AFL players to earn bragging rights based on outcome of BCS National Championship Game
January 4, 2008 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release
NEW YORK - Eleven current AFL players who played collegiately at LSU and Ohio State have their sights set on the Superdome in New Orleans as their alma maters are set to battle for the Allstate BCS National Championship on Monday, January 7 at 8 p.m. ET.
Two veteran AFL players who first starred as Buckeyes are Utah Blaze QB JOE GERMAINE and New Orleans VooDoo QB STEVE BELLISARI. Germaine became the first quarterback in AFL history to pass for more than 5,000 yards in a single-season in 2007 and Bellisari earned the starting role for the VooDoo late last season.
"I'm very excited that Ohio State will be playing in the national title game again," said Germaine. "This just goes to show that year-in and year-out they are one of, if not the best, college football programs in the country."
Germaine's last game as a Buckeye was a memorable one as he led Ohio State to a 20-17 victory over Arizona State in the 1997 Rose Bowl, earning game MVP honors.
"Coach (Jim) Tressel has done a fantastic job of carrying on the rich tradition of Buckeye football and continues to raise the bar," he continued. "LSU will be a very tough matchup, coming from arguably the best all-around conference in the country, but I am honored to say that I am a Buckeye."
LSU alums anchor the VooDoo defense with four-year AFL veteran DL MIKE SUTTON and rookie DB NORMAN LEJEUNE. Both players are excited to see their Tigers playing for the title, and Sutton, a native of New Orleans, knows exactly what to expect.
"It's an honor and pleasure to wear my LSU hat at the gym and everybody asks if I played there," exclaimed Sutton. "It feels great to represent them right now knowing that they're doing so well. I'm not going to say they're going to win convincingly, but I think they'll dominate Ohio State."
LeJeune agrees with the outcome of Sutton's bold prediction.
"I think it's going to go down to the wire," predicts LeJeune. "It's the biggest game in college football, but I think LSU's going to come out on top. I watch them every week as I always have LSU on the radar. I bleed purple and gold."
As a native of nearby Brusly, LeJeune also notes the atmosphere that surrounds the city of New Orleans for championships.
"I think it's a great opportunity to play in your backyard," he says. "We'll have a great fan base. It seems like Baton Rouge and New Orleans are better places when the Tigers are competing for the National Championship."
LeJeune and Sutton's teammate, Bellisari, is also no stranger to big collegiate bowl games, having appeared in the 1999 Sugar Bowl and the 2000 and 2001 Outback Bowls. An Ohio resident, Bellisari splits his time as linebackers coach at nearby Ohio Dominican University in the fall and leading the VooDoo offense in the spring. Even still, he finds time to keep a close eye on the Buckeye program.
"I have season tickets," exclaims Bellisari. "This year, I didn't get to go because I was coaching, but normally I go to all the home games and I workout over there (in Columbus). I see those guys on a regular basis. I'm good friends with some of the coaches and I keep in touch with them."
Bellisari intends to take in the atmosphere of the game and then watch his Buckeyes in action in his AFL hometown.
"I'm flying into New Orleans that morning," he detailed. "I'm going to workout with some of my VooDoo teammates that day and go to the game later that night."
AFL PLAYERS WHO ATTENDED LSU AND OHIO STATE
AFL Player College AFL Team
Rohan Davey LSU New York Dragons
Norman LeJeune LSU New Orleans VooDoo
Jerel Myers LSU Kansas City Brigade
Mike Sutton LSU New Orleans VooDoo
BJ Barre Ohio State New Orleans VooDoo
Steve Bellisari Ohio State New Orleans VooDoo
Winfield Garnett Ohio State Columbus Destroyers
Joe Germaine Ohio State Utah Blaze
Josh Huston Ohio State Cleveland Gladiators
Jamar Martin Ohio State New York Dragons
Juan Porter Ohio State Grand Rapids Rampage
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from January 4, 2008
- Avengers sign former UCLA standout Justin Hickman - Los Angeles Avengers
- AFL players to earn bragging rights based on outcome of BCS National Championship Game - AFL I
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
