Interview with Danny Baugher: Punter: Las Vegas Locomotives

June 30, 2011 3 Comments

 Interview

By

Brian Dant

 

 

TFO: As a young man what sports did you play growing up?

Danny: Growing up I was very competitive and loved playing any sport. I started out doing it all.. soccer, baseball, basketball, football, any kind of game and I was all over it. In high school I played football, basketball, and ran track. 

TFO: Who was your inspiration growing up in sports? 

Danny: Both my father and my grandfather were my main inspirations. My father played football for Syracuse and my grandfather played quarterback at Temple and was a head high school football coach in Pennsylvania.

TFO:  What was your favorite memory from a game at the University of Arizona?

Danny: My senior year I felt I made the biggest impact and contributed to the the team the most when we played at USC in front of 110,000 people. We didn’t end up winning the game but I feel the punt unit kept us in a close game until the end. Four punts were pinned inside the 5 yard line making it a very long field for the USC offense to score. Also, Reggie Bush arguably the best punt returner in the nation at the time was a non factor.

TFO:  You have been on several NFL teams. Can you tell your fans what your ‘welcome to the NFL’ moment was?

Danny: In 2007 when playing for the New England Patriots we played a game in literally a monsoon. The weather was so bad both teams barely warmed up and I didn’t get a punt off in pregame. There was a strong chance the game would be delayed but when the scheduled kickoff came around the storm let up just enough to play. On my first punt attempt of the night which happened to be the first punt of the game I sailed the ball over the returners head and ended up with a 70 yard punt. The crowd went wild and from then on I felt like I belonged in professional football. 

TFO:  You are part of history being drafted in the first UFL draft. Can you explain to us as fans what that feels like?

Danny: It was always a dream of mine to be drafted into professional football. I was coming off an injury my senior year in college and didn’t end up getting drafted into the NFL. Being drafted in the UFL fulfilled one of my dreams and I am very honored to this day. To be a part of history is also something that is very special to me. 

TFO:  With the UFL being a fairly new football league what would you say to fans that are still unsure about coming out to a game?

Danny: Every fan that I have had a chance to talk to has been completely pumped up about there experience at a UFL game. They are shocked of how similar it is in terms of level of play to an NFL game for a fraction of the price. They also enjoy the tailgating and atmosphere of a real pro game. Also, your in for a great show as last season there were a ton of close and exciting games. 

TFO:  You are a two time champion in the UFL. What is it going to take for the Locos’ to win a third championship this year?

Danny: Seeing that we have won two in a row everybody is going to be gunning for us. We have to come out and prepare each game like it is the championship game. A three peat in football has to be one of the rarest accomplishments and I believe if we get better each week we will control our own destiny.

TFO: As a player on the Locos’ tell us fans what makes Coach Fassel so special as a coach.

Danny: The reason why we have been so successful is coach Fassel’s ability to bring the team together. He was a quarterback as a player and knows how to create a team environment were guys bond together as a unit and there is a cohesiveness on the field. I also think he has great instinct on where guys are and what they need to do in regards for game preparation.

TFO: If there was one thing you would want your fans to know about you that I have not asked you here what would it be?

Danny: By preparing diligently for a three-peat I have also been substitute teaching and coaching at numerous football camps. Also, I am not the stereotypical punter and consider myself an athlete first and punter second.

Interviewers Notes:

I want to thank Danny for taking the time to answer a few questions for our sports blog. Danny is an exceptional young man. When I spoke to him on our Radio Show you could hear the passion and dedication to the game of football and to the Las Vegas Locos‘ in his voice. He is ready for a 3Peat! At the end of the interview I promised Danny I would never call Danny just a punter again. So this is for you Danny. DANNY BAUGHER IS A GREAT ATHLETE! HE IS NOT ‘JUST A PUNTER‘! Thanks again Danny!

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Pat White signs with the VA Destroyers!

June 28, 2011 2 Comments

by

Eddie Garrison

 

Former West Virginia superstar quarterback Pat White has officially singed to play in the UFL with the Virginia Destroyers.

A second-round draft pick of the Miami Dolphins in 2009, White has already made his mark once in this region of the country. It looks like he wants to try and do that once again.

This time with the UFL’s newest franchise, the Destroyers.

After being let go by the Dolphins in 2010, Pat signed a minor league contract with baseball’s Kansas City Royals to play in their minor league system.

While at West Virginia, White became the only collegiate quarterback to win four bowl games as a starter, guiding his team to wins in the Sugar Bowl (2005), Gator Bowl (2006), Fiesta Bowl (2007) and Meineke Bowl (2008).

As a Mountaineer, White piled up 507 completions for 6,409 yards, 56 TDs and 23 INTs.

He also ran for 4,480 yards on 684 attempts and scored 47 TDs on the ground.

In his four years at West Virginia, White scored 112 touchdowns for the Mountaineers.

With the Dolphins, White saw very little time under center in 2009-2010, appearing in 13 games. In those 13 appearances, Pat had only five attempts passing with no completions and 81 yards on the ground on 21 attempts.

After his questionable high draft pick in 2009 by the Dolphins, many feel that the “White Experiment” was a failure for Miami.

