The Allamunnic National Gridiron Team at World Bowl XXXIX
General Information
General & Roleplay Information
Nation Full Name: Federation of Allamunnic States
Team Nickname: The Regulars
Team Colors: Blue & White
Offensive System: Smashmouth (Pistol-I Base)
Defensive System: Aggressive (4-3, Tampa-2 Shell)
Style Modifier: -2
Roleplay PermissionsChoose my scorers: Yes, please keep RP information in mind.
Godmod scoring events: Yes, but please make it interesting or funny.
RP injuries to my players: Yes, but please limit yourself to game-ending injuries only.
Godmod Injuries to my players: Yes, see stipulations for Godmod Scoring Events and RPing Injuries.
Suspend my players: Yes, but please limit it only to ejections from the current game.
Godmod suspension events: Yes, but please limit it only to ejections from the current game.
Godmod other events: Yes, please be mindful of other RP permissions, though.
A note about past events: This roster essentially retcons the roster changes that occurred between World Bowls XXXVI and XXXVII; the Regulars have only had four (five, if you're generous) proper head coaches: Willy Studdenburger (WB7 & WB8), Stevan Vaalburger (first coach of the Regulars proper)(WB9 - WB11), Ryan Smart (WB12 - WB22), Baeryk Vaalburger (WB23 - WB36), and now Rik Olafsunn (WB37 to present). Additionally, the U-22 team that was rostered at WB37 is retconned; the Allamunnic squads at World Bowls 37 and 38 should be assumed to be similar to this one and the one at WB36.
Overview:
After a 16th-ranked Regulars’ squad under Rik Olafsunn overachieved at World Bowl XXXVIII, the now 8th-ranked team returns to build on their 4th-place finish and hopefully end an 11-year title drought.
The names and faces on the Allamunnic National Gridiron Team change thoroughly, if slowly, but the team are such
regulars at the World Bowl that they are essentially an institution all their own. This perception is reinforced by the amazing stability of the team’s philosophy across its thirty-two (thirty-three counting World Bowl XXXIX) outings; the team has always been about winning in the trenches, trusting its offensive and defensive front-sevens to drive them forward on both sides of the ball, while using a large, deep roster, led by a large, professional coaching and training staff, and a mildly unusual (to non-spread teams) no-huddle system to operate at an unforgiving pace to grind down opponents and adjust to whatever gets thrown at them.
Another thing that sets the Regulars apart is their... somewhat contentious relationship with the Allamunnic Gridiron League, the Federation's domestic gridiron league. Due to prioritizing team cohesion and a bid to improve player safety and working conditions, Regulars' squad members are not permitted to sign contracts with domestic league teams; doing so immediately voids their contract with the national team. This leads to a revolving door at some positions (like wide receiver) where players often feel under-utilized, but where exposure on the national team can be a strong professional springboard. Additionally, this means the Regulars practice and train together year-round. The Regulars are as much a family as it is a team, and the comfort and flexibility this gives between teammates is a major asset.
It's an approach that has produced seven berths in the World Bowl Finals, where the Regulars have been reliably successful, netting six championships to go with several other semi-final and third-place finishes. Although the Allamunnic States has never hosted a World Bowl, nor have they ever gone undefeated, their reliability as a contender means they are rarely out of the world gridiron limelight.
Staff:
Allamunnic Sporting Commissioner: Erik Warnur (Age: 59) - Benjamen Jamesunn retired following World Bowl XXXVIII, confident that the team was in good hands. He was replaced by the Regulars' then-general manager, Erik Warnur. Warnur had helped the team with rebuilding and stabilizing itself after some lean years, but in his new capacity he mostly handles bureaucratic and diplomatic matters with other gridiron federations; his involvement with the team itself is minimal.
General Manager: Anna Torrensunn (Age: 51) - Torrensunn had served as the Regulars' "director of player personnel" for several years prior to her promotion. In reality, it meant that she served as an assistant general manager, helping manage player contracts, commitments, and overseeing recruitment efforts. Torrensunn has turned out to be quite good at luring capable recruits that AGL teams often overlook, to the Regulars' gain.
Head Coach: Rik Olafsunn (Age: 59) - With the “retirement” of Baeryk Vaalburger from the team following the disastrous World Bowl XXXVI outing, Rik Olafsunn was hired promoted to head coach with the ultimatum to get the team back into title contention (at least the quarterfinals) within two or three years. He succeeded at World Bowl XXXVIII in returning the team to the semi-finals, which has bought him additional time. Olafsunn, despite everything, is still a Vaalburger acolyte which means he still focuses on winning at the point of attack on both sides of the ball and emphasizes winning in the trenches.
