Dante King

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Dante King
Dante King.jpg
King in 2042
No. 43 – Prospect
Position:Runningback
Personal information
Born: (2022-07-31)July 31, 2022 (aged 38)
San Francisco, California, U.S.
Height:5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Weight:190 lb (86 kg)
Username:shadyshoelace
Career information
High school:De La Salle
College:Stanford University
Career history
Roster status:Active

Dante King (born July 31, 2022) is an American football runningback for the Baltimore Hawks of the International Simulation Football League. He played college football for Stanford University.

Early years

Dante King was born in San Francisco, California on July 31st, 2022. As a young boy, he displayed exceptional athletic potential despite being undersized compared to the rest of his peers, displaying speed and agility that made him a standout in his youth sports leagues. A lifelong Golden State Warriors fan, King's first love was on the basketball court and he could frequently be found on local blacktops participating in pickup games while he was supposed to be attending school. As he got older, it became clear that Dante had some special talent that could make sports a viable path forward for college, if not beyond. However, it soon became apparent that his height would only continue to be more and more of a limitation, so he turned his attention towards the gridiron.

As a freshman at Mission High School in San Francisco, Dante immediately caught his the attention of his coaches and was promoted to the varsity team, where he played as a backup at various positions including running back, wide receiver, and cornerback, as well as a special teams starter at returner and gunner. Despite being on track to put up superstar numbers throughout his career, Dante's parents realized that he would have a better shot at realizing his professional dreams if he had more exposure on a national stage. Prior to his sophomore year, his parents moved him across the bay to enroll at De La Salle High School in Concord, a powerhouse team that had finished in the top 25 rankings nationally for the past eight years. Even surrounded by better athletes than he had been before, Dante stood out. He transitioned away from defensive play and was named a starting wide receiver, finishing the season as the team's third-leading receiver. Over his junior and senior seasons, Dante's role increased to the point where he received the bulk of the team's offensive touches as a running back, receiver, and Wildcat quarterback and served as its primary kick and punt returner. His senior season, he led the state with 2,612 yards from scrimmage, becoming the first player in California history to record more than 1,000 rushing and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season while leading the Spartans to the state championship and a #3 ranking nationally. In recognition of his contribution, he was named California Mr. Football.

Dante was ranked as a five-star recruit, the #2 player in the state of California, and the #14 prospect nationally. He had offers from virtually every major program but expressed an interest in staying in the state, ultimately narrowing his final options to USC, UCLA, Cal, and Stanford. He opted to join the Cardinal, citing its proximity to home and the coaching staff's vision to make him an all-purpose star like school alumni and NFL Hall of Famer Christian McCaffrey.

College career

While Dante got up to speed with the collegiate game, he was once again deployed in reserve capacity as a rusher, receiver, and returner. During his freshman season, he topped 1,000 yards from scrimmage and double-digit touchdowns on relatively limited touches, leading the team in both per-carry and per-reception average. With the departure of Stanford's star wide receiver prior to King's sophomore season, the team opted to play him primarily as a pass catcher lining up in the slot, where his agility would be an asset and his small size would be less of a detriment. He led the team in receiving yards and finished as a second-team All-Pac 12 selection. Prior to his junior season, Stanford faced a challenging outlook with the departure of its four-year starting running back and quarterback. It became apparent that the offense would run through King. When asked about his plans for Dante during preseason practices, his coach replied "Yeah, I'll just tell you all now, he's going to be getting the ball. Let's see if they can stop him." They couldn't. With by far the highest volume of his career, Dante was a one-man wrecking crew out of the backfield and out wide. He became the first player in FBS history to record 3,000 scrimmage yards and was awarded the Heisman trophy after leading the Cardinal to a playoff berth and #3 final ranking.

Dante announced that he would be forgoing his senior season at Stanford to enter the Developmental Simulation Football League draft, where he was slated to be a mid-round pick because of his focus on getting the the International Simulation Football League as quickly as possible. "I know what I can do, and no offense to these minor league teams but I have my sights set on the Hall of Fame. I'm going to go get mine." Dante graduated from Stanford with a degree in Sociology.

College career statistics

Career statistics Rushing Receiving
Season Team Games Att Yards Avg Lg TD Rec Yards Avg Lg TD
2030 Stanford 11 55 595 10.8 72 7 46 605 13.2 64 9
2041 Stanford 11 15 135 9.0 35 2 87 967 11.1 47 11
2042 Stanford 14 352 2213 6.3 89 21 77 1163 15.1 78 10

Professional career

DSFL career

Prior to the DSFL draft, Dante received an opportunity to join the Norfolk Seawolves for the remainder of their season after his graduation. In two games, he recorded 77 rushing yards on 20 carries.

