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Description
This image is part of a large project in which I am writing the entire history of a fictional football league, the American Football Association, from its founding at the end of World War II through today and beyond.

The progression of the league can be found at boards.sportslogos.net/topic/9… , while a summary of the league's history can be found at afahistory.blogspot.com/

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1975 saw the sudden rise of one of the most dynamic and exciting players in league history. Will Silver was 16 when his parents died in a car accident in 1966. He had been a star on his high school football, baseball, and basketball teams, but he dropped out of school and took a job at a Chicago railyard to support his five younger sisters. He hated the job, and continued playing in every night and weekend amateur sports league that he could find. While doing so, he met Richard Young, who had spent two years with the Chicago Butchers as a linebacker, and still had friends on the team. He recognized Silver’s talent, and repeatedly offered to put Silver in touch with the front office. Thinking that a career as a professional athlete was a pipe dream, Silver repeatedly refused, until his youngest sister graduated high school in the spring of 1975.

The Butchers, impressed by his incredible agility, invited Silver to training camp with the expectation that he would play defensive back and return kicks, though he was moved to running back during training camp. On opening day, he was the kick returner and the second-string RB behind 1973 first-round pick Will Marley. The team lost to the Washington Wasps 28-17, but Silver dominated, scoring one touchdown on a punt return and another on a 73 yard run. He was given the starting job the following week. Silver, who was nationally known as Quicksilver by midseason, took the league by storm. He finished the season with 2079 rushing yards, making him the first player to break the 2000-yard threshold. He wasn’t the strongest back in the league, and his straight-line speed was good, though not elite, but his ability to change directions, dance, and dodge was unlike anything heretofore seen. Adding to the frustration of defenders was his use of tear away jerseys, and there were several times that he would reach the end zone as an opposing linebacker could no nothing but stare at the tattered jersey in their hands.

The Butchers, who had struggled in recent years, took the league by storm, winning 13 straight games to secure the Northern Division and the top playoff seed. Meanwhile, the Detroit Gladiators put together a respectable 8-5-1 record, becoming the first Northern Division team ever to earn a wildcard berth. Despite their good record, few really knew what to expect from them. Three of their five losses came against Chicago and Washington, two teams that combined for a 25-3 record, but they also lost to Colorado and went 0-1-1 against Cleveland, two miserable teams.

Washington, the lone team to beat the Butchers, also enjoyed a successful season behind the play of a superstar. QB Steven Taylor made a strong case for the title of the best quarterback in the world, and would have been Player of the Year in virtually any other season. The Wasps finished 12-2, good for the second seed, which would ensure home field advantage through the playoffs.

The other divisions featured much tighter races. In the Northeast, the Boston Captains held a narrow lead over the Pittsburgh Miners almost all season, but the Miners won both head to head showdowns in weeks 12 and 14, allowing them to vault past the Captains in the end. In the South, Miami spent the entire season on the heels of the New Orleans Krewe, but injuries, sloppy play, and blowing winnable games caused them to fade down the stretch.

The Central Division, which was almost universally expected to be the league’s best, struggled. The St. Louis Aces were a non-factor, as age finally caught up with them. The most notable decline was that of legendary QB Maximus Daniels, who announced his retirement after being benched in the second to last week of the season. The Milwaukee Wolves, suffering from a Victory Bowl hangover and a difficult schedule, started 3-5, and didn’t even reach the .500 mark until the final game of the season. Minnesota won the division, but they did so without looking as dominant as they had in recent years. RB Jackie Leigh didn’t look the same after being injured in the playoffs last season, and their defense, though still well above average, didn’t show the ability to take over a game like they had in the past. They qualified for the 6th seed, marking the first time since 1971 that no Central Division teams hosted a quarterfinal game.

Perhaps the most exciting division race came in the West, where the Seattle Grizzlies and Portland Dragons both exceeded expectations, and the heavily favored Los Angeles Comets failing to live up to theirs. It was mental mistakes that nearly sunk the Comets, as they were by far the most penalized team in the AFA, nonetheless, their superior talent kept them in the playoff race throughout the season. The Grizzlies looked unbeatable at the beginning of the year, starting 5-0, but QB Rob Connery slumped in the second half of the season, and the team went with him. The Dragons started 3-0, before losing QB Stuart Niles to a torn rotator cuff. After rookie Steve Develter threw 5 interceptions and no touchdowns in 2 starts (both losses), the team stunned the league by orchestrating a trade with the Arizona Firebirds for their veteran backup, C.J. Random. After learning the new offense, Random played well enough to keep the team in the title chase.

The division came down to the final week of the season. Seattle traveled to Portland, with the winner securing the division title. A wildcard spot was still on the line for the loser, though it would have required help from Los Angeles, Detroit, and Miami. In the end, the Dragons won 17-14 on a last-second field goal, and the Grizzlies hopes were crushed as Los Angeles and Detroit sewed up the wildcard spots with wins against Buffalo and Arizona, respectively.

Portland will enter the postseason with a quarterback controversy on their hands. Niles is expected to be cleared to return for their upcoming semifinal game against Los Angeles, but Random has been on a hot streak over the last month. Will they give the ball back to their starter, or ride the hot hand?

Awards:

Most Valuable Player: Will “Quicksilver” Silver (RB-CHI)

Offensive Player of the Year: Silver

Defensive Player of the Year: Guy Vacilis (S-HOU)

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Silver

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Jamie Smith (S-PIT)

Description
This image is part of a large project in which I am writing the entire history of a fictional football league, the American Football Association, from its founding at the end of World War II through today and beyond.

