Post by fwp on Nov 25, 2009 14:15:23 GMT -5
www.tri-cityherald.com/1026/story/806117.html
KENNEWICK — DeVon Walker is a football player.
That's what it all came back to when he was the first player to re-sign with the Tri-Cities Fever last week after it announced it was moving to the Indoor Football League.
He has his reservations. Walker spent six months last season learning the nuances of the arena game and was ready to make the next step this season.
Now, there are new rules and a new time line. But for him, it's a new challenge.
"I was taken aback a little bit," Walker said. "But then it was like 'OK, let's do this.' "
Making Walker's decision a little easier if the fact that he lives in the area and has a full-time job. He can keep all that and play football.
Ray Little is in a similar situation, and that's why he was so quick to re-sign. Jamie Hattley, a similiar situation, and he is expected to sign sometime this week.
Those players were the first three coach Pat O'Hara signed when he was hired to coach the Fever -- then a member of the startup Arena Football One league.
The other three players O'Hara signed before surprising league switch are back weighing their options as are a lot of potential players at this point.
"It's like re-recruiting," O'Hara said. "We've got to start all over."
Since the rules in the IFL are different than that of the arena league that O'Hara has been a part of for the better of 15 years, he is having to adjust the wants and needs on his big board.
With two men in motion on offense and both linebackers allowed to drop into coverage in the IFL, O'Hara needs to find a running back that he hand the ball off to 10 to 15 times a game. He needs a quarterback that is more mobile and can create on the run.
Those are things that weren't a big necessity in the arena game. On average, a team would run just two or three times a game and some of those were the quarterback getting chased around on a busted pass play. One linebacker hovered around the line of scrimmage confined to a 5-yard box, fostering a drop back passer that could zing the ball all over the field.
"It's the outdoor game being played inside." O'Hara said.. "It's just that it's 8-on-8 and the field is a lot smaller."
Fever general manager and co-owner Teri Carr's decision to move the franchise to the IFL last week was shock to the system.
Carr essentially started from scratch with sponsors, ticket holders and staff, trying to promote this new brand of football.
O'Hara has to learn a different version of the game he has been around his entire life, and the players have to come to grips with that there is not a lot of options on the table to play indoor football across the country.
That's what O'Hara, Walker and others are using as their marketing tool. If you want to play indoor football, why not play in the Tri-Cities.
"I paused for a quick, quick second when I talked to Coach O'Hara about the IFL," Walker said. "The bottom line is that I love Tri-Cities, love the fans and it's still the Fever. It's still football."
KENNEWICK — DeVon Walker is a football player.
That's what it all came back to when he was the first player to re-sign with the Tri-Cities Fever last week after it announced it was moving to the Indoor Football League.
He has his reservations. Walker spent six months last season learning the nuances of the arena game and was ready to make the next step this season.
Now, there are new rules and a new time line. But for him, it's a new challenge.
"I was taken aback a little bit," Walker said. "But then it was like 'OK, let's do this.' "
Making Walker's decision a little easier if the fact that he lives in the area and has a full-time job. He can keep all that and play football.
Ray Little is in a similar situation, and that's why he was so quick to re-sign. Jamie Hattley, a similiar situation, and he is expected to sign sometime this week.
Those players were the first three coach Pat O'Hara signed when he was hired to coach the Fever -- then a member of the startup Arena Football One league.
The other three players O'Hara signed before surprising league switch are back weighing their options as are a lot of potential players at this point.
"It's like re-recruiting," O'Hara said. "We've got to start all over."
Since the rules in the IFL are different than that of the arena league that O'Hara has been a part of for the better of 15 years, he is having to adjust the wants and needs on his big board.
With two men in motion on offense and both linebackers allowed to drop into coverage in the IFL, O'Hara needs to find a running back that he hand the ball off to 10 to 15 times a game. He needs a quarterback that is more mobile and can create on the run.
Those are things that weren't a big necessity in the arena game. On average, a team would run just two or three times a game and some of those were the quarterback getting chased around on a busted pass play. One linebacker hovered around the line of scrimmage confined to a 5-yard box, fostering a drop back passer that could zing the ball all over the field.
"It's the outdoor game being played inside." O'Hara said.. "It's just that it's 8-on-8 and the field is a lot smaller."
Fever general manager and co-owner Teri Carr's decision to move the franchise to the IFL last week was shock to the system.
Carr essentially started from scratch with sponsors, ticket holders and staff, trying to promote this new brand of football.
O'Hara has to learn a different version of the game he has been around his entire life, and the players have to come to grips with that there is not a lot of options on the table to play indoor football across the country.
That's what O'Hara, Walker and others are using as their marketing tool. If you want to play indoor football, why not play in the Tri-Cities.
"I paused for a quick, quick second when I talked to Coach O'Hara about the IFL," Walker said. "The bottom line is that I love Tri-Cities, love the fans and it's still the Fever. It's still football."