Hartford Colonials (1-0) Visit Rosenblatt Stadium To Play Omaha Nighthawks (0-0)
September 21, 2010 - United Football League (UFL 1)
Hartford Colonials News Release
Game: 2
Hartford at Omaha
Rosenblatt Stadium, Omaha
Friday, Sept. 24, 2010
Kickoff: 8 pm
TV: HDNet
Radio: WPOP/ESPN Radio (1410 AM)
2010 COLONIALS SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Time/TV
9/18 SACRAMENTO W, 27-10
9/24 at Omaha 8 pm/HDNET
BYE WEEK
10/9 FLORIDA 3 pm/VERSUS
10/16 OMAHA 3 pm/NESN
10/23 at Las Vegas 3:30 pm/VERSUS
10/30 at Sacramento 11 pm/VERSUS
BYE WEEK
11/11 at Florida 7 pm/HDNET
11/20 LAS VEGAS 3:30 pm/VERSUS
2010 UFL Standings
Team W-L Pct.
Hartford 1-0 1.000
Florida 1-0 1.000
Omaha 0-0 .000
Las Vegas 0-1 .000
Sacramento 0-1 .000
Contact: David Heuschkel
Hartford Colonials PR Director
860-951-1245
david.heuschkel@ufl-football.com
THE GAME
The Hartford Colonials travel to Nebraska to take on the expansion Omaha Nighthawks at Rosenblatt Stadium, the former home of the NCAA Division I World Series. The game will be broadcast live on the HDNet with play-by-play man Kenny Rice and color analyst Paul Maguire. ESPN Radio 1410/WPOP will air the game with Jason Page on play-by-play and Rob Lunn doing color.
LAST WEEK
Hartford is coming off an impressive debut Saturday, Sept. 18. Led by a suffocating defense and sparked by big plays, the Colonials defeated the Sacramento Mountain Lions 27-10 at Rentschler Field in East Hartford. Hartford had 448 total yards and held Sacramento to 201. The Colonials defense limited Sacramento to 35 yards rushing on 20 carries and pressured quarterback Daunte Culpepper throughout the game. The Colonials had a balanced offensive attack. Running back Andre Dixon rushed for 94 yards on 21 carries (4.5 avg.) and the team had a total of 180 yards on the ground. Lorenzo Booker had 51 yards on nine carries (5.7 avg.) and his 80-yard touchdown reception off a screen pass was the longest pass in UFL history. Colonials QB Josh McCown threw three touchdown passes and completed 11 of 21 passes for 265 yards. He connected with WR Markee White on a 4-yard TD in the first quarter and hooked up with WR Jason Chery on a 59-yard TD pass in the second quarter that made it 17-0. The Colonials also excelled on special teams, highlighted by Marshall McDuffie's blocked punt that set up a field goal by Taylor Mehlhaff that made it 20-0. Mehlhaff was 2-for-2 on field goal attempts and converted all three PATs. Colonials punter Jy Bond, making his American football debut, averaged 40.8 yards on four kicks.
COLONIALS HEAD COACH CHRIS PALMER
Hartford Colonials Head Coach and General Manager Chris Palmer is in his 38th overall season as a football coach and 23rd year in the professional ranks. The UFL is the fourth different professional football league Palmer has coached in. The other three: NFL (1990-2000, 2002-09), the defunct USFL (1984-85) and the Canadian Football League (1983). Palmer was the Quarterbacks Coach for the New York Giants the last three seasons (2007-09) and served in that role for one year (2006) with the Dallas Cowboys. Prior to that he was the Houston Texans Offensive Coordinator (2002-05), Cleveland Browns Head Coach (1999-2000), Jacksonville Jaguars Offensive Coordinator ('97-98), New England Patriots Wide Receivers and Quarterbacks Coach (1993-96) and Houston Oilers Receivers Coach (1990-92).
A FRANCHISE FIRST
Saturday's 27-10 victory over Sacramento was the first win in franchise history for the Colonials, formerly known as the New York Sentinels. The team moved from New York to Hartford in February. The Sentinels went 0-6 last season.
AN EMOTIONAL VICTORY
Colonials linebacker Frantz Joseph played with a heavy heart after learning his older brother died about six hours before the game. The team rewarded Joseph, the defensive captain, with a game ball.
OPENING WEEK HONORS
Colonials QB Josh McCown was named UFL Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in Saturday's win over Sacramento. McCown threw three touchdown passes and completed 11 of 21 passes for 265 yards with no interceptions.
RECORD-SETTING DAY FOR COLONIALS
Several UFL records were set by the Colonials in their season-opening victory at Rentschler Field. The crowd of 14,384 was the largest attendance for a UFL regular season game. A list of the other records by Hartford:
Most total offensive yards: 448 (previous mark 429 by Florida)
Most rushing attempts: 40 (previous 37 twice)
Fewest rushing yards allowed: 35 (previous 40 by New York)
Longest pass play: 80 yards, Josh McCown to Lorenzo Booker (previous 62 Florida, Brooks Bollinger to Jason Foster)
BACK TO OMAHA
Colonials CB Kyle Whitehurst played for the Omaha Beef of the United Indoor Football League in 2007-08. Whitehurst spoke highly of football fans in Omaha. "That's a very good sports city," Whitehurst said.
