Midgett joins Firecats
September 30, 2005 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Florida Firecats News Release
Charlotte High School graduate and former University of Florida quarterback Justin Midgett capped a whirlwind week of football Thursday by signing a contract with the Florida Firecats of the arenafootball2 league.
"It's been crazy," Midgett, 20, said of his week, which began with a tryout Sunday for the Las Vegas Gladiators of the Arena Football League and continued with a tryout Monday in Tampa with the AFL's Tampa Bay Storm.
At 4 p.m. Thursday, Midgett threw for about 20 minutes in front of Firecats coach Kevin Bouis, general manager Chris Vallozzi and offensive coordinator Ken Mastrole at Shady Oaks Park in Fort Myers.
Midgett then signed the contract, which does not include a signing bonus and pays $200 a game - providing he makes the team out of training camp in March - at about 4:50 p.m. on a set of park bleachers.
"This seems to be the place for me to play," Midgett said of the Firecats. "I'd rather come here and play than go to Arena One and sit."
The Firecats, however, also issued a contract to incumbent starting quarterback Chris Wallace, who has a tryout with the AFL's Columbus (Ohio) Destroyers on Wednesday, Oct. 19.
"Chris is a good quarterback," Midgett said. "The competition makes it even better. Chris may be getting looks from AFL teams. He's been a leader on this team. Hopefully, I'll just get an opportunity."
Said Wallace: "If I come back to Florida, I'm going to be the starting quarterback. I'm not worried about that. But you always have to have two good quarterbacks. He'll have to learn the game."
Midgett has not played a competitive game since Florida's intrasquad spring "Blue and Orange" game in 2004.
Billy Midgett, Justin's father and a 1983 Charlotte High graduate, said AFL coaches have called him, asking for game film.
"We send them the Orange and Blue film," Billy Midgett said. "It's not a highlight film. What you see is what you get."
Billy Midgett said Justin threw for 280 yards and no touchdowns in that game, leading the Gators' second-team offense against the first-team defense.
Justin Midgett passed for 2,489 yards and 21 touchdowns as a senior at Charlotte. He also set a state record for most passing yards in a half - 362 - during a 2002 game against Lemon Bay in which he sat out most of the second half, finishing with 372 yards.
Gary Gussman, the Las Vegas Gladiators player personnel director, also happens to be a 1984 Charlotte High graduate and a former teammate of Billy Midgett.
"That's a good connection to have," Billy Midgett said.
But Justin Midgett said he expected to get more playing time in the af2 over the AFL. He said he does not second-guess his decision to leave Florida. He initially transferred to Division I-AA Eastern Illinois, but he left school after being academically ineligible.
"I don't let myself entertain those thoughts," Justin said of not playing college football. "That's something I have to deal with now."
arenafootball2 Stories from September 30, 2005
- Midgett joins Firecats - Florida Firecats
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