1972 Re-Sign Stage

Boston Independents
The Independents seem determined that this group is going to work, so they were heavily focused on keeping a lot of the talent they had last year, especially in the veteran department. They would extend last year’s big trade acquisition, DL Wayne Baxton to a lucrative 2-year deal worth $75,000 total. They would also bring back DL Bjorn Sigmarsson and the breakout S Ernie Osborne. Of the younger talent, they would keep OL Carlton Vanderbilt on a 4-year deal and WR Tyreek Flores on a 2-year deal. The only name that is notable from free agents is DB Moredecai King, who was unable to agree to terms on a new deal with the team, leading to Boston signing DB Tim McGovern to cover the spot. 

Buffalo Blue Wings
After taking a step back from their dynastic play with the injury riddled 1971 campaign, it looks like the Blue Wings are determined that the core is still strong and brought back most key players. DL Ned Hedman would get the most per year with a 3-year deal worth $32,500 a season, while OL Artem Sobakov would get the biggest deal overall (4 Years, $27,000 a season). Veterans, LB Randall Lambert, WR Julis Drake, and safeties Wesley Jones and Eric Willis also all re-signed. After being the stand-in starter last season, RB Yancy Harrison is ready to test the market and see if he could land a full-time starting job. His brother Clancy Harrison is joining him in free agency with the two likely wanting to land with the same team.

Calgary Predators
The Preds had a pretty quiet re-sign stage, only bringing back 5 players. The most notable being DL Roger Barrett, twin brother to captain DL Chris Barrett, who inked a new 1-year deal with $19,000. The team looks to be trying to continue to mold the team into the Wild West offence so a lot of players that didn’t fit in last season were let go, but even then, not many notable names are heading to the open market.

Edmonton Rangers
The Rangers are a team that loves tradition. They are also very loyal which is evident by their 4 biggest extensions going to players 32 and older (LB Frank St. John, DL James Chambers, OL Phillip Caron, and LB Herb Landry). Their youngest extension went to OL Lenny Barrigan at 2 years, $21,000. As for free agents, DL Quinton Hextal, who had joined the team just this past year from Winnipeg, would head back to the open market, along with him would be DB Paul Clement who has been with Edmonton for many years, but saw a sharp decline in playing time last season.

Halifax Mariners
A year into the rebuild, some big names were expected to head to free agency, however, to the shock of most, a lot of these veterans stayed put. Captain, DL Pat Butler, and DB Joe Robinson would stick around on new 1-year extensions worth $32,000. WR Shane Steadman would stay put as well on a new 2-year deal worth $30,000 a year. Some younger talent was sticking around as well with LB Frederic Macnamara, OL Graeme McDouglas, and DB Lance Lee staying put. There are still a couple of names heading to free agency to test the market in OL Millard Streety, LB Walker Colson, and, as expected, QB Lyle Painter, who is on the lookout for a starting opportunity but is open to returning to Halifax if one doesn’t come up.

Indiana Victors
The Victors are in a tough spot following a late-season collapse that left them outside the playoffs. They clearly can be a playoff contender, but they aren’t exactly pushing to be a championship contender. With that said, they were intent on keeping a lot of pieces. OL Taylor Alexander is back along with veteran WR Ed Edwards. They also secured a couple of key younger players in DL Eugene Case and LB Maxwell Trevorrow. However, not everyone was on board to stay and hope the team improves again. DB Neville Falkner is out after 3 seasons with the team as the future Hall of Fame corner is still looking for an elusive championship. Also heading out the door are a couple of failed experiments from Henderson with RB Jimmy Golden who was a shell of his former MVP self and QB Edwin Hunt who looked lost anytime he touched the field. Finally, one of the bigger surprises is TE Eric Peterson heading to free agency. The 28-year-old is ready to see what else is out there after playing his entire career with the Victors. 

London Tigers
Under new GM Martin Gagneaux, some weren’t sure what to expect with the Tigers’ decisions this offseason. So far, it seems that Gagneaux is willing to shake it up a little. They did have many young, high-potential players to lock up, which they did, landing new contracts with LB Reuben James and LB Everett Lynch. They also signed RB Jeremy Royal to a new 2-year deal, however, some expect the lower deal is due to his injury history over the last two seasons. WR Cole Fletcher is also back after his best season in the league. On the way out are a couple of veterans in RB Austin Andrews, who has seen a lot of the field with Royal’s injuries, as well as TE Tranquille Rousseau who has battled countless injuries over the last several seasons. Another reason for Rousseau’s departure is the rise of TE Pete Mayfield who has played well in his absence. 

Long Island Raiders
GM/Owner Wayne Tillman is ready to shake up the roster after missing the playoffs in the team’s attempted title defence. Many of the big-name veterans the team brought on who were in the hunt for a competitive team were not going to be returning. S Garet deVale is the most surprising one, considering he had a solid year last year. OL Taylor Forbes and LB Bear Donnelly were not quite on the same level. However, the team did maintain a lot of the core pieces, including captain LB William Washington II, his brother WR Otto Washington, DB Rutherford Winters, and WR Larry Mossholder. RB Scott Norton would look to be heading to free agency, but just before the deadline, he signed a new 2-year deal that would pay him $28,000 a season.

Louisville Thunder
The McCallister Cup champions did a good job of maintaining a lot of key pieces to their success this past season. Several of their young key pieces inked new deals in OL Gordie Hammarstein, DL Gavin Shaw, and DB Oswald Murray. They also retained DL Lucas Kipling for another season. However, success can come with a cost, especially when you have a lot of talent, some players get lost in the shadows of others. That was the case for WR Lloyd Lane, whose injury this season opened the door for a breakout season from WR Ben Graham. Lane, who was already being overshadowed by WR Casey Coleman, was ready to at least see what is out there as many would argue that he could be a #1 receiving on almost any other team. DB Alonzo Gray will also join him in free agency. The former 2nd round pick has just not gotten a chance to play very much. Some eyes will also be on QB Xerxes Wynn, who impressed in his backup snaps this season and could be an option for teams looking for a change at the position.

Minnesota Serpents
It was a tall task for Minnesota GM Calvin Carpenter to maintain a lot of the Serpents’ key young talent. The biggest name was 1971 OPOY RB Tyler Kuhn, who would stay on a 4-year deal worth $145,000 in total, locking in as the workhorse of the offence. Former 1st overall pick, LB Garrett Roberts would return on a 4-year deal as well (worth $132,000). DL Ferris Kane and S Gérard LaCroix also stayed put. However, the key signing was at QB with Martin Keller getting a 3-year deal worth $35,000 a season, which would also convince Keller’s best friend, WR Ferdinand Matthews to stay put at $25,000 a year for 3 years. They also kept veterans in OL Elias McCarren, RB Hugo Hughes, and DB Jayson Klyde. The Serpents cleaned up quite well, but they still left some names on the free agency board in DL Ryan Sargent, S Calvin Hobbes, and WR Evan Clanton, with the amount of talent the team retained, I don’t think they are too worried about the aging veterans.

