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AFL Jacksonville Sharks

Sharks Training Camp Report: February 28

February 28, 2014 - Arena Football League (AFL)
Jacksonville Sharks News Release


ST JOHNS, Fla. - The Jacksonville Sharks returned to the practice field on Friday for the team's final full practice before Sunday's preseason scrimmage against the Tampa Bay Storm. After an easier physical day on Thursday, the team was back in pads for a lengthy morning workout.

The team session that closed Friday's practice was perhaps the most intense of camp so far. On one play, rookie Xavier Brewer dropped wideout Andrew Bodenheimer with a crunching, clean hit that fired up the entire Sharks defense. But as often as the defense broke up a play, the offense executed well on plenty of occasions. With good-natured trash talk exchanged throughout the workout, Friday's practice continued to build the Sharks' overall team chemistry.

Sunday's scrimmage will be the first time that the Sharks play inside in 2014, and marks the first time that many of the team's rookies will have to deal with the walls, rebound nets and all of the Arena Football League's unique features in a game situation. Bodenheimer and Brewer are just two of the many rookies eager for this opportunity.

"It's definitely exciting. Practice is good to get work [in] but it's nothing like a game situation," Bodenheimer said. "To finally have the walls there and see how arena [football] really is, I'm excited to have the opportunity."

Brewer echoed those sentiments, saying, "I'm really excited about that. I haven't played football since my last game in Dallas, so it's just going to be awesome to be out on the field and fly around with these guys."

The Sharks also announced Friday that the team has been assigned defensive lineman Derrick Johnson. The 23-year-old Johnson (6'1", 295) spent his collegiate career at Johnson C. Smith University.

Player Spotlight

Xavier Brewer is one of several rookie defensive backs vying for a spot on the Sharks' 2014 squad. He has a leg up on the competition in one area - familiarity with the local community. A Jacksonville native, Brewer attended Batram Trail High School, just a few miles away from the Sharks' training camp practice field.

"It's kind of surreal, you know, because I grew up playing on these fields," Brewer said. "It's just an awesome opportunity to be able to play for the hometown."

Brewer left the Jacksonville area to attend Clemson University, where he started 34 games over the course of his collegiate career. Elected as a team captain as a senior in 2012, Brewer went on to get a taste of the NFL this past summer, signing with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent. Now that he's making the adjustment to the arena game, Brewer is glad to work with the veterans in the Sharks' secondary.

"Those guys do a great job of keeping everybody encouraged and getting everybody on the same page," he said. "They don't look down upon you, they want to help you get better, so it's been really good."

Up Next

The Sharks will finish their preparation for Sunday's preseason scrimmage by holding team meetings and a walk-through on Saturday morning. On Sunday, the team will take the field against the Tampa Bay Storm at 4:00 p.m. on Sea Best Field at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena. Admission to the scrimmage is free of charge, though fans are asked to bring a donation of pet food that will be collected on behalf of First Coast No More Homeless Pets.



Arena Football League Stories from February 28, 2014


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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