First Open Tryout to be Held Tomorrow for 2012 Reading Express

November 11, 2011 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Reading Express News Release


The first tryout for the 2012 squad is set for tomorrow.

The open tryouts will once again be held at the Sinking Spring Family YMCA, the official training center of the Express. In holding the tryouts at the YMCA, the Express benefit greatly in having the Parisi Speed School involved in the evaluation process.

"These tryouts are going to be very important in shaping our football team in 2012," said new Head Coach Mark Steinmeyer. "We anticipate a lot of guys from last year's team to move up to the AFL or other higher leagues next season. That opens up a lot of opportunities for new players to come in and contribute to the Reading Express."

Express coaches will be using various exercises to evaluate players, including:

40-yard Dash

Short Shuttle

Vertical Leap

Bench Press

Three Cone Drill

One-on-One Play

Eight-on-Eight Play

Offensive & Defensive Drills

Location: Sinking Spring Family YMCA, 4920 Penn Ave., Sinking Spring, PA (map)

The next two tryouts will also be held on the second Saturday of the month, with December 10 and January 14 rounding out the schedule.

Taylor and Cooper Move Up to AFL

Two key players from the 2011 Reading Express team have been signed with AFL teams for the 2012 season.

Wide receiver Collin Taylor has joined the Iowa Barnstormers, while defensive back and kick returner Jesse Cooper has been tapped by the Philadelphia Soul.

Taylor led the team in receiving yards for the 2011 regular season, collecting a total of 626 yards with an average pickup of 11.7 yards per reception. He also nabbed 14 touchdown passes, including a thrilling 48-yarder. Taylor hit his stride in the two playoff games, grabbing 12 catches for 197 yards, which translates into 16.4 yards per catch. His five playoff touchdowns included another thriller, this one for 43 yards.

Meanwhile, Cooper excelled at both kick returner and defensive back in 2011, but his special teams play gets him the award. He led the team in all-purpose yards in both the regular season and playoffs, picking up 713 and 298, respectively. His 623 regular-season kick return yards was good enough for a 19.5 average, an impressive figure for the indoor game. He ramped up the returns in the postseason, averaging 20.4 per return to net a total of 245 yards, including a 55-yard scamper for a touchdown. On the defensive side of the ball, Cooper is charged with 29 total tackles and one sack, not to mention six interceptions, one for a touchdown. He also broke up ten passes. During the playoffs, he added another four tackles, all solo.

These are just the first of many guys from the 2011 squad that are vying for spots with big-market AFL teams next season.

Reading Holiday Parade

We'll be in the Reading Holiday Parade on Saturday, November 19. The train will be featured, of course. But, we'll be out in force with the Railheads Fan Club. If you're interested in joining the fun, please contact Brenda Mitchell at bmitchell@expressindoorfootball.com.



Indoor Football League Stories from November 11, 2011


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