Montreal Rouge
GM Jon Neal was in an interesting spot as the Rouge came off of a McCallister Cup appearance. The first focus for the team was on a couple of younger pieces in DB Jean Paul du Pont and TE John Schall, who both signed onto new deals for 3 years and 2 years respectively. They also brought back longtime WR Taylor Karis on a one-year deal. However, all the real focus was going to be on QB Gene Bishop, who, at the start of the year, looked like he was going to be moving on in the offseason, but after a resurgent year, he is tougher to get rid of. GM Neal felt the same way and ultimately extended Bishop to a 2-year deal worth $35,000 a season, which is down from his previous salary, but the 36-year-old proved he can still play. While Bishop is staying, some others are moving on like, RB Raymond Green who was traded to Montreal last season, but eventually lost the starting job to rookie RB Bo Frazier. WR Yahui Sun is going to be out there looking for a new position after losing his position in the lineup to rookie WR Antonio Villanueva, and then LB Willie Stetson is gone after his rookie contract was up. Stetson has battled injuries and underwhelming play since being drafted 4th overall in 1969. 

Ottawa Royals
After back-to-back early playoff exits, the Royals are determined to make some more significant adjustments. They would only hand out 8 extensions. The most notable ones being to All-Star WR Marshall Leonard, LBs Sam Wheeler and Tuukka Tariitt, and WR Matthew de la Cruz. Leaving the team are a couple of long-time veterans DL Zane Tannith and WR Colby Bancana. Tannith is getting into his 30s and the D-line was rough when Ottawa was without DL Bernhard Hartmann. So They are looking to rebuild the position. Bancana on the other hand, is also getting older but saw a reduction in play last season with a couple of injuries and the rise of de la Cruz. Other veterans like S Clarence Sale and DB Adam Levesque are also moving on. QB Ulysses Lawyer is at least going to test the market after doing a fine job down the stretch last season in relief of QB Drake Young.

Pittsburgh Blacksmiths
Success has a high price and the Blacksmiths are certainly feeling it. GM Cooper Ellington had the tough task of choosing which players to keep and which to extend and for how much. IT would lead to some expensive contracts. OLOY OL Erik Nelson would ink a new 2-year deal worth $30,000 a season, making him the highest-paid O-lineman in the league. OL Jan Baptiste Francoise would also get a 3-year deal worth $25,000 a season. TE Jesse Butler is staying put for another 2 years at $25,000. The longest negotiation would go to DL Matthias Hartmann who proved his value when DL Arthur Bradshaw was taken out and Hartmann would go on to have an All-Star season. He would land a new 2-year deal worth $32,000 a season. Of course, they couldn’t pay everyone, so there are some veterans on the way out. WR Orlando Barrack is going to hit the open market along with S Peter Sellers and OL Jeffery Uduike. The vets are understandable losses, but DB Chandler Gage could be a little tougher to swallow as the former 6th overall pick was starting to show some improvements this season, but in the end, they have a lot of depth at the position already. 

Providence Gold Stars
The Gold Stars are looking to head in the same direction as they have been for the last couple of years, maintaining a lot of key pieces. DL Newton Dalton inked a 3-year deal worth $35,000 a season, S Tom Parrish has proven himself and earned a new 2-year deal worth $33,000 a season, and WR Owern Paisley and LB Victor Falkensteig are back again on one-year deals. The biggest signing, however, would be in WR Justin Palmer, who would land a new 4-year contract worth $140,000 total. On the way out, is OL TJ Overton after a disappointing season following the trade from Indiana, veteran OL Herman Mecklenburg after some frustrations about personality, and TE Dylan Chowder with the drafting of TE Kairos Knight last season. The team will also be looking for a new backup QB with Landon Ross also testing the market.

Regina Wheat Kings
With a new man in charge of the Wheat Kings, it wasn’t surprising to see that there could be a decent number of changes to the roster this season. The team extended just 6 players this year, which did include WR Jimmy Franks, who they picked up in a midseason trade with Toronto. On the flip side, the team is leaving a lot of roster spots open in hopes of building a better overall roster this season. A lot of the players on the way out are in-depth roles like backup QBs Rusty Lamb and Michael Benedict, RB Joseph Cook, OL Ian Robertson, and DB Tim Fox. A new direction that should leave Regina fans hopeful.

Toronto Steelheads
After a miserable first year at the helm, GM Reginald McMahon is ready to make some significant changes. They had the lowest number of extensions signed in the entire league, with only 3 players re–signed. Those players being DB Dwayne James, S Charles Clerk, and DL Irwin Anthonyson. Some figured Clerk might be interested in moving on being 29 and not necessarily wanting to go through a rebuild, but he was pretty quick in signing a new deal. Overall, the large group of players leaving the Steelheads isn’t all that impressive, outside of one big name. DL Johnathan Ellison, the team’s captain and one of their best defenders, is heading out to test the market. He’s been in Toronto for his whole career but is open to a new and potentially more competitive opportunity. Outside of Ellison, the most notable players are a pair of O-linemen, Mason Fitzpatrick and Robin Beard, as well as veteran RB Théodore Lemieux. The team also has already given up on the QB Matt Fletcher experiment as he is also entering free agency after the Steelheads made the trade for him during the season. 

Vancouver Wolves
Some were looking at Vancouver as a team that may make some more dramatic changes after last season’s overall disappointing performance. However, they were pretty tame. They locked up important pieces like DB Christian Allen, S Nick Parker, and TE Johnny Temple, keeping a lot of the core pieces the same. There is a decent amount of depth on the way out, but no one is super integral to the team’s outlook. The only notable players were DB Vern Nowitski, who led the team in interceptions last season, and QB Mike Key who is viewed as a reliable backup. 

Winnipeg Falcons
Just like a few other of their fellow WFU teams the Falcons didn’t have many extensions signed. WR Ryan Conway and LB Nathan Davidson were the key re-signings, as both players are experienced and solid depth pieces. There are a lot of pieces heading out the door. Much like the Wheat Kings, it is a lot of depth pieces as the Falcons seem to be looking at developing the depth they have on the roster. They will especially be focused on the D-line. DB Lawrence Ralph, the big free agency acquisition from last season, is heading back out to the market potentially to look for a competitive spot, but didn’t rule out a return to Winnipeg. DB Alain Archambault, a long-time Falcon, is also on the way out, as they are looking at restructuring the secondary. QB Jerome Sheppard is also gone as some expect the Falcons to be in the QB market this season.

Top 25 Free Agents
1 - WR Lloyd Lane - LOU
2 - DB Neville Falkner - IND
3 - DL Johnathan Ellison - TOR
4 - WR Orlando Barrack - PIT
5 - DB Chandler Gage - PIT
6 - OL Amos Sewell - MIN
7 - QB Landon Ross - PRO
8 - LB Willie Stetson - MTL
9 - WR Yahui Sun - MTL
10 - TE Eric Peterson - IND
11 - OL Paul O’Doherty - MIN
12 - OL Millard Streety - HFX
13 - QB Ulysses Lawyer - OTT
14 - OL Clancy Harrison - BUF
15 - QB Lyle Painter - HFX
16 - WR Colby Bancana - OTT
17 - DB Mordecai King - BOS
18 - DB Vern Nowitski - VAN
19 - S Garet deVale - LI
20 - S Peter Sellers - PIT
21 - S Calvin Hobbes - MIN
22 - QB Xerxes Wynn - LOU
23 - QB Mike Key - VAN
24 - DL Ryan Sargent - MIN
25 - DB Lawrence Ralph - WPG

Blacksmiths Secure Lease For Riverfront Stadium of Pittsburgh

Following the conclusion of the ACFL’s season at the start of January, Blacksmiths and Hammers entered negotiations with the City of Pittsburgh over the right to call Riverfront Stadium of Pittsburgh their home. Right from the start, the Hammers were fighting an uphill battle as the Blacksmiths had won over the city’s fanbase. In the past couple of seasons with the Blacksmiths fighting as a top contender in the NAAF, the fans have come out in droves to fill up the big stadium. The Blacksmiths have had the highest ticket sales in well over a decade. The Hammers have continued to sit at the back of the ACFL, causing fans to lose any care they had for the team that has been there for decades. The nail in the coffin may have been last year when the Hammers had their best season in years finishing 6-6. Despite the improvement, the fans couldn't care less and ticket sales went down this season. It also didn’t help that the Blacksmiths had finished 1st in the NAAF during the regular season. 

