NFL Europe training camp notes
Published on March 1, 2006 under National Football League Europa (NFLE) News Release
The six NFL Europe teams took a further step towards finalizing their rosters on Wednesday, when they met for the third time in scrimmages at the Ed Radice Sports Complex in Tampa, Florida.
The action took place just three days before the teams are due to cut their rosters down to the final 48 players that will travel to Europe for the 2006 NFLEL season, which kicks off on March 18. The final scrimmages of training camp are set for this Saturday March 4. Here are the highlights of Wednesday's contests:
Berlin Thunder vs Cologne Centurions
Berlin's ground game made some strides against a tough Cologne front four, with second-year Thunder player Little John Flowers carrying the ball seven times for 28 yards. Quarterback Lang Campbell (Cleveland Browns) completed 4 of 6 passes for 46 yards, and hitting receiver Kendrick Mosley (Cleveland Browns) on a 23-yard touchdown strike. B.J. Symons (Chicago Bears) also had a scoring pass among his four completions.
Cologne emphasized their running backs, with Fred Russell (St Louis Rams) carrying 6 times for 39 yards and a touchdown. Alex Haynes (Carolina Panthers) bulldozed inside for a total of 47 yards from his 6 attempts. Shane Boyd (Pittsburgh Steelers) completed half of his six passes for 74 yards, with a touchdown pass to Reggie Newhouse.
From the quotebook
"Some of the guys fighting for spots have to step it up a bit. The first team offensive line played very well, but I know some of the players on our second team line will be unhappy with how they played. I thought our backs ran hard and the quarterbacks made good decisions with the ball. Overall I liked our intensity but some players need to begin competing better." - Berlin Thunder offensive coordinator Don Eck
"This was a big step for the Centurions, because we really did not play as well as we wanted in our last scrimmage. We have improved on getting our assignments correct and our execution on offense, and defensively we have a hard working, strong group. we can be pleased with what we achieved today." - Cologne tight end Werner Hippler.
Amsterdam Admirals vs Frankfurt Galaxy
Amsterdam showcased their aerial game, with Reggie Robertson (Oakland Raiders) throwing for a score to French running back Sandino Octobre. On 14 completions the Admirals passers spread the ball between nine different receivers, with Skyler Fulton (Seattle Seahawks) once again proving to be a favorite target for his quarterbacks. The Admirals defense came up with a turnover when linebacker Derrick Ballard intercepted.
Frankfurt receiver Tom Crowder (Dallas Cowboys) came up with two spectacular catches - both for 15 yards - to fire up the offense. One of those came from Craig Ochs (Buffalo Bills), who hit on 4 of 7 attempts, while Bryson Spinner (San Francisco 49ers) completed half of his six attempts.
From the quotebook
"I would give us an âA' grade for effort. This team has a lot of hard working guys who really care. As long as we keep getting better I think we could be really good. We are on track compared to last year in camp, but it will come down to our playmakers finding ways to make big plays when the games start." - Amsterdam guard Tyler Lenda
"The offense moved the ball and they were able to throw some good passes. We ran the ball well in spots and had good protection. On the defensive side we did what we came out to do. We were in our gaps, covered guys, and we put solid pressure on the quarterback. We're moving in the right direction." - Frankfurt defensive line coach Cornell Brown
Hamburg Sea Devils vs Rhein Fire
Two of Hamburg's three quarterbacks, Brock Berlin (Miami Dolphins) and James Kilian (Kansas City Chiefs) marched the offense to scores. The Sea Devils were keyed by some strong running from Mike Jemison (Pittsburgh Steelers), who had several carries for over five yards.
The Rhein defense showed its passion with several important plays, including interceptions by Siddeeq Shabbazz (Miami Dolphins) and Therrian Fontenot (Green Bay Packers). Drew Henson (Dallas Cowboys) completed 4 of 6 passes for 59 yards.
From the quotebook
"This was an intense scrimmage and I was pleased with how the players reacted in this type of situation. We need to work hard in the final few days of training camp before we go back to Europe." - Hamburg head coach Jack Bicknell
"This could be a serious rivalry, judging from today. Everybody is out here trying to compete for jobs and so it is going to get a little tense. If we had wanted to play nicely, we would have come down to Florida with our golf clubs." - Rhein cornerback Ronyell Whitaker
The final scrimmages take place this Saturday March 4 at the University of Tampa's Pepin/ Rood Stadium: Amsterdam v Hamburg, 8:30am; Frankfurt v Berlin, 10:00am; Cologne v Rhein, 11:30am
National Football League Europa Stories from March 1, 2006
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