「 brant daugherty / 34 / he/him / cis male 」 did you see the sold sign in the front yard of ( 501 dolphin circle )? rumor in the cove is that ( declan palmer ) just moved in! from what i’ve heard they’re a ( retired pro football player ) that’s moving to the cove because ( he needs a change of scenery after a career-ending injury ). when i think of the ( achilles heel ) i think of ( hoodies, friday night lights, four a.m. runs, dirt-crusted cleats ). * / birdie / 25 / cst / she/her
tw: opiate addiction, rehab
Helloooo! I’m Birdie and this is my son Declan! I tried to keep it short so you get the basic idea, but let me know if you want me to expand on anything. I’m always pumped to plot so let me know if anything jumps out at you!
Born in Boise, Idaho, Declan grew up in an Irish Roman Catholic family and is by far the youngest of seven children. (For reference, the second-youngest sibling in the family is 8 years older than him.) Before his birth, his parents had long since decided to be done having kids. Oops.
Watching football was the main way he was able to bond with his father as a child, and playing the sport was one of the few environments where he felt he was actually making his dad proud.
Was a top-rated recruit coming out of high school and, during his time at the University of Miami, was named an unanimous All-American.
Majored in sports broadcasting while at the University of Miami; however, after his junior year, Declan renounced his remaining NCAA eligibility and entered the 2006 NFL Draft. He was drafted to the Seattle Seahawks in the first round.
Played wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks through his entire NFL career.
Was carted off the field after a faulty play against the Green Bay Packers in November 2018. Upon proper medical examination, Declan was diagnosed with cervical spinal stenosis and was forced to retire from the NFL.
This resulted in an identity crisis and subsequent downward spiral. The entirety of his character had been developed on the football field and, while he never quite knew what life would look like when his career was done, he’d always thought he’d have more time to figure it out and leave the game on his terms.
Long story short (aka not trying to get too graphic), after his initial surgery, he was prescribed opiates to help ease the pain. He soon began abusing them as a way to cope with the physical and emotional distress he was feeling. Once his publicity and management teams became concerned that his addiction would be brought to light, he was admitted to a rehab facility in Colorado. While he was there, they sorted out living arrangements that would keep him on the straight and narrow and help him maintain a low profile.
Enter a quaint housing development in Lighthouse Cove, South Carolina. Declan didn’t put up a fight when he was informed of his next steps and, after getting a view of the location, was actually excited for this change of pace. It felt like a place where he could truly give an honest go at starting the second chapter of his life.
headcanons
Most gifs show him clean-shaven, which he was when he was actively playing. However, now that he’s in retirement, Declan’s rocking that big beard at all times.
Declan’s trying to stay as under-the-radar as possible since the whole point of him moving to Lighthouse Cove was to gain some anonymity for a while. The beard is a security blanket to help with this but the success rate is probably questionable, so don’t be afraid to have your muse recognize him if they’re football fans.
He’s... he’s a li’l bit of a himbo but boi do I love him. He always means well and will try to make friends with anyone. If he doesn’t understand something, especially after it’s explained to him, he’ll just nod his head as if he understands clearly and hope that he’s never quizzed on it.
These are his first social events since being discharged from rehab so he’s probably going to be a little gun-shy at first, but he can be pretty quick to warm up.
Tries to live his life with gratitude these days. Even though he’s still very much broken up by the way his career ended, he’s grateful to have people who looked after him in the aftermath, despite it being their job to do so.
The boy is awfully handy. His dad made sure that all of his kids would know how to fend for themselves in the most fundamental ways. Because of this, he’s very resourceful and can probably makeshift whatever item you’re missing.
