Inside the Soul: No Sophomore Slump for Soul
February 1, 2012 - Arena Football League (AFL)
Philadelphia Soul News Release
There is a common myth in professional sports known as the "sophomore slump".
It occurs when a rookie has a breakout first season, only to have a sub-par second.
Two second-year members of the Philadelphia Soul defense, defensive lineman Jeffrey Fitzgerald and defensive back Kent Richardson, are doing their best to avoid the seemingly unavoidable set back in a young athlete's career.
For Richardson, the notion of a sophomore slump doesn't even exist.
"I don't believe in that," Richardson said. "People that work hard produce and big-time players are going to show up in big-time games."
Richardson produced in a big way for the Soul in 2011. The former Mountaineer played 16 of the team's 18 games, nine of which he was a member of the starting lineup.
Despite not making his first start until the eighth game of the season against the Jacksonville Sharks, Richardson still managed to lead the Soul in tackles with 61.0 (51 solo) and grabbed an interception.
Going into 2012, however, Richardson feels as though he needs to take his game to another level.
In order to reach the next level Richardson said the he is mainly going to keep watching film and working on the basic techniques of playing defensive back in the Arena Football League, such as improving his backpedaling.
It also wouldn't hurt Richardson's improvement by playing with three former All-Arena selections in the defensive backfield in 2012. He will be joining forces with 2011 All-Arena selections Rayshaun Kizer and Micheaux Robinson and 2010 All-Arena selection Tanner Varner, who is returning from an injury-plagued 2011.
They will make-up one of the most talented and talked about collection of defensive backs in recent memory.
"In Arena Football, it isn't so much about getting stops on downs, where you stop a team four times in a row, it's more about getting turnovers and interceptions and putting teams in uncomfortable situations," Soul head coach Doug Plank said about the secondary.
"They not only work hard on the field with their physical contributions, but they also do all of the necessary things off the field, which is study video and get prepared and they're mentally and physically ready to play the game," Plank added.
Playing with stalwarts like Kizer, Robinson and Varner should pay dividends to the Soul and could be a great learning experience for a second-year player like Richardson.
"I feel like I can learn a little bit from them and they can learn some from me," Richardson said. "We can all get better together."
Fitzgerald made an impact in his own right in 2011. During his rookie campaign Fitzgerald played in 13 games and recorded 27.5 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
Despite playing in only 13 games, Fitzgerald didn't crack the starting lineup until the ninth game of the season against the Georgia Force.
But once Fitzgerald finally made into the starting lineup, he stayed and started the last 10 games of the season for the Soul.
"Jeffrey is one of those players that don't need to be coerced or encouraged," Plank said. "He has a high-motor, he's constantly playing at a very high level as far as energy and execution is concerned."
"Those kind of traits on a player, they effect each other and there's no doubt in my mind that with his ability, if he can continue to play at a high level, at that intensity, can have an effect on other players on our team," Plank added about Fitzgerald.
Richardson made his way into the starting lineup mainly out of the rash of injuries to the Philadelphia secondary; Fitzgerald on the other hand, cracked the starting lineup because he finally started to adjust from the outdoor game to the indoor game.
Fitzgerald admittedly said the learning curve was steeper than he expected.
"It's definitely very different," Fitzgerald said of playing in the AFL. "With this one year under my belt I think I have a greater understanding for the game. [I'm] looking forward to taking what I've learned from last year and build upon on that this upcoming year."
Helping him build upon a solid 2011 season will be fellow defensive lineman Dustin Barno and Darrell Campbell, both of whom are seasoned veterans of the AFL and are both coming back to the Soul in 2012.
"[Dustin and Darrell] took me under their wing," Fitzgerald said. "They taught me a lot about the game, giving me pointers here and there in practice. Everybody really just helps each other out and trying to do the best they can for the team's success."
"Those veteran guys helped out tremendously," Fitzgerald added. "Whether it was with film study, workouts or on the field work those guys were just constantly working and I feel like as a defensive line especially you are a very tight knit group."
The sophomore slump has doomed even the most famous of athletes, but hopefully for two of the Soul's young guns, 2012 will somewhat debunk the myth.
Arena Football League Stories from February 1, 2012
- Preds Adrian Awasom Meets with Families of Vietnam Veterans - Orlando Predators
- AFL Launches AFL Alumni Association - AFL
- Inside the Soul: No Sophomore Slump for Soul - Philadelphia Soul
- Georgia Force Super Bowl Party at the Arena Tavern - Georgia Force
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