Russet Buster

Russet Buster

No. 93 – Kansas City Coyotes
Position:	Cornerback
Personal information
Born:	(2028-04-02)April 2, 2028 (aged 33) Idaho City, Idaho, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:	215 lb (98 kg)
Username:	RussDrivesTheBus
Career information
College:	College of Southern Idaho
Career history
Roster status:	Retired

Russet Buster (born April 2, 2028) was an American football cornerback for the Kansas City Coyotes of the Developmental Simulation Football League (DSFL).

Early Years

Russet was born in a loamy field under the beautiful sun of Idaho City. He was brushed off and tossed into a quaint basket held by his soon-to-be adoptive mother. Little did she know, she had just harvested the world's first sentient potato. As he grew, his parents, the Tillmans, learned to love their little spud for all his quirks. Once he hit adolescence, they assumed he'd grow round and wide, but to their surprise, he sprouted vertically! Russet was always understanding with the people around him, and they all seemed to accept him in time. At school he was a solid B student and involved in many social groups. Although, the school was pretty small, so there was a lot of crossover in most groups. Russet's primary interest in school was agriculture, and that's what he aimed for when he accepted a full-ride scholarship to CSI. He hoped to learn more about the origins of his kind.

College Career

After his high school graduation, Russet began his journey as a CSI Golden Eagle. While he studied for his Associates in Agricultural Science, he had joined the rodeo team to keep his body active as well as his mind. He wasn't the best at riding the steer, but he did catch on quickly as a wrangler. He was light on his feet and had incredible burst and directional change ability, especially for a potato. This eventually caught the eyes of a local rec league football coach. He approached Russet to be the star on the football team that he was starting for the college. Russet agreed and ended up playing both sides of the ball for a couple seasons. He was at his best in coverage, and in his final year, grew into a fierce threat. ISFL scouts took notice after some clips went viral of him catching multiple picks in a few games. With his associates degree in hand, Russet is now ready to put himself out there for the ISFL and see where things can take him. If things don't work out, maybe he could become a field manager for one of the teams!

College Statistics

Career statistics			Defense
Season	Team	Games	Tck	TFL	FF/FR	Sck	Int	PD	Sfty	TD	Blk P/XP/FG
2045 (S30)	Golden Eagles	14	73	0	0/0	0	4	24	0	1	0/2/0
2046 (S31)	Golden Eagles	14	58	0	3/1	2	7	30	0	2	0/0/1
2047 (S32)	Golden Eagles	14	65	2	5/3	2	10	42	0	3	1/0/0

DSFL Career

S33

Russet declared for the DSFL draft as the first ever potato the league had ever seen. He wasn't sure how he would be received, if at all, but soon enough, scouts for some of the franchises reached out. After a few exciting calls, the starchy wonder was ecstatic to see what would happen in the draft. It didn't take much time for the draft to sneak up. On the night, Russet was with his family in Idaho when he got the call. The Kansas City Coyotes were taking him with the 4th overall selection in the draft. Elation quickly turned to determination, as he knew he had so much more work to put in to prove himself.

And work he did! Buster dove right into the squad and showed them exactly what they had signed up for. There was a bit of an adjustment in game speed that he needed to figure out, but Russet was still able to put together an incredible season of highs and some lows. The Coyotes' first-round pick put together a stellar rookie season that found them squaring off against their bitter rivals in the Minnesota Grey Ducks in the playoffs. They had managed to beat the powerhouse Ducks in both regular season meetings, but they ultimately proved to be too much in the most important matchup. The season ended with Russet being voted to the Pro Bowl and receiving an election to the DSFL All-Pro team. He also won Defensive Rookie of the Year, which is truly an incredible honor. The potato that could teared up at the ceremony and vowed to se this, not as a culmination of work, but as a proof-of-concept for his career to come.

S34

With a season under his belt, the young potato soared to even greater heights. The addition of Art Deco, a fellow Cornerback, to the Coyotes secondary, Russet was able to shine even brighter than before. He and Art became fast friends, and their chemistry lead to incredible success on the field. Combining for a whopping 12 INTS and 3 DTDs, the duo took the league by storm. Russet also continued to dominate as an elite tackler, racking up 95 on the season; good enough for 3rd in the league. The Coyotes had a tumultuous season mired in controversy surrounding one of their GMs and some of the players. They had been on a decent run and entered the playoffs, but 5 players were immediately suspended for illegal activities. On an already thin roster, those holes were significant enough to keep Kansas City from getting past the Mighty Minnesota Grey Ducks in the Conference Championship. However, through the negative situation, came the buds of accomplishment. Russet was nominated for DSFL Cornerback of the Year alongside his "Bash Bro" Art Deco, and Russet did come away with the hardware!

