These 10 individuals are making underwater waves in the tournament paintball industry that few seldom see or read about. These people are here because they have achieved excellence in the eyes of the PBDojo and do not receive the press they deserve. There are many excellent players that are not on this list but keep in mind, these are paintballs SILENT killers.
Tyler “Thump” Humphreys
Baltimore Trauma
Most of you that don’t play pro or live in the Carolina area may not even know who this guy is. You don’t often see him in magazines or articles, but Tyler is one of paintball’s best aggressive front players. Not only is he a great player now, but he has been kicking ass in high profile paintball tournaments for something close to 10 years.
Josh Davey
Bob Long’s Ironmen
This guy has really come into his own during the last few years. The words I would use to define Josh is CLUTCH and consistent. He is always alive and ready to turn a really shitty situation into a win. Josh is probably the best player coming out of Canada.
Eric “E-Rob” Roberts
LA Ironmen
Other then a few Dye ads, you don’t see too much of this guy. He has really kept the Ironmen heart pumping over the past few years. E-rob is another aggressive forward receiving unjust underexposure. In addition to having top notch game, Eric is one of the nicest guys I have met. He doesn’t have a big head or an ego and he always gives 110% on the field.
Todd Adamson
LA Ironmen
In my opinion, Todd is paintball’s overall smartest player. Todd may not be very fast or athletic, but he is the epitome of sneaky, clever, and tricky. He’s the only guy out there still shooting from the hip and killing people; the man gets it done. Todd is another one who has been taking care of business for YEARS and has set the bar for longevity.
Bart Blonski
Chicago Aftershock
Bart is one of paintball’s best aggressive headhunters. Bart plays with his own, “in your face yet sneaky style”. Look for Bart catapult to playing his best paintball to date during this upcoming season with Aftershock. I think being surrounded by better players will really bring out Bart’s “A game”; no need to hold back.
Bryan Smith
Miami Raiders Pro formally Detroit Strange
Bryan was one of the only players I have seen come into the NXL from an amateur team and hit the ground running. He is also one of the most dedicated players to the sport that I know. Agent Smith is always the first one on the field and the last one off. This will be Bryan’s third year on the pro circuit and I’m expecting big things out of this guy over the next few years to come.
Brian Stewart
Baltimore Trauma
Brian is an insanely solid back guy and extremely smart. Stewart was Baltimore’s ace in the hole during the 2005 world cup. He was the cornerstone of success for them this year and has been a long time play maker for Trauma since the amateur days. Brian is the total paintball package; heart, dedication, brains, and ability.
JC Wittington
Arsenal
The only player to make my list that still chooses to cross shoot. Regardless, he is a stone cold killing machine. JC is fast, experienced, and aggressive. He no doubt has made more than his fair share of a difference in the minor successes that Arsenal has seen during the time they have existed.
Mike Carthy
Detroit Strange
Carthy is paintball’s first ever and still reining professional paint sniper. Mike is the only guy I have ever seen play a seven minute NXL point, using only half a loader of paint, and still managed to get four kills. He is also paintball’s only remaining saint. I have SEEN him call himself out on multiple barrel tip and shoe lace hits. With all of that said Carthy has steadily held his ground at the top of the player rankings for the last seven years and continues to be one of the world’s best one-on-one players.
Travis Day
Miami Rage
This guy blows my mind every time I watch him play. The man single handedly wins games. Four on ones, three on ones, and two on ones it doesn’t matter, ninja Travis will win the game. If a decent conventional team could only figure out a way to brain wash this kid into dedicating himself to the sport, their rankings would jump up to top four by default.