Pre-draft measurables
Ht Wt 40‑yd dash 20‑ss 3‑cone Vert jump Broad
5 ft 6 in
(1.68 m)
190 lb
(86 kg)

ISFL career

After a rough series of seasons with the Baltimore Hawks to start Dante King's career, things were finally looking up heading into the 2048 season. After a long but meticulously crafted rebuild, the team finally expected to see its hard work come to fruition with one of the most fearsome young teams - and especially offenses - in the league. With the offseason signings of Sam the Onion Man and Raeni Clarke, the team looked poised to go from worst to first, although that would be easier said than done for a team with Baltimore's recent history. The season got off to a hot start as the Hawks compiled an 8-1 record to start the season before a slight midseason skid saw three losses on the road to Sarasota, Colorado, and Austin and threatened to cause Baltimore to miss the playoffs. The team was able to right the ship with a 3-1 close to the year that saw them enter the postseason as the second seed in the NSFC. King also put up his most prolific season to date on the ground with 204 carries for 947 yards and 17 touchdowns, all career highs, although his receiving output dropped to just 294 yards, the lowest total since his rookie season. When the playoffs arrived, things got really fun. A 23-14 victory over the Chicago Butchers, in which King recorded 90 yards on 7.5 YPC was followed up with a thrilling road win over the Sarasota Sailfish that saw Baltimore jump out to a 30-10 lead before staving off an attempted comeback when Sarasota scored two touchdowns in the final five minutes of the game. Finally, the Hawks ended up victorious in one of the most exciting Ultimus games of all time, going down 24-0 in the first quarter against the upstart Orange County Otters before storming back to ultimately tying the game up at 38-38 with 2:32 remaining in the game and kicking the game-winning 51 yard field goal with a minute to go. King's 164 yards from scrimmage (97 rushing, 67 receiving) led the team and although he failed to find the end zone, his work set the team up on several key drives as the team ultimately claimed their first Ultimus victory in over a decade.

The 2049 season came as a rude awakening to King and his fellow Hawks, who were riding high on the success of the previous season's championship success. Despite some key departures, the team added a few elite pieces in free agency and looked poised to contend once again for the league crown. Unfortunately, Brooks Piggot and Draft Day Sports had other plans. The Hawks got off to an 0-5 start despite looking like one of the strongest teams in the league, winning three straight after that but once again finding themselves in a hole of mediocrity too difficult to dig themselves out of. This was especially disheartening in a season where many of the Hawks' premier weapons were ready to hit their peak, but King knew that he had more in the tank regardless of what happened around him. He once again finished the season with over 1300 yards, a respectable if not league-leading total. The next season will represent King's best yet, and his performance may dictate how well he and his fellow Hawks end the season.

The following 2050 season would be a bit of a reversal in fortunes for Dante and his fellow Baltimore Hawks, as their previous season dampened public opinion and set expectations at a modest level. In the face of that, the Hawks managed to start the season hot with a 4-2 record before dropping three consecutive games to the Sarasota Sailfish, Orange County Otters, and Arizona Outlaws. However, the team would claw its way back into an incredibly crowded NSFC playoff picture that saw six teams with either a 6-6 or 7-5 record heading into the final four games of the year. By winning three of the remaining games, including two road divisional games and a huge home clash with Chicago with conference #1 seeding on the line, the Hawks vaulted themselves into the top spot in the conference. They managed to defeat Chicago again in their conference final matchup, with King leading the team in both rushing yards (54) and receiving yards (81). Finally, it was time for a Baltimore team that had been written off following their championship hangover to return to the Ultimus game, this time facing off against the dominant 13-3 Honolulu Hahalua. Unfortunately, Baltimore came up just short, losing the game 24-13. King finished the season with a career-high 1,810 scrimmage yards and had one of the finest single-game performances of his career in week 16 with 177 scrimmage yards (146 rushing), two rushing touchdowns, and a 97-yard kick return touchdown.

As the Baltimore Hawks' formerly formidable offensive core of quarterback Gimmy Jaroppolo Jr, King and fellow running back Busch Goose, and wide receiver Luke Quick started to face a decline due to age while the next generation of stars had not yet grown into their full potential, the 2051 season was a step back for the Hawks. The team opened the season with a promising 4-2 record, but lost five of their next six games and concluded the season with a final record of 7-9, falling to fifth in the conference and missing the postseason. For King, the season represented a large statistical step back from 2050 as he compiled just over 1,400 yards from scrimmage and didn't break double-digit scrimmage touchdowns for the first time since his sophomore campaign. However, he had his most prolific season as a special teams player, returning kickoffs for a career-high 781 yards and becoming one of just three players on the year to return a kickoff for a touchdown.

