Julian feeling 'loose' after stressful 2016
CENTREVILLE, Va. — When it comes to championships in the Tiger Township Fantasy Football League, everybody wants one.
However, it’s those who truly need to be the last man standing that typically separate themselves from the rest of the pack. The latter is how Evan Julian believes he enters every season feeling. Still, he admits that urge to reach the TTFFL's mountaintop was never more powerful than it was last season.
The reason for that is no secret to those that know him best. Really, the goal for Julian’s 2016 campaign wasn't to be self-fulfilling. Instead, it was what Julian hoped to be a tribute of sorts for his late father, Guy, who he lost before the season began.
“It may sound silly, but that was one of the biggest parts of our relationship; we talked a lot of fantasy football,” Julian said in regard to his late dad, whose name is now forever etched on the TTFFL’s championship trophy. “He inspired the creation of this entire league and it was really important for me to win last year.”
For months, the league’s first two-time champion tried to will his group to victories. After a disastrous 1-5 start, the 14-year veteran won six of his last seven regular-season games, claiming a 7-6 record along the way. The mark was good enough to qualify for the postseason, where Julian went on to defeat Joe Mitchin in a low-scoring, wacky quarterfinal contest before falling to eventual champion Casey Irwin in the semifinals.
Julian lost the league’s bronze-medal game as well and settled for fourth place in the final league standings.
The furious finish to the end of the year left Julian feeling like last season had a bit of destiny in it. He cashed in wins when he needed them and got hot at the right moment.
When the year finally came to a screeching halt, though, the Ohio State graduate was left two wins short of his ultimate goal.
Still, he gives his group a lot of credit for the momentum it was able to create down the stretch.
“I always thought I had the pieces,” Julian explained. “I got off to a slow start and had some tough breaks. I’m a guy that tries to look at everything very logically and understand that nothing it given to you in this league. But at the same time, I really had this feeling in the back of my head like it was really going to happen. It was destiny. I just kept thinking, ‘keep chipping away, win this week.’ I just figured it would all happen for me, but it didn’t.”
What Julian may not realize, however, is that his effort last season was not only commendable but also inspiring to several others around the league. His club, which was led by Aaron Rodgers, Melvin Gordon, Larry Fitzgerald and others, scored 200 or more points twice in 2016. His 220.4-point performance against David Devine in Week 9 became the TTFFL’s single-game high. But without a title, he says, the end-goal simply wasn't achieved.
As Julian begins his preparation for the TTFFL Draft, which takes place on Aug. 19 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., he does so after enduring another rather unexpected moment in his personal life. He recently completed a move to northern Virginia, about an hour away — depending on traffic — from Washington, D.C.
Julian, who is one of several ex-Canton Boys to leave the area this offseason, says the recent shift in location hasn’t affected his preseason routine, though. In reality, he believes it very well could turn into a bit of an advantage going into the new year as he continues to settle into his new home.
“I’ve had plenty of time, so I’ve gotten a lot of research done in the last few days,” Julian said. “That’s been good.”
Julian says he plans on taking a different mindset with him into the 2017 season. For one, he’s going to try to avoid creating any added internal pressure to win. That’s something the Director of Media Operations believes played a big role in the amount of stress that built up for him last fall.
What’s more, Julian hopes to maintain a new outlook on his group that could help him stay level-headed in 2017. Julian reports that he feels calm and collected ahead of the draft, something that’s been a rarity for him over the last few seasons.
“I’m loose; I’m ready to go,” Julian said. “I’ve never felt less stressed before a draft. I put a lot of pressure on myself last year, and to see it not pan out for me, I guess I just feel a lot less stressed because last year was the year I had to (win a championship).”
Always viewed as one of the most respected owners in TTFFL history, Julian is just 45-46 in the common era. He’s gotten company in the two-title club over the last few years as well.
What continues to separate him, though, is his longstanding success in the postseason. Julian is tied for first for most career playoff wins and owns the TTFFL’s highest-ever playoff winning percentage.
Still, Julian yearns for more. And who could blame him? For the founder of the Canton-based league, he feels like it’s time to finish what he started a year ago.
“2012 seems like it was a long time ago,” Julian said in regard to his last championship. “If you look a the numbers that a lot of people worry about — that being championships and playoff appearances — I’m not doing a ton to separate myself. It’s what have you done for me lately in this league."
Well, lately, Julian continues to be the heart and soul of the TTFFL, and all 11 other league members agree that has to count for something.