There was little to argue. The city gave the Hammers a chance to at least make their case, but they would’ve had to come up with something dramatic to change their minds. They did not. On top of that, the Blacksmiths put a lot of effort into their pitch with Owner William Braddock leading the charge himself. Within a week, the Blacksmiths would secure the lease and officially have control over their home stadium for the first time.

Along with the lease, there were some other additions to the deal. The Blacksmiths would inflict the same sanction on the Hammers that prevented them from building a new stadium in the city, and if they wished to continue to play at Riverfront Stadium, they would have to pay rent to the Blacksmiths.

The future of the Hammers is up in the air as they now have to head to the ACFL’s League Meetings empty-handed.

Right after securing the rights, the Blacksmiths were not done, they would then move forward with pitching the City of Pittsburgh a plan for a new stadium to replace the nearly 50-year-old stadium. The talks are ongoing, but it is expected that the City will be receptive to a new stadium with the Blacksmiths leading the charge. 

COLLEGE WORLD

WCHC OFFICIALLY FORMS
As mentioned last season, the Western Canadian Universities were working towards changing their rule set from Canadian football to hybrid with the WFU’s merger with the NAAF. It would be made official, that starting in the 1972 college season, the colleges would be switching to hybrid rules. The conference that schools are involved in, called the West-Can Athletic Conference, will officially make its football program hybrid rules and will compete along with the AEHC and CEHC for the Hybrid Football National Championship. Below is a full overview of the schools that are going to be joining: 

Pacific Provincial University - PPU
Location: Vancouver, BC
Mascot: Seahawks
Notable Players: WR Keshawn Johnston (VAN), QB Kevin Westwood (VAN), DB Scott Summerhayes (CGY)
One of the most technologically advanced universities in North America, Pacific Provincial prides itself in being a cutting-edge institution where many top researchers go to study and teach. The sports are pretty big as well, having consistently strong teams across many sports. Football is not the top sport at the school, rather there is a larger focus on the Olympic sports, with many Team Canada athletes electing to study at the school. However, they are still a strong football school that is consistently in the mix for success.

University of Central British Columbia - UCBC
Location: Kamloops, BC
Mascot: Mountain Lions
Notable Players: DL Rashawn Sutherland (VAN), DL Jared Kendall (VAN), S Nick Palmer (VAN)
Out in the Thompson Valley is UCBC. One of two bigger universities in the interior of British Columbia, the other being the University of the Okanagan Valley in Kelowna, BC. The two schools have a rivalry in many sports, however, as of now, UCBC is the only one with a top-level football team. The Mountain Lions are a pretty tough team, often not having as much talent as Pacific Provincial, UEdmonton, or Alberta Provincial. However, they make up for it with a well-coached team that plays smart and tough. Their defence is often their strength hence many pro-level alumni being defensive stars. 

Royal Gardens University - RGU
Location: Victoria, BC
Mascot: Knights
Notable Players: OL Kenny Rudolph (VAN), LB Shawn Anderson (VAN), Daniel Shao Li (VAN)
In the provincial capital of BC, Royal Gardens stands as the top academic school in the west. The school does have connections to Pacific Provincial for research purposes, so there is a good relationship between the schools in general. On the field, Royal Gardens has a long history of football, however, they have not been one of the strongest schools since the early 1900s. The school is certainly more focused on schooling than athletics, in a similar way that Cambridge University of Boston and St. George are. 

Alberta Provincial University - APU
Location: Calgary, AB
Mascot: Wranglers
Notable Players: DL Chris Barrett (CGY), DL Roger Barrett (CGY), WR Patrick Early (CGY)
One of the big three schools in the Western Provinces, next to Pacific Provincial and UEdmonton. Alberta Provincial, attracts a lot of talent, always trying to one-up their rivals to the north in Edmonton. Alberta Provincial has evolved a lot with their playstyle, pretty much willing to adapt to the talent that they have at their disposal which has led to a decent amount of talent finding their best traits. 

University of Edmonton - UEDM
Location: Edmonton, AB
Mascot: Huskies
Notable Players: DL Steven Montgomery (EDM), WR Nick Spalding (REG), LB Frank St. John (UEDM)
UEdmonton is another of the big three schools. Unlike APU to the south, they are more of a structured team. They tend to stick to their play style and teach a lot of all-around skills to their players. Their philosophy of development leans more into expanding the skill set of the players they have to not be one-dimensional. In recent years, they have been the strongest of the big 3, and are likely to continue that trend. 

University of Lethbridge - LET
Location: Lethbridge, AB
Mascot: Miners
Notable Players: OL Matthew Miller (EDM), QB Rusty Lamb (REG), DB Mario Henderson (EDM)
The 3rd Alberta School is one of the smaller programs. The school doesn’t get anywhere near the same level of talent as the two other Alberta schools, but they still sport a solid unit that is enough to stay in the top flight of college football in Western Canada. There's good local support for the school in Lethbridge, having one of the best game day atmospheres in the WC schools.

Saskatchewan Provincial University - SPU
Location: Saskatoon, SK
Mascot: Prairie Dogs
Notable Players: WR Terry Upshaw (WPG), DL Damien Battles (CGY), QB Blair Collins (EDM)
Saskatchewan’s primary school has been one of the best schools for talent in Western Canada throughout history. Many have argued that the school should be one of the big three with the football team they sport. SPU isn’t a massive school in terms of overall student population, but they put together great football teams. The culture of football runs deep in the province, even if their pro team isn’t doing so hot. 

Royal Regina University - RREG
Location: Regina, SK
Mascot: Blues
Notable Players: DL Pete Ginger (REG), OL Charles Creighton (EDM), LB Brett Pride (REG)
Royal Regina has a strong rivalry with SPU but is often regarded as the lesser football school. While the football team is still decent, they aren’t as big or consistently good as their rivals to the north. It’s not too surprising that the school is more focused on academics than sports. 

University of Western Manitoba - WMB
Location: Brandon, MB
Mascot: Wolverines
Notable Players: DB Kyle Ellerbee (WPG), DB Vern Nowitski (VAN), DL Quinton Hextal (EDM)
UWMB is a similar school to Lethbridge in size. Much like Lethbridge, it does get less talent than the bigger surrounding schools, but every once in a while they can bring up some talented players. The school is built around serving most of rural Manitoba, sometimes being the preferred school over Riel for those outside of Winnipeg. They have a larger focus on agriculture and industry.

Riel University - RIEL
Location: Winnipeg, MB
Mascot: Rebels
Notable Players: LB Claude Clarke (WPG), DB Chris Berrymore (REG), QB Emerson Thompson (WPG)
Riel is a historic school in Canada, primarily for the importance it has played in creating more opportunities for First Nations and Metis people in Canada. The school's name comes from Manitoba founder and Metis leader, Louis Riel. Football hasn’t always been a very big part of the school, with Lacrosse and Hockey being much more popular. However, they still have brought up some strong talent and continue to develop as a football school with connections to the Winnipeg Falcons. 