The 2052 season represented a possible last gasp for King and the Hawks' aspirations of title contention. With the team's core continuing to age, it was commonly accepted around the league that the team's window would slam shut soon, if it was still open at all. The team got off to a hot 4-1 start on the strength of a home-heavy schedule, but eventually slowed down as the team was forced to endure an extended slate of road games. The Hawks would finish with a respectable 8-8 record, but unfortunately that would rank just fifth in the highly competitive NSFC standings and result in yet another missed postseason. King's personal statistics would take a step forward from the prior season, breaking 1,500 yards from scrimmage and double digit touchdowns while recording the highest all-purpose yardage total of his career thanks to a new role as a punt returner. The following offseason would see Baltimore offload many of its remaining pieces to other teams and begin a new rebuilding chapter with King and Goose acting as the elder statesmen of the young team.

In the 2053 season, the Baltimore Hawks entered a rebuilding year featuring the debut of rookie quarterback Preston Beatz. While commentators wondered if Beatz could inject some life into an aging offensive core, King and Goose were expected to remain the heartbeat of the team's offensive game plan. With the current assemblage of pieces trading in veteran players for future draft picks, expectations were that the Hawks would occupy the basement of the conference standings. However, the Hawks had other plans, jumping out to a 6-3 record to begin the season with impressive wins over most of the expected NSFC contenders. The Hawks would ultimately slow down and end with a 9-7 record, but that would be enough to sneak into the postseason for the third time in King's career. While the overall statistics were not flattering for Baltimore, finishing last or nearly last in the league in total yards, total points, passing yards, yards allowed, and passing yards allowed, a combination of a reliable run game and a defense that inexplicably prevented points despite giving up massive yardage powered the team to the improbable run.

As King and the Hawks set out for the 2054 season, expectations were tempered despite the surprising playoff appearance the prior year. The team, besides its running back corps of Goose and King, remained young and unproven with a lot of development to come. This season marked the arrival of rookie running back Jake Williams to the team, injecting new life into an increasingly geriatric run game. Williams and Goose would form a running back committee for most of the season, leaving Dante to do what he does best - move around the formation to attack the defense from all angles. Playing primarily as a wide receiver for most of the year, he led the Hawks in receptions, receiving yards, and tied for the team lead in receiving touchdowns while recording the highest receiving yardage and lowest rushing total of his career. The team would finish the season at 6-12, good for second to last in the conference.

The departure of Busch Goose into the wild blue yonder of retirement and the transition of Jake Williams into the Hawks' defensive ranks left King alone in the Baltimore backfield for the 2055 season until the team opted to call up a promising rookie, Money Tolliver, from the developmental ranks. Despite King's age, he was seen as a superior option to the young Tolliver and served as the team's primary running back for one more season, racking up 213 carries - the third-most of his career - and performed admirably, with his 4.9 yards per carry also representing his third-highest mark to date. Despite spending little time split out wide, King continued to make his mark as a receiver out of the backfield as quarterback Preston Beatz led the league in pass attempts, racking up another 600 yards and five touchdowns through the air. Unfortunately, the young Hawks had another forgettable season in the standings table, going just 5-11 and landing in last place in the conference.

Professional career statistics

Career statistics Rushing Receiving
Season Team Games Att Yards Avg Lg TD Rec Yards Avg Lg TD
2042 Norfolk 2 20 77 3.9 10 0 0 0 0 0 0
2043 Norfolk 14 153 798 5.2 50 3 17 108 6.4 18 0
2044 Baltimore 16 198 823 4.2 60 4 18 199 11.1 69 0
2045 Baltimore 16 199 859 4.3 57 8 55 656 11.9 40 1
2046 Baltimore 16 112 469 4.2 62 4 85 1099 12.9 60 7
2047 Baltimore 16 166 758 4.6 58 10 55 660 12 51 5
2048 Baltimore 16 204 947 4.6 58 17 34 294 8.6 41 4
2049 Baltimore 16 170 892 5.2 76 9 37 432 11.7 73 2
2050 Baltimore 16 223 1107 5.0 63 7 63 703 11.2 40 5
2051 Baltimore 16 196 931 4.8 33 8 60 474 7.9 24 1
2052 Baltimore 16 199 938 4.7 60 9 72 658 9.1 26 2
2053 Baltimore 16 213 1010 4.7 32 4 64 737 11.5 77 5
2054 Baltimore 16 83 346 4.2 62 1 82 927 11.3 37 5
2055 Baltimore 16 210 1033 4.9 46 8 56 608 10.9 72 5
Career (ISFL) 192 2173 10113 4.7 76 89 681 7447 10.9 77 96