Though his NFL career did not start or pan out like he and many thought it would. White says he is ready to get back out on the field in professional football in the UFL.

“I didn’t know whether or not this would happen,” White said in an interview with sportingnews.com. “It’s a blessing and playing [for the Destroyers] is a great opportunity.”

The Destroyers director of player personal also said in the interview that White was competitive and a good athlete as well as being a leader on and off the field.

I’m sure the people of Virginia are eager to see Pat back on the field in their neck of the woods once again.

 

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Interview with John Busing : Safety : Hartford Colonials

June 25, 2011 Leave a comment

Interview

By

Brian Dant

 

TFO: What sports did you play as a young man growing up?

John: I played just about every sport known to man growing up, but my main focus was on basketball, baseball, and football.

TFO: Who was your inspiration growing up playing sports?

John: Growing up I was fortunate enough to play sports with friends who have excelled and gone on to play on a major college and pro level. So really the competition between us was my inspiration for getting better and improving myself.

TFO:  You played football at Miami. You were recruited as a wide receiver out of high school and switched to linebacker. Can you explain how that switch was for you?

John: The switch for me was really from playing safety to linebacker. I knew they wanted me on the defensive side of the ball once I got up there, and they felt outside linebacker was the best fit. Being a physical player along with a great position coach really helped my transition and made it an easier one. I got thrown in the mix right away, so it was a baptism by fire situation and I was able to be successful.

TFO: You have been on several NFL teams. Can you tell your fans what your ‘welcome to the NFL’ moment was?

John: The second preseason game of my rookie year we were playing the Green Bay Packers. At halftime the coaches inform me that I’ll be starting the second half. So our defense takes the field after halftime and I’m trying to get lined up and I look in to see the snap. Well as I’m looking inside I notice who’s standing back there…it’s the old quarterback for the Packers that use to wear #4. It was an unreal moment for me playing against him on the field. I can remember as a little kid in the backyard pretending to be him, and now here we were lined up on opposing sides.

TFO: You are currently on the Hartford Colonials roster in the UFL. Can you tell us what your personal goals are for this season?

John: I’m really just looking forward to playing with a new staff and teammates and improving on my game each and every day. 

TFO: For the fans that are not yet aware of the UFL can you describe the quality of football being played in the UFL?

John: All you have to do is take a look on the rosters of the UFL teams to realize the quality and quantity of talent there is in this league. From the coaching staffs all the way down through the rosters are recognizable names with a wealth of experience and success at the college and NFL level.

TFO:  If there was one thing you would want your fans to know about you that has not been asked in an interview what would it be?

John: That I am an avid bowhunter and would gladly accept an invitation to hunt whitetails on someones property. It’s tough to get out there during the season, but any chance to do so and I’ll be in the stand.

Interviewers Notes:

I want to thank David Canter from DEC Management INC for making this interview possible. Without agents like David making their clients available to media outlets like ours these positive interviews would not be possible. Our mission here at The Fans Opinion is to change the negative media about athletes one interview at a time. I want to thank John Busing for taking the time out of his busy training schedule to make this interview possible. I can’t wait to see you hitting people this year. Thank you John!

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Interview with Jy Bond: Punter : Hartford Colonials

June 23, 2011 15 Comments

Jy Bond

Interview

by

Brian Dant

TFO:  What sports did you play as a young man growing up?

Jy: I played lots of sports – I was lucky enough to reach high levels in track, basketball, baseball and Aussie rules football. But back yard cricket was a favourite of mine back in the day!  

TFO: Who was your inspiration growing up playing sports?

Jy: My father was a professional footballer in Australia so I followed his footsteps & played Aussie rules. In terms of my punting Darren Bennett has been someone I aspire to be like and also my mate fellow Aussie Matty Mcbrier (Dallas punter)  last years pro bowler) is someone who I try to learn a lot from & strive to be like. Both are amazing punters and great blokes. However; my inspiration throughout my sporting life and life in general is my mum! I miss her living over here but she is happy i’m doing ok.

TFO:  You played Australian Rules Football. Can you tell us what the change was like for you switching to American Football?

Jy: It was different. Helmets and pads I had never worn before. Different game with different rules and culture. I loved it though, & still do. I love learning new things and i’m totally dedicated to punting & I love what I do. I love practice and getting out there with my teammates everyday. Everyday is exciting to me.

TFO:  You are just not a punter but a good athlete. You grew up playing contact sports. Does the coach give you a green light to hit/tackle on punt returns?

Jy: Thanks mate, yes I take pride in that & work and train hard. It’s not my job to hit or tackle & if I do my job and punt the ball well then I wont have to. Having said that – the physical aspect of the game is something I do enjoy & love getting involved. If I need to put my body on the line for my team then I am all for it!

TFO: What are your personal goals for the 2011 season with the Hartford Colonials?

Jy: My goal for 2011 - I just want to do my job for the team. Personal stats have never mattered to me. if I can do what the coach wants then I’m happy. I know it is a bit of a cliché - but I want to be the best I can be ( if I do that I’m confident I will have some great results) It was my first EVER time I played american football last year so it was a learning curve. I am ready to take the next step this season and repay the faith in the Colonials with some great punting!