MIDWESTERN CONFERENCE SHAKE-UP
Along with the WCAC joining the Hybrid Football circuit, several other schools will be joining from the Midwest. It had been in the works for a bit, but Louisville State, North Indiana, Indiana Tech, and Daniel Boone are all leaving the Conference of the Midwest (CMW) to join a new Central Hybrid Conference (CHC) along with several schools from the American East Hybrid Conference. Those schools are the University of Western New York (Buffalo, NY), the University of WNY-Rochester (Rochester, NY), the University of Erie (Erie, PA), and Upstate University (Albany, NY). The new conference will sport 8 teams, forming a West and East Division between the new hybrid schools from Indiana and Kentucky, and then the other 4 former AEHC schools from Pennsylvania and New York. Here is a look at the 4 new schools:

University of North Indiana - UNIN
Location: Fort Wayne, IN
Mascot: Cardinals
Notable Players: WR Ed Edwards (IND), DB Jerome Caldwell (OTT), TE Rex Williamson (LOU)
There isn’t much special about North Indiana. The school is about the most average school. They produce typically some decent solid talent and usually have a solid competitive team, however, they have not ever been good enough to contend for any titles. Still, the school is the best that Indiana has to offer. 

Indiana Institute of Technology (Indiana Tech) - INTC
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Mascot: Express
Notable Players: OL Gary Bies (LI), S Tom Parrish (PRO), OL Jordan Bryson (MIN)
Indiana Tech is a school built around the rail industry becoming a key school in the development of transportation. Over the years, it has grown to be one of the best trade-based schools in the country. However, they have also expanded their Engineering and Business faculties as well. Indiana Tech is a relatively new football program compared to the other 3 schools. As the school has grown in enrollment, the athletics programs have become significantly stronger. The football program has risen up to be a solid contender with the other schools around and could have a formidable team in the new conference. They typically play a rough and tough style with a lot of players being trained in construction and manufacturing. 

Louisville State University - LVST
Location: Louisville, KY
Mascot: Stallions
Notable Players: QB Leonidas Dumont (MIN), DL Lucas Kipling (LOU), WR Taylor Austin (PIT)
Louisville State easily has the strongest connection to the NAAF out of the new schools making the move into the new conference. Many players have desired to play in the NAAF due to the local team in the city. The Louisville Thunder have done their fair share of pitching the league to the students of the school making regular visits from players and personnel. Louisville State was the key factor in the set of schools making the official transition to hybrid football. In terms of talent, the Stallions have been known to bring up a lot of great talent. The focus of the team is often on innovation and creating new ways to beat the other team, never sticking to one style. Obviously, that always-evolving play style tends to lead to a lot of ups and downs, but the Stallions usually have at least one serious contender every few years, even if they aren’t consistent.

Daniel Boone University - DBU
Location: Lexington, KY
Mascot: Pioneers
Notable Players: RB Tyler Kuhn (MIN), OL Clancy Harrison (BUF), RB Yancy Harrison (BUF)
Daniel Boone is one of those schools that often gets lost at the bottom of the standings. They have never really had a strong and contending team, but every once in a while they will have a player or two that make an impact and help the team into a middle-of-the-pack position. The most recent example is RB Tyler Kuhn, who set many school records with his performance. Daniel Boone hopes they can pick it up a bit in a new conference and attract more talent with the new rule set.

With the 4 schools leaving the Conference of the Midwest, 2 new schools will replace them to keep the conference at 12 schools. Iowa A&M and University of Kansas City will be added to the CMW. 

HYBRID FOOTBALL SEASON FORMAT
With two new conferences being added to the world of College Hybrid Football a new format will come into play to determine a National (or international) champion. The new format will leave each conference to determine a champion, whether through their own playoff or another format. The 4 teams that are sent as champions will then compete in a National Championship playoff. There will be 2 semi-final matches, and then a championship final.

1972 Staff Changes

After a couple of busy offseasons in terms of staff changes, 1972 would be pretty tame with every team in the league holding onto their current Head Coach. There was a lot of potential speculation over some teams making dramatic moves, like the Indiana Victors and Boston Independents after pretty disappointing seasons finishing middle of the pack, but both teams stayed the course. Most of the rebuilding clubs made coaching changes last season, so they weren’t quite ready to give up on their current hires. However, there were still some changes that needed to happen. 

LONDON TIGERS
The Tigers would lose both GM Joseph Johnson and DC Clifford Jacobson to retirement, so they would need to find replacements. At GM, they would hire Martin Gagneaux. Gagneaux previously was the GM for the Montreal Rouge from 1965-1970. He drafted and built most of the roster that went to the McCallister Cup this season in Montreal, and London took note of that. Gagneaux is a fairly methodical GM, focused on drafting and developing talent which should be a good fit on the young, rebuilding team. He also has a lot of similarities to Joseph Johnson in his style which is also another reason the Tigers wanted to bring him on. 

As for the DC position, they would go on to hire Jordan Sauveterre. Sauveterre previously was a DC with the Montreal Rouge while Gagneaux was in charge. Sauveterre is a developmental coach primarily from his time at the college level being an impactful coach on plenty of the secondary (DB/S) talent coming out of Majeure Montreal. With HC Aengus Lynch focusing on the game plan and plays, Sauveterre can focus on developing the defensive talent and help integrate the defensive schemes.

CALGARY PREDATORS
With the Wild West offensive scheme is starting to become divisive within the organization. The last season saw improvements in the way the offence functioned under head coach Travis Hobson, however, it wasn’t enough improvement to say that it is working well. OC Ben Flemming was on the side of needing to change things up and after countless debates over the offence, he is giving in and electing to move on this offseason. To replace Flemming the Predators have promoted RB Coach, David Bowman to the OC position. Bowman is certainly much more bought into the Wild West offence with most of his guys getting a lot of the looks in the wild run-heavy game.

REGINA WHEAT KINGS
With the appointment of Scott Hoffman as President of Football Operations with the Wheat Kings, there were expected to be some changes coming to the Wheat Kings staff. In particular, some additions to fill up the most barebones staff in the league. First first hire would be for GM, to relieve HC Wayne Combs of the responsibilities. Hoffman would bring in Aaron Thornton for the role. Thornton’s previous position was as a recruitment and talent manager for Saskatchewan Provincial University under Hoffman’s previous position. Thornton should be a good fit for the Wheat Kings, being a solid scout and recruiter to bring more talent into the organization. 

The other change came at OC, with the team electing to let go of Rod Owens and bring on Ben Flemming. Flemming of course just left Calgary and quickly found a new job with the Wheat Kings where they hope the young coach can continue to develop the talent in the team and improve the offence with a fresh set of eyes.

HALIFAX MARINERS
Halifax was another team where some speculation over the future of HC Ben McMillian’s job with the team, but the Mariners are putting faith in the veteran coach to keep helping the young team move forward. However, they are going to make a change at OC. Don Neuman was brought in following the collapse of the Boston Shamrocks (ACFL) in 1969, having a previous connection with McMillian.  Neuman has quite the offensive mind, but there was a disconnect between himself and the players, which was something McMillian and GM Anthony Vigneault are worried about with a team going into a rebuild. After conversations with Neuman, it was revealed that Neuman was also looking to change things up and find a new job, likely with a competitive team. So the sides agreed to part ways. 

To replace Neuman, the Mariners would bring on Charlie Shepard. Shepard has previously held OC roles with Boston and London, both only lasting 2 years each. The former ACFL QB is ready for the opportunity to have more control over the offence, something that he didn’t have as much in the previous two jobs. He also should be a great mentor and coach specifically for the team’s young QB Todd Sparrow, something that was vitally important about the team’s hiring decision.

