LionRaider: Phillip Tanner and his Tennessee A&M Lions (Walk On Teambuilder)

[JDG42]

SETUP
GAME- NCAA 14
SYSTEM- XBOX 360
ROSTERS- jrriv4 NCAA 14 21/22 Xbox Community Roster Update (Non-Revamped) SIMULATED THROUGH FIRST SEASON STARTING WITH WALK ON’S
SLIDERS- OS SET WITH INT CHANGES 10 FOR USER 15 FOR CPU
PLAYBOOKS- USING COORDINATORS, RESERVE RIGHT TO CHANGE
RECRUITING RULES- TOP 10 INTERESTED ONLY, NO ADDING TO BOARD FROM WEEK 1-13 AT WHICH TIME ANY IN STATE PLAYER, REGIONALLY A STAR BELOW PRESTIGE AND ANYONE STAR CAN BE ADDED
TRANSFERS- MUST LET ANY TRANSFERS FROM PROGRAM LEAVE, CAN’T CONVINCE PLAYER TO COME BACK IF DECLARE FOR DRAFT
INJURY EDITS- AS FOLLOWS
QB (-10)
RB (-15)
WR (-10)
TE/FB (-20)
OL (-70)
DEFENSE (-40)
MANUAL PROGRESSION/REGRESSION- KAWKEYE’S SYSTEM
RECAPS- MOST GAMES QUICK 2-3 PARAGRAPHS ESPECIALLY EARLY WHEN TEAM IS BAD, BIG GAMES WILL HAVE MORE DETAILS, EVERY GAME WILL HAVE BOX SCORE

[JDG42]

Hello all! I'm JDG42 and this is my second attempt at one of these. I know I'm not the first to do a teambuilder walk on dynasty but my goal is to make it as realistic as possible using some of the great ideas I've come across on here. This dynasty follows former MTSU running back Phillip Tanner as he tries to build a powerhouse in a state with four established programs and not a lot of talent (at least in-game). My reasoning for using walk on's instead of the default 63 overall cupcake roster is being able to sculpt the team from the jump.

Along those lines, I'm counting on my recruiting rules helping make it a slow and rewarding build. For example, you will rarely see me recruit three stars the first couple of years as the program earns "credibility". You might see one or two a class but I really want the progression/regression system to play a key role.

As always everything is purely fictional and for entertainment purposes. I will try to get recaps and recruiting updates up as much as I can but as an NBA employee during NBA season it can get tough. I'm not good with all the graphics and such others use so mine will probably feel bare-bones compared to them so hopefully the journey is good lol. Anyways thanks for taking the time to give my thread a look and hopefully you'll stick around for the ride!

Feel free to comment!

[JDG42]

LIONS ANNOUNCE FOOTBALL PROGRAM, SET TO JOIN CUSA

Tennessee A&M president Fiona Hamilton and Athletic Director Micah Lewis announced that a football program is set to take the field in 2022.

"We are thrilled to bring football to this great university," Hamilton said. "This will be a great boost for us and will take the university to new heights."

When the Lions take the field, they will be a part of Conference USA, joining the east division with fellow instate school Middle Tennessee State. The addition of football now makes five FBS programs in the state of Tennessee, which is certainly going to bring competition both on and off the field.

"This is not only great for us but for the many high school players in the great state of Tennessee," Lewis said. "Whoever we hire as a coach has to have a connection to the state of Tennessee. We want to build the program with Tennessee talent and take advantage of the overlooked players in the state."

Both Hamilton and Lewis said the search for a coach begins immediately with hopes of naming one before early signing day in December.

[JDG42]

LIONS NAME TANNER FIRST HEAD COACH

Tennessee A&M president Fiona Hamilton and Athletic Director Micah Lewis announced the hiring of Philip Tanner as the first head football coach in school history.

"After a long search, we felt Philip met everything we were looking for," Lewis said. "He has ties to this great state along with experience in both the NFL and high school levels. We feel this combined with the energy and passion he has for this challenge made him the perfect fit."

