd round pick in Al-Amin to help add more youth. 

8 - Pittsburgh Blacksmiths (from Indiana) | WR Taylor Austin | Louisville State* - Louisville, KY - ZO82
With the pick they got in the trade, the Blacksmiths would look to give their new QB a star WR. They would take the first non-hybrid conference player in WR Taylor Austin. Austin is a speedy WR who will certainly become a deep threat. His speed is electric and compares to other WRs like Samuel Floyd and Derek Cross. Austin could be an amazing weapon for the team with his speed that can be turned up with the ability for a running start at the line. 

9 - Boston Independents | WR Felix Fontaine | St-Laurent - Quebec City, QC - Darknes
The Independents have consistently been looking for a new weapon for QB Nathaniel Braddock. Last season, WR Evan Clanton had a solid season, but Fontaine could likely be a step up. There were concerns about the WR after fellow St.Laurent alum WR Alexei Dubois ended up being not quite what people expected. However, Fontaine looks to have a much different skill set. The WR has shown an immaculate ability to make something out of nothing. He led all of college in YAC yards and showed why on a 74-yard touchdown in the CEHC Championship that saw him break 3 separate tackles. Boston may finally have a game-changing weapon.

10 - Providence Gold Stars (from Toronto) | DB Perry Ferris | Rhode Island State - Provincetown, MA - ItDoesntMatter
Many thought the Gold Stars would grab QB Ivan Sanchez to be their future, but they decided to continue to pick out of Rhode Island State. HC Garrett Boone likes his boys and he added DB Perry Ferris to his new home in Providence. Ferris is usually the guy seeking the ball. He likes going for interceptions and finding ways to punch the ball out on players while trying to tackle them. His style does lend him to struggle in tackling and leave WRs open in attempting to go for interceptions. It’s a risky pick for the Stars, but it could work in the end.

11 - Louisville Thunder | LB Le'Darius Wynn | Western New York - Cheektowaga, NY - Enigmajones
With the retirement of LB Scotty Williams, the Thunder were desperate to fill the giant hole in the LB core so they would reach a little to take Wynn with their pick. Wynn is a strong tackler up the middle and should be able to be a sturdy starter for the long run. He does lack some of the pure skill that the top LBs will have, but he’s got a lot of room to grow.

12 - Long Island Raiders | OL Mason Fitzpatrick | New England - Boston, MA - ZO82
With the final pick of the first round, the Raiders decided to take a bit of a reach with OL Mason Fitzpatrick. They decided to pass over the two Toronto University OL’s to go for the New England product. Fitzpatrick has a few more risks, but they are hoping that UNE’s coaching staff can continue to bring forward great OL.

1966 NAAF Draft - Rounds 2-5

Round 2
The second round of the draft ended up being one of the most hectic in the league’s history. There was still a lot of talent available and most notably QB Ivan Sanchez remained on the board. It started fairly quiet with Indiana using the pick they got in the trade with Pittsburgh to add to their O-line. Andrew Parsley should be a great piece to add some more depth after being passed on by the Raiders. Providence took another defensive player, this time a DL in Bartolo Cruz out of U of America. Halifax looked to provide QB Lyle Painter with more weapons adding WR Edward Webb out of Brooklyn Metropolitan. 

At this point, there was a small trade between the Raiders and Blue Wings that saw the teams swap LB Brady O’Connor (LI) and LB Harvey Phillips (BUF) and then the 36th and 30th picks in the 3rd round. 

Following that announcement, the Royals took an OL in Crawford Starrick to continue to rebuild their O-line for the future. Shortly after, they would make a trade with the Rouge to move up to the next pick (17). They would send LB Hector Greenville to help Montreal fill their 3rd LB role along with the 28th pick in the draft. At this point, almost everyone in the league thought they were going to take Ivan Sanchez, but they decided to take S Marc Bellecourt instead. It is a bit of a questionable move since they still have S Randall Green (who is one of their best players) in his prime, but the Royals felt they couldn’t miss out on another solid safety. 

QB Ivan Sanchez started to get nervous about continuing to fall at this point. Buffalo was up to pick next, so he was not expecting to go to them. Buffalo would go for DL help in Albert Sullivan to add some needed depth to the roster. Providence was up next and Sanchez was feeling like this could be the pick, however, they instead traded the pick to Toronto. The Steelheads ended up sending the 22nd pick and a 5th rounder next year to move up to 19. They would end up going with DL Johnathan Ellison out of Louisville State, looking to the future on the aging D-line.

