Erie's Linebacker Crew Among League's Finest

February 16, 2010 - American Indoor Football Association (AIFA)
Erie Explosion News Release


(Erie, PA) - When most people think about Indoor Football, they usually think offense first with all the gaudy passing statistics, high-scoring games, and some rules which appear to give an edge to the offense. However, coaches will tell you that the key to winning AIFA championships is still fundamental, and that's having a great defense. Most teams will score points, but the ones that can make stops at key points still win the games, just like in other sports.

Despite his reputation as an offensive mastermind, Erie Storm Head Coach Shawn Liotta spent a considerable amount of time leading up to the 2010 campaign recruiting elite playmakers on defense, particularly at the linebacker position. As a result, the 2010 Erie Storm will feature not one, but two players among the linebacker crew who have been recent AIFA All-Stars, both of whom earned such recognition playing for Erie.

Roosevelt Benjamin and Glenroy Watkins, both AIFA All-Stars for Erie in 2008, will return to the Tullio Arena to lead the Storm defense in 2010. Liotta continues to look for depth at the position due to inevitable injuries, and has extended training camp invitations to Tommie Weatherspoon, a 6'2"-240" linebacker who played collegiately at Temple, Harrison Jones (6'1"-225) who played in 5 games for Erie last season, and three players with local ties, including Ryan Greene (6'2"-230; Edinboro), Jimmy Kokrak (6'2"-245; Mercyhurst), and Jon Molnar (6'2"-230; Slippery Rock).

"We do have some great experience at LB but we may choose to move people around because we always want the best playmakers on the field at all times. You can never have enough of these guys because injuries do happen. So we're continuing to build some depth on the defense so that we're never caught shorthanded. Having said that, Roosevelt Benjamin is a smart veteran leader, who basically serves as our defensive coordinator in the huddle. G-Roy was our biggest surprise for us defensively in 2008. He had some injuries in 2009 but if he comes back healthy, he has the ability to take over games by himself. Jon Molnar played for me last year in Wheeling, and I'm very excited about what I've heard about Tommie Weatherspoon, Ryan Greene, and Jimmy Kokrak, and we're going to need guys like them to build the defensive foundation we need to win a title." commented Liotta.

Benjamin (6'2"-255; Clarion) led the 2008 Erie defense which finished among the top three in the league in defensive touchdowns scored, fumbles recovered, sacks, and opponent third-down conversions. He is the only player in AIFA history to have been named an AIFA All-Star with three different franchises, including Canton, Erie, and Carolina.

Watkins (6'2"-250; Central Florida) was unquestionably the biggest playmaker on the Erie defense in 2008. He finished among the league leaders in several defensive categories including total tackles (46), tackles for loss (13.5) and sacks (11.5), all of which remain franchise records.



American Indoor Football Association Stories from February 16, 2010


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