TFO: You have been on a NFL roster. Can you tell us what your ‘welcome to the NFL’ moment was?

Jy: I was a part of the NYG last year - I guess the NFL moment was kinda funny. I was in mini camp and was running scout team, something I had never done before. I was thrown in among a mad scramble and told to run a certain route.. Of which I had no idea. So I was just standing there with no idea what to do.. the coaches began to yell at me .for holding up the drill.. I just put my hands up & said “mate I have no idea what you’re talking about” Once they realized it was me – They all started laughing coach Coughlin & Quinn were having a good old laugh. I guess it was a good break for everyone! Now I put my hand up to be involved in scout team as I know whats going on!

TFO: For the fans that are still unsure about the UFL as a league can you explain the quality of football being played in the league?

Jy: The quality is great, the players are either heading to or just out of the NFL. So the fans are watching the highest quality athletes. Hartford have the best UFL fans and the UFL allows them access to the players which I think is a good thing.

TFO: If there was one thing you would want your fans to know about you that we might not know about what would it be?

Jy: I have an obsession with Starbucks!! Taylor Mehlaff and Sam Swank will tell you that!

Interviews Notes:

I want to thank Jy for doing this interview with me. I was able to talk with Jy through my relationship and interviews with Matt Overton. Thank you Matt! Jy Bond has not played a lot of American Football but he sure can kick a ball! He has a great attitude about playing the game and in constantly trying to be a better team-mate! Jy I am making a trip to Hartford this season and I can’t wait to shake your hand my friend.

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The UFL Roster Break Down Pre-Training Camp: Issue #1 : Hartford Colonials

June 22, 2011 3 Comments

The UFL is finished the draft and pre-season tryout sessions for 2011. One team has completed mini-camp and we are now 56 day’s from the first kickoff of the 2011 season. This is the first of five issues going over the UFL rosters before the start of training camps in the first two weeks of July. After training camps we will issue another series of articles going over final rosters and season predictions for the 2011 season.

In this first issue we will introduce you to the current players on the Hartford Colonials roster.

First we will introduce the Offensive Unit.

LT

Adam Terry     6’8″     330lbs     Syracuse

OG

Kurt Quarterman     6’5″     348lbs     Louisville

Ricky Henry     6’4″     305lbs     Nebraska

Ryan Cave     6’4″     340lbs     Hampton

OL

Orrin Thompson     6’6″     337lbs      Duke

Kyle Calloway     6’6″     323lbs     Iowa

Cecil Newton     6’2″     310lbs     Tennessee State

Michael Ola     6’3″     302lbs     Hampton

Sergio Render     6’3″     313lbs     Virginia Tech

Jarrod Shaw     6’4″     331lbs     Tennessee

Brad Thorson     6’5″     310lbs     Kansas

Greg Isdaner     6’4″     325lbs     West Virginia

Rueben Riley     6’4″     320lbs     Michigan

Howard Barbieri     6’5″     305lbs     Rutgers

OT

Kyle Burkhart     6’4″     295lbs     Southern Miss

Peter Clifford     6’7″     312lbs     Michigan State

Just look at the offensive line talent coach Jerry Glanville has stocked in Hartford. Do you see the same message I do? All of the lineman are over 6’2″ and 300 pounds. It looks like the Colonials are looking to control the line of scrimmage. The quarterback should have the time in the pocket to throw the ball and the running backs should have lanes the size of an interstate to run through. As an old school style football fan I can’t wait to see this line in action!

QB

Jerrod Johnson     6’5″     250lbs     Texas A&M

Colt Brennan     6’3″     212lbs      Hawaii

Josh McCown     6’4″     208lbs     Sam Houston State

This quarterback competition is the one I am most excited about in the entire UFL pre-season. Jerrod Johnson was a top 5 rated quarterback in the nation prior to his injury. In an earlier interview with Jerrod he stated he is 100% and ready to show he is at the form he was prior to the injury. With his arm strength and his athletic ability to make the throws from awkward positions he is exciting to watch. Colt Brennan is an experienced NFL quarterback who should give both of his other competitors a run for their money. With his electric style of play and the ability to hit the long ball throw with accuracy Colt is a very exciting quarterback to watch play. After reading about these two we come to last years starter Josh McNown. Josh is not ready to give up the starting job without a fight. Coach Glanville has his hands full in this training camp at this position. If you’re a fan and can get to the Colonials training camp this is the battle to watch this pre-season.

RB

Andre Dixon     6’1″     209lbs     Connecticut

Phillip Tanner     6’0″     208lbs     Middle Tennessee State

Jason Davis     5’10″   242lbs     Illinois

Tory Harrison     6’1″      203lbs     Southern Miss

Kevin Jones     6’0″      225lbs     Virginia Tech

This running back group is exciting. When you look at Phillip Tanner the electric QB from Middle Tennessee State that can make play’s with his feet as well as being able to throw the ball it gives the offensive coordinator of the Colonials all kinds of options with him in the backfield. I am not sure in the ‘Wildcat’ is in the playbook of the Colonials but watch out for a few packages geared specifically for Phillip Tanner. I watched him play in college and he is ‘off the chart’! You have Dixon and Davis both good-sized backs running behind the size of the O-Line. Look for some ground and pound coming from the Colonials to open up the passing game.