Sanchez had to just relax for a second as the next spot he was expecting to go to would be Providence at 22. However, another trade changed the tide again. The Raiders, who had moved up in the 3rd earlier, would use the pick (30th) paired with young DL Douglas Jackson and the 60th pick to trade up with Indiana to the 20th pick. The Victors were targeting Ellison, who was taken by the Steelheads ahead of them, who wanted to regroup and move back. With the pick, the Raiders would draft the NYC native, QB Ivan Sanchez in a bit of a surprise move. However, GM Wayne Tillman has always wanted to have a younger QB in his pocket (exemplified by Matt Fletcher and Joshua Nolan being picked in recent years) and sees lots of potential in the young man. 

Following the drama, there were still a few more picks to be made. Boston would take a bit of a reach with LB Mitch Mulligan to start to look for replacements for LB Brent Harper and LB Harrison Bennett. With Providence’s 4th pick of the draft, they would take their third Rhode Island State player with DB Charles Grimm. 

With the last couple of picks in the second, there would be a pair of QBs taken. The Thunder would take Louisville State QB Rider Wandrey. Louisville loves their hometown talent and were targeting Wandrey from the start. Wandrey could add a new dynamic to the Thunder offence being a very mobile QB. It could be the case that he could see the field in some interesting packages. Finally, the Royals would take a QB. They would grab QB Michael Miranda with the 24th pick. Miranda is the son of a former NAAF backup QB Norman Miranda (who only played in 1949 with Hartford) but has shown a lot more promise than his father. Micheal Miranda has modelled a lot of his game after QB Jean Matieau as he watched the Royals throughout his teen years after the Hawks left his hometown. He is super stoked to be able to play for his favourite team and learn from his idol in Matieau.

Round 2 Picks
13 - IND (from PIT) | OL Andrew Parsley | Toronto - Toronto, ON - ItDoesntMatter
14 - PRO | DL Bartolo Cruz | America* - Washington DC - QCS
15 - HFX | WR Edward Webb | Brooklyn Metropolitan* - Huntington, NY - Osctheg
16 - OTT | OL Crawford Starrick | Toronto - London, ON - Darknes
17 - OTT (from MTL) | S Marc Bellecourt | Majeure Montreal - Drummondville, QC - ItDoesntMatter
18 - BUF | DL Albert Sullivan | New England - Boston, MA - Wallflower
19 - TOR (from LDN via PRO) | DL Johnathan Ellison | Louisville State* - Louisville, KY - NoE83
20 - LI (from IND) | QB Ivan Sanchez | Brooklyn Metropolitan* - New York City, NY - ZO82
21 - BOS | LB Mitch Mulligan | Cambridge of Boston - Boston, MA - Darknes
22 - PRO (from TOR) | DB Charles Grimm | Rhode Island State - Hartford, CT - QCS
23 - LOU | QB Rider Wandrey | Louisville State* - Cincinnati, OH - Sevsdast
24 - OTT (from LI) | QB Michael Miranda | West Mass State - Hartford, CT - ItDoesntMatter

Round 3
The 3rd round was much more straightforward. The main event in the 3rd round was the Rouge acquiring QB Mike Key from the Blacksmiths. The Blacksmiths need to open up a roster spot for their new franchise QB in Louis Vaughn and they really wanted to grab OL Ben Jammin out of the local Allegheny University. Montreal would get the 34th pick in the deal and would take S Nick Prince to fill in the backup role. They also took another OL with their first pick in the round. 

Round 3 Picks
25 - PIT | DB Aiden Sargent | Central Ohio* - Columbus, OH - ZO82
26 - TOR (from PRO) | LB Lincoln Webster | St.George - Toronto, ON - ItDoesntMatter
27 - HFX | DB Janek Rodoslav | Upstate* - Sharon Springs, NY - Jayhawk
28 - MTL (from OTT) | OL Tony Walker-Jones | Western New York - Detroit, MI - Stickman
29 - PIT (from MTL) | OL Ben Jammin | Allegheny* - Pittsburgh, PA - Stickman
30 - IND (from BUF via LI) | TE Eric Peterson | London - Blenheim, ON - AJHFTW
31 - LDN | DL Timothy Bits | Hamilton - Timmins, ON - Dan O’Mac
32 - IND | WR Bennie Braverman | Central Ohio* - Danville, OH - Dan O’Mac
33 - BOS | OL Griffin Morningstar | New England - Boston, MA - Kingsfan11
34 - MTL (from TOR via PIT) | S Nick Prince | Hamilton - Hamilton, ON - DireBear
35 - LOU | DL Craig Cromwell | Concord-Manchester - Portsmouth, NH - ItDoesntMatter
36 - BUF (from LI) | WR Sebastian Dassler | Montreal Provincial - Munich, WG - Kingsfan11