Offensive Coordinator: Maarkus Daalhulm (Age: 55) - The Regulars’ quarterback-turned-coach is back once again as offensive coordinator, able to take advantage of his intimate familiarity with the Regulars’ system and his own similarity with Regulars’ quarterback Ed Kaarlsunn make him a good fit as a play-caller for the team. Daalhulm’s play-calling, like his own play once upon a time, is opportunistic, unafraid to go away from his bread-and-butter to take what a defense will give.
Defensive Coordinator: Theodur Laansur (Age: 54) - Another long-time Regular, Laansur has shown a surprising amount of flexibility as a defensive coordinator; where many players-turned-coaches always show a strong preference for their former position due to familiarity, Laansur has not shied away from further refining the unorthodox hybrid defense first conceived by his mentor, Ryan Smart (although its outward trappings are more conventional now, Laansur has not shied from its flexibility). Laansur is an aggressive coordinator who should be able to keep opposing offenses on their heels.
Special Teams Coordinator: Phillipa Demirici (Age: 61) - Another long-time Regular, kicker-then-coach Demirici has been instrumental in transforming special teams from a gaping liability to, at minimum, a unit that can do the job asked of it competently. She is fairly conventional in directing the special teams; trick plays are not common for the Regulars' unit, but they follow a conventional gameplan competently under Demirici's direction.
Offensive Coaching Staff:
Quarterbacks Coach: Izaak Kleiner (Age: 47)
Running Backs Coach: Torren Tormundsunn (Age: 35)
Tight Ends Coach: Udun Jaarlsunn (Age: 33)
Receivers Coach: Waldr Hoerst (Age: 35)
Offensive Line Coach: Vaalhulm Rikken (Age: 46)
Offensive Line Assistant Coach: Rikard Kynyk (Age: 36)
Defensive Coaching Staff:
Defensive Line Coach: Archie Wagner (Age: 51)
Defensive Line Assistant Coach: Piotr Farrangur (Age: 37)
Linebackers Coach: Kyl Waalturs (Age: 40)
Linebackers Assistant Coach: Junn Haaldur (Age: 40)
Defensive Backs Coach: Leif Coelmunn (Age: 46)
Defensive Backs Assistant Coach: Rikard Junnsunn (Age: 36)
Special Teams:
Kicking Coach: Wyatt Skode (Age: 44)
OFFENSE
Overview
Philosophy: An uncharitable observer might call the Allamunnic National Gridiron Team’s offensive philosophy stagnant and archaic, with some justification. Despite changing the window-dressing or adding wrinkles on occasion, the foundation of the offense --running between the tackles, bringing overwhelming power to bear at the point of attack-- remains the same as it has been almost uninterrupted for 30+ World Bowls. There are very rarely any huge surprises from the Allamunnic offense.
Just because the Regulars can and will run the ball up the middle until they are stopped does not mean they are a one-trick squad, however. The offense has the aforementioned wrinkles to punish a team that makes the mistake of overloading the box, whether it’s to use outside runs and the option to punish teams that pack the tackle-box, or launching the ball deep to take advantage of a diminished defensive backfield. The Regulars’ strategy essentially is to force an opponent to bring their front seven against the Regulars’ front-seven, confident in the knowledge that the Allamunnic blockers are, pound-for-pound, quite possibly the most reliably effective in the world.
In Practice: On a more nuts-and-bolts level, while the Regulars’ “base” formation is a pistol variant of the I-Formation (the “fullback” lining up on the QB’s left, the “halfback” directly behind, five yards from the line of scrimmage) utilizing a tight-end and two wide receivers (usually referred to as a split-end and a flanker). Although this is the Regulars’ default formation, and the one used to list personnel, it should be noted that opponents may see them use anything from the Wishbone, Flexbone, Flex-Pistol (a pistol variant of the Flexbone), standard I-formation or any of its weak- or strong- offset variants, as well as the Long I (OOC’ly the Maryland I) and the Power I. Teams may even, on rare occasions, see the Regulars line up in Ace or Ace Pistol formations. The only formations opponents are unlikely to ever see are the shotgun and its variants, empty sets, or a formation with more than three wideouts (there will almost always be at least one back and one tight-end on the field). Two-tight-end sets are also fairly frequent; if you're wondering which player is mostly likely to get dropped in favor of an extra back or tight-end, it's usually the flanker (FL).
