2003 Training Camp Opens Today
Published on March 18, 2003 under arenafootball2 (af2)
Charleston Swamp Foxes News Release
NORTH CHARLESTON, SC â Training camp for the 2003 season opens today for the Charleston Swamp Foxes Arena Football team. The team is only allowed to hold physicals and meetings on Tuesday, but can move to full pad practice on Wednesday, March 19.
First-year head coach Rik Richards and his staff have the tough chore of whittling the 35 players the league office allows to come to camp down to 21 by the end of the month. af2 teams field a 19-man roster for game day with an additional two serving as taxi players to form the 21-man roster.
The first cut is scheduled for March 21 when the 35 will be narrowed to 30. After that, players have ten days to showcase their talents before the March 31 final cut deadline, which will set the 21-man roster.
In Arena Football, every player, with the exception of the kicker, quarterbacks, and an offensive and defensive specialist, play both ways. This makes the arena athlete much more versatile and skilled as they have to focus on more than one duty during a game.
Competition for one of the coveted 21 roster slots will be tough as each position is currently two or three deep. Heading into camp, two of the deepest positions are at quarterback and wide receiver/defensive back.
Three QB's have come to Charleston hoping to land the starting job for the 2003 squad. They are led by two-time Heisman finalist, and nominee for the College Football Hall of Fame, Major Harris. The former University of West Virginia standout has several years of Arena Football experience on his playing resume. A pair of signal callers who carry quite the resume of their own will test him, though. Todd Cunningham (Presbyterian) and Kyle Rowley (Brown) both have strong arms and are steady in the pocket, which bodes well for competing for the two allotted QB slots.
The wide receiver/defensive back two-way position will be very competitive. The list of candidates vying to make the team includes former Swamp Foxes Demont Smith and Michael Brown. The list also includes nine-year AFL veteran Leonard Conley from Miami (FL), former Louisiana Defensive Player of the Year Joe Judge, All-ACC selection Randall Jones, and Michigan State's Marcus Waters, just to name a few.
Things that the Swamp Foxes' coaching staff will be watching for are a player's skill, their ability to run and defend pass routes, footwork along the line of scrimmage, stamina, conditioning, and overall strength. The players will be learning Coach Richards and offensive coordinator Tony Wells' playbook, as well as learning to work with each other.
One of the major tests for this year's training camp will come on March 27 as the Swamp Foxes host the Macon Knights in a free exhibition game at the North Charleston Coliseum. The game, which is scheduled for 7:00 pm, will allow the coaching staff to watch how the players perform under true game situations.
The 2003 season kicks off with three consecutive road contests for the Swamp Foxes, starting on April 5. Charleston travels to rival Norfolk for a 7:00 pm kickoff with the Nighthawks. The Swamp Foxes picked up their first win in this competitive series last spring at home, 40-37. Four of the five games in the three-year series have been decided by six points or less, including a pair of overtime contests. This, and all Swamp Foxes' games in 2003, can be heard live on ESPN Radio, 1340 AM.
The Swamp Foxes' home opener is slated for Saturday, April 26 when the Swamp Foxes host the Birmingham Steeldogs in the two team's first-ever meeting. Kickoff for this and every Swamp Foxes' home game is slated for 7:30 pm, with the tailgating zone, which includes face painting, jump castles, and a live band, starting at 5:00 pm. Individual game tickets for this and every 2003 home game go on sale on Saturday, March 29 at the North Charleston Coliseum box office.
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