Round 4
The Halifax Mariners became the first team to make 4 draft picks in the same round. They took local RB Byron Rodham at 38, then OL Hamish Esposito out of West Mass State at 39, DL Cal Ericsson from UPNB would be the last of their 3 straight before they took the other Nova Scotia prospect in Buddy Harwick with the 45th pick. There were 3 other RBs taken as well with Bob Sanders going to Pittsburgh, Alex Herbco heading to Ottawa, and Richard Morin going to London.

Round 4 Picks
37 - PIT | RB Bob Sanders | Ben Franklin* - Philadelphia, PA - Sevsdast
38 - HFX (From PRO) | RB Byron Rodham | Nova Scotia - Halifax, NS - Stickman
39 - HFX | OL Hamish Esposito | West Mass State - Worcester, MA - Dan O’Mac
40 - HFX (from OTT) | DL Cal Ericsson | Provinciale du Nouveau-Brunswick - Moncton, NB - Darknes
41 - IND (from MTL) | OL Gregg Rosenberg | King’s* - Trenton, NJ - DireBear
42 - OTT (from BUF) | RB Alex Herbco | Kitchener-Waterloo Provincial - Chatham, ON - AJHFTW
43 - LDN | RB Richard Morin | St-Laurent - Thetford Mines, QC - Kingsfan11
44 - IND | DL Nazario Piacenza | Brooklyn Metropolitan* - New York City, NY - ZO82
45 - HFX (from BOS) | LB Buddy Harwick | Nova Scotia - Halifax, NS - Darknes
46 - PRO (from TOR) | OL Czesław Krasowsk | Haynes - Hartford, CT - ZO82
47 - LOU | LB Brian O’Flaherty | Central Pennsylvania* - Allentown, PA - JamHeronArk
48 - LI | DB Bob Carter | Vermont Republic - Burlington, VT - ItDoesntMatter

Round 5
The final round saw the last QB finally go. Halifax would take Gilles Doucet out of St-Laurent. Doucet does have a lot of accuracy issues but has good mobility which makes him difficult to tackle. Finally, the last pick of the draft would be RB Rockey Newton out of North Indiana who was picked by the Victors. 

Round 5 Picks
49 - PIT | LB Garret DeGraaf | Erie - Warren, OH - ItDoesntMatter
50 - PRO | WR Maynard Lowe | Western New York - New York City, NY - ZO82
51 - HFX | QB Gilles Doucet | St-Laurent - Quebec City, QC - Kingsfan11
52 - OTT | LB Blake Dawson | Toronto - Melbourne, AU - Stickman
53 - IND (from MTL) | S Chase Penrod | Maine State - Saco, ME - Dan O’Mac
54 - BUF | WR Jimmy Franks | Western New York - Buffalo, NY - Wallflower
55 - LDN | DB Jace Smith | Montreal Provincial - Montreal, QC - Wallflower
56 - IND | DL Ron Prumple | North West Virginia - Violet, WV - Dan O’Mac
57 - PRO (from BOS via TOR) | OL Seamus Cronin | Cambridge of Boston - Milton, MA - Darknes
58 - TOR | WR Rick O’Shea | WNY-Rochester - Batavia, NY - Dan O’Mac
59 - LOU | TE Ross Hämäläinen | Louisville State* - Owensboro, KY - Jayhawk
60 - IND (from LI) | RB Rocky Newton | North Indiana* - South Bend, IN - ItDoesntMatter

Undrafted
OL Ben Salem | Ben Franklin - Philadelphia, PA - ItDoesntMatter
WR Barney Barber | Vermont Republic - Barre, VT - ItDoesntMatter
RB Joe Rider | Maine State | Augusta, GA - ItDoesntMatter 
TE Buddy Bing | Jersey State | Toms River, NJ - Scratch

