Defensive players arrive in Tampa Bay
March 3, 2003 - National Football League Europa (NFLE) News Release
THE preseason rosters for all six NFL Europe League teams were completed Sunday when more than 200 players arrived in Tampa Bay, Florida, for Training Camp 2003.
With the offensive skill position players and centers already in Florida and participating in passing camps, it was the turn of the big guys to roll into town as defensive players and remaining offensive linemen reported to camp.
Among those returning to NFL Europe for a second season were Berlin Thunder linebacker JOE WESLEY and Scottish Claymores defensive end RADELL LOCKHART.
Wesley won a World Bowl ring with the Thunder in 2001 and is keen to get back on the field with the defending champions, as he explained: "I have really been looking forward to the start of training camp. I think we can be a hard-nosed, hard-hitting defense. We're going to try to make a run at the championship but that is obviously the goal of five other teams in this league. We're going to give it our best shot and want to win another World Bowl."
Lockhart recorded 18 tackles with the Claymores in 2002 but is keen to post a higher number of stops this season, as he revealed: "I looking forward to improving on what I did last year and helping the team out a lot. I feel pretty good coming into camp and I'm ready to get back to work."
Also arriving on Sunday were 22 kickers and punters who will take part in a three-day kicking camp at Tampa's Thomas Jefferson High School before being assigned to NFLEL teams later this week.
Among that group are 12 NFL-allocated players, as well as returning national kickers SILVIO DILIBERTO (Amsterdam) JESUS ANGOY (Barcelona), AXEL KRUSE (Berlin), RALF KLEINMANN (Frankfurt) and ROB HART (Scotland). Experiencing his first taste of NFLEL training camp action this week will be new Rhein Fire kicker INGO ANDERBRÃGGE, who enjoyed an illustrious soccer career with Schalke 04 in Germany before retiring in 2002.
Full squad practice sessions begin across the Tampa Bay area on Wednesday March 5 with the first combined workouts of the preseason taking place on Saturday March 8.
Combined workouts and scrimmages are also scheduled for March 12, 15, 19 and 23 throughout the Tampa Bay area, with the highlight being the game-condition scrimmages taking place at Raymond James Stadium - home of the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers - on Saturday March 15, beginning at 9:00 a.m. ET.
Roster cuts will be made on the evenings of Saturday March 15 and Sunday March 23 in order to get each team down to the regular season limit of 48 players. The 2003 regular season kicks off on Saturday April 5 and concludes with World Bowl XI being played at Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland, on Saturday June 14.
National Football League Europa Stories from March 3, 2003
- NFLE Season Preview - NFLE
- Defensive players arrive in Tampa Bay - NFLE
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