The Regulars' offense runs through the inside ground game; the closest they will realistically come to abandoning it is if they fall behind by more than 14 points early and are for some reason unable to narrow the gap (and even then, their play-calling may favor the pass more, but the run will not disappear). For a little more structure, assume that, given 60 offensive plays in a game where both teams stay within 10 points of each other, the Regulars will run somewhere between 35 and 45 times, and the quarterback will drop back 15 to 20 times, perhaps scrambling for yardage (positive or negative) on 3-5 of those. In games where the Regulars lead early, expect the load to be more run-heavy, and in games where they fall behind early, expect the ratio of run to pass to approach 1:1.
A note on ball-distribution: there are a lot of mouths to feed in the Regulars' rushing attack. Unless a player is experiencing an unusually hot game, none of the backs are likely to break significantly past 15 carries in a game. Eriksunn & Staalburg will likely lead the pack with between 10 and 15 carries each, with Sfynsunn and Kaarlsunn likely tallying somewhere between 5 and 10 each, and Jaans and Hendriks typically getting 5 or fewer. Castillo is unlikely to get any carries unless injuries force another ball-carrier out of the rotation. Kaarlsunn likely drops back to pass 15 to 20 times per game, although he likely gets 15 or fewer throws off. Kaarlsunn probably has a base completion percentage in the high 50's or low 60's percent, with disproportionate accuracy on deeper shots and disproportionate inaccuracy on shorter throws (fast throws lead to plenty of drops or ricochets), adjust as needed for your defense. Receptions are, in order, most likely to go to tight-ends, split-ends, and flankers at lowest priority.
If you need penalties, the most likely ones are probably illegal downfield blocks, either by receivers or linemen.
The Roster
Quarterback (QB)#12 - Edwyrd Kaarlsunn - Age: 23; H: 6’2”; W: 238lbs
#14 - Olevyr Ward - Age: 21; H: 6’2”; W: 219lbs
#08 - Rikard Bromm - Age: 19; H: 6’1”; W: 198lbs
Ed Kaarlsunn is a mobile quarterback who runs like a power back when he takes off; his speed is nothing special, but is sufficient to embarrass linebackers and linemen that take the wrong angle, and he’s strong enough to give defensive backs trouble. Combined with a strong arm, Kaarlsunn has ample ability to punish opponents for over-focusing on the Regulars’ power run game. His most notable weakness is that he, like Graagur Wyrth before him, has poor touch on short throws in particular; every throw is a fastball, meaning the quick passes that are many offenses’ bread-and-butter can be something of an adventure. Behind him,
Ole Ward is an athletic, strong-armed QB who is still learning the offense and refining his abilities. He’s a bit faster than Kaarlsunn, but not quite as powerful either in legs or arm, but has a quick and crisp release on throws. Bringing up the rear is
Rik Bromm, a very raw but quite talented prospect whose skill-set mirrors Ward, but is faster still. He may be formidable once he polishes up his technique.
Halfback (HB)#22 - Fredrik Eriksunn - Age: 23; H: 5’11”; W: 218lbs
#31 - Piotr Sfynsunn - Age: 21; H: 6’0”; W: 220lbs
#23 - Lucy Jaans - Age: 22; H: 5’9”; W: 162lbs
#29 - Roberto Castillo - Age: 20; H: 5’10”; W: 214lbs
The Regulars’ lead tailback duties have been taken over by
Fredrik Eriksunn, a sturdy, hard-running back who can also acquit himself well as a receiver. Fred typically gets somewhere around 15 carries per game. In flex-pistol and wishbone sets, Eriksunn will share the field with
Piotr Sfynsunn, another sturdy back in the same mold who also serves as his primary back-up, usually getting 10 or so carries per game.
Lucy Jaans is a quicker, shiftier back who is a capable receiver as well as an explosive rusher. She will get heavy looks in wishbone and flexbone-derived sets, often getting paired with flanker Ryanna Mueller as slotbacks, averaging about 5ish carries per game. Finally,
Roberto Castillo is a promising, explosive back who still needs to learn how to read his gaps a little better; he’s a competent change-up back, but isn’t quite ready to shoulder the load as a primary rusher, and he'll mostly get spot or deep-reserve duty unless injuries become an issue.
