Blizzard Sign Two Key Defensive Players
January 21, 2010 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Green Bay Blizzard News Release
The Green Bay Blizzard and Coach Rik Richards announce the signings of All Conference Defensive Backs Melvin Rice from Northern Illinois, and BJ Hill out of Ball State University. Rice is a 5'11" 195lb. Corner Back while Hill is also a Corner Back standing 5'7" 180lb. Coach Richards commented that "Every guy we sign is important to our team, but signing Rice and Hill is a big step towards the type of team make-up we are looking for."
Melvin Rice in 2008, ranked sixth on the team with 50 tackles, and his 33 solo stops were fourth-highest on the squad. He led NIU in pass break ups with six, recovered a fumble, forced another and made one tackle for loss. He made two or more tackles in every game for the Huskies. Rice earned NIU's defensive skill (DB or LB) honor a team-leading five times during the year, as he picked up the honor for the Minnesota, Tennessee, Miami, Bowling Green and Central Michigan games. Rice set season-bests in both total tackles (8) and unassisted tackles (6) at Eastern Michigan.
Rice's 2007 season saw him starting at cornerback in all eight games in which he played. He was tied for the team lead in pass break-ups with six. He was ranked sixth on the team with a career-best 61 tackles and contributed 3.5 tackles for loss. Rice made 31 solo stops and totaled 61 tackles. He had seven or more tackles in each of his last four games and averaged over seven tackles per game on the year.
In 2006, Rice played in all 13 games and made seven starts at cornerback, including the Poinsettia Bowl. Rice totaled 47 tackles with two tackles for loss. He was tied for team-high honors with two interceptions and recorded three pass break ups. Rice also returned one kickoff for 18 yards vs. Iowa.
B.J. Hill, a stand out at Ball State was elected to the 2007 and 2008 MAC All Conference team. In Hill's junior season, he was named Second Team All-MAC where he started 12 games and played in all 13 contests to earn his third letter. The 2007 season was Hill's first season on defense after moving from tailback after the 2006 season. He was tied for team-high honors with five interceptions and tied for 40th in the country in interceptions per game. Hill was also the team's top punt returner.
As a running back in the 2006 season, Hill played in all 12 games and ranked third on the team in rushing. He was tied for team-high honors with three rushing touchdowns on the season, and ranked fifth on the team in all-purpose yards with 44.0 per contest.
In 2005, Hill saw action in all 11 games to earn first letter, starting three games. He was named to the College Football News and Rivals.com Freshman All-America Second Teams and was ranked second on the team in rushing, and ranked first on the team with 5.1 yards per rush. He was also ranked second in the Mid-American Conference and was 23rd in the nation with an 11.1 yards-per-punt return average.
The Blizzard are a proud new member of the Indoor Football League. The 2010 home opener is March 19th against the La Crosse Spartans. 2010 season tickets start as low as $56 and are available by calling (920) 405-1264 or visiting our website www.greenbayblizzard.com.
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