Tegan Atwell

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Tegan Atwell

Tegan Atwell in the 2022 (S7) off season
No. 23 – Orange County Otters
Position:	Wide Receiver
Personal information
Born:	(1999-09-26)September 26, 1999 (aged 63) Brookfield, Illinois
Height:	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight:	185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
High school:	Nazareth Academy
College:	University of Notre Dame
ISFL Draft:	2020  / Round: 1 / Pick: 8
DSFL Draft:	2019  / Round: 2 / Pick: 11
Career history
Chicago Blues (2019 (S4)) Orange County Otters (2020 (S5)-present)
Roster status:	Active
Career highlights and awards
none at present
Career NSFL statistics as of Week 1, 2024
Total tackles: 202 Pass deflections: 13 Interceptions: 3 Receptions: 87 Receiving yards: 1410 Yards per reception: 16.2 Receiving touchdowns: 9 Sacks: 8
Career DSFL statistics
Total tackles: 50 Pass deflections: 15 Interceptions: 4 Total touchdowns: 2 Punt return yards: 418 Kick return yards: 493 Sacks: 0 Defensive touchdowns: 1
Player stats at ISFL.net

Tegan Annie Atwell (born September 26, 1999) is an American football wide receiver for the Orange County Otters of the Simulation Football League (NSFL). He played college football for University of Notre Dame (ND) before being selected by the Orange County Otters in the 2020 ISFL Draft (S5). Prior to this, he had been selected by the Chicago Blues in the 2019 DSFL Draft (S4).

Early years

Born in Brookfield, Illinois, Tegan Annie Atwell was always not just one of the fastest girls on her track team, but one of the fastest athletes in her school. She started off in track, but was unhappy with the other girls in the team, so she began playing soccer. When Atwell had started high school at Nazareth Academy, she wanted to start in sports right away. Unfortunately, soccer was in the second semester and she wasn't really good at basketball. Instead, she went out for the football team. Atwell's try-out for the team is still the thing of legends at Nazareth. The story goes that she showed up and asked to play. When the coaches asked about what position she played, Atwell replied that she could run, so they put her through some wide receiver drills and then some corner back drills. She excelled at both, so the coaches flipped a coin and she ended up as the team's star corner back.

College career

Tegan Atwell had made a name for herself as an American Football player, but she was still sought after as a soccer player. When deciding on where to go to college, Atwell had her choice of soccer scholarships, but she decided to forgo them to play football instead. She chose to go to the top Catholic football school: The University of Notre Dame.

Because Tegan was a walk-on, she went through the same experience she had in high school, except a little less dramatic. In her freshman year, Tegan made her first career interception in Week 7, making sure to take it home for her first touchdown as well. During this freshman year, the Special Teams coach took interest in her returning kicks, with her making the first string by the end of the season.

Atwell's sophomore year was much more impressive as she had more playing time to work with. In the first week, she took back a punt for a touchdown and grabbed half a sack. Atwell's speed and ability to quickly switch gears was what thrust her onto the main stage of the NCAA spotlight. That season she would get 4 more return touchdowns, along with 3 interceptions and 2 sacks.

Her junior year, Atwell was beginning to worry about her defensive side and asked for more to do. She began training in practices as a wide receiver in order to better her hands and positioning. She improved her defense greatly, nabbing 7 interceptions and bringing back 3 of them. Her new style involving backing up the receiver in order to allow the ball to drop down to her. She also excelled in overthrow situations and reading routes.

Atwell's true breakout happened in her senior year, as she had decided to stay and complete her degree in Literature. She had a wonderful season, with 6 interceptions and 4 return TDs. But her final game was what made her a legend. The Fighting Irish were up against Navy and she did what most would say is the impossible. She spent the day grabbing interceptions from Navy. She ended the game with 7 interceptions, bringing back 5 of them. That, combined with her 3 punt return touchdowns, gave her the Division I record for the most touchdowns in a single game. Her final interception, she took all the way to the locker room.

Atwell announced for the DSFL draft later that week.

College career statistics

Come back to this bit. Not sure how to generate the table yet

Professional career

DSFL career

Tegan Atwell was drafted to the Chicago Blues in the 2nd Round as a part of a deal with her former Athletic Director, now Chicago's General Manager, Alexandra Jones. The plan was for her to continue her explosive play close to home and in the same positions as in college. This meant that she was not only the number one corner back for the young franchise, but she was the number one kick returner. Helped by her cousin Leroy Jenkin's tutelage, Atwell helped lead the team to the playoffs with 4 interceptions and 2 total touchdowns. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be as the team lost to the Norfolk Seawolves in the conference final. She would declare for the NSFL Draft almost immediately.

NSFL career

Pre-draft measurables

Ht	Wt	40‑yd dash	20‑ss	3‑cone	Vert jump	Broad	BP	Wonderlic
5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	4.38 s	4.2 s	7.13 s	27.9 in (0.71 m)	10 ft 0.9 in (3.07 m)	8 reps	22
[ NSFL S5 Draft Combine]

Leading up to the 2020 (S5) NSFL Draft, Leroy Jenkins, her cousin and coach, worked over his former team to pick her up in the draft. While many analysts projected her going earlier to the Arizona Outlaws, she ended up falling to the Orange County Otters at the end of the 1st Round.

Unlike many prospects, Atwell stayed up in the NSFL after the draft and got playing time. Playing alongside Marc Spector and Jonathan King, she was mostly pushed into the role of a nickleback, playing less in her true style of running down receivers and acting much more like a linebacker. Although Atwell would help the Otters to two more Ultimus, she became increasingly disenchanted with her position. In order to feel out a possible position change, in 2022 (S7) she asked the coaching staff for snaps on the offensive side of the ball as a wide receiver.

After a season at both cornerback and wide receiver, Atwell found herself out of contract and a free agent for the first time. She decided to make two major announcements during this time. The first was that she would be playing wide receiver full time for her next team. The second was her announcement coming out as gay, becoming the second NSFL player to do so. She took that off season to announce many changes; but decided that one of them would not be a change in location as she stayed in Orange County, signing a new two-year contract worth a total of $11M.

The 2023 (S8) season was a big one for her, as it was her first year out as a full wide receiver. Although given limited snaps due to team legends Bradley Westfield and Robert Phelps still performing along with new signing Carlito Crush, Atwell made the most of it, picking up 71 receptions for 1200+ yards and 6 TDs. This performance landed her in a group of the Top 5 receivers in the league. Unfortunately, this performance was not able to help the Otters to another Ultimus as they lost to the New Orleans Second Line in the Solis. After the season, there was a push from Otters fans to get her the Breakout Player of the Year award; but the official Awards Committee decided that due to her status as a position changer she was not eligible for the award, instead giving it to Carter Bush.

Professional career statistics

Come back to this later

Achievements and records

Come back to this later