Fullback (FB)#24 - Derrik Staalburg - Age: 25; H: 6’1”; W: 240lbs
#36 - Bryndyn Hendriks - Age: 23; H: 6’0”; W: 248lbs
The Regulars’ new offensive systems call for different types of fullbacks in different situations.
Derrik Staalburg is the more well-rounded back, a capable blocker, downhill rusher, and safety-valve receiver. While he will see most of the snaps (and typically 10-15 carries per game), in situations that call for a more capable blocking specialist
Bryndyn Hendriks will likely fill in at the fullback spot. In the Long-I and Power I, both will likely end up on the field.
Tight End (TE)#38 - Grenn Jordsunn - Age: 28; H: 6’2”; W: 250lbs
#89 - Torren Rikards - Age: 23; H: 6’4”; W: 253lbs
#81 - Theoden Jaans - Age: 24; H: 6’3”; W: 241lbs
Grenn Jordsunn is a converted fullback who will now put his blocking and catching skills to use as an in-line receiver and blocking. Jordsunn is a better blocker than receiver, but he can do both adequately.
Torren Rikards has a more balanced skill-set, equal-parts receiver and blocker; he is a better receiver than Jordsunn, but not as capable of a blocker. Rikards rotates heavily with Jordsunn under normal circumstances. Finally,
Theoden Jaans rounds out the tight-ends as a receiving-oriented player. Jaans is the best receiver of the bunch, and in situations where the team needs to air it out he will get the majority of snaps.
Split End (SE)#83 - Harlyn Wyrnur - Age: 30; H: 6’2”; W: 220lbs
#82 - Piotr Shraedur - Age: 23; H: 6’2”; W: 216lbs
#84 - Riley Barron - Age: 21; H: 6’1”; W: 215lbs
Harlyn Wyrnur is a big-bodied, sure-handed wideout with enough burst to threaten opponents deep if coverage is too soft, and with a knack for running crisp routes.
Piotr Shraedur is similar in skill-set and talent to Wyrnur, but has a little more youthful speed, which is offset by being raw in his technique and route-running which place him as a well-used second-fiddle to Wyrnur.
Riley Barron is arguably the most-talented wideout on the roster, deceptively fast and sure-handed. However, Barron is also much more raw than the other players, and while he may well become the team's premier wideout in time, he is currently a bit of a project.
Flanker (FL)#80 - Ole Haensley - Age: 33; H: 6'2"; W: 206lbs
#87 - Ryanna Mueller - Age: 25; H: 5’10”; W: 172lbs
#86 - Izaak Kroemwyl - Age: 22; H: 5’11”; W: 204lbs
Ole Haensley is an old-hand Regular, a shifty, sure-handed wideout that helps make Kaarlsunn right. While his speed has dropped off a little bit over the years, Ole is still fast enough to do unpleasant things to defenders that don't cover him tightly enough.
Ryanna Mueller is a shifty, fast receiver who is dangerous in space with the ball in her hands. She is frequently used on sweeps or screens.
Izaak Kroemwyl is in a similar mold to Mueller, but a little bigger and a little stronger, and a little more raw; his route-running in particular is a bit sloppy.
Left Tackle (LT)#50 - Baeryk Astyr - Age: 32; H: 6'4"; W: 317lbs
#78 - Rikard Waalburg - Age: 28; H: 6'6"; W: 327lbs
#64 - Henrik Skarrsunn - Age: 23; H: 6’3”; W: 314lbs
Baeryk Astyr is a mauler on the left side of the line, skilled in both run- and pass-blocking.
Rikard Waalburg, by contrast, is a more capable pass-protector.
Henrik Skarrsunn is capable in both, but is better as a run-blocker. All three can jump between duties well enough that the left tackle position is one that rotates fairly freely.
Left Guard (LG)#52 - Erik Tyrrsunn - Age: 24; H: 6’2”; W: 310lbs
#60 - Bryndyn Ulfsunn - Age: 30; H: 6’3”; W: 313lbs
#73 - Graegyr Warden - Age: 23; H: 6’2”; W: 308lbs
Erik Tyrrsunn continues the grand Allamunnic tradition of relying on its guards to power the offense as lead-blockers. He's a savage, mauling run-blocker and a steady hand in pass protection.
Bryndyn Ulfsunn is similarly balanced but lacks Tyrrsunn's flair for mauling hapless defenders.
Graegyr Warden has all of Tyrrsunn's enthusiasm but lacks the speed of the other two, making him less versatile. Tyrrsunn takes the majority of snaps, with Ulfsunn as an active rotator and Warden mostly seeing late duty in blowouts or as a spot replacement.