In the offseason he got the call from his ISFL GMs and was informed that his services were required in San Jose. While his time was brief in Kansas City, Russet made plenty of memories and hopefully an impact on the franchise as a whole. The ISFL presents even greater challenges, but the Potato Man is ready to face them head on!

DSFL Statistics

Career statistics			Defense
Season	Team	Games	Tck	TFL	FF/FR	Sck	Int	PD	Sfty	TD	Blk P/XP/FG
2048 (S33)	Coyotes	14	80	0	3/2	0	4	25	0	1	0/0/0
2049 (S34)	Coyotes	14	95	0	3/0	0	5	22	0	1	0/0/0

Pre-draft measurables

Ht	Wt	40‑yd dash	20‑ss	3‑cone	Vert jump	Broad
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	215 lb (98 kg)

ISFL Career

S35

Season 35 marked the beginning of Russet's ISFL journey. He was called up to the San Jose roster to fill a hole left by short time Safety, The Laz. It was a transition for the potato man because he was a more natural Cornerback, but the coaches saw something in him that showed promise as a hard-hitting Safety. His rookie season was lackluster, especially when compared to the statistical success he saw with the Coyotes. The speed of the game proved to be a bit of a challenge, as Russet struggled to gain a foothold and make an impact like he so desperately hoped. San Jose hit a bit of a rough patch near the middle of the season, but found a way to put some wins together down the stretch. Ultimately though, they fell 1 game shy of a playoff berth and Russet was left reflecting on a disappointing rookie outing. The young potato stayed positive through it all and planned to work incredibly hard during the offseason to get right and come back stronger than ever. He knew the Sabercats were building for something great, and he was going to be a catalyst for it.

S36

After a disappointing end of his rookie campaign, Russet was determined to set things right and propel the Sabercats to the next level. He spent some time back home with his folks, working on the farm and getting in touch with his roots. It was nice to get back onto familiar soil, and breathe the fresh air; not the stuffy air from the big city. It helped him clear his mind and just get back to being a sentient potato. After about a month away, Russet was ready to get back to California to prepare for another climb of Mount Ultimus. First order was to meet up his his DB brothers to work on schemes and zone fits. He called up Guy Gibson, Raeni Clarke, and Cedric Wilkins to get back in the lab before they'd all head back to team camp. Oddly, Orpheus Czargyros wasn't able to attend, but Buster called up their younger safety Ju'uan Holland and he filled in just fine! The work seemingly paid off, as the unit played with much better chemistry through the year. The Cats were clicking and things were gelling at the right times. They managed to finish the season with a 10-6 record, the first for the Sabercats since S15! This was good enough to see them earn a playoff birth and a first round Wildcard game against their rivals, the Arizona Outlaws. And, although they had beaten Arizona in both regular season meetings, things unfortunately did not fall their way in the playoffs. It was a first round exit for the Cats, but Russet was left with a more optimistic note than the year before. The improvement was clear and the team was getting younger in the right places.

S37

After their best season in over 20 years, the Sabercats and Buster were ready to lock in and make another run into S37. Buster spent some more weeks on the farm during this offseason, getting back to his roots and getting stronger in the process. And after some time away, he called upon teammate Cedric Wilkins II to meet up and work some together before OTAs officially began. Guy Gibson tagged along as well, and the trio got after it. Once camp got under way back in San Jose, Buster said the vibe was much different than the previous season.

His gut proved to be right, because San Jose's season went quite poorly. They started the season a paltry 1-4 and never recovered to fight for a playoff position. The offense was clicking quite well, and ended the season as the 4th highest scoring unit. But the results just wouldn't fall their way, and they would only manage to win 5 more games in the last 12. Buster improved his statistical performance, snagging 3 INTs, and finishing just shy on 90 total tackles. But overall, he wasn't pleased with any of that. He desperately wants the team to succeed and is going to do anything he can to make that happen. He's even been working with the front office on FA campaigns and trade talks to bring in some fresh talent to the squad. Despite the poor team performance, Buster is optimistic about the team's overall trajectory and knows good things are on the way.

S38

Once again, Russet had a fine offseason of resting with his family in Idaho; doing some community work and tending crops. And once reunited with his DB cat brothers, he was ready to get to work for another run at a ring. San Jose was poised to be in contention again, and Russet was going to make sure he helped push them over the fence! His potato body had seemed to soften over the previous season, so he worked extra hard to firm back up. And, while that work didn't translate directly to great statistics for Buster, it did indeed lift the team to another great year!

