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Tuskers J Leman Plugs Gap At Linebacker

November 25, 2010 - United Football League (UFL 1)
Florida Tuskers News Release


OMAHA, NE, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2010 -What does a coach do at midseason when practically every one of his linebackers are sitting on the sidelines with injuries and his team has its back against the wall. If you are Tuskers linebacker coach Fred Pagac Jr., you call up your dad - Fred Pagac Sr. for some advice.

Pagac Sr., a linebackers coach with the Minnesota Vikings, wasted little time to issuing that advice--call J Leman and call him now. A linebacker who spent several years in the Vikings organization under the tutelage of Pagac Sr., Leman was released by the Vikings in October. Two weeks later, he was signed by the Tuskers to replace Anthony Schlegel, who injured his shoulder in a Sept. 30 loss to Sacramento.

At the time, the Tuskers were 2-3 and mired in fourth place in the United Football League.

Since Leman joined the team, the Tuskers have won three-straight games and have clinched a spot in Saturday's UFL title game against the Las Vegas Locomotives.

Leman has been outstanding, recording 12.5 tackles and a pass defense and fumble recovery in those three wins. "He's a smart football player," defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan says. "He has great instincts and never seems to be out of position. His play has been even more impressive because we have asked him to play different positions at linebacker."

The coaching ties that allowed the Tuskers to discover Leman run deep. In addition to the Pagac connection, Bresnahan worked with Pagac Sr. when they helped the Oakland Raiders reach Super Bowl XXXVII in 2002.

"J Leman is another guy we brought in through our fortunate coaching ties and he has done an outstanding job stepping into our system without missing a beat," Pagac Jr. said.

A product of the University of Illinois, Leman led the Fighting Illini with 132 tackles as he helped his team to a Rose Bowl berth during the 2007 season. Playing under former Florida coach Ron Zook, he finished his career at Illinois with 407 tackles, 8.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, and one interception.

From there, he was signed by the Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He went on to join the practice squads of the Carolina Panthers, Philadelphia Eagles, and San Diego Chargers that season before making his NFL debut with the Vikings on December 15, 2009.

Landing with Bresnahan's defensive squad in the UFL was not a shock for Leman coming from Pagac Sr's. expert tutelage.

"Coach Pagac [Jr] made a call to get me with the Tuskers and I was thankful for the opportunity to continue playing football," Leman said. "It really didn't surprise me since all three of them have worked together before and that's fortunate for me because now I get to play for the championship on Saturday."

Leman is also complimentary of his coaching staff and their reputation among the pool of professional football players. He was especially happy about the opportunity to play under Bresnahan, who is celebrating his 25th coaching season and has been an outstanding addition to the Tuskers coaching staff in his first campaign.

"I am excited to play for coach Bresnahan and I think it speaks volumes about his reputation with his former players," said Leman. "He is the type of coach that guys jump up to take that call and want to come out and play for him because he is an encourager and a great teacher he makes you want to be better for him."

Examples of that experience include Odell Thurman, who the Tuskers are hoping to get back for the championship game as well as safety Keiwan Ratliff who has returned two interceptions for touchdowns in his last three games. Both players shined under Bresnahan in his time with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Leman knows he is just the latest example of the success the Florida coaching staff has had in plugging in the right pieces and he believes that he has found his niche on the team. Besides his tackling skills, last Friday against Omaha he also showcased his cover and ball skills when he knocked away a Jeff Garcia pass that helped seal the victory for the Tuskers.

The insertion of Leman is just one example of how the Florida Tuskers have been able to not only remain competitive but actually improve as the season has gone on. To date, no fewer than 12 defensive starters or key reserves have been injured, resulting in more than 40 games being missed.

"Even with the incredible amount of injuries we have had to overcome, we've been fortunate to some extent," Head Coach Jay Gruden said. "Chuck (defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan), Bret (Player Personnel Director Bret Munsey) and the other coaches have done a great job of finding not only good athletes but the right athletes to fill the gaps."

TUSKERS NOTEBOOK: The Tuskers practiced in 15 degree weather on Thursday morning...following meetings, they were scheduled to enjoy a Thanksgiving Dinner at their team hotel...Should the Tuskers win on Saturday, it would be the 8th time Florida head coach Jay Gruden has won a professional football championship...Gruden won four titles as quarterback of the Tampa Bay Storm (Arena Football League) in the 90s, won championships as head coach of the Orlando Predators in 1998 and 2000 and won a Super Bowl ring with the Tampa Bay Bucs in 2002 as an offensive assistant... "Every season is different and presents different challenges," Gruden said. "And although championships are the ultimate goal, I've played and worked for a lot of teams that accomplished some great things during the season without winning a title. Obviously we're thrilled to be in this position and a win Saturday would be personally gratifying but I would be happier for my players who have worked so hard this season."...About half the Tuskers roster participated as instructors at football clinic for about 200 children in Omaha on Wednesday...the clinic was organized by former Nebraska quarterback Tommie Frazier...the team then went bowling...Several players families have started to make the trek to Omaha for Saturday's championship...Quarterback Chris Greisen's wife Shannon made an 11-hour drive from Green Bay, Wisconsin with their four young children...although the Tuskers defeated Omaha twice in the last four weeks and knocked the Nighthawks out of contention, the Tuskers will have at least one Nighthawks player pulling hard for Florida...Greisen's younger brother Nick Greisen is a linebacker on Omaha's team... "We've always been competitive and but we've always been highly supportive of each other," Chris said. "During last Friday's game I know Nick would have liked nothing better than to end our season but afterward he grabbed me and told me to win it all."...Saturday's UFL title game kicks off at 12 noon (EST) and will be televised on VERSUS and can also be heard throughout Central Florida on WTKS 104.1 FM...Tuskers fans are also invited to a viewing party at Buffalo Wild Wings - Waterford Lakes...the party will feature drink specials with Tuskers and UFL gear being given away...although Tuskers teammates Jerome Carter, Eric Moore, Keiwan Ratliff and receivers coach Ike Hilliard will be united for a common cause against Las Vegas on Saturday, there may be some friendly post-game trash talking after the game...Carter and Moore are former Florida State players; while Hilliard and Ratliff played at Florida...the two schools square off for the 55th time at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.



United Football League Stories from November 25, 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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