I’ve always casually enjoyed sports. I grew up going to baseball games, playing club soccer and watching football on Sundays — but this summer, I really started to get invested in professional sports.

So, when the idea of a newsroom fantasy football draft was being thrown around, I figured I would try my hand at the world of fantasy sports.

Our 10-team draft was set for the Sunday before Week 1 at 7:30 p.m. In the week leading up to the big day, I did my research.

I watched dozens of fantasy football draft guides on TikTok and endured countless mock drafts. I listened as users broke down the NFL offense in girl-friendly terms while my boyfriend and my brothers explained why I should draft a running back before a quarterback … and then explained the difference between a running back and a quarterback. (In my defense, they both end in back. How was I supposed to know?)

My next order of business was to pick a team name. I’ve been a Steelers fan since birth, so it only felt right to do something in the realm of Pittsburgh pride. After lots of pondering, I landed on my favorite Steelers player of all time — Troy Polamalu.

Polamalu is known for his iconic head of hair. Like, his hair is literally insured for $1 million — felt like a winner to me! Thus, ‘Polamalu’s Haircare’ was born.

Finally, the long-awaited day came. I held my breath, counting down the minutes until our draft order was released.

I got pick number six, which I discovered was a pretty solid placement. My palms were sweaty as I waited for the clock to count down, and suddenly we were off.

In the blink of an eye, it was already my turn! Top picks like Ja’Marr Chase and Bijan Robinson were long gone, which I had expected after my TikTok debriefings.

What I wasn’t expecting was Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs to still be up for grabs. I quickly snatched him up as my first pick.

I filled my roster with wide receivers and running backs — Brian Thomas Jr., Ladd McConkey and Kenneth Walker III. I picked wide receiver Devonta Smith for my team’s flex position, which is a spot in your lineup that allows you to start an extra running back, wide receiver or tight end.

If I’m being honest, I didn’t have much of a strategy beyond my novice-level knowledge and gut feelings. I definitely utilized Yahoo Fantasy’s Expert Rank, which determines auto-pick rankings based off of player performance and seasonal expectations.

I won’t lie, I did draft Joe Burrow as my quarterback partially because he’s not bad to look at. Yes, it’s shallow. Sue me — he ended up crucially letting future me down in Week 1 anyway. I ended up taking a second quarterback for my bench down the line, Jordan Love, who I should’ve started in hindsight (It’s okay, I’m learning!).

I’m a Swiftie, and I still needed a tight end. I think you know where this is going. As lifestyle editor this semester, I was practically obligated to draft Travis Kelce –– he’s been one of the biggest headliners in pop culture recently after announcing his engagement to Taylor Swift. In my defense, he is arguably one of the top five tight ends in the NFL across the board.

I come from a long line of Steelers fans (hence my team name) so obviously I chose Pittsburgh for my defense, and I also took Chris Boswell as my kicker. Kaleb Johnson is also on my bench — what can I say, I love the Steel City.

Finally, occupying the rest of my bench are players Jauan Jennings, Dalton Kincaid, Javonte Williams and Darnell Mooney. I’m not a Falcons fan, but I felt obligated to take at least one player from my hometown.

After what felt like the longest, most stressful and slightly confusing 30 minutes of my life, I wiped my brow and closed my laptop. My adrenaline began to wind down, and I was feeling good about the results of my first-ever fantasy draft.

Now to wait for my email from Yahoo Fantasy containing my coveted draft report card. I am very grade-oriented in nature, so this was crucial to me. It popped into my inbox, and I opened it to see a B- draft grade with a projected record of 9-6-0.

“Polamalu’s Haircare Drafts Like a Pro, Finishes Like a Legend,” it read in big, bold letters.

It told me that my best draft pick was Johnson, and my worst was Jennings. With a projected finish of 3rd, I’m pretty satisfied with the results of my first fantasy draft.