1966 Draft Preview

1966 Draft Preview

1965 College Results

CEHC
WEST
(3) Toronto Dukes
(5) Hamilton Howlers
(10) St.George Maples
London Foresters
Rideau Rams
Kitchener-Waterloo Provincial Beavers

EAST
(6) St-Laurent Cavaliers de riviere
Majeure Montreal Insulaires
Montreal Provincial Panthers
Nova Scotia Armada
New Brunswick Pirates
Mont-Bellevue Geais bleus

CEHC Semi-Finals
EF (6) ST-L 36-10 MMTL
WF (3) TORU 32-26 (5) UHAM

CEHC Championship
(3) TORU 31-37 (6) ST-L

AEHC
(1) New England Cardinals
(2) Rhode Island State Bulldogs
(4) Haynes Colonials
(7) West Mass State Rangers
(8) Western New York Whitetails
(9) Maine Acadians
Vermont Republic Mountaineers
Cambridge of Boston Cubs
Concord-Manchester Fighting Pike
Erie Sailors
WNY-Rochester Eagles

AEHC Playoffs
(1) UNE 42-20 (7) WMS
(2) RISU 20-13 (4) HAY

Conference Championship
(1) UNE 38-28 (2) RISU

Hybrid Football Championship
(1) UNE 35-24 (6) ST-L

1966 Draft Preview

The QBs in the 1966 NAAF draft class are highlighted by New England QB Louis Vaughn. UNE’s unbeaten year was largely attributed to their senior QB who only threw 4 interceptions this past season. Vaughn is likely a franchise-level QB with lots of similarities to QB Lyle Painter, with accuracy and solid decision making, but a lack of pure arm strength. 

Behind him, is Brooklyn Metro QB, Ivan Sanchez. Sanchez was originally set to be a top pick in the ACFL, but after an injury in his junior year and hearing some not-so-great things from former teammates he is looking to make the jump to the NAAF. Sanchez showed a lot of promise with good arm strength and decent mobility, but his injury did knock his comfort in the pocket a little which could become an issue. 

QB Rider Wandrey had a strong season with Louisville State who won the Mid-western conference this season. The mobile QB garners a lot of similarities to QB Angelo Medina with the ability to run but has some accuracy issues down the field. 

QB Micheal Miranda was a bit of a surprise this season, suddenly having a fantastic year in his senior season following a forgetful junior season. He was able to lead the West Mass State Rangers to their first semi-final since switching to hybrid after upsetting the WNY Whitetails. 

The last major QB is Gilles Doucet out of St-Laurent. Doucet is not much different than Wandrey as he is very mobile, but more significant issues with his throwing ability could be a large concern for Doucet. 

As for the other top prospects. LB Kurt Warlock looks like a very dominant LB that could very likely end up with the Gold Stars after they hired Rhode Island St.’s head coach Garrett Boone. DB Sergio Alvarez out of Haynes had a stellar season locking down several top WRs in college this season, he could be another top DB making a major impact immediately. 

There are several strong OLs out of New England and Toronto. Both schools have had great O-lines over the past few years and that is reflected by the 4 OL in the top 13. RB Reggie Whitehead could be a highly sought-after piece for teams looking for a difference-maker out of the backfield. Whitehead was certainly a big help to Vaughn at UNE this season and showed strength in running many defenders over. 

St-Laurent could have a couple of sneaky players that could be a lot better than some initially assume. DL Bernard King is a fairly quiet player, but he does everything very well and could start running through O-lines across the league. WR Felix Fontaine could also be interesting as he follows up WR Alexei Dubois from St-Laurent. The not-so-great start for Dubois has led some to question if Fontaine has it, but the young WR has shown a great ability to make something out of nothing on the field. 

There are also a pair of WRs from outside of the hybrid conferences with the speedy Taylor Austin from Louisville State and the sturdy Edward Webb out of Brooklyn Metro who could both be valuable weapons to offenses across the league.