FB

Asaph Schwapp     6’0″     252lbs     Notre Dame

Looks like the Colonials have a ‘linebacker’ cracking skulls in the offensive backfield. With his size if he has the hands he could be a force to reckon with on third down passing and short yardage situations. With the TE’s on the roster there are a few players who could fill in here.

TE

Greg Smith     6’4″     258lbs     Texas

Charles Davis     6’6″     278lbs     Purdue

Ronnie Ghent     6’2″     250lbs     Louisville

Jeff Cottam     6’6″     262lbs     Tennessee

If you have not gotten the message by now its been made clear the Colonials want size on the line. These TE’s are big and can block well. What we need to see is if the Colonials have a play maker at the position. With two TE’s at 6’6″ do they have the hands and speed to go over the middle and give the quarterbacks a huge target as a passing option? Do the TE’s on the roster have the speed, route running skills, and hands to beat any given linebacker or safety in the league? A lot of questions for the fans at this position to be answered.

WR

Ryan Grice-Mullen     5’11″     180lbs     Hawaii

Kenny Moore     5’11″     195lbs     Wake Forest

Aaron Valentin     6’1″       205lbs     Purdue

Syndric Steptoe     5’9″      200lbs     Arizona

Roren Thomas     5’11″     172lbs     Lindenwood

Shaheer McBride     6’2″      195lbs     Delaware State

Jason Chery     5’10″     185lbs     Louisiana-Lafayette

The Colonials seem to have depth at this position. I am not sure they have the ‘play maker’ required to be a top-tier passing program. Although they have a lot of players at the position only two are over 6′. It is hard to make a living in the passing game with undersized wide receivers. Lets hope they have speed and the hands to compensate for their size. Shaheer McBride on paper looks more like a TE. I am interested to see his vertical leap and speed. With his size he could be the ‘play maker’ the Colonials desperately need.

Now lets introduce the defensive unit.

CB

Chris Richards     5’11″     182lbs     Stony Brook

DB

Ryan Palmer     5’10″     177lbs     Texas

Ben Hannula     6’2″      205lbs     San Diego

Terrell Skinner     6’3″      214lbs     Maryland

Tra Battle     5’11″     181lbs     Georgia

Manny Collins     5’10″     191lbs     Rutgers

Kyle Whitehurst     6’2″       184lbs     Hampton

DC

Geoffrey Pope     5’11″     190lbs     Howard

Ahmad Carrol     5’9″       195lbs     Arkansas

DS

Brannon Condren     6’1″       208lbs    Troy

Chad Nkang     5’11″     215lbs     Elon

Jacob Patek     6’0″      207lbs     Hawaii

Antwain Spann     5’10″     195lbs     Louisana-Lafayette

John Busing     6’2″       231lbs     Miami (OH)

The defensive backfield is another position the Colonials have a lot of depth at. I have never seen an official roster listed like the Colonials have their defensive backfield listed on their website. I am not sure if it is listed the way it is to confuse the other teams in the league or if the Colonials themselves are just not sure where these players are going to play. The one thing certain is that the Colonials have great size in their defensive backfield. If the speed and ball skills equal their size it is definitely a force to reckon with in the UFL. I would not want to be a receiver or a quarterback facing this crew as it sits on paper. I am not sure whats in the water in Hartford but its clear they like their players big!

DE

Ervin Baldwin     6’2″     260lbs     Michigan State

Maurice Fountain     6’3″     262lbs     Clemson

Keith Grennan     6’4″     298lbs     Eastern Washington

Craig Marshall     6’4″     262lbs     South Florida

Chris Walker     6’3″     245lbs     Tennessee

Michale Spicer     6’3″     285lbs     Western Carolina

If you were looking at this crew with their helmets on and no names on the back of the jerseys you would think you were seeing double. They are all basically the same height and weight. It appears the Colonials have an athletic crew of defensive ends with long arms to get around the corners with speed. On paper they seem to be a quick nimble line. Look for a lot of sacks off the edges for the Colonial defense.

DL

Jonas Seawright     6’6″     321lbs     North Carolina

So the Colonials have this player listed as a ‘defensive lineman’. There is no doubt in my mind this player is the nose tackle in the middle of the line. With his size the Colonials have a real gap stuffer here! This player is not going to be moved off the line easily by most centers in any league. If he can cause penetration up the middle look out for the Colonials to have a break out season as a defensive line. With the speed on the corners it going to be hard for any quarterback to escape the size and pressure of this line.

DT

Orien Harris     6’3″     308lbs     Miami

Jonathan Lewis     6’0″     304lbs     Virginia Tech

Greg Peterson     6’5″     290lbs     North Carolina Central

Colby Whitlock     6’3″     294lbs     Texas Tech

The Colonials don’t seem to have the depth at the defensive tackle position they do as the others on the team. The players they do have on the roster follow the format we have talked about during this whole review. They are tall and big! The Colonials are going to be a very hard team to run against. If the Colonials perform as good as they look on paper you might be looking at the number one run stopping and sack defense in the UFL. They definitely have a lot of upside.

