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Seeking A Little Redemption, Wand Ready For Season Opener

September 11, 2010 - United Football League (UFL 1)
Florida Tuskers News Release


ORLANDO, FL - SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2010- The Orlando-based band CREED once wrote a song that sums up what the Florida Tuskers had to be thinking after their 20-17 overtime loss to the Las Vegas Locomotives in the 2009 UFL championship game. That song was called "What If," and for Tuskers offensive lineman Seth Wand it describes the painful end of the 2009 UFL season.

Now that training camp has broken for the Tuskers they can focus on their Week 1 game with the Locos. A rematch that special teams coach Al Roberts is looking forward to so much he could be heard at practice earlier this week screaming "VEGAS," to the players as they warmed up.

Like Roberts, Wand is also looking forward to facing Las Vegas again. The passion and eagerness could be heard in his voice as he commented on next week's return trip to face the defending champion Locos.

"We're going to want to win next weekend's game badly," Wand said. "We lost the championship game last year and it doesn't sit well with us. We thought we had that game, but we let it slip away once they got the momentum with some big plays. After beating them twice in the regular season, it's easy to look back and say what if... "

The 2010 Tuskers schedule reads more like one you would create on your PlayStation at home if you were to replace cupcake opponents with some true slobber knockers to help lift rankings. Florida will see Las Vegas twice in the first three weeks of the season with a trip to the Sacramento Mountain Lions sandwiched in between.

Las Vegas can be a tough city to stay focused on football, but the eight-year profession football veteran insists that the Tuskers minds will be strictly on business next Saturday.

"We'll fly in there on Friday and head straight to bed because of the three-hour time change," Wand said. "I think this group is motivated to go out there and get a win to start off our season."

At 6'7, 330 pounds, Wand gives the Tuskers a solid anchor at right tackle to create space for the running backs and protect UFL MVP quarterback Brooks Bollinger.

"Seth has been our starting right tackle since the beginning of the UFL and he's a dependable guy. We're lucky to have him back this year," Gruden said. "We're depending on Seth big time to protect our quarterback and help us keep the offense moving the ball down the field."

A former third round pick of the Houston Texans, Wand has 53 games of NFL experience and made 18 career starts. He spent time with the Oakland Raiders in the National Football League last season and had a chance to go back during the off-season, but chose to stay with the Tuskers. In college, Wand was part of a Division II national championship team along with Florida's back-up quarterback Chris Greisen at Northwest Missouri State University.

The Springfield, Missouri native says that between his last two years at Springfield Catholic High School and his first two years of college where his team's won national championships; he was a part of just two losses in that span.

"I have been fortunate to be around some great coaches and players everywhere I have been," Wand said. "In college we had a season where we lost four games which may not be too bad in most places, but where I went it was like the end of the world for us."

One loss proved the end of the world for the Tuskers last season which has them out for some redemption when they invade Sam Boyd Stadium to face the Locos next week. That game can be seen live on HDnet (DirecTV channel 306) September 18th at 11 p.m. Eastern.

Tuskers Notes: After a walk-through practice on Friday where they worked on the two-minute drill and special teams, head coach Jay Gruden gave his team Saturday and Sunday off...the team will begin preparations for Las Vegas on Monday...wide receiver coach Ike Hilliard will be the guest speaker at the Orlando Touchdown Club on Monday evening...Gruden will kick off the first installment of Jay Gruden's Inside Tusker Football radio show on Monday night (7-8 p.m.) originating at Ember (42 W. Central), the public is invited to attend...although the initial Tuskers depth chart has Dominic Rhodes as the starting running back, fans should not read too much into the pecking order...both Aveion Cason and Maurice Hicks had great training camps and expect all three to see plenty of action this season...WR Calvin Russell won a starting job during training camp, an impressive accomplishment considered he was not on the Tusker staff's radar until June, when he turned some heads at the Atlanta open tryout camp...both Tony Taylor and Arnold Harrison survived the final cuts, joining team captain Odell Thurman, to give the Tuskers three linebackers who played together at the University of Georgia.



United Football League Stories from September 11, 2010


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.

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