The Gains Report - Top 25
1 - QB Louis Vaughn - New England - Brad Cumberland - DireBear
2 - LB Kurt Warlock - Rhode Island State - Brad Cumberland - DireBear
3 - DB Sergio Alvarez - Haynes - George Stefanakis - Dan O’Mac
4 - OL Elliot Barrett - New England - Barry Williams - ZO82
5 - WR Taylor Austin - Louisville State - Barry Williams - ZO82
6 - RB Reggie Whitehead - New England - Johny Armando - Stickman
7 - WR Felix Fontaine - St-Laurent - Sterling Brantley - Darknes
8 - DL Bernard King - St-Laurent - Vincent Desjardins - Kingsfan11
9 - QB Ivan Sanchez - Brooklyn Metropolitan - Barry Willams - ZO82
10 - OL Andrew Parsley - Toronto - Ivan di Marco - ItDoesntMatter
11 - WR Edward Webb - Brooklyn Metropolitan - Joonas Van Dijk - Osctheg
12 - OL Crawford Starrick - Toronto - Sterling Brantley - Darknes
13 - OL Mason Fitzpatrick - New England - Barry Williams - ZO82
14 - LB Le'Darius Wynn - Western New York - Kenneth Jones - Enigmajones
15 - DL Bartolo Cruz - U-America - Jimmy Yamamoto - QCS
16 - S Marc Bellecourt - Majeure Montreal - Ivan di Marco - ItDoesntMatter
17 - DB Perry Ferris - Rhode Island State - Ivan di Marco - ItDoesntMatter
18 - DL Albert Sullivan - New England - Wally Flowers - Wallflower
19 - DL Johnathan Ellison - Louisville State - Timmy Bjarnathan - NoE38
20 - QB Rider Wandrey - Louisville State - Perry Matthews - Sevsdast
21 - DB Janek Rodoslav - Upstate - Jay Hawkins - Jayhawk
22 - QB Micheal Miranda - West Mass State - Ivan di Marco - ItDoesntMatter
23 - OL Tony Walker-Jones - Western New York - Johnny Armando - Stickman
24 - DB Aiden Sargent - Central Ohio - Barry Williams ZO82
25 - DB Charles Grim - Rhode Island State - Jimmy Yamamoto - QCS
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44 - RB Alex Herbco - Kitchener-Waterloo Provincial - Oscar Burns - AJHFTW
48 - LB Brian O’Flaherty - Central Pennsylvania - James Herr O’Nark - JamHeronArk
64 - TE Buddy Bing - Jersey State - Roger Roy - Scratch

1966 1st Round Draft Order
1 - Pittsburgh Blacksmiths
2 - Providence Gold Stars
3 - Halifax Mariners
4 - Ottawa Royals
5 - Montreal Rouge
6 - Indiana Victors (from Buffalo)
7 - London Tigers
8 - Indiana Victors
9 - Boston Independents
10 - Providence Gold Stars (from Toronto)
11 - Louisville Thunder
12 - Long Island Raiders

1966 Free Agency Pre-Draft

1966 Free Agency Pre-Draft

It was not a big surprise when QB Lyle Painter officially signed a 3-year contract with the Halifax Mariners. The Mariners were the only team that was looking for a new starting QB this offseason, which meant it was pretty much the only place Painter would be able to maintain a starting role heading into this season. With the youth the team has, Halifax could be a great place for the veteran QB to continue his career. 

The other big fish in DB Cameron Taylor took a lot longer to find a new home. 6 teams were originally interested in the veteran, but it came down to Boston, Indiana, and Pittsburgh as they offered either a competitive team, a lot of money, or a bigger market. In the end, Indiana had the best combination and he will join the Victors next season which should provide the squad with a great boost. Many are noting the similarity of the move to DB Alexander Bradley’s move to Louisville, which could mean good news for the Victors.

The various DL that were available would go to various new places. Mickey Daly would surprise a lot of people by signing on with the Blacksmiths which gives them a pretty sturdy line. Robin Hill would go closer to home (Burlington, VT) by signing in Montreal, which should help that team a lot this season. Barbarcos was thought to potentially return to Montreal after being picked in the expansion draft, however, he decided to head to the champs in Long Island. Blaine Caswell ended up taking a larger salary to play for the Royals next season and Dennis Hughes ended up taking Daly’s spot on the Blue Wings line for next season.

OL Christopher Weeks ended up returning to Toronto in hopes of joining the championship push of his former team. S Nick Larson, who used to play in Toronto decided to take a different route providing some stability in the safety position in Boston behind Ernie Osborne who will likely be the starter for the first time in his career. S Drew Porter looks to do the same in joining the Victors on a solid contract with them.