LB  

Joe Mortensen     6’1″     265lbs     Kansas 

Harry Coleman     6’2″     206lbs     LSU

Erik Pederson     6’0″     221lbs     Hawaii

Clint McPeek     6’2″      220lbs    New Mexico

Frantz Joseph     6’2″     240lbs     Florida Atlantic

Andy Schantz     6’1″     223lbs     Portland State

Danny Lansanah     6’1″     259lbs     Connecticut

The Colonials once again stick with their pattern of size in the linebacker position as well. There is no doubt that the linebackers will be a help in the run and pass rush schemes of the defensive coordinator of the Colonials. The question is can these big boys cover a TE in pass coverage? Do they have the hands and ball skills for pass coverage schemes? If not the Colonials have a few players at safety that have the size and speed to cover in selected packages.

Last but not least we have the special teams skilled players. A lot of writers and reporters covering teams kind of let these players fall on the wayside. I would argue that the players I am about to introduce you are some of the most important players on the team. These players are hardly ever recognized for their plays unless they make a mistake. These players have to on point 100% of the time. There is no room for errors in these positions!

The skilled special teams positions.

LS

Jared Retkofsky     6’5″     268lbs     TCU

This player fits right in on the offensive line with his size. He has the size to not get pushed around in the blocking schemes for the punt and field goal units.

P

Jy Bond     6’3″     216lbs     No College

Jy is a punter who played in Australian Rules Football. He is a very athletic punter who is not scared to hit a player on a punt return. He played in 2010 for the Colonials and has been on a few NFL teams roster. He is on the ‘protected’ roster list for the Colonials in 2011. I am excited to see this young man play!

K

Sam Swank     6’0″     193lbs     Wake Forest

Being a fan of the ACC in college football I have seen this player kick a few times. In college he was a great special teams player. He has some NFL experience and should be a great asset to the Colonials at this key position.

Overall I would rate the skilled players on the special teams with a B rating. The only question that sticks out in my mind is the uncertainty of the punting position. In training camp maybe another punter will be brought in for some competition and the position will be proven to be secure.

I am excited to see the product Coach Glanville puts on the field August 13th, 2011 in the first game of the season against the Virginia Destroyers.

Below is a list of the coaching and training staff of the Hartford Colonials.

Jerry Glanville     Head Coach

Kurt Beathard     Running Backs Coach

Bill Bradley     Safeties

Jeff Burris     Cornerbacks

John Hastings     Strength and Conditioning

Harold Jackson     Wide Receivers

Tim Krumrie     Defensive Line

John Lovett     Special Teams

Ben Norton     Offensive Line/Special Teams Assistant/Quality Control

Turk Schonert     Quarterbacks

Jesse Thompson     Tight Ends/Special Teams Assistant

James Willis     Linebackers

Larry Zierlein     Offensive Line

Jesse Geffon     Head Athletic Trainer

The head coach always gets the immediate recognition on a team. It is important to highlight the supporting staff that work hard everyday to make the team champions on the field and off. It is behind the scenes where true champions are made!

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The UFL Roster Break Down Pre-Training Camp : Issue #2 : Sacramento Mountain Lions

June 20, 2011 2 Comments

This is the second article in a series of five articles introducing and evaluating the pre-training camp rosters of the teams in the UFL.

In this article we introduce the players and staff of the Sacramento Mountain Lions. Besides the UFL Website you win not find a sports blog more dedicated to the UFL than we are. If you find one let me know so I can up our coverage on the league. We are dedicated to and motivated by the UFL.  We believe in the league and the players that dedicate their talents to give us a quality game of football!

First we introduce you to the offensive unit.

C

Mike Mabry     6’1″     302lbs     UCF

OG

Martin Bibla     6’3″     306lbs     Miami

OL

Matt Lentz     6’6″     320lbs     Michigan

Kevin Myers     6’7″     318lbs     New Mexico Highlands

Matt Spanos     6’5″     305lbs     USC

Torrin Tucker     6’6″     320lbs     Southern Miss

Sam Lightbody     6’9″     325lbs     Washington State

OT

Afif Patrick     6’7″     313lbs     Washington State

Kainoa “Austin” Lacount     6’6″     302lbs     Hawaii

Tyler Luellen     6’6″     300lbs     Missouri

Is this an offensive line or a forest of California  giant sequoia trees? This line is huge! The average height on this line is 6’5″! This O-Line should be able to give their quarterbacks plent of good protection. With the height and the long arms they should be able to open holes all day on any defensive line in the UFL. If you are facing these guy’s you better pack a lunch! You have a full day’s work load ahead of you!

