Lions back to reality on day two
February 6, 2007 - World Indoor Football League 2 (WIFL 2)
Columbus Lions News Release
COLUMBUS, GA, February 6 -- The "adrenaline rush" of Day 1 faded slightly for Columbus Lions players this evening as a workmanlike atmosphere took hold as quarterbacks, receivers and defensive backs got to know each other intimately on the playing field.
Spirited 3-on-3 drills with real contact was the order of the day, with plenty of hitting but no tackling, as the players saved that for next week when offensive and defensive linemen join them. In Head Coach Jason Gibson's extra week for skill players, no one's lacking for repetitions and individual instruction.
QUOTABLE: Gibson: "Our receivers have a lot of learning to do, running routes and understanding the concept of our offense, which is hard to get them to visualize. We must be so repititious that it's second nature. But that's okay, we don't want to start out perfect, it's important they improve every day."
Defensive Coordinator Norbert Sullivan: "Tonight's workout looked like slow-motion, compared to last night. We started slowly and picked up the pace as practice wore on. At first we took a step back instead of forward. It's attributable to the first-day adrenaline rush, and we're back to reality now."
Special Teams Coordinator David Daniels: "The level of hitting was close to full-speed, allowing the receivers to get normal bumps and bruises they need to get ready for the season. We don't tackle at this stage, because the injuries happen when players are taken to the ground."
Offensive/Defensive Line Coach Fred Williams on his first professional coaching job: "The difference in the players at this level? Footwork, the size of the players in general and speed, speed, speed! More players get quality playing time with our 25-man roster, so the majority of amateur players are not in this caliber game-shape." Williams coached the semi-pro Atlanta Prime of the Southeastern American Football League (SEAFL) for four extremely successful seasons.
KEY DATES & WEBSITES:
Lions away opener: Monday, February 26 at Daytona Beach Thunder, 6:30 p.m.
Lions home opener: Sat. March 10 vs. Osceola (Kissimmee, FL) Ghostriders, 7:00 p.m.
Individual game tickets go on sale: To Be Announced
Season Tickets and Advertising: Call 706-327-7570 or visit www.columbuslions.net
World Indoor Football League: www.wifl.us
FEATURED LION: Standout linebacker Mahlon Carey is our first in a series of brief training camp profiles. The 6'2", 215-pound native of Austell, GA was a versatile star at South Cobb H.S., where he also returned kicks and played strong safety well enough to play in the Georgia-Florida All-Star Game at the Georgia game in 2002. He was a teammate there of Atlanta Braves outfielder Jeff Francoeur.
Recruited as a tailback by the University of North Carolina, Carey was also sought by Georgia and Tennessee. He played four years at UNC, leading the team in interceptions as a sophomore defensive back, playing as a nickel linebacker his junior year and returning to safety as a senior. His parents, three sisters and a brother still live in the Atlanta area and have followed his career closely. They caught many of his home games in Chapel Hill, NC and especially relished his games at Georgia Tech.
Carey called Columbus "a nice city with real friendly people. It's very different from Atlanta. Coach Gibson is a straightforward guy, not a lot of rah-rah, clearly knows what he's doing. He's brought in good athletes, we're all communicating and flying around the field."
The 22-year-old history and sociology major graduated on time and definitely has his eye set on the NFL. The Arena Football League Georgia Force may be a stepping-stone, although Carey "wasn't a fan of indoor football originally. It's tough on the defense with all the short, quick pass patterns."
Dealing with agents "probably put me behind the 8-ball, but I know the ropes now" said Carey. In fact, he's got a family friend helping him not only with game and practice film, but setting up a website to make it that much easier for scouts to see his obvious talent.
Carey was told about the Lions opportunity by teammate Jarwarski Pollock, the all-time UNC reception leader who is being looked at by the AFL Austin Wranglers. Carey credits Pollock with having a lot to do with his own defensive skills, having covered him in practice for several years.
"When the big hogs (linemen) get here next week, it'll be more up-tempo, with much more pressure on the QB's -- a more game-like experience and atmosphere. I'm looking forward to it", Carey added.
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World Indoor Football League 2 Stories from February 6, 2007
- Thunder training camp report - Daytona Beach Thunder
- Lions back to reality on day two - Columbus Lions
- GhostRiders training camp report: days 1-3 - Osceola Ghostriders
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