Camp Notes - Day Five

Published on March 19, 2010 under Arena Football League (AFL)
Tampa Bay Storm News Release


TAMPA BAY - When the Tampa Bay Storm entered their second full-pad practice of training camp, a number of players looked to make a mark with the coaching staff. This is the time of year where they want to show the coaches what they can do. In ten days, the roster will be cut from 35-men to 23. The team is heavily comprised with rookies, so competition is fierce for a spot on the 23-man roster.

For many rookies, this is their dry run with arena football while others have experience in the af2 or other indoor leagues.

"Right now, the competition for me is learning the angles, the plays and the routes. This is totally different from outdoor football. I'm happy that I have someone like Hank [Edward] and Tyrone [Timmons] here so I can watch them. Hank is so smooth with his routes because he has been in this league. I'm trying to get how he's doing it," said rookie wide receiver Frantz Hardy who has played with the Philadelphia Eagles and Montreal Alouettes (Canadian Football League).

Hardy, as well as all of the other receivers, continues to work hard and show improvement. Today the young receiving corps had extra opportunities to catch the eye of Head Coach Tim Marcum as he rewarded veteran receiver Hank Edwards with some rest.

"It's very competitive out there with everybody," rookie wide out DeAngelo Woodie said. "We are all working hard. We all make our little mistakes here and there but everybody is staying positive and doing their part. The main thing is that even through the competition we are encouraging and uplifting each other."

Woodie, who is new to the AFL, played the 2009 season with the El Paso Generals in the National Indoor Football League. Although he has indoor experience, he looked to take full advantage of the extra repetitions provided.

"Right now, I think I am doing really good," he said. "I'm just making sure that I know exactly what I'm doing on every play. Other times, I need to make sure I stay still. I got a little jittery out there. Other than that I feel pretty good about it and keep working hard."

With 23-roster spots available, the team will keep four to five receivers. With veterans Edwards and Timmons back, who have seemingly secured two of those spots, the competition for the remaining spots will be exciting.

"Right now, I would have to say the top three with the two days in pads are Edwards, Timmons and [Reggie] Gray. The other guys need to step it up. That's just how I see it," Marcum said.

Rookie Reggie Gray has had an impressive camp, rousing players and coaches with his speed and dazzling catches.

Receivers aren't the only players who are trying to secure a roster spot with their soft hands. In arena football, linemen are often found running routes. During Friday's practice, the team worked on routes with offensive lineman in the team period.

Veteran lineman Emmanuel Akah and Thomas Kaleita each caught two passes up the middle while rookie Shelly Houston was unable to find the handles on two passes. Although Houston was unable to capitalize on his two attempts, he enjoys running routes.

"That's one fun thing about this game. Us offensive linemen get to go out there, run a couple of routes and show everybody that were athletes too. I like going out there. I like catching the ball and running some of these little guys over after I catch it," Houston said.

In 2008, Kaleita caught six balls for 51 yards and two touchdowns.

Training camp will resume Saturday at 10am. Practice is open to the public. There are no transactions or injuries to report.

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