PROVIDENCE GOLD STARS
The Gold Stars would be another team to make a change at OC. Kerry Holder, the former Long Island Raiders’ Head Coach, who won a championship with the team in 1965, had been in the position the previous two seasons. He is one of the best schemers for rushing offences, which had led to a strong run game in Providence, but sometimes it can be a bit too conservative of an offence. With a young and talented QB in Red King leading an offence with some outstanding receiving talent in WR Justin Palmer and TE Kairos Knight, they want to try to become a more aggressive attack, especially after only scoring 7 points in their playoff loss to Louisville. After letting Holder go, they would hire Don Neuman as the replacement. Neuman should bring a new direction to the offence as a much more aggressive coach. If he gets the offence right, the Gold Stars, who already have arguably the best defence in the league could become very dangerous. Neuman is excited about the opportunity to be in a competitive team as Providence is in a position to contend after back-to-back great seasons that earned them home playoff games.

TORONTO STEELHEADS
After a disastrous season offensively under OC Gregory Curtis, the Steelheads are already ready to move on from the coach. The team averaged just over 14 points a game last season while QB David Simmons struggled mightily in his first crack at being a full-time starter. Curtis was viewed as a very innovative and experimental coach which may have been the wrong call for a team that doesn’t have the talent to be able to perform the more complex schemes. So, to go in the complete opposite direction the team is bringing in Kerry Holder. As mentioned, Holder is a great run-game coach and his schemes typically take the pressure off of the QB with a lot of runs and quick passes. Something that may help Simmons get comfortable if they stay with the young QB next season. Overall, Holder will give them a more traditional and simple offence that should hopefully stabilize the team next season. 

CHANGES OVERVIEW

Calgary
OUT
OC Ben Flemming - Resigned; Hired by REG
IN
OC David Bowman - Promoted from CGY RB Coach

Halifax
OUT
OC Don Neuman - Resigned; Hired by PRO
IN
OC Charlie Shepard - From LI QB Coach

London
OUT
GM Joseph Johnson - Retired
DC Clifford Jacobson - Retired
IN
GM Martin Gagneaux - Free Agent (Previously MTL)
DC Jordan Sauveterre - From OTT DL Coach

Providence
OUT
OC Kerry Holder - Fired; Hired by TOR
IN
OC Don Neuman - From HFX OC

Regina
OUT
OC Rod Owens - Fired
IN
OC Ben Flemming - Hired from CGY OC

Toronto
OUT
OC Gregory Curtis - Fired
IN
OC Kerry Holder - Hired from PRO OC

1972 Retirements

LB Dallas Dillard - Buffalo, NY - Creator: Dan O’Mac
College: Western New York
Drafted: 1959 - LDN - Round 1, Pick 8
Teams: R.London Tigers (1959), London Tigers (1960-1968), Buffalo Blue Wings (1969-1971)
McCallister Cups: 3 (1960, 1963, 1969)
All-Stars: 6 (1963-1968)
Player of the Week: 3
In 1959, the London Tigers would draft Dallas Dillard out of Western New York with the 8th overall selection. Despite being drafted high, Dillard would spend his first year with the organization on the reserve list. In his second season, he would play a minor role on a team that would win the McCallister Cup in 1960. Over the next couple of seasons, Dillard continued to improve and eventually became the team’s top linebacker by 1963. In ‘63, Dillard would earn his first All-Star nod, which would start a 6-year streak for Dillard and would capture a second McCallister Cup, this time in a much bigger role. Dillard continued his strong play throughout the '60s, evidenced by his 6 All-Star seasons. However, Dillard, who grew up in Buffalo, was always a diehard Blue Wings fan. He would “suffer” through playing 9 years for their archrival before he would finally elect to enter free agency and sign with Buffalo to complete a childhood dream. To put the cherry on top of his dream, the Blue Wings would win the McCallister Cup in 1969, Dillard’s first season with the team. The Blue Wings would fall short in the next two seasons, but after 1971, Dillard had done what he sought to do and elected to retire from professional football. In retirement, Dillard is expected to continue to be involved in football, despite being a very talented biology student when he was in college. In the end, you can’t chase a man from his one true love of football… and, well, his wife and kids probably also fall into his true love, but like if you know you know.

DL Craig White - Cambridge, MA - Creator: Captain Mort 3D
College: Cambridge of Boston
Drafted: 1960 - PRO - Round 1, Pick 4
Teams: Providence Gold Stars (1960-1969), Ottawa Royals (1970-1971)
Captaincy: PRO - A (1969)
McCallister Cups: 0
All-Stars: 6 (1961, 1963-1967)
Player of the Week: 2
The Providence Gold Stars would take a hard-working and incredibly intelligent D-lineman out of the CUB with the 4th pick of the 1960 draft. Coming into the league you just kind of knew that Craig White was going to cause a lot of problems for opposing teams. Not only is he a scary big guy, but he’s also constantly looking to improve both physically and mentally. All of the hard work was evident throughout his run with the Providence Gold Stars. In 10 seasons with the club, he would be an All-Star 6 times. He also served as an alternate captain in 1969. While the Gold Stars did make a trip to the McCallister Cup in 1963, they would fall short against the Tigers. After 10 years with Providence and a disappointing 1969 season, White would elect to enter free agency looking to chase a Cup. He would land in Ottawa, where he would finish out his career. Unfortunately, in both seasons Ottawa would be bounced in the Quarter-Finals. In 1971, White had certainly lost a step from where he was in his prime. Despite being unable to win the big one, White is satisfied with his career and is excited for the future. He desires to return to school, likely to pursue law.

DB Oliver Langstrom - Toronto, ON - Creator: Darknes
College: St. George
Drafted: 1959 - LOU - Round 1, Pick 1
Teams: Louisville Thunder (1959-1966), Boston Independents (1967-1968), Toronto Steelheads (1969-1970), Calgary Predators (1971)
Captaincy: TOR - A (1969-1970)
McCallister Cups: 1 (1962)
All-Stars: 4 (1960, 1963, 1965, 1967)
Player of the Week: 4
Langstrom would become the first DB to go first overall in the 1959 draft. The Louisville Thunder added the premiere corner to an already solid group that featured DB Alexander Bradley and DB Jayden Mills. In his second season, Langstrom would earn an All-Star nod showing he was one of the best young players in the league. In 1962, the Thunder would capture a championship giving Langstrom the lone ring of his career. Over the next 3 seasons, Langstrom would continue his upward trend, having 2 more All-Star seasons. In 1965, Louisville would come close to winning another title but fell short against the Long Island Raiders. The next season would see the Thunder slip down to 1-11, leading to frustration from Langstrom. He would ask for a trade, not wanting to be a part of any rebuild, and would be granted the wish and was traded to Boston. The Independents were looking to bounce back from a disappointing season as well, but Langstrom felt the team had more upside than the Thunder. In the end, he would be disappointed when the Independents went 5-7 over both seasons while changing coaches multiple times. Langstrom had enough after 1968, he would head home, signing with the Steelheads. He would be named an alternate captain while playing with Toronto. Unfortunately, another two disappointing seasons would go by and Langstrom was not quite the same player he used to be when he entered free agency again. Add on the fact that teams weren’t exactly stoked about how quickly he quit on his previous clubs, so he had a rough time finding a landing spot in 1971. He would eventually land in Calgary, for yet another tough season. At that point, Langstrom was done, he didn’t want to play for losing teams, but no good teams were going to be looking at a 35-year-old corner to be a starter for 1972. 