Tanner starred at Middle Tennessee State after a standout high school career in Texas. Tanner spent several years in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, and the San Francisco 49ers as both a running back and special teamer. Since his time in the league, he's spent time as assistant special teams coach with the Cowboys and was most recently the offensive coordinator for his former teammate John Kitna at Burleson High School in Burleson, Texas.

"I am excited to join the Lions family and get back to the state of Tennessee," Tanner said. "I look forward to building this program the right way. It will get tough. It will get ugly, but I feel like we can and will have a successful program here, and I promise to do everything I can to make that happen."

The next task for the 33-year-old is filling out his staff before early signing day in December.

[JDG42]

TANNER NAMES COORDINATORS

OC Mike Uremovich level 8, fired by Temple, one back playbook
DC Matt Feeney level 5, fired by Akron, 3-3-5 playbook

[JDG42]

TANNER, LION CUBS READY FOR DEBUT SEASON

Tennessee A&M head coach Phillip Tanner took an unusual route when building the first football team in school history. Tryouts.

"Honestly thought it was the best move," Tanner said with a chuckle. "It was the only way in my mind to make sure we had a roster full of guys that wanted to be here. Again, wanted to be here. Not because it's their only offer or we were the only ones to call. No. We need guys who want to be here, and the best way to find those is simply offering nothing but making history in return."

While it might seem strange to most, the turnout was in the hundreds, with 48 players making the final roster well below the 85 limit. This causes depth problems something that is not lost on Tanner.

"Valid point," Tanner said when asked about it. "The way I see it, we took the guys that we felt could give us the best chance to win. It's not different from high school, right? You have to make do with what you have. That's our task as we go through fall camp. Make sure we have the best 22 out of the 48 when the lights shine bright."

Expected to lead the ship offensively is former baseball walk on Travis Stevens at quarterback. The 6'2 225-pound freshman from Bedford, Ohio, won the job over Derek Randall, and junior college transfer Marvin Madsen who Tanner says shows some flashes of Saints quarterback Tayson Hill.

"Travis has the size you look for at the position," Tanner said. "As a former pitcher, he has the best arm on the team, and that ultimately won him the job. We still plan to get Derek involved as his speed brings a different element to the offense."

In what appeared to be a mainly one-back offense during the spring and so far through fall camp, expect the backfield of Ryan Reed, Brad Pressley, and Malik Foster to get plenty of looks. Hawaii native Jason Leonard at fullback is the best blocker of the bunch and should see time in passing situations as an extra blocker.

"No one has grabbed the bull by the horns," Tanner said about the backfield. "At this point, we are prepared to play them all until one separates themselves."

Tanner and offensive coordinator Mike Uremovich are excited about receiver Will Madison who is also a part of the Lions track team. The 6'4 215-pound Florida native is the fastest player on the team and has the rare look of a Division I player.

"Will is by far the best deep threat we have," Uremovich said. "It's my job to make sure we get him the ball as much as possible."

Two basketball walk on's Justin Wright, and Tyrone Mark at tight end provide two big red zone threats. Upfront, the line is anchored by Cedric Brown at right tackle.

"We go as the line goes," Tanner said. "We're counting on that unit to be the backbone of the offense."

Defensively, coordinator Matt Feeney is counting on a talented trio of linebackers to anchor his unit.

"We have a long, rangy unit," Feeney said. "We aren't the fastest, but we have sound players who know what their roles are."

Jeremy Ruffin and Darrell Rice man the outside spots while 237-pound junior college transfer Chris Hammond mans the middle. Upfront, coaches are excited about the end duo of Terence Rutledge and Darrius Collins. Both need to play a big role in rushing the passer.

In the secondary, 6'4 freshman corner Oliver Jackson leads the way. A reserve guard on the basketball team, he has quick hips and a great change of direction. Coaches think they have a good one in safety, TJ Nobles, who at 194-pounds is the strongest player on the team.

