Martin, Demps in All-Star Game
August 3, 2005 - National Indoor Football League (NIFL)
Lakeland ThunderBolts News Release
LAKELAND, Fla. - There has been a lot happen around the fortunes of the Lakeland ThunderBolts, but one more item will complete the season for the first-year National Indoor Football League team.
Defensive back Damian Demps and quarterback Jeremy Martin will participate Saturday in the 2005 NIFL All-Star Classic game in Odessa, Texas. The two were selected to play on a team of 24 NIFL All-Stars, who will meet the Odessa Roughnecks, a team that finished 16-1, losing only to the eventual NIFL Indoor Bowl V champion Tri-Cities Fever for the Pacific Conference, and semifinal, title.
This will be the first-ever All-Star game I've played in, said an elated Martin, who led the ThunderBolts to six wins and a first-round game in the NIFL playoffs. Martin will be one of only two quarterbacks and the other being Albert Higgs from the Everett Hawks, who finished the season 15-1.
DEFENSIVE BACK OFF INJURY Demps, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound former University of Central Florida standout, had minor shoulder surgery a month ago, but has been given the medical okay from team physicians to play. I am excited and grateful to be selected, said Demps, 26, from his home in Orlando.
I'm going to go out and warm up and see how it feels, said Demps. I've got full rotation and it feels pretty good. Demps injured the shoulder in a home game against Montgomery on June 11.
Martin, 25, and a two-time All-State standout from Middletown, R.I., said, Rhode Island did not have a high school all-star game until the year after I graduated. Martin played both quarterback and strong safety at Middletown High School and then went to Gardner-Webb University where he starred for four seasons at quarterback.
MARTIN 05 NUMBERS EXCELLENT Martin, who ranked in the top 10 of several NIFL statistical categories, would have done even better had he not missed four games to injuries. He sustained a quad contusion the first time and then had a staph infection later in the season.
Despite the loss of playing time, he still managed a 105.84 pass rating, connected on .620 percent of his passes, totaled 1,814 yards through the air and connected on 34 passing scores. The passing yardage gave him the league's 5th best total while Higgs led the NIFL with 3,036 yards and 72 touchdowns.
Martin also ran for 95 yards and three touchdowns.
Demps, a free safety, led the league in missed field goal returns with eight and had a team-high eight interceptions. He played alongside some other fine defensive backs with the Bolts that included Lance Small, Eli Shorter and Aramis Haralson.
DEMPS GETS TRIAL WITH PREDS Demps said he sat beside Orlando Predators head coach Jay Gruden during the Kissimmee Kreatures game he missed and the Arena Football League Hall of Famer said he would get a workout at one of the Predators camps in a month.
Everett Hawks head coach Dan Maciejczak will coach the NIFL All-Stars and Chris Williams, the head mentor with the Odessa Roughnecks, will be on the opposite side of the field. All head coaches in the league have been ask to participate in the activities which run both Friday and Saturday.
There will be a gala banquet on Friday night and a on Saturday morning a combine workout for coaches and player personnel from the AFL, CFL and other leagues.
• Discuss this story on the National Indoor Football League message board...
National Indoor Football League Stories from August 3, 2005
- Martin, Demps in All-Star Game - Lakeland ThunderBolts
- Seth Tucker will represent Capitols in All-Star Game - Lincoln Capitols
- Capitols take part in jail and bail to raise money for March of Dimes - Lincoln Capitols
- ThunderBolts begin search for new head coach - Lakeland ThunderBolts
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