QB Leonidas Dumont - Louisville, KY - Creator: Darknes
College: Louisville State
Drafted: 1957 - LOU - Round 1, Pick 1
Teams: Louisville Thunder (1957-1968), Minnesota Serpents (1969-1971)
Captaincy: LOU - C (1959-1966)
McCallister Cups: 1 (1962)
Awards: Breakout Player of the Year (1959)
All-Stars: 0
Player of the Week: 3
It's 1957, and the Louisville Thunder are up to pick for the first time in the team’s history. If it wasn’t a match made in heaven, I don’t know what is. Leonidas Dumont, a Louisville State product, landed right in the laps of the young team to be their leader. The hometown hero would join his hometown team to be their future. Despite going #1 overall, Dumont would take a little time to develop. He sat most of his rookie season but became the full-time starter in his second. His first year as a starter was miserable, going 1-10-1, but he had a solid second season that would see the team improve to 4-8 and earn him Breakout Player of the Year. It would also, somehow, be his first trip to the playoffs, where they would immediately get crushed by the 10-2 London Tigers. Also in 1959, Dumont would be named the team captain, showing just the kind of leader he could be at such a young age. Dumont continued to develop, leading the team to a 7-5 season in 1960, however, the funniest turn of events would result in just missing out on the playoffs. The next two seasons, the Thunder would continue to build themselves up as contenders, and in 1962, Dumont would live any kid’s dream of quarterbacking his hometown team to a championship in a game that was played in his hometown. The following season was less fortunate for Dumont, who spent most of the year injured. He returned to have a solid 1964 season, before having one of his best seasons in 1965. Leading the Thunder on a run through the seasons to get back to the McCallister Cup for a second time. However, they would fall short this time around. Dumont would ink a new contract in the offseason that would keep him in Louisville for 3 more years. Unfortunately, the contract would ultimately hurt Dumont’s playing career. In 1966, Dumont had injury troubles again as the team slipped to 1-11. Then, under new head coach Malachi Knowles, Dumont would be benched for QB Buck Murphy early in 1967. Dumont would have to sit on the bench for the next couple of seasons as no other team was willing to make a trade for the bloated contract. Finally, in 1969, Dumont was free to sign where he wanted and would land with the expansion Minnesota Serpents. He would win the starting job over QB Martin Keller and QB Matt Fletcher and go on to lead the team to a 7-3 start before he was once again taken out by injury. Dumont would spend the next two years as a backup to QB Martin Keller, making just one more start. It was a tough end to a career, but Dumont was happy with his time in Minnesota who believed in him to give him at least one more chance to prove himself. With one career ended, another opens as Dumont is going to stay in Minnesota as the team’s QB Coach. 

WR Zachariah Pembroke - Manchester, NH - Creator: Darknes
College: Rhode Island State
Drafted: 1959 - WOR - Round 2, Pick 12
Teams: Worcester Athletics (1959-1961), Buffalo Blue Wings (1962-1967), Boston Independents (1968-1971)
McCallister Cups: 3 (1964, 1966, 1967)
Awards: Breakout Player of the Year (1962)
All-Stars: 3 (1962, 1963, 1968)
WRs with an ego can certainly be a handful to manage. It certainly was for a Worcester Athletics team that was crumbling at the seams after they drafted Pembroke in the 2nd round of the 1959 draft. Luckily, Pembroke seemed to get along with the team’s young QB Gene Bishop. The two had a solid performance in the 1960 season that would see the team make the postseason. However, in the offseason, Bishop would jump ship, leaving Pembroke. After a miserable 1-11 season, there was no shot that Pembroke was sticking around and left for Buffalo in the offseason. The decision would be one of the best in his career as he would join the Blue Wings who were developing a young star in QB Charles Lemieux. Pembroke would quickly become a favourite target for Lemieux, earning an All-Star nod in each of his first two seasons with the team. He would continue to play well as the Blue Wings would capture 3 McCallister Cups in 4 years with Pembroke leading the way. Eventually, after the 1967 title, Pembroke would be a salary cap casualty and would end up heading to Boston. Pembroke would pair up well with QB Nathaniel Braddock and have another All-Star season in 1968 while continuing to be a favourite target of QB Nathaniel Braddock, even if he was slowing down with age. In the end, Pembroke did have an ego and always wanted to be the focus of the offence, but he still learnt how to be a team player at times from his success in Buffalo and ultimately turned out to be a great player. This last season, Pembroke was certainly falling behind the up-and-coming talent, so it was no surprise that he called it a career. 

OL Reynold Gilbertson - Rochester, NY - Creator: Stickman
College: Western New York
Drafted: 1960 - BOS - Round 1, Pick 7
Teams: Boston Independents (1960-1971)
McCallister Cups: 1 (1961)
All-Stars: 3 (1964, 1968, 1969)
Boston and their ability to draft and develop star O-linemen. Reynold Gilbertson was no exception. While many would say Gilbertson was pretty boring personality-wise, being about the most average patriotic man, you couldn’t deny he was good at his job. After a McCallister Cup win in just his 2nd season, Gilbertson would go on to be one of the anchors on Boston’s line for the next decade. He would be an All-Star 3 times and be named to Boston’s All-Decade team for the 1960s. Gilbertson retires and will likely remain in Boston to coach lower-level football. 

DB Cameron Taylor - Philadelphia, PA - Creator: Wallflower
College: Ben Franklin
Drafted: 1959 - PRO - Round 1, Pick 7
Teams: Providence Gold Stars (1959-1965), Indiana Victors (1966-1971)
McCallister Cups: 0
All-Stars: 3 (1963, 1967, 1968)
Player of the Week: 1
Following the footsteps that QB Nathaniel Braddock had paved the previous draft, DB Cameron Taylor would forgo being a top prospect in the ACFL draft to jump north to the NAAF. He was rewarded with being selected 7th overall by the Gold Stars. Taylor made a solid impact for the team eventually pairing up with one of the all-time greats in DB Neville Falkner to form another supreme DB duo in Providence, following in the footsteps of DB Lee Wolfe and DB Victor Bean. Taylor would be named an All-Star in 1963, during a campaign that would see the Gold Stars fall short of a championship. However, despite dominating the league with Falkner, Taylor was ultimately a little jealous of Falkner and wanted to show that he was just as good on his own and would elect to leave Providence for Indiana in 1966. Taylor quickly showed that he was very capable on his own. He would have two All-Star seasons in 1967 and 1968. In 1968, he would come close again to a McCallister Cup, however the Victors fell short against the Mariners. In 1969, Taylor would welcome his former partner in crime, Neville Falkner, to the team. The two reunited to attempt to get over the hump in Indiana, but they would fail to get back to the big game. 1970 and 1971 would see Taylor struggle through a few injuries which would ultimately be the sign for him to call it a career and retire. 

