Underdog's Roster Looks Like A Favorite
July 24, 2007 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
San Jose SaberCats News Release
SAN JOSE, Calif. (July 24, 2007) - If you look at the active rosters of the San Jose SaberCats and the Columbus Destroyers without any previous knowledge of arena football or its players, you might confuse which team went 7-9 during the regular season and which one finished with a 13-3 record.
Taking a glance at the flipcard for ArenaBowl XXI in New Orleans on July 29 (ESPN on ABC, 12 noon PT), one can see that the Destroyers' lineup is littered with athletes from premier Division I-A college football programs.
Nine of the 24 players on the roster hail from eight universities that would be considered powerhouses in the realm of college football including USC, Ohio State, Michigan, and Oklahoma. Those four schools alone have combined for 38 National Championships.
The opposing team doesn't look as daunting. Only three SaberCats played their collegiate years at recognizable programs and those schools represent a total of eight NCAA titles.
Clevan Thomas attended Florida State and Jason Geathers was a Hurricane at the peak of Miami's football dominance - both of these players bear championship rings due to their contributions on the football field. Troy Reddick played in the most respected conference in college football, the SEC, with the Auburn Tigers.
"If you are a part of a winning tradition and add to the dynasty then you have a certain mentality when facing opponents," attested Reddick, who played with NFLers Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown. "You basically have a winning attitude and don't think about losing because that's not really an option when you come from a big name program that only wins."
Geathers, who lined up at receiver, running back and kick returner at "The U", also gave insight into why playing at an elite school could be advantageous after reaching a professional level of football.
"At a big school you will get more TV time and a little more recognition. That's why it's a big time school because everything you do is on a pro-type of level. You know you are going to be on TV so everything you do you try to be more professional."
Of course having players that were members of nationally spotlighted college programs doesn't always translate into a successful Arena Football team, as evidenced by the SaberCats who finished the season at 13-3 and are favored in the league title game.
The high-profile players on San Jose's roster were groomed at institutions that aren't household names such as UC Davis, Norfolk State, St. Cloud State and Slippery Rock.
Looking around the league, it's probably safe to say that a larger portion of the athletes didn't attend well-known college football schools than did.
Reddick provides his opinion on why this might be. "Sometimes you've got guys that went to big programs, had successful careers and they don't understand why they didn't make it to the NFL. They become very disenchanted with the whole situation so most of them fall out love with football. I don't understand why some guys think the NFL is the only way to achieve their professional sports dreams."
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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from July 24, 2007
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