QB

Adam Tafralis     6’1″     220lbs     San José State

Daunte Culpepper     6’4″     260lbs     UCF

Ryan Colburn     6’3″     220lbs     Fresno State

Liam OHagan     6’2″     206lbs     Harvard

On paper it seems the Mountain Lions are weak at the QB position. With Daunte Culpepper way past his prime and 3 young quarterbacks with no real professional experience on their résumé the Mountain Lions have no reliable depth at this position. Ryan Colburn out of Fresno state was rated #22 out of all 85 quarterbacks in the 2011 NFL Draft. Ryan seems to have the most upside as a QB for the Mountain Lions. Coach Greene and staff have a big learning curve ahead of them with this crew.

RB

Steve Baylark     6’0″     206lbs     Massachusetts

Cory Ross     5’6″     201lbs     Nebraska

John David Washington     5’9″     208lbs     Morehouse

All three of these running backs have played their college ball years ago. Each one was signed to NFL teams out of college as undrafted free agents. Cory Ross wan named the Offensive MVP of the UFL in 2010. Ross has the most NFL experience having played 4 games for the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL in 2006 as a kick returner. Washington played in NFL Europe for the Rhein Fire. All three backs are a little undersized for a running back in a professional league. If the Mountain Lions use all three backs during the season they should hold up.

FB

Kurtis Taylor     6’2″     255lbs     Iowa State 

Kurtis a former lineman at Iowa State is best known for his winning ‘  Mattel’s series Genuine Ken: The Search for the Great American Boyfriend.’ than he is for his football accolades. He might be the Ken Doll model but what does he bring to an offensive package on a football field? Being an ex-lineman I am sure he knows how to block. His hands are an unknown. Will he be able to give relief in the flat on third and short passing plays?

TE

Eric Arogbofa     6’3″     257lbs     Tuskegee

Dominique Jones     6’3″     250lbs     Shepherd

Nate Lawrie     6’6″     255lbs     Yale

Keith Heinrich     6’6″     255lbs     Sam Houston State

Although big tight ends they don’t seem to be huge passing threats. Lawrie and Heinrich have extensive NFL experience and seem to be at the end of their professional football careers. Dominique Jones is the key to the puzzle. If he can become a passing threat in the Mountain Lion offensive packages he is a nice target for the QB’s to rely on. If you were to open a tab on your browser and put the names of these tight ends in a search engine you would need a time machine to take you back in time and a guide to translate the football obscurity. These tight ends leave more questions unanswered than answered.

WR

Marcus Maxwell     6’3″     210lbs     Oregon

Eddy Newton     6’2″     210lbs     Baylor

Mario Urrutia     6’6″     220lbs     Louisville

Keary Colbert     6’1″     205lbs     Southern California

Jamel Hamler     6’2″     195lbs     Fresno State

Aaron Woods     5’6″     180lbs     Portland State

Jayson Foster     5’7″     175lbs     Georgia Southern

Except for two players at this position all are over 6’0″ tall. With the size and athletisism of this group I am excited to watch them play. The Mountain Lions have found a real gem in Keary Colbert. Having over 1500 yards and 8 TD’s in the NFL this player will help this offensive unit with his experience in big game situations. Look for Colbert to establish himself as the ‘play maker’ in this offense early. The rest of this group although young have produced well in college. Aaron Woods although undersized as a WR is a great kick returner and will help this team on special teams. Don’t let his size fool you! Jayson Foster is another NFL experienced WR and should anchor either the slot or the opposite side of Colbert. Overall the Mountain Lions are going to be a threat in the UFL at the wide receiver position!

As an offensive unit the Mountain Lions have the line to anchor them. With the size of the offensive line the undersized running backs are going to have a bunch of holes to sneak through. The quarterback position remains a mystery. It does not seem on paper Sacramento has a ‘game changer’ at the quarterback position yet. We will learn more in training camp which way Coach Greene is going go with his quarterbacks and offense. With the talent at wide receiver it would be a shame to see this team become a ‘run first’ team. On paper leaving the quarterback position out of the equation this team looks well-balanced!

Now lets introduce the defensive unit.

CB

Will Poole     5’10″     193lbs     Southern California

Josh Gatlin     6’0″     194lbs     North Dakota State

Terrelle Maze     5’10″     172lbs     San Diego State

Derrick Roberson     5’10″     201lbs     Rutgers

DB

Ronnie Prude     5’11″     180lbs     LSU

Lendy Holmes     6’1″     201lbs     Oklahoma

Marcus McCauley     6’1″     203lbs     Fresno State

Robert Bourne     6’1″     208lbs     Colorado State

DS

 Keanemana Silva     6’1″     206lbs     Hawaii

Once again the official roster listings of a UFL team leaves a lot to be desired. The way these players are listed on paper its hard to evaluate them as a unit. This unit seems to have the size to be successful. With the generic listings and lack of knowledge on the true intentions for the positions of these players I will refrain from giving my analysis. Lets wait and see the product after training camp to give an outlook on the defensive secondary. There are some fine specimens of athletes on this unit!

DE

Daniel Catalano     6’3″     280lbs     Northern Michigan

Brian Coutler     6’4″     259lbs     Missouri

Roberto Davis     6’2″     254lbs     Northwest Missouri State

Jason Parker     6’3″     265lbs      Arizona

Ugo Chinasa     6’5″     255lbs     Oklahoma State

Josh Savage     6’4″     276lbs     Utah

I had to do a double take when I was looking at the teams roster. If you read the players and stats without looking at the position they play you would think we were talking about a group of linebackers. The defensive end depth on the Mountain Lions is definitely undersized. Look for teams to try to exploit this in the run game around the edges. On the positive side they have the quickness and speed as an advantage in the pass rush. 