Center (CG)#70 - Jormund Haagtynd - Age: 28; H: 6'4"; W: 312lbs
#61 - Ole Faalkenhorst - Age: 24; H: 6’1”; W: 308lbs
#67 - Margus Brynnur - Age: 29; H: 6’3”; W: 310lbs
Jormund Haagtynd is another long-time Regular who anchors an offensive line that has seen some shuffling along its starting line-up.
Ole Faalkenhorst is not as canny and experienced as Haagtynd, but makes a capable replacement in a pinch, and can even rotate fairly freely without much drop-off.
Margus Brynnur has a similar situation, and his placement on the depth chart below Faalkenhorst is mostly cosmetic; he will see similar amounts of playing time.
Right Guard (RG)#65 - Snaari Knutsunn - Age: 35; H: 6'3"; W: 315lbs
#61 - Daanyl Fearro - Age: 22; H: 6’1”; W: 308lbs
#63 - Jord Eller- Age: 21; H: 6’2”; W: 305lbs
Snaari Knutsunn, long the engine of the Regulars' brutal rushing attack, is starting to get a little long in the tooth, but with the rotating help of capable youngsters
Daanyl Fearro and
Jord Eller, he's able to stay fresh enough to have a heavy impact on the game. And Fearro and Eller are no slouches themselves; if they lack the veteran canniness and technical skill of Knutsunn, both make up for it with enthusiasm and the raw physical talent that is boosted by their youth.
Right Tackle (RT)#68 - Jorvik Staaghyrt - Age: 33; H: 6'3"; W: 318lbs
#56 - Aldryk Mjorr - Age: 24; H: 6’4”; W: 316lbs
#72 - Donal Andrsunn - Age: 21; H: 6’4”; W: 312lbs
While
Jorvik Staaghyrt, capable long-time starter that he is, still sees a lot of playing time, he has seen a significant amount of his playing time eaten up by the young, brash road-grader
Aldryk Mjorr.
Donal Andrsunn is a raw young player who will likely only see spot duty, but is a good sign for things to come.
DEFENSE
Defense:
Philosophy: Seeking to capitalize on a deep and talented defensive line, defensive coordinator Theo Laansur has swapped the Regulars back to a 4-3 base front, with elements of the “Tampa-2” style coverage shell. The front enables the aggressive, active defense that Allamunnic defensive coordinators, Laansur included, have long-favored, generating consistent pressure and hemming in rushers.
Much like the offense, heavy rotating systems are used to ensure players stay relatively fresh the entire game, although particularly talented starters will still get the lions’ share of snaps. While the aggressive and deep defense means the Regulars have a knack for generating big plays on defense, it can also occasionally lead to over-pursuing, players being caught out of position, or a lack of over-top coverage that can lead to surrendering big plays. As a general rule, opponents might find it easier to score one or two big plays on the Regulars than reliably driving the ball down the field.
In Practice: The Allamunnic defense mostly lines up in the 4-3 or de facto 4-4 or 4-2-5 with the same personnel, with nickel and dime packages being trotted out under obvious passing situations and occasionally a jumbo package being used against obvious running situations. The Regulars’ defense is aggressive, sometimes to a fault, meaning they’re likely to cause their share of big plays and are hard to move against, but occasionally commit mistakes that result in giving up big plays; success against the Allamunnic defense will tend to come in chunks rather than methodically.
Theo Laansur likes to dial up blitzes quite frequently. Out of the base package, he can use any of the three linebackers or the strong safety, who frequently creeps up and acts as a de facto fourth linebacker. Stunts where the strong safety plays up in the box and the MIKE linebacker drops into coverage are pretty common fare, and though the SAM linebacker gets used as a blitzer fairly frequently, Laansur usually favors bringing the WILL linebacker as the fifth rusher.
Even in the base package, the MIKE will frequently get dropped back as a de facto second strong safety in likely passing situations. Assume the defense can handle the pass and run about equally; teams will be best served by better execution of their game plan, exploiting individual mismatches in man-coverage, or taking advantage of gaps or overpursuit that occur as a result of their aggressive playstyle.
Notes on production: U'Daanyl is probably going to be the team's tackle leader in a typical game, followed by Vogyl or Lukas. Waalturs is typically the team's sack leader, although any of the starting front-eight may well come into contact with the QB or be playing behind the line. Any of the DBs or U'Daanyl are likely to snag an interception, but Baenty is the team's resident ball-hawk so she probably has the best chance of being in the right place to do so. The Regulars hit pretty hard, so if you need a penalty, unnecessary roughness is a fairly likely one, and Vogyl, Lukas, Roenyr, or Pelayes are the most likely culprits.
