The OSC Interview: New York Dragons Coach Weylan Harding
by Fran Stuchbury
February 22, 2007 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
New York Dragons
OurSports Central contributor Fran Stuchbury spoke to New York Dragons head coach Weylan Harding at Philadelphia Soul media day where a scrimmage took place with the Soul against the Dragons. Harding is entering his third season as head coach for the Dragons. He went 10-6 his first two seasons with the team.
Fran Stuchbury: How have the Dragons looked so far in training camp?
Weylan Harding: We have definitely upgraded the talent all the way around. We are very happy to have DB Billy Parker back. He will improve our secondary a lot. We're looking forward to the scrimmage today to see what type of team we have.
FS: What's the status of QB Aaron Garcia? Is he completely healthy or is he still banged up a bit?
WH: He is still conducting his rehab and everything. No real time table at this point right now. We are preparing for his arrival so we shall see what happens.
FS: So it is to be determined to see if he is ready to start by the beginning of the season?
WH: Yes, we're watching right up to the clock. We are taking our time with it, plus it gives us a chance to look at other guys.
FS: With free substitution does it favor offenses or defenses?
WH: At this point right now, it has yet to be determined. If you look at the transactions with the other teams, you see teams bringing in offensive lineman. As much as you feel you get an upgrade with the defensive lineman, I think the offense might have a slight advantage with the bigger guys.
FS: Back to DB Billy Parker, you now have a solid two DB's with him and Dahnel Singfield. How will the third DB be on defense?
WH: Will Holder showed up well for us last season. We actually have a pretty good group to choose from with the addition of Chris Angel and Ukee Dozier. This scrimmage will help us decide who will be the starter.
FS: So who will be the starting kicker for the Dragons this season?
WH: We have a kicker in Carter Warley, who was a standout in NFL Europe. This will be his first year in the AFL and we will see how he performs.
FS: How do you feel about ESPN getting involved as a broadcast partner?
WH: I think it's a tremendous opportunity for this league, obviously as far as exposure in that ESPN represents a major part of the sports culture in America. I don't know a young man between 18-35 that doesn't turn to ESPN when he wakes up in the morning. It definitely gets us in a position to show our product to the rest of the world. We're looking forward to that.
If you have any questions or comments feel free to drop me an email at arenazone@yahoo.com and I will be more than happy to get back to you.
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from February 22, 2007
- Storm sign Bill Gramatica - Tampa Bay Storm
- Georgia Force Training Camp Report - Georgia Force
- Brigade trims seven off roster, signs another from K-State - Kansas City Brigade
- The OSC Interview: New York Dragons Coach Weylan Harding - OSC Original by Fran Stuchbury
- Gladiators Training Camp: Q & A with Coach Barto - Las Vegas Gladiators
- Man in the middle - Orlando Predators
- Blaze league AFLWA preseason All-Arena selections - Utah Blaze
- ESPN Zone to host watch party for Rush opener - Chicago Rush
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