After having a drought of 15 years getting a 10-win season, the cats only had to wait 2 seasons to get another! It was an uphill climb with a shaky 3-5 start. But management and the coaching staff came together and discussed a reworking on their strategy. And to great effect! They rattled off an incredible 7-game win streak to drive them all the way up to 10 wins. They weren't able to topple NOLA in the regular season finale, but the 10-6 record was good enough for a 2nd place finish in the ASFC. Unfortunately for the San Jose faithful, the cats got blasted in the first round by New York and once again fall short of the goal.

S39

Up and down like a yo-yo this season. Losing winnable games (notably a drop to a struggling Honolulu in OT after a missed kick) and winning an unlikely one (Arizona) lead to another rocky and middling year for Buster and the Sabercats. With a win-and-in situation for their Week 16 matchup, the Cats stumbled again against the Secondline and finished the year with a 7-9 record. Frustrations swirl amongst the locker room, but Buster tries to stay calm and level-headed. As team leaders, he and Owen Farrell do their best to quell the anger, but the disappointment sets in. The Cats definitely have some young bright spots, but age and retirements are hitting them at the wrong time yet again. But time (and the draft) can heal all. Russet is getting more vocal and involved in leadership decisions and wants to make sure that the team addresses what he feels are the biggest needs to help them compete in the future.

S40

While the Sabercats struggled in the win column, Russet flourished in the stats column. After some discussions with team leadership, Buster convinced his coaches to let him move back to his natural position and the results were immediate. In week 2 against the Silverbacks of New York, Russet doubled his INTs from last season by snagging 2 from Savage. He would go on to bring in a career-high 7 INTs on the season, but the Sabercats couldn't put it to good use as they finished the season with only 5 wins. Buster understood that things would be a little difficult, but what he didn't see coming was the departure of two of his best friends on the team in DeAndre King and Deshawn Penne. He sees the attempt by leadership to gain some value for the upcoming draft, but losing friends is always hard on the heart. Especially a heart as big as Russet's. A consolation for the season did come in the form of Russet's first Pro-Bowl selection, and he was truly humbled by that honor.

S41

Another year, another tough run for the Sabercats and Russet. There were some bright spots, however, Russet's play was not one of them. Hoping to build on his success from last season, he was played at CB1 again. But the results this time around were much less potent. His INTs went from 7 down to 2 and his PDs remained the same. And on top of that decrease, he wasn't nearly as disruptive as he was in S41, going from 3/1 FF/FR to 0/0. The team overall had some decent performances, but on the whole was a bit disappointing. New star WR, Sconnie McSix, certainly caught the ball and moved the chains, but he only found the end zone a handful of times. The defense pulled a lot of weight, despite Russet's shortcomings, but the unit as a whole is in a bit of a transitional period with a younger F7 and aging Secondary. After a 7-9 finish, S42 looks more promising. The locker room is buzzing with some new additions, and Buster plans to make some changes to really help the team start cooking again.

S42

Back to Safety for the potato man this season. Not a very fruitful one statistically, but a necessary job nonetheless. The Sabercat Secondary has been stagnating for some time now and they couldn't afford to have both of their stars playing CB. Unfortunately, this season got away from the cats early as they started 1-5 through their opening 6, which included a Week 5 heartbreaking loss to the listless Secondline. The cats felt truly defeated. However, they did get something from New Orleans that will pay dividends for years to come in Keanu Calhoun. Buster did what he could on the field, and helped welcome the new addition. San Jose did claw back a bit and managed to salvage 6 total wins. It wasn't the season Buster had hoped for, but with the addition of a mega star WR, it wasn't a total loss. The "Pocato" is starting to feel the effects of his advanced age. He wakes up sore and feels himself losing a step on the field to these young guns. His hopes of winning a championship with the Sabercats does seem to be fading away, but he's know setting his eyes on a new goal: foster the next generation of DB talent for the Green and Gold.

Professional career statistics

Career statistics			Defense
Season	Team	Games	Tck	TFL	FF/FR	Sck	Int	PD	Sfty	TD	Blk P/XP/FG
2050 (S35)	Sabercats	16	66	0	0/0	2	1	3	0	0	0/0/0
2051 (S36)	Sabercats	16	70	1	2/1	2	1	5	0	1	0/0/0
2052 (S37)	Sabercats	16	89	0	1/0	2	3	11	0	0	0/0/0
2053 (S38)	Sabercats	16	77	0	2/0	3	0	8	0	0	0/0/0
2054 (S39)	Sabercats	16	86	1	1/1	5	1	7	0	0	0/0/0
2055 (S40)	Sabercats	16	89	0	3/1	0	7	25	0	1	0/0/0
2056 (S41)	Sabercats	16	95	0	0/0	0	2	25	0	0	0/0/0
2057 (S42)	Sabercats	16	66	0	2/2	1	3	9	0	1	0/0/0

Achievements and records

Individual Awards

• DSFL Defensive Rookie of the Year: 2048 (S33)

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