The Roster
Left Defensive End (LDE)#98 - Corryk Roenyr - Age: 25; H: 6’5”; W: 289lbs
#91 - Jordyn Haensley - Age: 23; H: 6’2”; W: 294lbs
#79 - Wyllem Kristiansunn - Age: 28; H: 6’1”; W: 292lbs
Corryk Roenyr has a balanced skill-set and is a hard hitter, serving as an enforcer on the (usually) strong side against rushers and passers alike. Behind him,
Jordyn Haensley is a uniquely disruptive defensive end, arguably the future of the left end position on the Regulars, but he is still a little raw, refining his technique and cleaning up mental mistakes. He and Roenyr will rotate heavily.
Wyllem Kristiansunn is a more veteran player who is a little on the lighter side; while able to acquit himself well enough against the run, Kristiansunn’s strength lays in rushing the passer, and he will see most of his work on third downs.
Left Defensive Tackle (LDT)#99 - Baeryk Moergyn - Age: 25; H: 6’4”; W: 320lbs
#74 - Joran Haargrave - Age: 29; H: 6'3"; W: 314lbs
#92 - Bryndyn Aldsunn - Age: 20; H: 6’3”; W: 310lbs
Baeryk Moergyn has filled out nicely as a nose guard over the last few years, able to command the necessary double-teams and contain the run, while having the necessary explosiveness to be an asset against the pass.
Joran Haargrave has a similarly-balanced skill-set, if not Moergyn’s exceptional talent, and will see a lot of rotating reps at both Left and Right Defensive Tackle spots.
Bryndyn Aldsunn is a capable young tackle who is more well-rounded but is still young and is learning his reads.
Right Defensive Tackle (RDT)#66 - Odyn Grahulm - Age: 29; H: 6'4"; W: 308lbs
#94 - Izaak Vikkurs - Age: 27; H: 6’1”; W: 317lbs
#77 - Aldryk Harren - Age: 25; H: 6’2”; W: 314lbs
Odyn Grahulm is a veteran Regular and one of the centerpieces of the defense. The disruptive defensive lineman is strong and sturdy enough to play as a tackle on the inside while possessing the quickness to play as a run-stuffing end, contributing to the pass rush. Grahulm rarely comes off the field, but in the event that he needs a break, he is backed up by capable veterans
Izaak Vikkurs and
Aldryk Harren, both of whom are of the run-stuffing persuasion; neither will be a liability in the pass-rush, but is clearly not their area of strength. If Grahulm has to miss any significant time, Vikkurs and Harren would rotate pretty freely.
Right Defensive End (RDE)#59 - Theodur Waalturs - Age: 21; H: 6'3"; W: 286lbs
#62 - Ryan Merrik - Age: 23; H: 6’2”; W: 295lbs
#57 - Faeryk Joergsunn - Age: 28; H: 6’4”; W: 285lbs
The son of legendary Regular Honorius Waalturs,
Theodur Waalturs has returned to the Regulars to man his father's old spot as a pass-rushing defensive end. Although Waalturs is a capable run defender, it is in the pass rush where he most shows his father's flair. In more obvious running situations,
Ryan Merrik has a solid chance of coming in to spell Waalturs, as Merrik, while young, shows a natural aptitude for crashing running lanes and squeezing down left tackles to bottle up weak-side runs.
Faeryk Joergsunn is a well-rounded defender who acts mostly as a reserve for Waalturs and Merrik; he can fill in in a pinch wherever, but he's not quite up to the explosive talent as the two younger defenders ahead of him on the depth chart.
Strong-Side Linebacker (SLB)#44 - Kaarl Vogyl - Age: 29; H: 6'4"; W: 254lbs
#51 - Erik Olsunn - Age: 23; H: 6’2”; W: 250lbs
#55 - Bryndyn Moergyn - Age: 21; H: 6’1”; W: 250lbs
It is worth note that the SAM linebacker position is frequently an important one for the Regulars, and many of their defensive leaders have played the position. Adding to that legacy is
Kaarl Vogyl, who is the defensive signal-caller. Vogyl is an athletic, do-it-all linebacker, capable in coverage against even more athletic tight ends and backs, while having the speed and slipperiness to penetrate the line against the run or pass, and most importantly, the tackling chops and raw power to flatten rushers on the edge or to the inside. Behind him are a pair of youngsters.