BACK TO THE BIG 12
There are five players on the Colonials from Big 12 programs:
Pos. Player School
OL Colin Brown Missouri
TE Tyson DeVree Colorado
LB Auston English Oklahoma
LB Joe Mortensen Kansas
CB Ryan Palmer Texas
SUPER BOWL RINGS
As the New York Giants Quarterbacks Coach in 2007, Chris Palmer earned a Super Bowl ring when the Giants defeated the Patriots 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. Colonials linebacker Tank Daniels was on that Giants squad and has a ring. Colonials long snapper Jared Retkofsky won a ring with the Steelers when they defeated the Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII. Colonials Offensive Line Coach Todd Washington has ring as a player with the Buccaneers after their victory over Oakland in Super Bowl XXXVII.
TEAM CAPTAINS
Offense: QB Josh McCown
Defense: LB Frantz Joseph
Special Teams: LB Tank Daniels
BIG EAST FLAVOR
The Colonials roster is heavily represented by former Big East Conference players. There are 12 overall. The breakdown: UConn (RB Andre Dixon, C Keith Gray, LB Danny Lansanah, DE Julius Williams); Louisville (WR Patrick Carter, TE Ronnie Ghent, DT Adrian Grady, WR Andre Robinson); Rutgers (DB Manny Collins, C Cameron Stephenson); South Florida (WR Taurus Johnson); West Virginia (OL Greg Isdaner).
COLONIALS YOUNGEST IN UFL
With an average player age of 25.3 years old, Hartford is the youngest team in the UFL. Florida (27.8) and Omaha (27.8) are tied for the oldest team. The average age of a UFL player at the start of the 2010 season was 26.8 years old. The youngest player on the Colonials is LB Simoni Lawrence, 21 (DOB: 2/1/89). Punter Jy Bond (DOB: 4/22/79) is the oldest player on the team at 31, followed QB Josh McCown (7-4-79).
BORN DOWN UNDER
The Colonials have two players who were born in Australia: Punter Jy Bond (Melbourne) and center Cameron Stephenson (Sydney). Bond was released by the New York Giants in June and signed with the Colonials after Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes recommended him to Colonials Head Coach Chris Palmer.
JOSH McMENTOR
Colonials QB Josh McCown has been serving as tutor reserve QB Ryan Perrilloux. Head Coach Chris Palmer had McCown and Perrilloux room together at the team hotel.
BY THE NUMBERS
United Football League:
- Average age of player - 26.8 years old
- UFL experience - 18.4 players (35%) per team
- NFL experience - 24.6 players (47%) per team
- Average NFL experience - 3.4 years in NFL
- 1st Round NFL Pick - .6 players (1%) per team
- 2nd/3rd Round NFL Pick - 4 players (8%) per team
- NFL Drafted - 13.6 players (26%) per team
- NFL Undrafted - 38 players (74%) per team
- BCS School - 31 players (60%) per team
Hartford Colonials:
- Average age of player - 25.3 years old
- UFL experience - 8 players (15%) on Team
- NFL experience - 17 players (33%) on Team
-. Average NFL experience - 1.8 years in National Football League
- 1st Round NFL Pick - 0 players (0%) on Team
- 2nd/3rd Round NFL Pick - 3 players (6%) on Team
- NFL Drafted - 7 players (13%) on Team
- NFL Undrafted - 45 players (87%) on Team
- BCS School - 33 players (63%) on Team
A MARKEE IN-DOOR PERFORMANCE
Colonials receiver Markee White signed with the team Aug. 23, three days after an electrifying performance in Arena Bowl XXIII. White caught four touchdown passes - all in the second quarter - to lead the Spokane Shock to a 69-57 victory over the Tampa Bay Storm. He was named Offensive Player of the Game. In his UFL debut Saturday, White caught the first of three touchdown passes from Josh McCown.
CITY PRIDE
Colonials fullback Asaph Schwapp, a Hartford native who graduated from Weaver High School in 2005, has a collection of tattoos that pay tribute to his hometown. His latest ink is the Hartford Whalers logo on the inside of his wrist. Other tattoos include the Interstate 91 sign on his arm and the word "Hartford" in same type font as it appears on the masthead of his hometown newspaper, the Hartford Courant.
GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY
The Colonials have been very active in the community. Quarterback Josh McCown agreed to donate $10,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of Hartford when he signed with the Colonials. On September 3, McCown was among a group of 12 players who spent time with preschool children at the Boys & Girls Club of New Britain as part of the United Way Dar of Caring. The same morning another 10 players answered phones at the annual 102.9 DRC-FM Children's Miracle Network Radiothon at the Connecticut Children's Medical Center in Hartford and visited patients. In addition, DB Tra Battle is getting involved in the community with "Tra's Battle for Success Foundation," which focuses on assisting youth organizations.
United Football League Stories from September 21, 2010
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- Nighthawks Spend Time with Youth - Omaha Nighthawks
- Hartford Colonials (1-0) Visit Rosenblatt Stadium To Play Omaha Nighthawks (0-0) - Hartford Colonials
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