DL

Eric Moncur     6’2″     250lbs     Miami

Josh Leonard     6’3″     292lbs     Hawaii

NT

Jason Stewart     6’1″     320lbs     Fresno State

DT

John Faletoese     6’2″     286lbs     UC-Davis

Ekom Udofia     6’2″     315lbs     Stanford

Deljuan Robinson     6’3″     307lbs     Mississippi State

I am not very impressed with this defensive line . With linebackers on the roster larger than the defensive lineman and only three players at the position listed over 300 lbs I see problems stopping the run for this team in the future. Not so much in the first three-quarters of a game. But I feel this unit being undersized will wear down in the fourth quarter of ball games and teams will be able to run on them late in the game. Their stock has yet to be officially appraised. Right now I would rate it as ‘junk bonds’!

LB

Clinton Snyder     6’4″     240lbs     Stanford

Prince Kwateng     6’2″     230lbs     Northwestern

Jonathan Gilmore     6’4″     295lbs     Western Oregon

Dontarrious Thomas     6’2″     240lbs     Auburn

Zeke Moreno     6’2″     246lbs     USC

Maurice Crum     6’0″     230lbs     Notre Dame

Jason Beauchamp     6’3″     235lbs     Nevada-Las Vegas

Ronnie Palmer     6’3″     245lbs     Arizona

Michael Tauiliili     5’11″     235lbs     Duke

Spenser Paysinger     6’3″     231lbs     Oregon

Kai Brown     6’3″     240lbs     Brown

The Sacramento Mountain Lions have a lot of depth at the linebacker position. Most of these guys are just as big if not bigger than the DE’s the team has listed on the roster. The defensive scheme might be to switch some of these guy’s in and out of different packages to create speed on the edges in the pass rush. Spencer Paysinger should be exciting to watch if he decides to play in the UFL this year. 

Overall I am not very ecstatic over the defensive unit of the Sacramento mountain Lions with what I see here on paper. I feel the defensive line is undersized and the defensive secondary is a question mark. If the Mountain Lions do not improve on the defensive line in training camp it going to be a long year for the fans. I feel the defense is going to give up a ton of rushing yards with their size.

Now lets introduce the special teams skilled players.

LS

Aaron King     6’1″     245lbs     UTEP

Aaron played on the defensive line at UTEP in college. His defensive knowledge and knowing how to tackle in the open field will help the special teams unit on punt return coverage. 

P

Tom Malone     6’0″     205lbs     USC

Malone has NFL experience and come from a ‘big school’ pedigree. He has kicked the ball in ‘big game’ situations in his career. Lets see what he brings to this team to help with the field possession advantage.

K

Jose Martinez     5’10″     200lbs     Texas-El Paso

In the 2009 NFL draft ratings Jose was rated 8 out of 70 kickers in the draft. This young man has a lot of upside. Jose was a sixth round draft pick prediction that year.

Overall the Sacramento Mountain Lions have secured great special skills players on the special teams unit. This should be a secure department for the team this year.

Now lets introduce the staff that help and drive these young men to become UFL Champions!

Staff

Dennis Green    Head Coach

Martin Bayless     Defensive/Special Teams Coordinator

Charles Collins     Wide Receivers Coach

Robert Griffith     Player Personnel/Secondary Coach

Steven Hoppe     Defensive/Special Teams Assistant

Bill Khayat     Tight Ends/Assistant Offensive Line Coach

Mike Kruczek     Offensive Coordinator

Sarah Muslim     Head Athletic Trainer

Gresham Oliver     Video Director

Sid Pillai     Director/Football Operations

Michael Rehfeldt     Strength & Conditioning Coach

John Tice     Football Administrative Assistant

Bruce Wick     Head Equipment Manager

Kurt Gouveia     Linebackers  

Carl Hairston     Defensive Line 

Randy Hanson     Assistant Secondary

James MacPherson     Running Backs/Quality Control

Robert McFarland     Offensive Line  

Thank you for reading our second article in the series of 5. In the next article in the series we will introduce the only champion the UFL has known the Las Vegas Locomotives.

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Locos’ Colvin Continues to Fight Adversity

June 20, 2011 1 Comment

From the young age of 6, Las Vegas Locomotives wide receiver Cam Colvin has been faced with adversity in every stage of his life.

It was then that his father died from complications of walking pneumonia and a heart attack.

“When I was a young boy, my father passed when I was six years old,” Colvin said. “I was lying in bed with him lying right next to him. I was in his arms when he passed.”

For the rest of this story written by Brian Dant (The Fans Opinion Sports Blog)

Please go to : The UFL Website!

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Its Time For The Media to Give The UFL Some Respect!

