Hartford Colonials to Make First Overall Pick in UFL Draft
April 27, 2011 - United Football League (UFL 1)
Hartford Colonials News Release
EAST HARTFORD, CT ¬" Wednesday, April 27, 2011 ¬" The Hartford Colonials will kick off the 2011 United Football League Draft on Monday, May 2, with head coach and general manager JERRY GLANVILLE making the No. 1 overall selection.
Hartford will pick first in each of the 10 rounds, starting with its first-round selection at 8 p.m. The draft order is based on the 2010 standings. The Colonials were 3-5 under Chris Palmer last season.
¬ÅHaving the first overall pick allows us to select the best player who is not taken in the NFL Draft. And if that guy fills our need, we will jump on him like a panther, ¬Â said Glanville, in his first season as Colonials head coach and GM.
Glanville and the four other UFL coaches will announce their selections through their respective Twitter.com accounts. Round-by-round picks will then be posted at www.UFL-Football.com and on each team ¬â¢s Facebook page.
¬ÅWe believe this will be a social media first as our head coaches announce their selections exclusively to their Twitter followers, ¬Â said UFL Commissioner MICHAEL HUYGHUE, who will announce the first round selections from his Twitter account before the head coaches take over.
¬ÅThe UFL Draft plays an important role in stocking our teams ¬â¢ rosters and we hope fans enjoy this innovative means of communicating each pick. ¬Â
Following Hartford in each round will be Omaha, Sacramento, Virginia and two-time UFL champion Las Vegas.
¬ÅWe ¬â¢ll try to fix anything that ¬â¢s broken, ¬Â Glanville said. ¬ÅI ¬â¢ve never believed you draft the best athlete, that ¬â¢s how you get in trouble. You draft the best athlete at the need that you have. Don ¬â¢t take another offensive guard if you got three good ones just because the player is a good offensive guard. For each round, we ¬â¢ll take the best guy available providing we have a need in that area. ¬Â
Glanville has participated in a number of drafts during his 20 years of coaching in the NFL, including nine seasons as head coach of the Houston Oilers (1985-89) and Atlanta Falcons (1990-93).
¬ÅI think it may be the year of a lifetime for us, ¬Â Glanville said, noting the NFL labor situation. ¬ÅWhen I was in the NFL, I would be flying in a private plane and signing these free agents that weren ¬â¢t drafted. I ¬â¢d go from Brownsville, Texas, all the way to Logan, Utah, and sign everybody in between the minute the draft ended. Now we don ¬â¢t have to compete against that. The NFL is letting us look at 400 players that they want to sign as free agents. ¬Â
Selections will be posted at the end of each round at the www.UFL-Football.com website and will be detailed on each UFL team ¬â¢s facebook page along with biographical information and highlight videos.
UFL Head Coach Twitter handles:
UFL Commissioner Michael Huyghue @UFLCommissioner
Hartford Colonials Jerry Glanville @JerryGlanville
Omaha Nighthawks Joe Moglia @UFLJoeMoglia
Sacramento Mountain Lions Dennis Green @UFLDennisGreen
Virginia Destroyers Marty Schottenheimer @DestroyersMarty
Las Vegas Locos Jim Fassel @LocosJimFassel
The Draft will be held over a period of 10 rounds during which each of the five UFL teams will be allowed one pick per round. During Rounds One, Two and Three each team will have five minutes to make their selection of a player. During Rounds Four through Ten, each team will have three minutes to make their selection of a player.
The Draft selection order will be as follows:
Rounds 1-10 Selections will be based on 2010 final record:
1. Hartford Colonials (3-5 in 2010)
2. Omaha Nighthawks (3-5 in 2010)
3. Sacramento Mountain Lions (4-4 in 2010)
4. Virginia Destroyers (Florida Tuskers were 5-4 in 2010)
5. Las Vegas Locos (6-3 in 2010)
* 2010 Player trades affecting the 2011 UFL Draft will be announced on draft day along with a full draft order.
Players selected in the draft shall remain on each team ¬â¢s Reserved Unsigned List until formally added to the roster by virtue of a negotiated contract. Each UFL team already had an opportunity to protect a maximum of 40 players from 2010 rosters and this week added a further 10 street free agents by submitting a Reserved Unsigned list.
A period of free agency will begin following the 2011 UFL Draft, allowing teams to bring rosters up to a maximum of 70 players heading into training camp.
UFL roster breakdown (70 maximum):
÷ Up to 40 protected players (announced April 6)
÷ 10 additional Reserve Unsigned players (announced April 26)
÷ 10 drafted players (May 2)
÷ Free agency (begins May 3)
United Football League Stories from April 27, 2011
- Mountain Lions to Pick Third in UFL Draft May 2 - Sacramento Mountain Lions
- Hartford Colonials to Make First Overall Pick in UFL Draft - Hartford Colonials
- United Football League to Hold Player Draft on May 2 - UFL 1
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