1962 Season Preview

1962 Season Preview

1962 Schedule
The 1962 season will kick off with the Independents and the Gold Stars in Boston. Ottawa will host the Royals on Canada day and Boston will host Louisville on the 4th of July. Labour Day will have the Thunder at the Victors and the Blue Wings hosting the Rouge. Finally, the season will come to a close with the Athletics in Boston for one more game near their old home. 

However, the most interesting season will be the Athletics’. It was announced earlier that they would play at 4 different locations this season, however, they have now added 2 more locations to the list and will play each of their 6 home games in a different location in an attempt to grow the sport. They will play their season opener against the Royals at Richardson Stadium in Boston before they head to Portland, ME in week two to play at the city's baseball park, Bayside Park. Their next home game will be in week 4 at the former Tigers’ home in Kitchener-Waterloo City Field in Kitchener, ON. Then, the Raiders will return to Hartford to play the Athletics at their old stadium in Arnold H. Benson Park. The final two home games will be in Quebec City at the city’s main stadium against the Rouge and West Mass State’s Patrick Smythe Memorial Stadium in Springfield, MA against the Gold Stars. 

Power Rankings

1 - Louisville Thunder
1961 Record: 9-3 (2nd West)
1961 Result: Lost West Division Final
The Thunder are almost unanimously the front runners going into this NAAF season. They had a strong 9-3 season last year with QB Leonidas Dumont having a career year. After all of that, the team went out and massively improved the team. They got the big fish in LB Scotty Williams who will slot into the LB core next to LB Silas O’Brien and LB Calvin Hardy. Then they added OL Cliff Strautzenberger and WR Clyde McIntosh as well which will help to improve the team depth. The team is aiming for the top this season with the McCallister Cup being in Louisville as well, however, a lot will be riding on QB Leonidas Dumont maintaining the success he had last season. 

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

2 - Boston Independents
1961 Record: 8-4 (2nd East)
1961 Result: Won McCallister Cup
The defending champs come into the season with a very similar roster to last season. While there will be minor changes with WR Clyde McIntosh heading to Louisville and DB Carson Scott going to Montreal, the Independents, behind QB Nathaniel Braddock, feel like a strong contender to get back to the final. Especially after the playoff performance that seemed to ignite Braddock, the team behind him seems to have a bigger chip on their shoulder, like they are here to be the best once again. Overall, it is about continuing to push forward for the team and try to bring back the dominance of the Independents. 

Captains
C - LB Brent Harper
A - WR Ellis Lindholm
A - QB Nathaniel Braddock

3 - London Tigers
1961 Record: 11-1 (1st West)
1961 Result: Lost McCallister Cup
The Tigers are viewed as a team that may not reach the level they reached last season. This is due to losing a couple of key pieces in WR Benedict Spencer and OL Kazimir Smirnov. They also will be dealing with RB Clifford Russell returning from an injury that he suffered at the end of the season last year. Despite all the reasons that they may take a step back, they are still very much a threat with QB Riley Kiernan leading the way. The Tigers have been in the last 3 McCallister Cups so they certainly have been one of if not the best team in the league in the last 3 years. They will still be in the fight regardless of a couple of minor setbacks. 

Captains
C - LB Aengus Lynch
A - QB Riley Kiernan
A - RB Clifford Russell

4 - Providence Gold Stars
1961 Record: 7-5 (3rd East) 
1961 Results: Lost East Division Semi-Final
High expectations are ahead for the Gold Stars this season. After closing out last season with a strong 5-game win streak to put the team into the playoffs and several more additions this offseason, many are hoping the team can keep it up into the 1962 season. The Gold Stars have been on the bad end of most situations throughout the NAAF’s history, and they are hoping that the moves to get DB Slay Mitchell and WR Benedict Spencer will help them reach the next level this season.

Captains
C - QB Connor O’Rourke 
A - DL Calias McDonough
A - OL Wilfred Gibson

5 - Montreal Rouge
1961 Record: 9-3 (1st East)
1961 Result: Lost East Division Final
The Rouge continue to feel like a team that is just overshadowed by the other top teams, however, they are still very much one of the best teams in the league. QB Gene Bishop is entering his second season as the QB for the Rouge and is expected to be better. On top of that, the team has two strong WRs in Derek Cross and Taylor Karis that are expected to do a lot this season if Montreal’s offence is clicking. They also made some improvements to the defence with DB Carson Scott and DL Vinny Brown to give them an even stronger squad as a whole. In the end, expect the Rouge to be right in the hunt all season.

Captains
C - OL Eugésippe Chalifoux
A - DB Quentin Xavier
A - LB Sam Fitzroy

6 - Buffalo Blue Wings
1961 Record: 5-7 (3rd West)
1961 Result: Lost West Division Semi-Final
The Blue Wings come into the 1962 season as one of the most exciting teams. They aren’t expected to be a championship contender, but with QB Charles Lemieux taking over the starting job from the start and the addition of WR Zachariah Pembroke, they will have tons of intrigue this season. There is also expected to be a lot of snaps for rookies LB Orion Carter and WR Julius Drake as they get them ready to play in the big leagues. Buffalo could very well play above expectations this season as they continue to build the team. 