The progression of the league can be found at boards.sportslogos.net/topic/9… , while a summary of the league's history can be found at afahistory.blogspot.com/

-------------

1975 saw the sudden rise of one of the most dynamic and exciting players in league history. Will Silver was 16 when his parents died in a car accident in 1966. He had been a star on his high school football, baseball, and basketball teams, but he dropped out of school and took a job at a Chicago railyard to support his five younger sisters. He hated the job, and continued playing in every night and weekend amateur sports league that he could find. While doing so, he met Richard Young, who had spent two years with the Chicago Butchers as a linebacker, and still had friends on the team. He recognized Silver’s talent, and repeatedly offered to put Silver in touch with the front office. Thinking that a career as a professional athlete was a pipe dream, Silver repeatedly refused, until his youngest sister graduated high school in the spring of 1975.

The Butchers, impressed by his incredible agility, invited Silver to training camp with the expectation that he would play defensive back and return kicks, though he was moved to running back during training camp. On opening day, he was the kick returner and the second-string RB behind 1973 first-round pick Will Marley. The team lost to the Washington Wasps 28-17, but Silver dominated, scoring one touchdown on a punt return and another on a 73 yard run. He was given the starting job the following week. Silver, who was nationally known as Quicksilver by midseason, took the league by storm. He finished the season with 2079 rushing yards, making him the first player to break the 2000-yard threshold. He wasn’t the strongest back in the league, and his straight-line speed was good, though not elite, but his ability to change directions, dance, and dodge was unlike anything heretofore seen. Adding to the frustration of defenders was his use of tear away jerseys, and there were several times that he would reach the end zone as an opposing linebacker could no nothing but stare at the tattered jersey in their hands.

The Butchers, who had struggled in recent years, took the league by storm, winning 13 straight games to secure the Northern Division and the top playoff seed. Meanwhile, the Detroit Gladiators put together a respectable 8-5-1 record, becoming the first Northern Division team ever to earn a wildcard berth. Despite their good record, few really knew what to expect from them. Three of their five losses came against Chicago and Washington, two teams that combined for a 25-3 record, but they also lost to Colorado and went 0-1-1 against Cleveland, two miserable teams.

Washington, the lone team to beat the Butchers, also enjoyed a successful season behind the play of a superstar. QB Steven Taylor made a strong case for the title of the best quarterback in the world, and would have been Player of the Year in virtually any other season. The Wasps finished 12-2, good for the second seed, which would ensure home field advantage through the playoffs.

The other divisions featured much tighter races. In the Northeast, the Boston Captains held a narrow lead over the Pittsburgh Miners almost all season, but the Miners won both head to head showdowns in weeks 12 and 14, allowing them to vault past the Captains in the end. In the South, Miami spent the entire season on the heels of the New Orleans Krewe, but injuries, sloppy play, and blowing winnable games caused them to fade down the stretch.

The Central Division, which was almost universally expected to be the league’s best, struggled. The St. Louis Aces were a non-factor, as age finally caught up with them. The most notable decline was that of legendary QB Maximus Daniels, who announced his retirement after being benched in the second to last week of the season. The Milwaukee Wolves, suffering from a Victory Bowl hangover and a difficult schedule, started 3-5, and didn’t even reach the .500 mark until the final game of the season. Minnesota won the division, but they did so without looking as dominant as they had in recent years. RB Jackie Leigh didn’t look the same after being injured in the playoffs last season, and their defense, though still well above average, didn’t show the ability to take over a game like they had in the past. They qualified for the 6th seed, marking the first time since 1971 that no Central Division teams hosted a quarterfinal game.

Perhaps the most exciting division race came in the West, where the Seattle Grizzlies and Portland Dragons both exceeded expectations, and the heavily favored Los Angeles Comets failing to live up to theirs. It was mental mistakes that nearly sunk the Comets, as they were by far the most penalized team in the AFA, nonetheless, their superior talent kept them in the playoff race throughout the season. The Grizzlies looked unbeatable at the beginning of the year, starting 5-0, but QB Rob Connery slumped in the second half of the season, and the team went with him. The Dragons started 3-0, before losing QB Stuart Niles to a torn rotator cuff. After rookie Steve Develter threw 5 interceptions and no touchdowns in 2 starts (both losses), the team stunned the league by orchestrating a trade with the Arizona Firebirds for their veteran backup, C.J. Random. After learning the new offense, Random played well enough to keep the team in the title chase.

The division came down to the final week of the season. Seattle traveled to Portland, with the winner securing the division title. A wildcard spot was still on the line for the loser, though it would have required help from Los Angeles, Detroit, and Miami. In the end, the Dragons won 17-14 on a last-second field goal, and the Grizzlies hopes were crushed as Los Angeles and Detroit sewed up the wildcard spots with wins against Buffalo and Arizona, respectively.

Portland will enter the postseason with a quarterback controversy on their hands. Niles is expected to be cleared to return for their upcoming semifinal game against Los Angeles, but Random has been on a hot streak over the last month. Will they give the ball back to their starter, or ride the hot hand?

Awards:

Most Valuable Player: Will “Quicksilver” Silver (RB-CHI)

Offensive Player of the Year: Silver

Defensive Player of the Year: Guy Vacilis (S-HOU)

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Silver

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Jamie Smith (S-PIT)