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United Football League Teams Announce 2011 Protected Player Lists

April 6, 2011 - United Football League (UFL 1) News Release


JACKSONVILLE, FL - Wednesday, April 6 - The head coaches of the five United Football League teams preparing to kickoff the 2011 UFL season in August have announced their protected player lists.

The first element of building each team's roster starts with planning to re-sign a maximum of 40 players who saw action for their respective teams in 2010, followed by the forthcoming 2011 UFL Draft and adding players whose UFL rights each team claims through the Professional Exempt List.

"I have always placed high value on our players returning because we don't have an offseason program and we don't have a long training camp with preseason games," said JIM FASSEL, headcoach of the defending champion Las Vegas Locos. "I have value in guys who have been with us. They know the scheme, offensively, defensively, how they fit."

Among the 40 protected players for the two-time defending UFL-champion Locomotives are the first two UFL Championship Game Most Valuable Players - running back DEDE DORSEY (in 2009) and quarterback CHASE CLEMENT (2010). Also on the Locos list is hometown hero and middle linebacker EDGERTON HARTWELL, along with 23 players who were with the team for both title runs, including sack master defensive end ERIC HENDERSON, linebacker TEDDY LEHMAN, the UFL all-time leading tackler, tight end ADAM BERGEN and the wide receiver trio of SAMIE PARKER, TAB PERRY and ANDRAE THURMAN, who caught a 75-yard touchdown pass in the 2010 UFL Championship Game.

The 2010 players on the Colonials 34-man protected list include quarterback JOSH McCOWN, the league's leading passer; defensive end MICHALE SPICER, one of the league's top sack artists, and a trio of ex-Connecticut Huskies - center KEITH GRAY, linebacker DANNY LANSANAH and running back ANDRE DIXON.

"Because of the numbers, we were able to protect everyone we wanted," said Colonials Head Coach JERRY GLANVILLE. "This is the initial step toward building the 2011 roster. The next step will be to take a closer look at these players and identifying which ones best fit into our system. Bottom line, each player has to improve from last year because that's the best way for the team to improve."

The Sacramento Mountain Lions 40-man protected list includes the 2010 UFL Offensive Player of the Year, running back CORY ROSS, and quarterback DAUNTE CULPEPPER, who set numerous league single-game and single-season passing records last fall. Other top potential returnees on the Mountain Lions' list include return dynamo AARON WOODS and the linebacker trio of ZEKE MORENO, MICHAEL TAUILIILI and DONTARRIOUS THOMAS.

"We think we have a great group," said Mountain Lions Head Coach DENNIS GREEN. "We've talked to all those players, and they've expressed interest in coming back.

"You always build on your strength from what you had the year before. They are determined that they will not let anybody beat them out."

The Omaha Nighthawks have the 40 players from their expansion season that they will look to build off of for 2010. Included in that list are wide receiver ROBERT FERGUSON, the top wideout in the UFL in 2010; cornerback RICARDO COLCLOUGH, the league's top kickoff returner a year ago; kicker JEFF WOLFERT, who led the UFL in field-goal accuracy in 2010 and running back MAURICE CLARETT, who kick-started his professional career as the Nighthawks No. 3 back last season.

"I feel good that they are the right guys, and guys who made contributions in the past," said Nighthawks Head Coach JOE MOGLIA. "Just the fact that you kind of know each other and the guy who is playing next to you, those things are a plus."

This year's UFL expansion team, the Virginia Destroyers, have an advantage the Nighthawks did not, in that the Destroyers have inherited the roster of the Florida Tuskers, who played in the 2009 and 2010 UFL Championship Games, from which to build their 40-man protected list.

Some of the bigger names on Virginia's list include defensive end PATRICK CHUKWURAH, linebacker ODELL THURMAN, wide receiver CALVIN RUSSELL and local products DARRYL BLACKSTOCK (University of Virginia) at linebacker and ANTHONY DAVIS (Virginia Tech) at guard.

"We've got a solid foundation of players, and I think those who were here before, they know how to win football games in the UFL," said Destroyers Head Coach MARTY SCHOTTENHEIMER. "Over the course of the next couple of months, we will continue to build our roster through the draft and open and private workouts."



United Football League Stories from April 6, 2011


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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