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I didn’t start studying game film so I could be an NFL quarterback or a Bleacher Report analyst.

I started because that’s all I knew.

My home away from home growing up? The headquarters of the mid-'80s to early-'90s New York Giants. I was surrounded by some of the brightest minds to ever piece a game plan together—Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Tom Coughlin, Nick Saban, Al Groh, Romeo Crennel and so on. I had access to some graduate-level football-ology before grade school began.

I also had access to Mark Bavaro. And Jumbo Elliott. And Hall of Famers like Harry Carson and Lawrence Taylor. So when I piece an end-of-season All-22 team together like this, I’m not just drawing on the football I saw from 2016. I’m remembering the star players I played catch with and got Gatorade for. The traits they exhibited on a football field are some of the same ones you’ll find on this list; I just recognize them earlier because I was there.

Last but not least, there’s my dad. Phil worked so hard that I was exposed to film study through a quarterback’s eyes long before I ever knew I wanted to be one. And through that, my mind began to mesh scheme and traits and talent, all without realizing I’d be doing the same thing as an adult and writing down my findings for you.