Matt Fletcher was the most interesting QB outside of Painter. The former 1st round pick has not gotten a chance so far in the NAAF, so he is taking a gamble with the Steelheads who do have a pair of older QBs and may lead to a shot down the line. As for others, QB Stanslav Ovechkin decided to take advantage of the potential uncertainty that could be the Indiana QB room. Robert Humphrey also joined his 3rd different team in the NAAF looking to backup Riley Kiernan in London.

WR Sammy Moss also created some buzz in returning to Providence after two years in Louisville. Moss played with new GM Peter Brooks, so it seems the two wanted to reconnect in Providence this season. DB Dennis Kirchner also decided to return to Providence as well.

Top 25 Free Agents
1 - QB Lyle Painter - IND -> HFX - 3Y, $27,500 (NTC Y3 with $30,000)
2 - DB Cameron Taylor - PRO -> IND 3Y, $26,000
3 - DL Mickey Daly - BUF -> PIT - 2Y, $22,000
4 - DL Robin Hill - BOS -> MTL - 1Y, $20,500
5 - S Drew Porter - BOS -> IND - 1Y, $18,000
6 - DL Dexter Barbarcos - PIT -> LI - 2Y, $16,000
7 - OL Christopher Weeks - PIT -> TOR - 2Y, $15,000
8 - DB Dennis Kirchner - PRO -> PRO - 1Y, $18,000
9 - S Nick Larson - PRO -> BOS - 1Y, $12,000
10 - TE Micheal Bowman III - LDN -> LI - 1Y, $15,000
11 - DL Blaine Caswell - LI -> OTT - 1Y, $16,000
12 - QB Matt Fletcher - LI -> TOR - 2Y, $15,000
13 - QB Stanislav Ovechkin - LOU -> IND - 1Y, $14,000
14 - QB Robert Humphrey - HFX -> LDN - 1Y, $14,000
15 - WR Sammy Moss - LOU -> PRO - 1Y, $15,000
16 - S Clarence Sale - LI -> LI 2Y, $12,000
17 - LB Killian Reed - PIT -> BOS - 1Y, $18,000
18 - TE Andrew Mathias - LI -> PRO - 1Y, $14,000
19 - WR Otto Washington - IND
20 - WR Paul Franklin - HFX
21 - DL Dennis Hughes - MTL -> BUF 1Y, $14,000
22 - OL Benny Germain - MTL -> IND 1Y, $12,000
23 - WR Sam Nash - TOR
24 - DB Lou Lake - IND -> BUF - 1Y, $8,000
25 - QB Rigobert St-Hilaire - MTL

1966 Re-sign Stage

1966 Re-sign Stage

BOSTON
The Independents were able to lock up several defensive stars with LB Konrad Aust returning on a 2-year deal at $34,000 a season, and then DB Mordecai King and DB Lawrence both on 3-year deals at $25,000 and $22,000 a season respectively. However, there were a couple of players who were let go. DL Robin Hill has been struggling with penalty trouble in the last couple of seasons which has made him and the team frustrated, leading to the two parting ways. The other player key piece would be S Drew Porter, as they look to the 3rd year S Ernie Osborne.

BUFFALO
The Blue Wings had the tough task in bringing back their big trade splash from last season, DL William Sanderson. They would bring the superstar back on a 2-year deal at $37,500 a season which certainly makes the Blue Wings a challenger again this season. They also were able to lock up DB Dean Hawkins and DB Ezra Power on match 4-year deals and then WR Zachariah Pembroke would agree to another 2-year deal at $25,500. They did end up being unable to negotiate with another DL in Mickey Daly who wanted more money and a larger role which he was not getting on the stacked Buffalo D-line.

HALIFAX
It was fairly quiet in Halifax with the team signing a lot of their talent to extensions. They brought back Joe Robinson, WR Shane Steadman, WR Jav Kerrigan, and LB Bear Donnelly. The biggest fish ended up being DL Wayne Baxton who signed back on to a 6-year deal at $28,500 to start and reach up to $36,000. Halifax did let go of both QB Robert Humphrey and QB Sammy Townsend as they geared up to look for a new starting QB.