Captains
C - S Frazier Brooks
A - OL Jean Mathieu-Baptiste
A - LB Lloyd Mathis

7 - Long Island Raiders
1961 Record: 4-8 (4th West)
1961 Result: Missed Playoffs
The Raiders are an interesting team. This season will likely be about getting QB Lyle Painter back on track. GM Wayne Tillman made the switch to HC Kerry Holder this season after the team fell to a 4-8 record last year. Tillman is hoping Holder, the former Thunder OC, can reignite the offence in Long Island and try to get more potential out of QB Lyle Painter. On the defensive side, the team has certainly gotten weaker over the past couple of seasons with losing LB Rusty McVee and DL Tyrone Affalo last year and DB Slay Mitchell this year. However, they still have a strong group especially in the LB core and secondary with younger talent coming into their own. The Raiders are going to be hoping the new coaching regime will settle in quickly and the team can fight for a playoff spot once again. 

Captains
C - DL Vernon Spears
A - LB Elijah Goldwater
A - QB Lyle Painter

8 - Ottawa Royals
1961 Record: 5-7 (4th East)
1961 Result: Missed Playoffs
Coming off of their first sub-.500 NAAF season, the Royals are aiming to bounce back and return to the playoffs. While they certainly were not the most active team in the offseason, they are still a strong (though aging) Royals team. QB Jean Matieau certainly wants to keep playing at his best until he retires which means that he is going to be doing everything in his power to continue to win this season. He also hopes to be a better leader after the team ran into some locker room issues sparked from a 2-7 start last year. The Royals are still sticking around. It just will be a tougher hill to climb if they want to make their return to the postseason.

Captains
C - QB Jean Matieau
A - DL Olaf Viktorsson
A - DB Mingan Oliver*

9 - Indiana Victors
1961 Record: 1-11 (5th West)
1961 Result: Missed Playoffs
The Victors are certainly not as far-fetched from the rest of the league as they have been in years past. The addition of rookies OL Jean-Baptiste Desjardins and OL Elias McCarren and veteran OL Logan Blackwell have overhauled the OL that has resembled a rotating door rather than a wall in the last few years. QB Stanley Troyer returns as the starter, and will finally have some protection to allow him to do a whole lot more with the team’s offence. Overall, the Victors are hoping to break the 2 win barrier for the first time since 1958 as well as attempt to not be last in the West Division. 

Captains
C - DL William Sanderson
A - DB Kelly Kirkland
A - TE Emmanuel Hines*

10 - The Athletics
1961 Record: 1-11 (5th East)
1961 Result: Missed Playoffs
It will likely be a bit of a season of patience for the Athletics. The departure of many important pieces this offseason, most notably LB Scotty Williams, will likely result in the team taking a bigger step back from a horrid 1961 season. The team will also play essentially no home games this season as they will play in 6 different stadiums for their home games this season. At the very least they are no longer searching for salvation with the plan to go to Halifax next season, but it's likely going to be a long year for the team.  

Captains
C - OL Ward Briscoe
A - DB Joe Robinson
A - RB Stavros Black

Wally's Predictions
WEST
LOU 10-2 y
LDN 8-4 x
BUF 6-6 x
LI 5-7
IND 3-9

EAST
PRO 8-4 y
BOS 8-4 x
MTL 7-5 x
OTT 5-7
ATH 0-12

DSF
MTL over BOS
LDN over BUF

DF
PRO over MTL
LOU over LDN

44th McCallister Cup
LOU over PRO
 

1962 Free Agency Part 2

The rest of the offseason would be fairly straightforward with the remaining roster spots being filled up. The biggest move was likely WR Clyde McIntosh heading to the Louisville Thunder to reunite with the many former Athletics. He should add a bit more leadership to the younger WR core. Most of the remaining moves were to fill backup roles for teams. Only DB Mario Richard, who signed with Buffalo, is expected to start out of the gate this season. 

There were a pair of trades that occurred as well. First, the Ottawa Royals had a lot of trouble trying to fill the backup QB role. They would attempt to bring in QB Terry Bourbon, but the QB decided he wanted to remain in the US and signed with the Raiders. In the end, the Royals would trade for one of Indiana’s QBs. Lee Rogers would be sent over the Royals in the second trade he has experienced in his time in the NAAF. The Royals would give up prospect RB Wally Morton and a 1963 3rd Round Pick. 

The other move would have the Thunder looking to clear a little cap space and would trade RB Armondo Amaro to the Athletics in exchange for undrafted RB Neal Boeser. The Thunder would promote RB Greg Dix to fill the 3rd string RB role. 

Top 25 Free Agents (Remaining Signed)
11 - QB Terry Bourbon - ATH -> LI 1Y, $10,000
12 - TE Richard Stewart - BOS -> MTL 1Y, $8,000
13 - WR Clyde McIntosh - BOS -> LOU 1Y, $11,000
16 - RB Lawrence Sharp - ATH -> MTL 1Y, $10,000
17 - RB Leo Ravelli - ATH -> BUF 1Y, $8,000
19 - WR Ronald Vernon - BUF -> IND 1Y, $10,000
22 - DB Jontray Cox - MTL -> BOS 1Y, $13,500
23 - DB Mario Richard - BOS -> BUF 1Y, $13,000
24 - WR Tony Albano - LI - ATH 3Y, $10,000
25 - WR Ronald Macquire - ATH -> 1Y, $8,000

1962 NAAF Draft

1962 NAAF Draft

1st Round

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1962 NAAF Draft

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1962 Draft Preview

1962 Draft Preview

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

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

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

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

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

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

K - K Ryan Perch - Ivan di Marco - ItDoesntMatter

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

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

1962 Free Agency - Part 1

1962 Free Agency - Part 1

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

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

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

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

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

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

1962 Offseason News and Design Changes

 BREAKING NEWS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1962 Re-sign Stage

1962 Re-sign Stage

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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