Last year in the NIFL there were different rules than this year in the AFL. The NIFL is allowed to play 4 defensive backs and the AFL can only play 3. That makes 2 linebackers in the AFL opposed to the NIFL one. Also not to mention that the athletes in this league are a little better than those in the NIFL.
I need to get used to the different rule changes, defenses, and the speed of the game. I am with a good team here in Tampa. The Storm have won 5 World Championships in the AFL, so they know how to win and play good football.
Not to mention the two QBs in front of me are two of the top QBs in the AFL. Shane is the starter and he is making this his 5th AFL season. Pat O'Hara, aka P.O., is a veteran of the AFL making this his tenth or eleventh season in the AFL and is likely heading to the AFL Hall of Fame.
Needless to say I'm learning from two of the best QBs in Arena football and that is something I need to be thankful for. I talked to some of the other coaches I know around Arena and Indoor football and they've said that I am in the best situation for me, even though I am only on the practice squad.
In Arena football, the QB position is predominantly a veteran position. I understand that and I'm trying to learn as much as possible from the older QBs.
Anyway, in the first week of action we took on the Philadelphia Soul. That is the same team that Bon Jovi owns, Ron Jaworski is the president, and was featured on MTV's the Real World.
Also this game was on NBC. I should have put a notice up on my site that the game was going to be on. Anyway, the game started off great. We stopped the highest paid player in the league, Philly Soul QB Tony Graziani on the first possession on just three plays. On our first possession of the season it took us two plays to score our first touchdown.
From then on it was pretty much all Philadelphia.
It was tough to see our team struggle on national television, but it was also pretty cool for me to see the guys play on NBC that I have been practicing with and hanging out with for the past two weeks.
We ended up losing 52-34. It is only the first game of the season with 15 more left to go. I think we still have a good team but we just need to play with some more energy. Our lack of energy in the first game could be a product of a hard training camp, but who knows.
I'm learning as much as possible in practice and watching films. I really just need to learn the game and practice as hard as I can to get a good hold on this Arena game.
We are living in a nice area of Tampa; however, we are about 45 minutes to an hour from our stadium on the morning drive. Without traffic it still takes a good 20 to 25 minutes to get downtown to the stadium. We practice outside the arena on turf put down for us. Yes, that's right, we practice outside because most of the time the weather is in the 70's. It sure beats the weather back in Cincinnati, which is more like 30's.
Well, I'll give you more of an update next week. We have a short week this week because we play in Grand Rapids on Friday night. That game is not on TV that I know of.
Oh yeah, my dad came down this week to bring me my car and we played some golf. We got the twilight rate, so we got to play 22 holes and I was only 5 over. That is not too bad for the first time out this year.
Later,
Brett