Firebirds Season Preview

Published on January 5, 2003 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Albany/Indiana Firebirds News Release


INDIANAPOLIS – The 2003 season promises to be a monumental year not only for the Arena Football League, but also for the Indiana Firebirds. The Firebirds have high hopes of returning to their 1999 ArenaBowl Champion status and improving on a 7-7 record from a year ago. The Firebirds open training camp on Monday, January 6th at the SportZone located on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.

The three-week camp will be highlighted with two preseason scrimmages and one "controlled practice". The team is scheduled to have two-a-day practices for the duration of camp. The Firebirds' first scrimmage will take place on Monday, January 13th against the Grand Rapids Rampage at Conseco Fieldhouse. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:00 pm (Local Time). The Firebirds will then partake in a controlled practice with Grand Rapids on the following day beginning at 1:00 pm (Local Time). The second of two preseason scrimmages is scheduled for Wednesday, January 22nd versus the Chicago Rush at the Chicago Bears' practice facility. Kickoff is slated for noon (CT).

Competition for roster spots and playing time will be fierce this year, as Head Coach Mike Dailey has re-loaded his troops for the 2003 season. With fresh faces and talented returning players, the Firebirds expect to be more than competitive this year. The Firebirds have brought in a large crop of young talent who bring a wealth of speed and will challenge even the most established veterans for a roster spot.

With the new division alignments, the Firebirds remain in the Central Division. The Detroit Fury have moved to the Eastern Division while the Dallas Desperados have joined the Firebirds in the Central. Division opponents will be a challenge for the Firebirds as they finished last season with a 3-3 (0-2 vs. Dallas) record against current divisional opponents.

The Firebirds open the season with back-to-back road games versus the Detroit Fury (Feb. 2) and the New York Dragons (Feb. 9) before the Firebirds return to Conseco Fieldhouse for their home opener against division rival the Chicago Rush on February 16th slated to be aired nationally on NBC Sports. The Firebirds' schedule does not ease up as the season progresses with three tough mid-season match ups at Orlando (March 10th), Dallas (March 29th), and at ArenaBowl Champion San Jose (April 19th).

The road to ArenaBowl XVII begins this Monday as the 2003 version of the Indiana Firebirds will begin to take shape.

Here is a position-by-position look of what to expect in camp this season.

Quarterback

Led by returning starter Raymond Philyaw, competition in camp for the starting job will be fierce for the 2003 season. Philyaw, coming offseason shoulder surgery (rotator cuff), has been the man under center during the past two seasons. He will look to return to his 2001 form, where he completed over 67% of his passes for 3,518 yards and 68 touchdowns and just three interceptions. Also returning to the Birds is last seasons' back-up, Jim Ballard. Ballard, fresh off a successful campaign with the Toronto Argonauts (CFL), played in one game last season where he led the ‘Birds to a 56-53 victory over the Los Angeles Avengers. Joining the mix are veteran Craig Whelihan and rookie David Priestley. Whelihan, acquired in a trade with the Orlando Predators, was a first team all-rookie selection in 2001 while Priestley, who signed a free agent contract with the Buffalo Bills in 2002, is expected to make a strong push for playing time.

Offensive Specialist

When you think Firebirds football, the first player to come to mind is "Touchdown" Eddie Brown. A mainstay at the position, Eddie has occupied the offensive specialist slot for most of the past nine seasons. Coming off a season where Eddie missed four games due to injury and his numbers were down, he will have a lot to prove in the 2003 season. Meanwhile, newcomers Brian McDonald and Donald Shoals provide speed and youth to the position. McDonald signed with the Philadelphia Eagles prior to the 2002 season and was later allocated to NFL Europe before being released prior to the start of the NFL season. McDonald will also be called upon to return kicks. Shoals was in training camp with the Indianapolis Colts in 2002 before being released during the NFL mandated final cutdown. Both players could also be asked to play defensive back this season.

Wide Receiver/Defensive Backs

These positions will be wide open as they are mixed with veterans and youth with great speed and quickness. Jay Jones, a 2001 All-Arena selection, provides stability at both positions and has been a consistent player over the past five seasons. Donnie Caldwell and DeJuan Alfonzo are both coming off successful 2002 campaigns and are capable of making an impact in the AFL. McDonald, Shoals, Latef Grim, Bobbie Sippio, Tim Dodge, Terrence Blackwell and Frank Cutolo are all young stars with great speed that will look to make an impression during the three-week training camp period.

