Luca Scabbia

Luca Scabbia

No. 99 – Chicago Butchers
Position:	Wide Receiver
Personal information
Born:	(2017-06-09)June 9, 2017 (aged 43) Grosseto, Tuscany, Italy
Height:	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:	192 lb (87 kg)
Career information
College:	Syracuse
ISFL Draft:	2038 (S23) / Round: 3 / Pick: 25
DSFL Draft:	2037 (S22) / Round: 6 / Pick: 42
Career history
Chicago Butchers (2039 (S24)-present) Dallas Birddogs (2037 (S22)-2038 (S23))
Roster status:	Active

Luca Scabbia (born June 9, 2017) is an American football wide receiver for the Chicago Butchers of the International Simulation Football League (ISFL). He previously played for the Dallas Birddogs in the Developmental Simulation Football League (DSFL).

Early years

Luca Scabbia was born to Giuliano Scabbia and Liana Ciucci in the italian city of Grosseto in the region of Tuscany in Italy. His parents were, like most Italians, passionate about another kind of football. Luca was not a very active kid, especially because he was forced to play soccer while he did not really enjoy it, but he discovered a passion for football when fellow italian Adriana Falconi started getting attention accross the ocean. Evidently, Luca wanted to become a quarterback like his hero but just a few practices showed that he threw like a potato so he thought he'd be a great quarterback's receiver instead. The years proved him right and with some hard work, he became one of the most exciting european prospects of recent years. He wasn't smart enough to get into Columbia so once again, his dreams of following in Falconi's footsteps were crushed. He instead spent his college years playing for the Syracuse Orange, which was arguably better preparation anyway.

College career

As a result of being an European prospect, Scabbia had a bit of difficulty to adjust to the North American style of play in his first season with the Orange. The athletic talent was there but the fact that he had played against weaker players all his life began to show. He wasn't much quicker than most anymore and he had a hard time learning new plays. This resulted in disappointing results in his first college season. Although it got better in later years, experts began to wonder if he indeed could be an asset to a DSFL team and if he could make it to the NSFL. If he couldn't convince scouts with his prowess on the field, he would have to wow them with his speed. He had a good showing at the DSFL's Prospect Bowl and hoped it was enough to be drafted. Several teams contacted him during their scouting process so Scabbia's morale was high heading to the draft.

Professional career

DSFL career

In the weeks leading to the DSFL draft, Scabbia was contacted by numerous general managers and thought the interview process went well. He was honest with his goals and thought this was the right way to go.

On the night of the draft, Scabbia felt confident. When he saw fellow wide receivers L'Carpetron Dookmarriot, Tychondrius Hood and Raphael D'Alcott, among others, get called before him, that played on his morale. But when the Dallas Birddogs selected him 42nd, he swore, fist clenched, that he would show the rest of the league that he was better than those plebs.

Unfortunately, Luca Scabbia's rookie season was not one for the history books. It was, in fact, Tychondrius Hood that showed the rest of his fellow receiving rookies that he was the true god in his draft class. Scabbia managed to scored only 4 touchdowns and got 584 receiving yards. Some might argue that it's not that terrible but for someone who wants to be noticed and make others realize they messed up by passing on him, that's not great either. What was even worse was that the Birddogs narrowly missed the playoffs and that feeling that he could have done more made Scabbia even more motivated to do well during his time in the DSFL.

Although things didn't go his way on the field, Scabbia proved to be a valuable member of his team and showed his attachment and dedication to the Texan community in many events. At the end of his rookie season, the team decided to choose him as the Birddogs' offensive captain, with Tyler Montain serving on defense.

Heading into the ISFL draft, Scabbia did not repeat his mistake of the previous year and had zero expectations about where he would land. It was eventually the Chicago Butchers who selected him 25th overall. He was the third wide receiver of the night to be called, which was a big improvement over the DSFL draft.

After first deciding to play in the ISFL right away, Scabbia instead elected to stay down with the Birddogs for one more season. The talks he had with both his ISFL and DSFL general managers convinced him it was the best choice for his development. That did not stop him from attending the Butchers' training camp and to make the trip to Chicago every now and then to spend time with his future teammates.

The season in Chicago was difficult but it was completely different in Dallas. Evidently, Scabbia had a much better season and was the Birddogs' clear #1 receiver. He almost doubled the number of yards he got and while his amount of touchdowns went down, his game improved across the field. He notably was the best returner in the league and was awarded this positional award after the season. It would also be the first season in the Dallas Birddogs' short history that the team qualified for the playoffs. It didn't go the way they wanted, falling to the SeaWolves 17-19 but it was an extremely important milestone in the team's history.

It was officially decided that Scabbia would make his debut in the ISFL with the Chicago Butchers in Season 24.

ISFL career

Scabbia played his first ISFL game in the preseason against the Colorado Yeti, where the Butchers lost 13-38. The Italian himself had an awful game, getting just one catch for 9 yards.

His season started even worse than that game, if that's at all possible. He wasn't seen at all for three games, where he didn't get a single catch. He got his first reception in his fourth game against the Philadelphia Liberty, good for 13 yards. It was also the Butchers' first win of the season.

Scabbia's season really started to take off in the Butchers' 8th game against the Orange County Otters. He got a few receptions starting there and made the best out of all his runs. It also coincided with the Butchers' late season push for the playoffs, which paid off in the end. They would eventually fall to the Sarasota Sailfish but it was a huge milestone for a team that failed to qualify for the playoffs for many seasons in a row. Scabbia's best performance of the season came in week 14 in a game against the Yellowknife Wraiths. He got 5 receptions, good for a total of 58 yards, including one of 17. It was a good game for Butchers receivers in general, with three of them averaging over 10 yards per reception.

With a season of experience, fans of the Chicago Butchers should expect big things from Luca Scabbia in his second season in the league. He improved many aspects of his game and should be a much more interesting target for quarterback George O'Donnell.

Pre-draft measurables

Ht	Wt	40‑yd dash	20‑ss	3‑cone	Vert jump	Broad	BP	Wonderlic
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	192 lb (87 kg)	4.34 s	4.06 s	7.09 s	26.4 in (0.67 m)	128 ft 5 in (39.14 m)	4 reps	20
51.1

Professional career statistics

Career statistics			Receiving					Returning
Season	Team	Games	Rec	Yards	Avg	Lg	TD	KR	Yards	Avg	Lg	TD	PR	Yards	Avg	Lg	TD
2037 (S22)	DBD	14	48	584	12.2	31	4
2038 (S23)	DBD	14	72	938	13.0	33	2	28	792	28.3	94	0	37	369	10	59	1
2039 (S24)	CHI	16	34	356	10.5	40	4

Achievements and records

Awards

• 2038: DSFL Returner of the Year