LB Orion Carter - Pawtucket, RI - Creator: idm
College: Rhode Island State
Drafted: 1962 - BUF - Round 1, Pick 5
Teams: Buffalo Blue Wings (1962-1969), Minnesota Serpents (1970-1971)
McCallister Cups: 4 (1964, 1966, 1967, 1969)
Awards: Rookie of the Year (1962)
All-Stars: 2 (1967, 1968)
Player of the Week: 2
The Buffalo Blue Wings got a linebacker with the 5th overall pick in 1962, that would make an immediate impact. The big linebacker who was great at tracking guys down would have a strong rookie season that would earn him Rookie of the Year. Carter continued to develop and turn into a solid core piece of a rebuilding Buffalo defence. While Carter had moments of being a little bit of a loudmouth, he did have passion which certainly fueled the Buffalo defence as they would help in bringing forth a dynasty in Buffalo. As the dynastic reign continued, Carter got better and earned back-to-back All-Star nods in 1967 and 1968. However, In 1969, despite winning a 4th title, Carter started to see a reduction in his role as he got older and Buffalo had some other talent coming up. The passionate linebacker didn’t take too well to it and would elect to leave the team in the offseason. He would land with the Minnesota Serpents, where he would get a bigger role. He would have a solid year in 1970, but once again regressed in 1971 further and had another reduction in playing time. Carter started to realize that he isn’t going to suddenly be a top guy anymore and that may have taken the fun out of the game for him so he’s deciding to retire after 10 seasons in the league.

DL Pionk Bjorkkstrand - Wooster, OH - Creator: QCS
College: Major Ohio
Drafted: 1961 - LI - Round 2, Pick 18
Teams: Long Island Raiders (1961-1971)
McCallister Cups: 2 (1965, 1970)
All-Stars: 2 (1965, 1967)
Player of the Week: 1
Bjorkkstrand enters the 1961 draft expecting to go early in the 3rd round, but the Long Island Raiders would select him late second to bolster their young D-line. Being a later draft pick, Bjorkkstrand would be a little bit of a project, taking some time to get up to speed and become a consistent starter. By 1963, he would be a full-time starter on the edge. He had a solid first year as a starter and only improved from there. In 1965, he would earn his first All-Star nod along with his first championship helping the Raiders secure the title one year after they lost it in 1964. He would have a little bit of a down year in 1966, but was back up to All-Star level in 1967, earning his second nod in helping the Raiders back to a 3rd McCallister Cup appearance in 4 years. Pionk remained at the top of his game throughout the late 60s despite not being an All-Star again. He would finally get his second ring in 1970 when the Raiders beat the Vancouver Wolves. Throughout his career, many teammates came to love Pionk for his goofy nature and personality. He was always loose and constantly making jokes with teammates on the sidelines or with the opponents on the field. Some expect his charisma is likely to land him on TV or radio someday. 

LB Terrence Patton - Hamilton, ON - Creator: Darknes
College: UHamilton
Drafted: 1961 - IND - Round 1, Pick 2
Teams: Indiana Victors (1961-1971)
Captaincy: IND - A (1965-1971)
McCallister Cups: 0
All-Stars: 2 (1965, 1966)
Player of the Week: 1
Being the number 2 pick in the draft is almost as much pressure as being the number 1 pick. While there isn’t as much of a spotlight on you, there still is one, certainly in the city you play. Patton immediately stepped in as one of the top LBs in Indiana’s defence in 1961. He had to learn to swim quickly with such a weak linebacking group the team had when he first joined the team. Once he got a handle on everything, then he had some really strong seasons in 1965 and 1966, which would be recognized with All-Star nods. Despite the 2 All-Star seasons some were certainly a little underwhelmed by Patton throughout his career up to this point. He was solid for sure, never out of position, very smart decision making, but he just never wowed anyone and was eventually passed by other talent, like fellow 2nd overall pick and teammate LB Marshall Langenbrunner. While the talent wasn’t amazing, he had a hall-of-fame personality. A great leader and loyal player who was willing to slip into a smaller role if it helped the team. That personality is why he served as an alternate captain from 1965-1971. Unfortunately, the latter half of his career would be littered with injuries which did hurt his playing ability, forcing him to adjust to smaller and smaller roles. However, he kept his head up and still helped the Victors reach the 50th McCallister Cup in 1968. He ends his career after 11 seasons and is expected to be a coach in retirement with incredible knowledge of the game.

DB Lauri Hayha - Helsinki, FN - Creator: Darknes
College: Oneida College (DIV II)
Drafted: 1962 - Round 1, Pick 3
Teams: Long Island Raiders (1962-1970), Regina Wheat Kings (1971)
McCallister Cups: 2 (1965, 1970)
Awards: Breakout Player of the Year (1963)
All-Stars: 1 (1963)
Player of the Week: 1
International stars have sprouted up in the NAAF for many years now, but one of the first to make a name for himself was Lauri Hayha out of Finland. Hayha had moved to Fort Drum, NY when he was growing up and would fall in love with football when he arrived in America. He would attend Oneida College, a Division II school, and play on the team. He would dominate at the lower level breaking many interception records. He even had a game where he had 4 interceptions. His play and ability to hunt down any ball thrown in his direction put him on the radar, despite being at a lower-level school. The Raiders saw the talent would take him with the 3rd overall pick in 1962. Many worried that Hayha may not be able to make such a massive jump in skill level quickly, but he would surprise them all with a great sophomore season, earning Breakout Player of the Year and an All-Star nod. He would continue to be a big part of the Raiders’ secondary for many years. He never quite reached the top level he had in 1963 again, but he had a solid career as the Raiders' #2 corner. He would help the Raiders win their two Cups in 1965 and 1970 as well as get to the other two McCallister Cup appearances in 1964 and 1967. Eventually, his role shrunk in the later years and with a desire to play, he would head out to Regina looking for more playing time. Unfortunately, he had slowed down a lot and even on the Wheat Kings, he was not able to be a consistent starter. Regardless, Hayha is a trailblazer for international talent and will certainly be a Finnish legend in football for years to come. In fact, despite having to stop playing the game he loves, he is excited to return to Finland and start teaching the game back in his own country where the game is starting to gain some popularity.

DB Jayden Mills - New Haven, CT - Creator: Captain Mort 3D
College: Haynes
Drafted: 1958 - LOU - Round 1, Pick 5
Teams: Louisville Thunder (1958-1971)
Captaincy: LOU - A (1966), LOU - C (1967-1969)
McCallister Cups: 2 (1962, 1971)
All-Stars: 1 (1967)
In 1958, the Thunder held the #1 overall pick in the draft, but since they had drafted QB Leonidas Dumont the previous year, they dealt the pick to Boston who would go on to take QB Nathaniel Braddock. The Thunder dropped back to 5th overall and they would land DB Jayden Mills. The undersized corner would have to step up in his first season in a very weak Thunder secondary. He managed well in his first season, and help would arrive in his second in the form of DB Alexander Bradley in free agency, and DB Oliver Langstrom who the Thunder picked 1st overall. Unfortunately for Mills, the additions would certainly limit his impact on the team. Luckily, Mills was incredibly humble and never complained once about it. I mean who would complain when you win a championship a few years later? Mills would remain the team’s #3 corner up until DB Alexander Bradley’s departure following the 1964 season. Mills would step up as the #2 behind Oliver Langstrom. In 1965, the Thunder would make their second trip to the McCallister Cup but failed to pull off the win. The next season, Mills would be named an alternate captain, and then captain the year after in 1967. Also in ‘67, Mills would finally be the #1 corner for the team following Langstrom’s move to Boston. Mills had a great year in the role, being named an All-Star. He continued to lead, but after a miserable 0-12 season, he would be stripped of captaincy under new HC Lou Granger. Mills understood and continued to play his game. However, his age was coming into play now, and he took on smaller roles in his final two seasons, welcoming DB Aquilio Ruiz into the fold. He would stick it out for one more year in 1971, and it would pay off with the team capturing a second championship, putting a nice bow on his career. 

