Colonials Sign Former UConn Player
Published on August 26, 2010 under United Football League (UFL 1)
Hartford Colonials News Release
Hartford Colonials Training Camp Notes Thursday, August 26
HERE COMES THE SUN: It didn't take long for the players to warm up. After four straight days of gray skies and damp conditions, the Colonials had two spirited practices under the sun. Players were in full pads in the morning as they went through a series of fundamental, drills and situations. When the team returned to the practice field in the afternoon, players were in shoulder pads. When practiced ended, players were soaked. But this time it had more to do with being out in the sun than the rain.
THAT MAKES SIX HUSKIES: The Colonials signed former UConn safety Robert Vaughn, who had a private tryout with the team in June. Vaughn signed with the Packers as an undrafted free agent in April and attended Green Bay's rookie minicamp. At UConn, Vaughn had 14 career interceptions. He joins former college teammates Andre Dixon, Dahna Deleston, Keith Gray, Mike Hicks and Danny Lansanah on the roster. The team relinquished its rights to former UConn defensive end Lindsey Witten just before the start of camp.
A NEW ENGLAND SPARTAN: Former Michigan State offensive tackle Peter Clifford, a New Hampshire native, signed with the Colonials. At 6-feet-7 and 312 pounds, he is an imposing figure. Clifford was signed by the Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He was with the Titans last year.
ROSTER SUBTRACTIONS: The Colonials released wide receiver Dicky Lyons and defensive tackle Simi Toeaina.
FROM HARD KNOCKS TO HARTFORD: Offensive tackle Adam Tadisch (6-7, 340) recently appeared on Hard Knocks, the HBO reality series that chronicles the 2010 New York Jets. He joined the Colonials this week after being released by the Jets. Here are five quick questions with the former North Dakota State player:
Did you catch yourself on Hard Knocks last night? "I watched the end of it. I saw the part where I got cut. I didn't see any of the video before that. I just saw where I was in the room [about to be cut]."
What was your experience with the Jets like? "It was great, a dream come true. Even more than that, I got another chance to play with the big leagues and roll with the big dogs. It was good and I learned a lot. I hope to take that and run with it."
What are your thoughts about playing in the UFL with the Hartford Colonials? "I'm just happy to be here. I am glad the Hartford Colonials want me here. Hopefully I can do my job and become part of a good team."
Have you ever been to Connecticut before? "No I haven't. Yesterday was the first time when I got here."
Talk about your days in the Arena Football League and how you became a YouTube star? "It all started when we were playing the Spokane Shock and I played for the Cleveland Gladiators. The Coach called for a tight end screen and I just so happened to be a tight end on that play. I caught the ball and started running and ended up in the end zone. A buddy of mine on the team put it on YouTube for me and I think it has got over 74,000 hits, so it's pretty cool actually."
A CATCH AND A STRIP: Inside the 20, quarterback Josh McCown zipped a perfectly-thrown pass to tight end Charles Davis at the 5-yard line. No sooner than Davis grabbed it, cornerback Ryan Palmer reached in and knocked the ball loose. Coach Palmer was impressed.
HIGH SCHOOL TEAM WATCHES PRACTICE: Football players from Enrico Fermi High School in Enfield were treated to an up close view of the morning practice from the sideline at Sage Park. A few lucky players tossed the football with Colonials QB Josh McCown, who spent about 20 minutes with the team after practice. McCown chatted with Fermi Coach Bill Beeler, signed autographs and gave the team a pep talk. Josh's message: Enjoy high school football, work hard, make wise decisions and be a good teammate.
GOING THE EXTRA MILE: After preaching the virtues of hard work to the high school players in the morning, Josh McCown ended afternoon practice by doing sprints along the goal line. He was the last player off the field.
TAKING SOME SOFT KNOCKS: Adam Tadisch's appearance on Hard Knocks on Wednesday night did not go unseen by his new teammates. "I didn't see it but the boys were on him a little bit," Colonials Head Coach Chris Palmer said. "He's asking a lot of questions and learning the system. Our system isn't similar to the Jets, so Todd Washington, our offensive line coach is spending a lot of time with him. Hopefully we will get them up to speed as quickly as we can."
ROAD SHOW: Starting on Friday, the Colonials will practice on five different fields over the next week. The team will visit Middletown, Danbury, New Haven and New Britain in addition to practicing at Sage Park in Berlin. The remaining training camp schedule:
August AM PM Notes
27 Friday 9-11 Sage Park, Berlin 3-5 Sage Park, Berlin
28 Saturday 9-11 @ Xavier High School-Middletown 4:30-6:30 Inter-squad scrimmage @ Immaculate High School, Danbury AM Practice in Middletown; PR scrimmage in Danbury.
29 Sunday OFF OFF
30 Monday 9-11 Sage Park 5:30-7:30 Wilbur Cross High-New Haven PM Practice in New Haven
31 Tuesday 9-11 Sage Park 6-8 @ Xavier High School-Middletown PM Practice in Middletown
September
1 Wednesday 9-11 Sage Park 3-5 Sage Park
2 Thursday 9-11 Sage Park, Berlin 5-7 @ Central Connecticut State University, New Britain PM Practice in New Britain
3 Friday OFF 3-5 Sage Park
4 Saturday 9-11 Sage Park 3-5 Sage Park Scrimmage 3-5 pm
United Football League Stories from August 26, 2010
- Nighthawks Training Camp Report - Omaha Nighthawks
- Omaha Nighthawks To Hold Scrimmage On Saturday, August 28 - Omaha Nighthawks
- Colonials Sign Former UConn Player - Hartford Colonials
- GM Rick Mueller Makes Statement on Maurice Clarett's Workout - Omaha Nighthawks
- Hartford Colonials Scrimmage in Danbury - Hartford Colonials
- Tusker Camp Report: Training Camp's Invisible Man - Florida Tuskers
- UFL Transactions - UFL 1
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.
