No offensive lineman has ever won an SWA award. Ralston wants to be the first.
By "Jim James"

Pre-Season 2142 (Albany, NY) - 'Incredible.' 'He's already our best offensive lineman.' 'Wow!'

Those were comments from Mitch Ralston's teammates after the first Giants morning practice of the 2142 offseason. Once camps were open to the public, Giants fans got their first taste of the #1 overall pick out of Alabama.

Ralston, energized by the chants of the fans that turned out in his top 10 selling uniform to witness these open practices, did not disappoint.

'Holy cow. I can't believe how agile he is. I'm glad he's on my team.' said defensive lineman Tony Rosenthal, who is due for a big payday if everything pans out well for him.

Following a week of these practices, GM Joe Malloy had wanted to award Ralston a franchise player contract, but could not due to the rules of the league. Even though a franchise player contract means that Ralston won't be paid as well as other top offensive linemen in the league, he's already set to make a lot of money.

'I'm not going to lie about who I am like former Giants lineman Clint Jones. I'm getting paid and I haven't played an actual game yet. I got endorsements already, and more to come. The money and the adoring public is always nice, but unlike Jones, I want to win. I like what I see on offense this year, and I'm hoping that I can contribute to a winning team.'

Ralston wants to win championships, but he also wants to win awards.

'I've never seen an offensive lineman win any of the SWA awards, and I'm hoping to change that. I want to win the rookie of the year this year.'

Ralston acknowledges that he will need help to win the award.

'I know that it's difficult to judge how well an offensive lineman does on his own. Our new QB, Darryl O'Neill, and Chris Kyker have said to me that they will do their best to help me make history.'

Kyker, who is the new starting halfback for the Giants after popular longtime starter Pat Ratcliff went down with a knee injury, is up for the task.

'Hey, a good offensive lineman is underappreciated. I want to help get Mitch acknowledged this season. He's a beast! 1000 yards or bust!'