Wide Receiver/Linebackers

Returning for his first full season with the Firebirds, First Team All-Rookie selection Brett Bech will look to continue his impressive play from last season. Bech signed with the Firebirds in July of last year seeing action in only three games. In those three games, Bech had 19 catches for 310 yards and five touchdowns. He also has extensive NFL experience, having appeared in all 16 games with NFL's New Orleans Saints during the 1998 season. Joining Bech will be Shawn Foreman and Drew O'Connor. Foreman will be entering his second year with the Firebirds and third in the League. As a member of the Oklahoma Wranglers in 2001, Foreman set a team rookie receiving and scoring record, catching 33 balls for 407 yards and nine touchdowns. O'Connor begins his second year with the Firebirds looking to forget an injury-plagued rookie season. In the playoff loss to Dallas, O'Connor had eight catches for 61 yards. The WR/LB position is just one of many positions that are up in the air as the 2003 Firebirds' training camp begins.

Defensive Specialist

Returning to the Firebirds defensive backfield are a strong group of veterans led by Firebirds MVP Evan Hlavacek. Despite missing four games, Hlavacek finished 2nd on the team with 42 tackles, three interceptions and ten pass break-ups. Hlavacek was also a terror on special teams, with a team high 714 return yards and three touchdowns. Other veterans returning are Greg Williams and Del Lee, whom the Firebirds acquired from the Toronto Phantoms in the dispersal draft. Both players bring a wealth of experience and poise to the Firebirds defensive unit. Newcomer Fred Booker was an All-American at LSU and attended training camp with the San Francisco 49ers during the 2002 preseason.

Fullback/Linebackers

Returning for his eighth season is 2002 Built Ford Tough Man of the Year Leroy Thompson. Thompson is coming off his best all-around seasons as a pro where he rushed for 118 yards resulting in ten touchdowns. He also recorded 21 tackles and six sacks on his way to being named 1st Team All-Arena. Competing for time this season will be returning players Rich Young and Umar Muhammad. Young will be entering his second season with the Firebirds and fourth in the Arena Football League. Muhammad is considered one of the most intimidating players in the League and has established himself as a legitimate two-way threat. Sunungura Rusununuko has strength and great physical ability and the coaching staff expects a break-out season from "GoGo". Roger Wilson and Thadd Buttone are both newcomers to the Firebirds who signed with the team this off-season. Wilson enjoyed a successful collegiate career at Indiana University of Pennsylvania where he is the school's all-time sacks leader. Buttone has attended training camp with the NFL's Carolina Panthers and Washington Redskins. Both will have an opportunity to push the veterans to the limit during training camp and vie for playing time this year.

Offensive/Defensive Lineman

Spearheading the grunt work for the Firebirds once again this year will be Kyle Moore-Brown. Moore-Brown is the most tenured player on roster this season. He begins his ninth season in a Firebirds uniform and has embraced the leadership role that has been bestowed upon him by his teammates. As the Firebirds' captain, Moore-Brown leads vocally and by example having never missed a game in his eight-year career (123 games). Chris Snyder is entering his fifth season with the Firebirds and has emerged as one of the Firebirds' top linemen. In 2002, he led the team with 6.5 sacks and recorded 19.5 tackles on his way to First-Team All-Arena honors. He has proven his durability having played in 42 straight games. Hugh Hunter joined the Firebirds for the 2002 season after posting solid numbers with Nashville and Milwaukee recording 15 sacks for his career. A five-year Arena Football League veteran, Hunter is known as an excellent pass rusher utilizing his exceptional speed and agility. He will see most of his time on the defensive side of the ball and should prove to be a playmaker for the Firebirds this year. John Sikora is a four-year Arena Football League veteran who started all 14 games last year at Offensive Guard for the Firebirds. He will see most of his time on the offensive side of the ball, however he can be a steady two-way player. Ricky Hall, Aaron Johnson, and Mike Gantous are all entering their third year with the Firebirds. Hall offers some versatility as he also has the ability to play FB/LB and is extremely quick for a big man. Johnson and Gantous have seen limited action in the last two years but have shown some improvement and could content for more playing time this year. Brian Creel returns for his second season with the Firebirds. Creel played in four games last season before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Rachman Crable, Van Tunei and Rameel Conner are all entering their first season in the Arena Football League. Each enjoyed successful college careers, but it might take some time to adjust to the indoor game.

Crable, a local player (Ball St.), originally signed with the team prior to the beginning of last season but saw no action with the team. The coaching staff expected big things from Tunei last season before getting injured in training camp. Conner spent one season in NFL Europe after concluding his career at the University of Illinois.

Kicker

One area of concern for the Firebirds coming out of last season was their kicking game. In an effort to resolve their kicking problems, the Firebirds struck a deal with former Kicker of the Year and four-year Arena Football League veteran, Clay Rush. A long kicker, Rush has established himself as one the most accurate kickers in the League. During the 2000 season with the Iowa Barnstormers, Rush led all kickers in points (147), PAT's made (99), and PAT percentage (.952) on his way to Kicker of the Year and All-Arena honors.

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from January 5, 2003


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