"We aren't a deep unit," Tanner said. "So, it's important we have long, sustained drives to keep them fresh."

Highly regarded freshman soccer player Travis Pugh handles the kicking duties. Tanner knows his team faces an uphill battle and is not set up for short-term success. However, he believes in his team and wants them to play hard for four quarters.

"If we do that, we have a chance to shock the world," Tanner said.

[JDG42]

LIONS ANNOUNCE SCHEDULE & DEPTH CHART
@Tennessee
@Vandy
V UMASS
V NMSU
@UAB
V Southern Miss
@Marshall
V FIU
@FAU
V MTSU
V ODU
@WKU

DEPTH CHART
QB- FR Travis Stevens 6’2 235 (40 ovr)/ FR Derek Randall 6’3 209 (41 ovr)
RB- FR Ryan Reed 6’0 215 (47 ovr)/ FR Brad Pressley 6’1 235 (42 over)/FR Malik Foster 6’1 221 (43 ovr)
FB- FR Jason Leonard 6’2 236 (40 ovr)
WR- FR James Tucker 6’2 186 (46 ovr)/FR Joe Barclay 6’2 226 (50 ovr)/FR Nick Freund 6’0 203 (44 ovr)/FR Justin Brown 6’4 201 (44 ovr)/FR Will Madison 6’4 215 (47 ovr)/FR Jason Jones 6’2 188 (45 ovr)
TE- FR Tyrone Mark 6’6 245 (41 ovr)/SO Justin Wright 6’5 247 (42 ovr)
LT- FR Cedric Brown 6’4 309 (45 ovr)/FR Frank Mays 6’5 290 (40 ovr)
LG- FR Tim Freeman 6’4 285 (40 ovr)/JR Erik Smith 6’7 288 (40 ovr)
C- FR Lamar Ryan 6’4 310 (42 ovr)/FR Kellen Hackett 6’6 284 (40 ovr)
RG- FR Jonathan Barber 6’7 282 (45 ovr)/JR Erik Smith 6’7 288 (40 ovr)
RT- SO James Allen 6’5 290 (43 ovr)/FR Frank Mays 6’5 290 (40 ovr)
LE- FR Darrius Collins 6’0 249 (50 ovr)/FR Jordan Bates 6’1 260 (43 ovr)
RE- FR Terence Rutledge 6’2 246 (48 ovr)/FR Jordan Bates 6’1 260 (43 ovr)
DT- FR Joe Brown 6’3 284 (41 ovr)/FR Dennis Williams 6’3 278 (42 ovr)
LOLB- FR Darrell Rice 6’3 208 (42 ovr)/FR Clint Rogers 6’5 200 (41 ovr)/JR Clay Rushing 6’2 196 (40 ovr)
MLB- JR Chris Hammond 6’2 237 (42 ovr)/FR Reggie Dixon 6’1 234 (45 ovr)
ROLB- FR Jeremy Ruffin 6’1 224 (46 ovr)/JR Clay Rushing 6’2 196 (40 ovr)/FR Clint Rogers 6’5 200 (41 ovr)
CB- FR Oliver Jackson 6’4 208 (44 ovr)/FR Bobby Dukes 6’0 192 (43 ovr)/FR Antonio McKinney 6’2 186 (46 ovr)/FR Chris Lowery 5’11 184 (44 ovr)/FR Michael Keith 6’0 188 (43 ovr)
FS- FR Matt Crooks 6’0 201 (49 ovr)/FR Corey Mayes 6’1 203 (49 ovr)
SS- FR TJ Nobles 6’1 194 (52 ovr)/FR Michael Peoples 5’11 190 (47 ovr)/FR Demetrius Alexander 5’11 187 (45 ovr)
K/P- FR Travis Pugh 5’10 192 (62 ovr)
KR/PR- FR Will Madison/FR Antonio Mckinney