The First-Annual NF3L Draft

As most professional football fans know, the most effective way to improve a team is through the NFL Draft. College football players enter the draft with hopes of becoming professionals and in some cases, instant millionaires. This event only happens once a year, usually in the Spring between late April and early May, and is a three-day nationally televised event usually held in large cities. The draft has been adapted over the years to only 7 rounds, with between 31-37 picks per round. It is a fan’s, player’s, and coach’s dream to see a well-planned draft strategy come to fruition and can make or break a franchise.

Much like this year’s NFL draft in Philadelphia, there was a light cool breeze blowing at the start of the first round of the NF³L draft. The bouncing anxiety of all possible draft picks was simply enhanced by the need for warmth as the clock ticked down on the first-round commencement. We may have lacked national media coverage, an audience, or even commentators but the atmosphere could not have been more electric.

At 5:30 am precisely, the pre-draft warmup began. The PAX was subjected to a brutal warm-up of a seven-round dance that included burpees (plenty of them), good mornings, side-straddle hops, jump squats, and murkins.

Once the prep work was done and the draft began, we expected running backs to be a desirable commodity like they were in NFL draft. We started with that in mind, to make a two-track-lap Indian run our focus on showing the scouts we were capable. Despite a good showing the first round failed to see any of the PAX selected in the draft; however, it started to feel like we were on the brink and all remained hopeful they would be soon snagged by a major franchise.

The second round was an homage to one of the greatest Qb’s to ever throw an NFL pass… NFL Hall-of-famer, and record holder Brett Favre. The gun-slinger taken 33^rd overall (2nd Round) of the 1991 NFL draft had us realizing that if we could just improve our upper-body strength, a little extra zip on the ball would have us drafted in no time. The improvement plan was simple: 11 Urkins, Dips, and Durkins. Much to our dismay and despite the improvement to our second-round draft stock, no Qb’s were drafted in the round.

At last we were nearing the end of the “Core Rounds” per many esteemed draft analyst, and felt that surely we would be coming of the draft board to a team. I mean, surely there were a handful of quality prospects there to choose from in the PAX. With the idea of core in mind, and plenty of time waiting on the teams to make selections we began to soothe our nervous energy with a Dora 1,2,3 focused on an attack to our cores (100 crunches, 200 flutter kicks, and 300 plank jacks). From there we left disappointed, yet hopeful and willing to continue to show our merit.

Once on the actual field, we set straight to work. Seeing two-Clemson players come off the draft board during the 4^th round of the NFL draft, we drew on some hometown spirit. Using former Rose High WR, and current Clemson player Cornell Powell’s #17 we started a version of 11’s, but 7’s if you will. Starting with 1 squat, 7 lunges (per leg) and continuing until the numbers were inverted. Unlike the purple and orange the Tigers are known for, none of our garb crossed any stages at this point in the draft. Hope was slowly seeping from the PAX, and it was obvious that nervous energy had turned to frustration as the pain of still being undrafted weighed on us.

The fifth round may have been the tipping point for many. At that point in the draft, when a player has not been drafted it is likely that they had poor numbers on various tested items like the 40-yard dash, or three-cone shuttle. Knowing this, we set to work almost out of sheer frustration, and ran 5 full-sprint 40’s. Despite efforts by certain Pax members to lean on “unfair advantages” and the occasional pre-snap penalty, we looked better than most would expect for a 5^th round pick. Knowing that made it tougher as the fifth round ended and we were still all still in the green room waiting for our names to be called.

Round six. Beyond a value round, and considered by many to be “junk time” in the draft has yielded some unlikely success stories. We took to heart the achievements of one player in particular, Tom Brady. He was a sixth-round pick that went on to (contestably…apparently) win 5 Super Bowls to this point in his career. Wanting to set ourselves up for a “climb” to greatness like that, the PAX took to the bleachers and ran made 5 bleacher runs (one for each Super Bowl ring Brady has). It was quite a showing and exemplified the resolve it takes to see that many names come off the board before yours like Brady did; but, unlike Brady, we were left to suffer a seventh round.

At this point the glamour of draft parties in special places had been marred by the comforts of home (the flag) we returned to partake in a quick round of Mary. This was the last distasteful draft experience and saw the draft close just as the sun started to rise on all of us now free-agents. I’d say though, all was not lost. Improvements were made, battles were won, and friendship was bound through hardship. Much like a team who has recently committed a turn-over we are wired to look at the “next play”. We’ll be back NF³L draft, and will not be denied.