As part of a new bi-weekly feature, WhatIfSports recently sat down with user eblitz24, inaugural Gridiron Dynasty Division-III national champion, to discuss his team - Monmouth, his strategy, the game and life as whatifsports.com's first king of GD.
eblitz24
It's good to be here; you guys have a great site.
WIS
Who is eblitz24?
eblitz24
I am a 31 year old graduate of the University of Illinois living out my some past dreams in a unique way.
WIS
How did you learn about whatifsports.com and Gridiron Dynasty?
eblitz24
There comes a point in time when all of us realize that we cannot keep up anymore and we have to find a venue, whether it be coaching, or rec leagues or this, to stay in the game. A friend of mine and I heard about the site a couple years ago and immediately started playing in baseball leagues. I drifted away from the site for a little bit until my friend called me back up to tell me about Hoops Dynasty - where I could essentially be 'god' of my own basketball program - and I was hooked. I have had a couple of HD teams with some decent success. Then, when I heard about Gridiron Dynasty, I had to try it. As a former D-IAA wide receiver, I can try to stay active, but this keeps me close to the game.
WIS
Which coaches, past or present, did you draw on for inspiration?
eblitz24
I have the most respect for coaches such as Bill Snyder at Kansas State who can build a program from the ground level and then will stick with the team.
WIS
What drew you to Monmouth?
eblitz24
Actually, I almost missed signing up for World 1. So, by the time I got in, there were only ten or so teams left. I wanted to get a school in Illinois and Monmouth was the best option. Ironically, when my friend signed up, there were only a couple of schools left and one of them was his alma mater.
WIS
After originally looking over your team, what were your expectations going into the season?
eblitz24
I knew that I would be good on defense, but I had no idea how good. My top six defensive lineman were all rated above 600 and I had a couple of decent defensive backs and linebackers. On offense, my quarterback did not appear all that great, yet it appeared as though he had some good wide-outs available and the offensive line was probably around average. After my first scrimmage though, I had no idea what to think because my friend and I played a close game where neither offense did much.
WIS
How did you approach recruiting? Do you think this helped you gain an edge for the season?
eblitz24
The biggest goal for me was addressing defensive backs. I knew that my line would be solid and that, if I could get a qualified freshman starter for my secondary, my defense would be scary. Fortunately, I landed a DB rated 529 who started every game. I also targeted quarterback and offensive line without much success in terms of their ability to contribute for me immediately.
WIS
What style offense/defense did you choose to run?
eblitz24
Usually, in HD, I micro or over-manage my team, tweaking just about everything I can to try and gain an edge. In my first season of GD, I changed that philosophy to the point where I decided to run out of the 5-2 no matter what the formation or situation. Having five senior defensive lineman rated 600+ starting every game and involved on every play gave me an advantage every time I lined up on D. With the offense, I was much more liberal with a balanced attack and hopes that my receivers could make something happen if the quarterback could get them the ball.
WIS
Approximately how much practice time did you devote to schemes and how much did you devote to player improvement (conditioning, tackling, catching/punting, blocking, pass routes, strength/agility and study film)?
eblitz24
This is another area where I tried something vastly different than my usual strategy with HD. Instead of looking too deep into my team and practicing most on my weakest categories, I went with a uniform approach, giving 40 minutes each to my offensive and defensive preparation and 10 minutes in all of the fundamentals.
WIS
What players on your team surprised you and who, if anyone disappointed?
eblitz24
The 529 rated freshman defensive back that I started was even better than I had hoped. My quarterback's numbers far exceeded any preseason predictions. And, my special teams performed well. Really, there were no major disappointments.
WIS
What do you believe was your biggest key to success?
eblitz24
No matter what I did with it, I was pretty fortunate to be given a great team. The defense dominated and the offense was capable.
WIS
What team proved to be your biggest challenge?
eblitz24
Interestingly enough, it was my friend who I have played in countless baseball and HD leagues and who broke into whatifsports with me, who gave me my biggest challenge in our first exhibition game. His defense played well and I do not think that I had a great grasp on the offense at that point. Still, playing a tough opponent early, in an otherwise meaningless game, set me up well for my run.
WIS
Did you seek any help from other users?
eblitz24
I don't spend much time in the forums, but I read a few things in there. For the most part, I consulted with my friend and posted a few times on the standings page for my conference. When I got to the playoffs, I also went to the conference pages of my next opponent to see what is being said about having to play me.
WIS
Since you won the championship, what kind of feedback have you received?
eblitz24
Most of my conference congratulated me, I got a sitemail or two from users I know, and there is this interview, but otherwise it has been pretty quiet.
WIS
What do you think of the proposed changes (games by half, updated recruiting, always run/pass)?
eblitz24
I think they are great. I have never seen another site or many companies that respond to feedback as quickly as you guys do. We all know that there will be some glitches and difficulties, but every time an issue comes up, you fix it immediately.
WIS
Besides winning a championship, what is your favorite part of GD?
eblitz24
Just the idea, in all of these games, of being 'god' of your own program is unlike anything else that I have seen.
WIS
Least favorite? If you could change one thing in GD, what would it be?
eblitz24
Injuries. Gameplay evolved quite a bit and you have corrected any error that pops up. Still, dealing with injuries is so much a part of sports, especially football, and they rarely occur in this game. Outside of the defensive line, I was not particularly deep at any position, but no one got injured and I was able to get through the season unscathed.
WIS
With expectations now high at Monmouth, what's next for the first king of Gridiron Dynasty?
eblitz24
With the graduation of the defensive line and an all-sophomore defensive backfield, Monmouth probably will not be as good next year regardless of who controls it. So, I want to move up and I figure, as champion, I can have my pick. Eastern Illinois would be my top choice at this point, but I am not sure that I'll be able to jump straight to I-AA, so I have applied to a few Division II schools in Illinois. My main goal is to coach at Eastern before moving up to the University of Illinois to build a true dynasty there.
WIS
Thanks again. Good luck and here's hoping that once you get to Illinois, your career looks more like Bill Snyder's than it does Ron Turner's.
WIS
Thanks for taking the time out to meet with us.