|
|
|
 My Site News: Football News: NFL, AFL, CFL, NAFL, GCFL, etc.... |
|
Wednesday, October 5
Football News: NFL, AFL, CFL, NAFL, GCFL, etc....
AFL NEWS
The ARENA FOOTBALL LEAGUE Board of Directors voted unanimously to add KANSAS CITY as an expansion team for the 2006 season. The team will be stocked with players formerly under contract to the New Orleans VooDoo, who suspended play for 2006 because of the effects of Hurricane Katrina. Kansas City will join the Utah Blaze as expansion teams for 2006. “Although we regret the circumstances that brought us to this solution, we are excited to finally bring the AFL to Kansas City,” said TYLER PROCHNOW, the leader of the team’s ownership group, K.C. Arena Sports & Entertainment (KCASE). “Allowing the VooDoo players to remain together as a cohesive and competitive team was a major incentive for us going forward now instead of 2007.” Fifteen former VooDoo players, including AFL standouts QB ANDY KELLY and OL/DL B.J. COHEN, will compete for Kansas City for the ArenaBowl XX championship in 2006 instead of becoming free agents. “Kansas City is a great football town and we’re thrilled to be there,” said Commissioner DAVID BAKER. “This is an exciting solution for a difficult situation. Tyler Prochnow and all the members of KCASE should be applauded for rallying under difficult circumstances to make this opportunity a reality.” Kansas City will be placed in the Southern Division and will play the 2006 season in Kemper Arena. The team is immediately eligible to begin signing free agents. A team nickname and colors will be announced shortly. Listed below are the former NEW ORLEANS VooDoo players that will swing to the upstart KANSAS CITY organization: Position - Name - Height - Weight - Experience - College - 2005 Performance Notes....OL/DL B.J. Cohen 6'2", 280 lbs, 7 year, Marshall, 9 sacks, All- Arena selection..... FB/LB Dan Curran 6'0", 230 lbs, 4 years, New Hampshire, 2004 All-Arena..... DS Cliff Green 5'8", 185 lbs, 6 years, Tennessee State, 3.5 TFL..... OL/DL Aaron Hamilton, 6'5", 280 lbs, 6 years, Tarleton State, 15.5 TKL, 2.0 sacks.... WR/LB James Jordan 6'2", 225 lbs, 1 year, Louisiana Tech....QB Andy Kelly 6'3", 220 lbs, 12 years, Tennessee, 4,657 yards, 96 TDs..... OL/DL Michael Landry 6'3", 308 lbs, 1 year, Southern University, 14.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks..... OL/DL Brook Miller 6'4", 295 lbs, 1 year, San Diego State, 5.0 TFL, 1 FR..... FB/LB Dawan Moss 5'10", 260 lbs, 2 years, Michigan State, 5.5 TFL, 1 FR..... WR/LB Tremaine Neal, 6'3", 215 lbs, 2 years, Valdosta State, 5.0 TFL, 1 FR..... OL/DL Hans Olsen 6'4", 298 lbs, 2 years, Brigham Young, 11.0 TFL, 0.5 sack..... DS Chris Pointer, 5'11", 187 lbs, 3 years, Kentucky State.....OL/DL Dan Rumishek 6'4", 273 lbs, 1 year, Michigan...... WR/DB Calvin Spears 6'1", 195 lbs, 2 years, Grambling, 3 INTs.....WR/LB Brian Poli-Dixon 6'5", 220 lbs, 0 years, UCLA. IN OTHER AFL NEWS.... The DALLAS DESPERADOS will hold open tryouts on Saturday, Nov. 5 at Texas Stadium...tryouts will begin at 7:00 a.m. for quarterbacks, wide receivers and defensive backs. Registration for offensive and defensive linemen, fullbacks and linebackers will begin at 9:00 a.m., while kickers will begin registering at 2:00 p.m. All players will be evaluated in the 40-yard dash, 20- yard shuttle and standing broad jump. Selected players will be invited to participate in an elite workout later in the day, where players will be evaluated in drills specific to the game of Arena Football....The LAS VEGAS GLADIATORS have rescheduled their open player tryouts from Oct. 1 to Oct. 23, in Houston, Texas.
NAFL NEWS
The TOP NAFL PROSPECTS will be "on display" NOVEMBER 11-13 at DISNEY'S WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS (near Orlando, Florida). We expect to workout the TOP PROSPECTS the NAFL has to offer...even select players that may otherwise be involved in CHAMPIONSHIP and ALL STAR practice/games, as we will have the staff and overall flexibility to interview and work them out over that 3 day period. This data/info/results will be made available to ALL LEAGUES (NFL, NFLE, CFL, AFL, AF2, etc.) as well as select COLLEGES / UNIVERSITIES (DI- A, DI-AA, DII, DIII, NAIA) within 48 hours of the event....but PRO PERSONNEL and COLLEGE PERSONNEL are strongly encouraged to attend.