June 14, 2011 2 Comments

United Football League Logo

For the last week we have seen many articles on the NFL lockout and predictions on when it will end. I understand the NFL is the ‘King’ of professional football but the UFL is not chump change. The NFL reporters have been like preachers predicting the end of the world with their lockout ending predictions. They have been consistently wrong. But if they keep guessing at it with their terrible journalism they will eventually get it right. As a football fan I am tired of the pundits crying ‘wolf”.

Instead of writing about how long Chad Ochocinco rode a bull why not write about the UFL draft and it making of social media history? Instead of writing about a closed secret meeting of which you really don’t have any information why not cover the Omaha Nighthawks mini-camp? I understand the NFL is where the money is. I understand that all the major sports networks have contracts with the NFL to cover its games. But as a sports media outlet you have an obligation to football fans to cover all the relevant sports leagues. In basketball the D-League (the developmental league for the NBA) gets press time. Why do the networks not cover the UFL?

I have spoken to a few reporters off the record about the UFL. I have asked them if they believe in the league and if they are excited to watch it. Every reporter I have talked to has said they are excited about the league it was ‘just to soon’ to cover it.

It seems like the networks are waiting to see if the NFL lockout ends before the UFL season starts. Then they can just sweep this ‘little league’ under the rug. Well I have news for you! The UFL is not going anywhere! The schedule is set and the first game is played August 13th, 2011 between the Hartford Colonials and the Virginia Destroyers in Virginia Beach, VA. They can’t hide the fact that NFL proven coaches with NFL caliber athletes are running NFL style offenses and NFL style defenses during each game of the UFL season.

With the great employees of the UFL teams and the great football fans in the local communities record ticket sales are being made for the 2011 UFL season. The sports networks might be able to control the content on their sites but they are not able to silence the voices of all the football fans across our nation that just want to watch football. Slowly but surely the word on this great football league call the UFL is trickling out. The fans are telling their families, friends, neighbors, and co-workers about this football league that starts in August.

I implore the sports networks, sports newspapers, sports blogs, and sports radio shows all across the world to start covering the UFL and give it the respect it deserves. I am not just talking about the major sports networks. I am talking to anyone who covers football. Whether you have an audience of 1 or multi-millions, it does not matter.

IT’S TIME TO GIVE THE UFL SOME RESPECT! COVER THEM!

WE SPEAK OUR MIND!

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Terrelle Pryor’s Battle To Success

June 11, 2011 Leave a comment

Written By

Griffen Raustis

Recently I have interviewed UFL Offensive Tackle Ryan Cave and NFL nose tackle Chris Baker. After asking them about the Terrell Pryor situation both men’s answers pointed to Terrell playing in the United Football League.

As the NFL lockout moves deeper into the year there is a huge threat of a shorter season. The UFL is entering their third season and need Terrell Pryor to bring fans to the stadiums.

If Terrell decides to enter the NFL’s supplemental draft it would be very risky and time-consuming. Day by day Terrell knows that there’s a big chance there will not be a whole NFL season.

The UFL needs someone to bring crowds and their offering Terrell the gift of picking his team. If he does indeed go into the UFL he will bring a spark to the field. Terrell will learn more about the game and get a chance to learn from veterans about the game.

He also will not have to deal with the lockout frustration if he joins the UFL and will have his mind on the game. The United Football League will be the best choice for this young QB.

 

Filed under NCAA, NCAAFB, NFL, NFL Draft, NFL Lockout, UFL, UFL Football Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Update From Omaha Mini-Camp : Issue #2

June 10, 2011 Leave a comment

Day #2 of the Omaha Nighthawks mini-camp is over and progress has been made.

On offense more play’s are being made. “A big emphasis that Coach Moglia has put on the offense is ball control and scoring.” Matt Overton explained. Matt went on further to describe “Today the offense made the plays and scored.”

This is good news that the offense is working together as a unit and becoming more cohesive. The offensive packages are being installed.

The defensive players were real aggressive and flying around the field today. The defense needs to work on taking advantage of the opportunities given to it.

“Coach Moglia pointed out that the defense needs to take advantage of opportunities on turn overs. A few dropped interceptions lead to coach making that observation tonight.” Matt reported.

On special teams kick off return packages we installed. The special teams unit continued to work on the punt, punt block, field goal, and field goal block packages.

The team seemed to look better in practice today compared to yesterday. “Today was a better day and a more complete day of practice. You can notice the difference a day has made for us” Matt explained.

With 4 practices down there are still three remaining. Tomorrow is a real busy day for the players and coaches. There are two practices with fan fest scheduled in-between.

If you are in the Omaha area go out and experience fan fest with the coaches and players of the Omaha Nighthawks.

The Nighthawks invite all fans to the Second Annual Fan Fest at Bellevue West High School on Saturday, June 11 from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Get your favorite players autograph. This is one fan friendly league!

Thank you Matt Overton for taking the time out of your double day’s to update the fans of the UFL on the mini-camp!

If you are in the area of Tracy, CA on June 25th please support the 2nd Annual Pros 2 Youth Charity event at the Tracy High School. All proceeds go to benefiting the local youth programs in Tracy, CA.

Stay tuned for Issue #3 tomorrow. We are working on some surprise interviews with players on the team.

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