Esprit makes af2 football reality show
July 27, 2006 - National Indoor Football League (NIFL)
Texas Copperheads News Release
The ARENA GRIDIRON CHALLENGE will be one of the most widely viewed "Reality Shows" since American Idol. With hype like this Katy Copperheads Defensive Coordinator Troy Esprit went to see the talent and scout for the 2007 edition of the Katy Copperheads. The event was held at Tully Stadium just east of Katy in Houston.
What happened next was unreal! As Coach Esprit watched the players run through drills, Orlando Predator Coach Jay Gruden approached and told him he looked in good enough shape to tryout. After several minutes of encouragement, Troy decided to give it a go. It had been over two years since Esprit had played, but he does have several years of AF2 and NIFL experience.
Esprit said," I didn't even have a pair playing shoes but I made the cut and I am now looking forward to going to Florida." He arrived in Tampa Bay yesterday. "All we had were meetings, but the cameras were rolling the entire time. This place is crawling with several coaches from many leagues including the AFL and NFL."
The ARENA GRIDIRON CHALLENGE announced it will be using a reality show format. The program will air 13 episodes and the finalist will be given contracts to play on a team in the Arena2 Football League.
Seventy-two athletes drawn from six cities in the southwest will hold camp in Tampa. The Seventy-two athletes will be cut down to two teams of 20 men each. One team will be coached by former two time AFC coach of the year Ron Meyer and his long time NFL assistant Steve Sidwell. The other team will be coached by Orlando Predator coach and AFL hall of fame Quarterback Jay Gruden and Tampa Bay Storm coach Tim Marcum.
The challenge will conclude with the two teams playing a game against each other. The best players from both teams will combine to form an Arena2 team. The winners will form the new team in Jacksonville, Florida. They previously had an AF2 team nicknamed the Tomcats. You can read more about the Arena Gridiron Challenge by logging onto www.arenagridironchallenge.com .
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National Indoor Football League Stories from July 27, 2006
- Esprit makes af2 football reality show - Texas Copperheads
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