INDIANA
Following a very promising season, the Victors were able to maintain much of their team from the last few years. They brought back key pieces in DB Kelly Kirkland, WR Orlando Barrack, OL Viktor Stahl, and RB Raymond Green all to fresh contracts. Of course, to no surprise the team did allow for the reigning MVP, QB Lyle Painter to walk into free agency.

LONG ISLAND
It is always a tall task to manage the team following a championship, as there is a lot of talent that you want to bring back and need to pay to keep around. GM/Owner Wayne Tillman brought back most of the team for this season with big contracts going out to DB Rutherford Winter, DB Alexander Bradley, OL Elliot Winterbottom, and LB William Washington II. WR Casey Coleman also agreed to a 2-year contract, but it was a rough negotiation. Coleman wanted more money or at least more opportunities in the passing game, but it did not seem to mesh with what Tillman was envisioning with the team which could be a concern down the line. The team also had a couple of other players walk away with TE Andrew Mathias and DL Blaine Caswell that could be an issue if they don’t play this offseason right.

LONDON
The Tigers continued their usual plan of maintaining as many pieces as possible. The key signing would be QB Riley Kiernan who stays on for 2-years at $42,000. They also locked up OL Emil Jennings to a 5-year deal as well. There is not much else to say about the Tigers as they continue to maintain the team and hope they can still compete for another title.

LOUISVILLE
The Thunder were a team on the verge of going into a full rebuild after their 2-4 start, but after recovering for a McCallister Cup appearance, they are still looking to maintain the team. This starts with QB Leonidas Dumont, who many believed might be on the way out this season, but instead re-signed for another 3-years at $38,000 a season. They also spent a lot of money in the secondary, locking up DB Oliver Langstrom, DB Jayden Mills, and DB Jared Francis all to $20,000+ contracts. It certainly could be a risk as the team now has $107,500 locked up in the secondary with S Johnny Berger included. The Thunder did end up parting ways with WR Sammy Moss, after seeing the 2-year experiment did not work out.

MONTREAL
Montreal did a solid job of bringing back the important pieces, signing LB Sam Fitzroy for 2 years, Lucas Kipling for 4, and DB Jayson Kylde for 2. They did bring back 2nd string RB Hugo Hughes on a 1-year deal. Hughes has shown sparks of being the team’s next top back so they are hoping he takes a jump this season and he could potentially take over for RB Scott Mallard-White.

OTTAWA
The Royals have a lot of their roster currently in place, so they only made a couple of signings bringing back DL Zane Tannith on a 4-year deal and breakout TE Ryan Hatcher for 4 years as well. DB Wesley Nires also returned on a 2-year deal as the Royals hope the younger core starts to take a step forward this season.

PITTSBURGH
The Blacksmiths seemed like a popular place to re-sign for a lot of players despite the 2-10 season this year. However, a lot of the deals signed with players like LB Red Clarkson, WR Wilson Queensgate, and DB Elvin Waters were all 1-2 years. The longest contract signed ended up being with OL Wally McRose who stays for 3 more years. The team did bring back both the team Captain, RB Stavros Black, for another year and young QB Magnus Torrensen who has shown some promise thus far.

PROVIDENCE
The large overhaul in the front office seemed to shakedown to the rest of the team with a few key pieces in Providence deciding they did not want to be a part of a potential rebuild. The biggest piece was DB Cameron Taylor who is considered a fringe top 10 DB in the league. Taylor (29) is very much focused on trying to win now and does not feel like Providence will get him there soon. They also almost lost young DL Ryan Sargent, but GM Peter Brooks and HC Garret Boone convinced him to stay on for 2 more years. The last major question would be QB Connor O’Rourke, who was rumoured to potentially be let go by the team following injuries over the last several seasons, but with Brooks in office, he couldn’t wait to offer his old pal a 2-year deal at $40,000 a season. 

TORONTO
Cheap contracts were flying off the shelves in Toronto with the team gearing up for a run this season. Most of the veterans returning for one last push were more than willing to sign for less if it means the team can get some other help. The only larger investment the team ended up making was on LB Sebastian Andrews III, who they had acquired at the deadline to be the future #1 guy for the team. He signed on for 2-years at $20,000 a season.

