Post by fwp on May 21, 2010 12:28:37 GMT -5
www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/sports/professional/professional_football/article/RAND21_20100520-213804/345913/
There are the car rides from Williamsburg that Bryan Randall makes several times a week to practice football with the Richmond Revolution.
And the bus rides -- some about 15 hours -- to Illinois and Michigan and New York and Maryland for away games.
For all that, Randall makes the standard Indoor Football League salary: $225 a game, plus a $25 bonus for winning.
And yet the former Virginia Tech quarterback says he's having fun. He's appreciative of the opportunity to see game action again -- and hopes it leads to another shot at something bigger.
"The biggest thing about this is I'm getting to play," said Randall, who will guide the Revolution (9-1) against Rochester (7-3) tomorrow at 7:05 p.m. at the Ashe Center. "I'm throwing touchdowns again. It's definitely being done with a purpose and a little sacrifice.
"I just feel like I have a lot left in my tank."
The former Atlantic Coast Conference offensive player of the year and Dudley Award winner (top Division I college player in Virginia) essentially has been idle since he left as Tech's career leader in passing yardage (6,508), passing touchdowns (48) and total offense (8,034 yards).
Undrafted after his senior season in 2004, Randall, 26, has spent time on NFL practice squads with Atlanta and Tampa Bay, was in camp with Pittsburgh and was a backup with Winnipeg in the Canadian Football League.
Billy Jarvis, the Revolution's defensive coordinator and the football coach at Warhill High in Williams burg, contacted Randall about playing after discovering Randall was a substitute teacher at Warhill.
Randall wasn't sure but eventually said yes.
"I was looking at it as an opportunity to be playing ball," he said. "Kind of looking forward, maybe to just let people know I'm still out there playing.
"At the same time, it's fun. I enjoy being around a team. You've got a good group of guys out here. That's one thing you can just never get tired of, the other teammates."
Randall, who works for a construction company and has been finishing graduate courses online, hasn't shown much rust as he learns the nuances of the indoor game -- the angles of the compressed field, the quick reads of defensive coverages and the fast releases on throws.
He's thrown 40 touchdowns, the second-highest total in the IFL. He's completed 142 of 271 passes (52.4 percent) for 1,398 yards and has run for 221 yards and eight TDs.
Randall has 11 interceptions but has not thrown one in his past two games.
"He just knows how to make plays," Revolution coach Steve Criswell said. "I definitely think he can play in Canada. He's kind of the prototype guy."
Randall's dream, of course, is to make it back to the NFL. For now, he's sharing rides with fellow Hokie Vince Hall (Chesapeake) and enjoying the indoor game.
"The thing people get caught up in a lot of times is the money," he said. "You've got guys out here who could be in an NFL camp.
"From a talent standpoint and a competitive standpoint, this is a high level of football. . . . I love game day. I still get hyped for games. I love being on the field. I love the atmosphere. I love battling it out. It's all the same to me."
Contact Tim Pearrell at (804) 649-6965 or tpearrell@timesdispatch.com.
There are the car rides from Williamsburg that Bryan Randall makes several times a week to practice football with the Richmond Revolution.
And the bus rides -- some about 15 hours -- to Illinois and Michigan and New York and Maryland for away games.
For all that, Randall makes the standard Indoor Football League salary: $225 a game, plus a $25 bonus for winning.
And yet the former Virginia Tech quarterback says he's having fun. He's appreciative of the opportunity to see game action again -- and hopes it leads to another shot at something bigger.
"The biggest thing about this is I'm getting to play," said Randall, who will guide the Revolution (9-1) against Rochester (7-3) tomorrow at 7:05 p.m. at the Ashe Center. "I'm throwing touchdowns again. It's definitely being done with a purpose and a little sacrifice.
"I just feel like I have a lot left in my tank."
The former Atlantic Coast Conference offensive player of the year and Dudley Award winner (top Division I college player in Virginia) essentially has been idle since he left as Tech's career leader in passing yardage (6,508), passing touchdowns (48) and total offense (8,034 yards).
Undrafted after his senior season in 2004, Randall, 26, has spent time on NFL practice squads with Atlanta and Tampa Bay, was in camp with Pittsburgh and was a backup with Winnipeg in the Canadian Football League.
Billy Jarvis, the Revolution's defensive coordinator and the football coach at Warhill High in Williams burg, contacted Randall about playing after discovering Randall was a substitute teacher at Warhill.
Randall wasn't sure but eventually said yes.
"I was looking at it as an opportunity to be playing ball," he said. "Kind of looking forward, maybe to just let people know I'm still out there playing.
"At the same time, it's fun. I enjoy being around a team. You've got a good group of guys out here. That's one thing you can just never get tired of, the other teammates."
Randall, who works for a construction company and has been finishing graduate courses online, hasn't shown much rust as he learns the nuances of the indoor game -- the angles of the compressed field, the quick reads of defensive coverages and the fast releases on throws.
He's thrown 40 touchdowns, the second-highest total in the IFL. He's completed 142 of 271 passes (52.4 percent) for 1,398 yards and has run for 221 yards and eight TDs.
Randall has 11 interceptions but has not thrown one in his past two games.
"He just knows how to make plays," Revolution coach Steve Criswell said. "I definitely think he can play in Canada. He's kind of the prototype guy."
Randall's dream, of course, is to make it back to the NFL. For now, he's sharing rides with fellow Hokie Vince Hall (Chesapeake) and enjoying the indoor game.
"The thing people get caught up in a lot of times is the money," he said. "You've got guys out here who could be in an NFL camp.
"From a talent standpoint and a competitive standpoint, this is a high level of football. . . . I love game day. I still get hyped for games. I love being on the field. I love the atmosphere. I love battling it out. It's all the same to me."
Contact Tim Pearrell at (804) 649-6965 or tpearrell@timesdispatch.com.