Competition Rises for the Final Days of Camp
Published on March 12, 2013 under Arena Football League (AFL)
Philadelphia Soul News Release
PHILADELPHIA (March 12, 2013) - The 2012 American Conference Champion Philadelphia Soul, presented by Parx Casino, prepare to close out training camp in the next few days. Players are playing harder than ever to earn their roster spot for the upcoming season.
With four days left of training camp, including a scrimmage, the Soul players are picking up their intensity to show they deserve to stay. At this point of the camp, practice has become routine but the players are still motivated. The players know the way to standout in practice is by making the block, running the precise route, fight for the extra yards, or make the hard tackle. The coaches need to use all the time they can to evaluate which players will be the best in assembling a championship-caliber team.
With any camp, the players may become friends in the locker room but they need to battle out their roster spot on the field. The players have four days to put forth all their effort as camp ends on Saturday with a scrimmage against the Pittsburgh Power. Tomorrow, the Soul will continue with practices at the NovaCare Complex in Philadelphia.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: DL LAWON SCOTT (6'2, 305, Mississippi): Rookie DL Lawon Scott joins the Soul defensive line after spending 2012 with PIFL Columbus Lions and 2011 with the Dallas Cowboys after leaving Mississippi. During Scott's collegiate career, the St. Petersburg, FL native recorded 57 tackles and two sacks in 20 starts with the Rebels. In 2008, Scott earned Honorable Mention All-SEC recognition as a sophomore.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: "This camp is going well, this is something you can always learn from," said Soul veteran DL Dustin Barno. "Whether it's something Coach Dolezel or anyone else on the coaching staff is teaching us, for me to be in the league for nine years and still learn from them is something special. You learn the guys around you and know them as a person and a player and they are all great. One player that stood out to me is LB Calvin Fance. It has been a while since I seen someone as fast as him. He shakes people up and he is learning the game fast. Young guys need to remember to pay attention to the small details such as knowing your plays and assignments and to stay healthy; take the rest whenever you can.
RUNNING FOR THE BOOKS: During the 2012 season and his first season with Philadelphia, two-time All-Arena First Team FB Derrick Ross (6'0, 250, Tarleton) broke every rushing record in the Soul record books except one: career-rushing touchdowns (32). Ross has six AFL rushing records, breaking two records last season with the Soul.
The reason Ross has yet to break the Soul career rushing touchdown record is because he is tied with Chris Ryan. Ross will surely break the record book this season and own every rushing category in the Soul record book.
Ross signed a max-contract during the offseason to be in Philadelphia through the 2015 season. At the rate Ross is playing, Philadelphia may have invested in not only the best rusher in team history, but also the best rusher in AFL history.
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