Training Camp Preview Part 2: In's And Out's For 2011
Published on March 3, 2011 under Southern Indoor Football League (SIFL)
Columbus Lions News Release
COLUMBUS, GA (March 3, 2011) - In the second of a three part series, we will be examining this year's roster entering training camp this Friday as well as discuss some of the changes made within in the Southern Indoor Football League for 2011.
Since their inception in 2007, one constant with Columbus has been the number of players who play their way up whether it's from their inaugural season with Jauron Dailey to Anthony Merritt jumping on the Colorado Crush playoff roster to homebred Troy Bergeron making the jump to the NFL. Many members of the 2010 championship squad kept that tradition alive with as many as five players currently in camp with AFL teams in addition to the fact Defensive MVP Damian Daniels opted to stay home instead of joining the Cleveland Gladiators.
Keeping up with the roster can become a burden as players are constantly added or dropped at all facets of the game. Lions fans need not worry as ten members from the championship roster are slated to enter camp, including some who earned All-SIFL accolades for 2010 like defensive back Anthony Merritt and linebacker Ryan Babb. Both of which also happen to be local products of the bi-city area, something the Lions have prominently featured over the past four years.
Like previous seasons, training camp will feature a number of fresh faces to not just the Columbus Lions but to the indoor game itself. In the past, Coach Gibson has been able to find rookies who make an immediate impact while others taken time to blossom. Last season, both offensive lineman Dion Small and defensive lineman Tremaine Jehovah flourished as rookies while wide receiver Tirone Morris entered as a rookie back in 2007 and jumped off the page in 2010 recording league high 85 receptions.
This season, some of the rookies include Maurice Dupree (5'10 187, Jacksonville State, WR) and Dustin Doe (6'0 220, Florida, LB). Before joining the Lions, Dupree went into training camp with the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars on two different occasions while Doe won two national championships while with the Gators.
Also in the mix are some veterans looking to extend their careers like former Auburn standout Tez Doolittle (6'3 285, DL) and quarterback Shayne Milligan (6'3 225, Elon). Once a signee of the NFL's Seattle Seahawks, Doolittle is hoping he can wreak havoc on the defensive front like he did during his collegiate career while some fans may remember Milligan started against Columbus twice in 2009 as a member of the Carolina Speed.
¬ÅWith the collapse of so many other leagues, it has kind of become easy and hard at the same time when it comes to evaluating talent, ¬Â says Columbus Lions Head Coach Jason Gibson. ¬ÅWhile the quality of players is at an all-time high, there are so few opportunities players have to impress along with having a small window as to how many players we can sign. ¬Â
For the second time, the Lions will be returning to the league they played in the previous season but the SIFL may not be the same league has they remember it from last year. The league has grown from five to sixteen members; thanks in large part to a merger formed with the American Indoor Football Association (AIFA) a league in which the Lions were members of for two seasons (2008-2009). Back are in-state rivals the Albany Panthers along with bayou partners Lafayette and Louisiana as the Greenville Force was the only member not to make it back.
Despite being southern in name, the league has expanded as far north as Trenton, NJ and as west as Abilene, TX. With those additions, the SIFL has vowed to stick by their motto of playing more of a regional football schedule. In the end of things, Columbus won't have to worry about making 16 hour bus rides to cities like Baltimore, MD or Corpus Cristi, TX and will continue playing a regional schedule something the Lions grew quite comfortable with last season. In fact, some old rivalries will be renewed as the likes of the Carolina Speed and Fayetteville Force (previously known as the Guard) are back in the fold.
Other additions to the league include the expansion Mobile Bay Tarpons, Houston Stallions, and the Alabama Hammers, a club in which the Lions will meet up with on three different occasions. Along with some rules changes that currently coincide with the AFL, the Lions will once again enjoy a travel friendly schedule along with a league suited for their financial needs.
¬ÅOne thing that jumps off the page with our schedule are both proximity and high value of teams we play, ¬Â claims Coach Gibson. ¬ÅI don't think our fans will be seeing any 99-0 blowouts like we had last season. ¬Â
The defending champs will begin training camp this Friday March 4th with a scrimmage against the North Georgia Bulldogs set to take place on March 13th. Columbus will begin defending their title on the road against the Alabama Hammers on Saturday March 19th with the season opener taking place on the following weekend against the Richmond Raiders.
In our next and final installment of training camp preview, we will survey the playing field and take a look at some of the burning questions entering training camp such as what it is going to take to re-peat.
For more information, log on to www.columbuslions.net or contact the Lions front office at 706-322-3336.
Southern Indoor Football League Stories from March 3, 2011
- Richmond Raiders Open Preseason Practice - Richmond Raiders
- Training Camp Preview Part 2: In's And Out's For 2011 - Columbus Lions
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