QB Blair Collins - Saskatoon, SK - Creator: Wallflower
College: Saskatchewan Provincial
Drafted: WFU
Teams: Edmonton Rangers (WFU) (1956-1969), Edmonton Rangers (NAAF) (1970-1971)
McCallister Cups: 0
Mackenzie Cups: 5 (1956, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966)
All-Stars: 0
Blair Collins will not go down as an NAAF legend, but he is a football legend. He spent his entire career with the Edmonton Rangers, starting out in the WFU. In his first year of pro football, he would get a championship under his belt, well from the bench, serving as a backup. After another year as a backup, Collins would be handed the reins in 1958. His first season wasn’t anything special, but he would get the Rangers back to the Mackenzie Cup in his second year. It would take until his 3rd trip to the big game to finally win it, defeating the Winnipeg Falcons in 1961. He would go on to lead the Rangers to 3 more titles over the next 4 seasons. Collins would get two more cracks at the Mackenzie Cup over the next 3 seasons but failed to beat QB Kevin Westwood and the Vancouver Wolves in both games. Collins would enter the NAAF as the starting QB of the Rangers. Unfortunately, it would be a little late for the Rangers to be true contenders with an aging roster. However, Collins remained a solid performer in his time but certainly wasn’t the same QB he was in the WFU. At the end of the day, Collins started to lose interest in playing when the WFU joined the NAAF, mainly with the team not being as competitive. Along with the Rangers looking to potentially let QB Ken Myers take over for the future.

GM Joseph Johnson - Hamilton, ON - Creator: Wallflower
Positions: Toronto/Ontario Tigers - GM/HC (1949-1953), Ontario/London Tigers (1954-1971) 
McCallister Cups: 2 (1960, 1963)
Head Coach Record: 10-35
Joseph Johnson, after leading the Tigers for 23 seasons, has finally decided to step away from football. Johnson will be remembered as one of the best GMs in the league’s history. Somehow taking one of the worst teams in the history of the sport and turning them into a championship-winning team. When Johnson joined the Tigers in 1949, the first season in the NAAF, he was both the team’s Head Coach and General Manager. The first season went about as bad as it could with the Tigers going 0-8 with only one game scoring at least 10 points. However, it did not deter Johnson, who made sweeping changes in the offseason to change up the QB position and bring in the league’s first Rookie of the Year winner, RB Laurent Brazeau. The team won 2 games in 1950 and continued to improve and become more competitive. During the 1952 draft, he was able to get a legitimate starting QB in Duane Logan, while also still getting the player he wanted in the draft in LB Aengus Lynch. A move that became a signature of Johnson’s throughout his career as he never once traded up in the first round, only ever trading back. In 1954, he would step away from the sidelines to focus on building the team, hiring Lewis Gallegos as his replacement. Through the mid-50s the Tigers were consistent playoff contenders, but always fell short, leading to a very difficult decision in 1956, to trade key pieces like RB Laurent Brazeau and DB Louie White. The players and picks they got back included, DB Ricardo Salvador, DB Jackson Miles, and S Neil Graham. All players that would be key to the Tigers’ success in the early '60s. After a couple more tough seasons, Johnson would make the trade of his career. During the 1958 draft, the Worcester Athletics were desperate to move up to pick a new QB after a bad season from QB Riley Kiernan, so Johnson took full advantage, trading away pick 3 along with two depth players in exchange for pick 6 and QB Riley Kiernan. Kiernan would go on to be the piece the Tigers needed and they immediately became a consistent playoff team. Kiernan would go on to win 3 MVPs and lead the Tigers to 4 McCallister Cup appearances in 5 years, taking home 2 of them. Johnson continued to build on the team throughout this time, nearly creating the league’s next dynasty. After the wave of success, the Tigers slipped back down to Earth and were a solid team throughout the rest of the '60s but never quite lived up to the magic of the start of the decade. In recent years, Johnson has laid the groundwork for a rebuild, with a lot of solid young talent for the next GM to take and try and get the team back to the top of the standings. Johnson is expected to step into more of an advisor role with the team but will spend more time with his family.

HC/DC Clifford Jacobson - Minto, ON - Creator: Wallflower
Positions: Toronto/Ontario Tigers - DC (1951-1956), Ontario/London Tigers - HC (1957-1958), London Tigers - DC (1958-1971)
McCallister Cups: 2 (1960, 1963)
Head Coach Record: 8-10-1
Along with Johnson’s retirement, the Tigers will also need to replace their Defensive Coordinator. Clifford Jacobson was originally a DB for the Tigers back in the first couple of seasons in the NAAF. After retiring he transition immediately into the DC role. He would serve as DC for the next 6 seasons, building a strong defence over that time with LB Aengus Lynch leading the way. In 1957, after the team let go of Lewis Gallegos, Jacobson became the team’s Head Coach. He would coach the entirety of the 1957 season, going 4-8, which wasn’t a great start, but had been improving in 1958. Unfortunately, Jacobson was good at defence and calling plays, but his overall game and team management were not his forte. So, during the 1958 season, the Tigers would hire Roy Aguirre to be the Head Coach and then place Jacobson back in the DC role, something he was completely okay with. He would then go on to lead a great defence that helped win a pair of McCallister Cups. He then continued to lead the way up to 1971, being the longest-tenured coach in the league. The last few seasons have not been great for Jacobson, starting to struggle with the newer systems and evolution of the game. He knew as this season had gone on, it was going to be his last, but he was happy to serve as DC under new Head Coach Aengus Lynch for a season, a player he helped to develop from a rookie into a Hall of Famer. 

Other Notable Retirements
DL Ilya Mikaelov - Syracuse, NY - College: Upstate - Creator: Darknes - Drafted: 1961 - BUF - R3 | P28
Teams: BUF (1961-1963), IND (1964-1968), LI (1968-1970)*, PRO (1971)
DB Luke Warren - Toronto, ON - College: St. George - Creator: Wallflower
Teams: OFU (1961-1963), TOR (1964-1971)
K Elvis Franklin - Buffalo, NY - College: Western New York - Creator: ThisIsFine - Drafted: 1957 - TOR - R4 | P39
Teams: R.WOR (1957-1958), WOR/HFX (1959-1965), PRO (1966-1969), LOU (1970-1971)*
WR Russell Wilcox - Binghamton, NY - College: Western New York - Creator: Wallflower - Drafted: 1960 - LDN - R2 | P19
Teams: LDN (1960-1967)**, MTL (1968-1969), PRO (1970-1971)
DL Tournel Guay - Montreal, QC - College: Montreal Provincial - Creator: Wallflower - Drafted: 1961 - Undrafted
Teams: BUF (1961-1967)***, MTL (1968-1969), BUF (1969-1971)*
WR Carter Henderson - Peterborough, ON - College: Toronto - Creator: Darknes - Drafted: 1961 - OTT - R3 | P29
Teams: OTT (1961-1966), LOU (1967-1968), LDN (1969-1970), CGY (1971), LOU (1971)*
LB Pepper Burress - Tuckerton, NJ - College: Jersey State - Creator: Dan O’Mac - Drafted: 1961 - WOR R3 | P22
Teams: R.WOR (1961), ATH/HFX (1962-1971)*, MTL (1971)
S Jay Shephard - Haverhill, MA - College: Concord-Manchester - Creator: idm - Drafted: 1960 - Undrafted
Teams: R.WOR (1960-1961), ATH/HFX (1962-1970), LOU (1971)*