Top 25 Free Agents
1 - QB Lyle Painter - IND
2 - DB Cameron Taylor - PRO
3 - DL Mickey Daly - BUF
4 - DL Robin Hill - BOS
5 - S Drew Porter - BOS
6 - DL Dexter Barbarcos - PIT
7 - OL Christopher Weeks - PIT
8 - DB Dennis Kirchner - PRO
9 - S Nick Larson - PRO
10 - TE Micheal Bowman III - LDN
11 - DL Blaine Caswell - LI
12 - QB Matt Fletcher - LI
13 - QB Stanislav Ovechkin - LOU
14 - QB Robert Humphrey - HFX
15 - WR Sammy Moss - LOU
16 - S Clarence Sale - LI
17 - LB Killian Reed - PIT
18 - TE Andrew Mathias - LI
19 - WR Otto Washington - IND
20 - WR Paul Franklin - HFX
21 - DL Dennis Hughes - MTL
22 - OL Benny Germain - MTL
23 - WR Sam Nash - TOR
24 - DB Lou Lake - IND
25 - QB Rigobert St-Hilaire - MTL

The reigning MVP tops the free-agent list unsurprisingly. It is very likely he lands with the Mariners as the only team that seems to be looking for a new starting QB this season and is trying to win now, but you never know. DB Cameron Taylor is likely the most unknown player on the board since he could go to a much larger list of teams that could use him. The question will be if he is willing to maybe take less to potentially win with a competitive team. After that, several teams are going to likely be targeting DL as there are a lot of open spots at the position across the league. It could be very tough for teams looking for a new LB with Killian Reed being the only real solution available in this class of free agents. Lastly, QB Matt Fletcher could create some noise as the former 1st round pick is going to be available after not getting many (if any) chances in his first three seasons in Long Island.

1966 Staff Changes

1966 Staff Changes

8 of the 12 teams decided to make zero changes in this season feeling either they have a good group or that they have not had enough time to show what they got. 

PROVIDENCE GOLD STARS
As for the teams making changes, it was a full reset in Providence after the team fired HC Harry Meadows early last season. They decided to let go of GM Allen Hutchinson, who served in the role for 7 and a half seasons. It was likely a rebound following the drafting of DB Neville Falkner that saved Hutchinson for a couple more seasons. His replacement will be a former Gold Star in WR Peter Brooks. Brooks has been working with the NAAF player committee since his retirement after the 1960 season and has been interested in taking on a GM role. He has a good reputation within the Gold Stars organization so he is certainly a liked choice for the role. There are some concerns about his ability to manage the team and make deals, but only time will tell. 

As for the coaching staff, the Gold Stars considered bringing their Interim Head Coach, Carroll Moss, back, but ultimately decided to take a shot at Rhode Island State Head Coach, Garrett Boone. Boone has had a pair of very successful seasons with the school which makes him an intriguing get for the role. The team did bring back Dean Parrish as the offensive coordinator after he took over for Jack Dorsey midway through last season, and then they brought in Tommie Warner as the Defensive Coordinator who comes over from Haynes University. 

BOSTON INDEPENDENTS
A shocking decision was made in Boston as the team has fired Head Coach Ben McMillan. McMillan had a lot of success with Boston, as he never missed the playoffs in his 6 years, however, aside from the team's 1961 McCallister Cup run, he has been 1-5 in the playoffs. The continued failure in the playoffs has left the team to look for a new coach. They would settle on Victors’ DC Johnathan Fox. Fox was convinced by the Victors to leave his Head Coaching role at Rockefeller University in Chicago to coach at the professional level. After just one year in Indiana, Fox is moving up to one of the most prestigious roles as Boston’s Head Coach. The hope is he can turn the team up a notch much as he did with the Victors last season.  

MONTREAL ROUGE
After a disappointing 5-7 season in Montreal, GM Martin Gagneaux has decided to make a change at the top, letting go of HC Perry Powell. He has promoted DC Jimmy Sargent to be the new Head Coach. Sargent has a lot of experience as a head coach, winning a McCallister Cup and Coach of the Year Award with Long Island, and having a couple of seasons at the helm in Indiana. To replace Sargent in the DC role, the team has hired Head Coach of the Longueuil Larks of the Eastern Canadian Semi-Pro Football League, Louis Batteau.
 
INDIANA VICTORS
With Fox getting hired to Boston, the Victors would have to get a new DC. They would end up bringing in Carroll Moss to fill the role. Moss had worked with current Victors’ OC Malachi Knowles back in Boston, so Knowles made sure to put in the good word to his former co-worker.