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Ever wonder how a handmade fantasy football trophy actually gets made? For more than 30 years, I've been turning blocks of clay into one-of-a-kind fantasy football trophies. From sculpting the figure and creating the mold to applying the bronze finish and building the solid oak base, here's a behind-the-scenes look at how I make the trophies that end up in fantasy leagues across the country.

Every fantasy football league has an armchair quarterback. Mine just happened to be my cousin Johnny. When I set out to create a trophy that captured the true spirit of fantasy football, I knew I needed someone who looked comfortable in a recliner, had some personality, and wasn't afraid to laugh at himself. The result was the Armchair Quarterback—a trophy with a pretty great story behind it.

The FantasyTrophies.com logo wasn't created in a fancy design studio. It started on my in-laws' couch in Charlotte, inspired by old-school college sports logos and a very important piece of the equation: my cousin Johnny's beer belly. Here's the story behind the character, the football, and the beer that became the face of FantasyTrophies.com.

Before FantasyTrophies.com became a business, there was a trophy, a Cleveland garage, and a crazy idea. In 1995, I started casting Armchair Quarterback trophies in my parents' garage, handing out pamphlets at Browns games, and watching my website counter climb. Here's the story of how a fantasy football obsession turned into a business that's still going strong today.