Erik Olsunn is considered by many to be the future of the SAM linebacker position for the Regulars; fast, versatile, and aggressive, Olsunn has already started pushing Vogyl for reps, even if he is still solidly slotted in as a back-up. Capable, if less-spectacularly-talented, is
Bryndyn Moergyn, who will get similar amounts of playing time. Moergyn is more run-stuffer and coverage man, less pass-rusher, whereas Faalyn is a little weaker in coverage but makes up for it when running at the quarterback.
Middle Linebacker (MLB)#23 - Claetus U'Daanyl - Age: 30; H: 6'1"; W: 232lbs
#39 - Rikard Helig - Age: 23; H: 6’1”; W: 230lbs
#25 - Wyllum Ulryk - Age: 23; H: 5’11”; W: 228lbs
Claetus U'Daanyl is a bonafide star for the Regulars; his physical talent was such that the defense was essentially re-calibrated to emphasize his talents, first as a hybrid linebacker-safety, then, as he bulked up a smidge, as the prototypical ranging MIKE linebacker. The Regulars' system asks U'Daanyl to do it all, and way more often than not, he delivers with gusto, whether that's spying a dual-threat QB, crashing on a runner, blitzing a passer, or following a slot receiver in coverage. Behind him is young
Rikard Helig. Helig is not the physical freak that U'Daanyl is, but he has the boundless energy and spryness of even greater youth behind him, and his skill set is similar enough that he can fill in for Claetus without a significant drop-off.
Wyllem Ulryk is a converted running back. He's not as merciless of a tackler as U'Daanyl or Helig, but he makes up for it by superb skills in coverage; he often gets used as a de facto safety or nickel linebacker. Ulryk also gets plenty of special teams reps.
Weak-Side Linebacker (WLB)#54 - Graegyr Lukas - Age: 25; H: 6’3”; W: 252lbs
#47 - Margus Corwynn - Age: 29; H: 6'3"; W: 247lbs
#95 - Erik Faalyn - Age: 20; H: 6’2”; W: 248lbs
The aggressive WILL linebacker spot is manned by now-veteran Regular
Graegyr Lukas, who has spent the last several years partnered with Vogyl as the team's primary enforcers against the run. The WILL linebacker is asked to do a lot of pursuit, either against strong-side runs or as a situational pass-rusher. He's asked less often to go into coverage than Vogyl or U'Daanyl, but Lukas is certainly no liability there against fullbacks or tight-ends, but his main strength is as an enforcer. Getting brought on the blitz frequently, ball-carriers tend to learn to fear Lukas.
Margus Corwynn follows the mold of many Regulars' back-ups, a little older, with a similar skill-set to the starter, able to fill in or rotate without causing a drop-off in play, and is a reliable special teams hand.
Erik Faalyn is considered by some to be the future of the position for the Regulars; though Lukas has no plans of going anywhere soon, Faalyn's aggressive, fast play may have him pushing Corwynn for the number two spot, and Lukas for reps, sooner than either is comfortable with.
Left Cornerback (LCB)#07 - Bryndyn Witt - Age: 30; H: 6'1"; W: 209lbs
#26 - Fredrik Junnsunn - Age: 25; H: 6’1”; W: 210lbs
#16 - Waldr Denysunn - Age: 20; H: 6’0”; W: 197lbs
The left cornerback is called on to act in run-support as well as frequently getting matched up against athletic wideouts, requiring a big-framed, fast, and hard-hitting player at the position. The Regulars are fortunate to have two such corners on the left, who rotate freely, in veterans
Bryndyn Witt and
Frederik Junnsunn. Witt is the nominal starter due to experience and more refined technique, but in practice the two will play about the same amount, with perhaps a slight favoring to Witt. Both are large-framed, unafraid of contact, and fast enough to keep up with the vast majority of the wideouts they're likely to line-up against, and solid tacklers to boot.
It is worth note that Junnsunn is usually the team's extra defensive back in nickel packages. Waldr Denysunn is built in a similar mold, but he's younger and a lot less experienced and as a result is less likely to see heavy duty unless injuries become an issue.