We have received a number of questions recently from teams, schools as well as the media concerning our recent coverage of the NAFL in our various reports. Thus we thought it best to address this in a "rolling" Q & A format...so everyone can gain a better knowledge of this amateur league and its potential.
NAFL - QUESTION & ANSWERS
Q: WHAT IS THE NAFL? A: The NAFL stands for the NORTH AMERICAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE. It is an amateur league with more than 100 teams from coast-to-coast and comprised of more than 5000 athletes....Q: WHY DID THE SCOUTING BUREAU DECIDE TO INITIATE COVERAGE OF THE NAFL? The time is right...as the overall organization of the league and talent level has reached the point where it merits such attention. Periodically, we have scouted the NAFL games in the past...but in 2006, we will have a staff of scouts in place to cover the NAFL from beginning to end. This is a joint project that we have worked out with the management of the NAFL and will attract more attention and talent to the league.... Q: WHAT IS THE COMPOSITION OF THE LEAGUE AND LEVEL OF TALENT. A: Because the NAFL carries an AMATEUR STATUS, there are potential COLLEGE as well as PROFESSIONAL prospects in rank. There is some talent in the league and it is on the rise...as for composition, it can range from 18-21 year old players with partial or full college eligibility....to those that may be 22 to 26 years or older with college and sometimes pro experience. In addition, you have numerous SPECIAL SITUATIONS within a league of this size. ...Q: WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER A "SPECIAL SITUATION"? A: Not everyone travels the same path, nor has had the same opportunities...So, in a league of this size...there are some talented athletes that have encountered certain "hurdles" in their life or have lacked visability...or maybe they were a "late bloomer"....but a number of which have the talent to contribute at the COLLEGE or PROFESSIONAL level. In summary, there are a lot of "Diamonds In The Rough" in the NAFL....Q: SO HOW DO YOU FIND THESE "SPECIAL SITUATIONS" OR "DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH?....A: Currently, we start with input from the coaches, staff and personnel within the league...then review stats, tape and games of the potential prospects, just as we do with any other league...however, the next step is the most important...we would then workout those selected prospects...so we could properly assess their skill level and potential....Q: WHAT TYPE WORKOUT/EVALUATION DO YOU PUT THEM THRU? A: If an NFL team flew a player in for a workout, the same type drills and evaluations the teams would put them thru. This would include the 40 yard dash...to assess their speed, the short shuttle to assess their quickness and change of direction, the vertical to assess their explosion....their height and weight are recorded and a "file" is created on them....they are also interviewed....and they will be put through several drills specific to their position....then time is spent with the athlete in more or less a debriefing process...letting them know how thay did, what they need to work on...and then start developing a strategy that matches their talent level and potential. /b>
Q: HOW MANY PROSPECTS DO YOU ESTIMATE ARE IN THE NAFL? A: If you consider the fact that the league has over 5000 athletes participating...and if you only focused on the top 5% of 5000, then your looking at 250 athletes....of that 250, best quess is once you take into consideration a number of factors...such as level of committment, conditioning, attitude, character, etc. etc.....there may currently be 75 -150 prospects and "special situations" playing in the NAFL....and those numbers may prove to be conservative. Now keep in mind, thats an approximate number on two fronts...number one, a certain percentage of those prospects may have partial or full college eligibility remaining....and number two, a high percentage of that estimate would be players that could compete in the secondary Pro Leagues...then develop to where their skills/committment may take them...but with that being said...occasionally you will find a "big time talent"...one that makes you scratch your head as to how he may have been overlooked...or sometimes its just the circumstances that have impeded the athletes development or visability....Q: SO YOUR CONFIDENT THERE IS ENOUGH TALENT TO MERIT SUCH EFFORTS AND THAT OCCASIONALLY YOU WILL UNCOVER A "BIG TIME TALENT"....A: Absolutely!...This is not rocket science...but it IS real world...through the years, numerous players with "non traditional" backgrounds and circumstances have found their way to the highest level of competition...but for every one that made it...there are numerous others that never got the opportunity....but now with a formalized approach....and a serious committment...not only to development, but to scouting, evaluation and strategy...it is less likely that such talent goes unrecognized, and thus falls though the proverbial cracks. The NAFL's management team, led by President and founder ROB LICOPOLI, have the startegy and personnel to take this league and its concept to another level....and we are going to do everything in our power to help assure their success. Though many may know little about this league at present...they WILL in the not so distant future....as the NAFL develops its niche concepts, gains sponsorship, increases its visability and becomes a formal "stepping stone" to opportunity for a certain market of athletes.
|
|