Strong Safety (SS)#34 - Fausteno Pelayes - Age: 21; H: 6’0; W: 220lbs
#32 - Junn Wyllur - Age: 25; H: 6’0”; W: 217lbs
#37 - Derrik Alder - Age: 23; H: 5’11”; W: 212lbs
Young
Fausteno Pelayes has been a revelation at strong-safety, a hard-hitting, versatile defender in the mold of Claetus U'Daanyl who held the position before converting to linebacker. Pelayes can handle most larger wideouts, tight ends, and backs in coverage, although he may have issues with the fastest, shiftiest of receivers. What he lacks in raw speed, however, he makes up as a back-field enforcer; Pelayes is a strong enough tackler and hard enough hitter to rattle anyone on the receiving end, and he is frequently brought up into the tackle box in obvious running situations to serve as a de facto fourth linebacker.
Junn Wyllur was the previous starter, displaced by a talented youngster, but more than capable of pushing for playing time. If he lacks Pelayes' instinctive playmaking, it is still rare for one to find fault with Wyllur's play.
Derrik Alder is a younger safety who mostly gets his action on special teams, though if Wyllur is pushed into starting duty by injuries, coaches will have no reservations about playing the capable young man.
Free Safety (FS)#05 - Anke Baenty - Age: 30; H: 5'10"; W: 167lbs
#10 - Rona Therrian - Age: 23; H: 5’9”; W: 163lbs
#21 - Anessa Robyrts - Age: 22; H: 5’10”; W: 165lbs
Anke Baenty continues the tradition of Belle Margussunn by serving as the Regulars ball-hawking free safety over the top of the defense. Baenty is a deceptively capable open-field tackler despite her size, but her real danger lies in her ability to read quarterbacks' eyes and get in the way of passes.
Rona Therrian and
Anessa Robyrts are both learning from Baenty and challenging one another for playing time and the right to eventually succeed the veteran Regular, but right now it's pretty much deadlocked; either one or both of them might be used to spell Baenty or see late action in blowouts. Both will see plenty of special teams duty, though.
Right Cornerback (RCB)#19 - Piotr Skellig - Age: 25; H: 5’11”; W: 196lbs
#18 - Shonn Viktur - Age: 26; H: 6’1”; W: 204lbs
#40 - Lugus Sylfa - Age: 20; H: 5’10”; W: 193lbs
Piotr Skellig and
Shonn Viktur, much like Witt & Junnsunn on the left side, are a pair of reasonably experienced, talented Allamunnic corners who rotate pretty freely at the cornerback spot. Skellig is, relative to some of his colleagues, just slightly undersized, but he makes up for it with a natural playmaking ability that's almost impossible to teach.
Lugus Sylfa is a talented, if undersized young defensive back who is perhaps more naturally a safety but has the best chance for reps at corner currently. He's not likely to get loads of playing time right now outside special teams, but he's one to watch for the future.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicker:
#15 - Sofya Torrus - Age: 22; H: 5'8"; W: 170 lbs
With Kaarl Hunt bouncing to the domestic league in the hopes of one last payday, young leg Sofya Torrus takes over the heavily-used kicker position for the Regulars. Torrus doesn't quite have Hunt's leg strength (kicks outside of 50 yards are unlikely to be successful), she actually has better and more consistent ball-placement: inside of 45 yards, misses are very rare.
Punter:
#40 - Harald Flack - Age: 24; H: 6’1”; W: 232lbs
Alas, long-time punter Wyatt Skode finally felt the need to hang up his cleats. Into that void steps converted linebacker and Recreational- and Developmental-league punter Harald Flack. While Flack does not have Skode's experience and absurd ball-placement skills, he has enough of a leg to serve as a passable imitation for the time being. The Regulars use their punter heavily to win the field-position battle, and thus far Flack has not generated any significant complaints, even if he still has a lot to polish and learn.
Long-Snapper:
#76 - Olesunn Kriegur - Age: 26; H: 6’3”; W: 285lbs
After a few years learning from long-time Allamunnic longsnapper Vaargus Kynt, Ole Kriegur has taken over full-time as the Regulars' long-snapper. The converted defensive tackle has managed to replicate a similar level of reliability to his predecessor and really, that's all you can ask for from a long-snapper.
Return Specialist:
#28 - Elisa Junnsunn - Age: 23; H: 5’9”; W: 164lbs
Deep reserve running back Elisa Junnsunn takes advantage of her considerable speed and slipperiness to fill the Regulars needs at return specialist. On kickoffs where two returners might be useful, she is usually joined by fellow tailback Lucy Jaans, and, consequently, may also get looks at slotback in the flex-pistol or flexbone formations.