Post by Banana Cat on Apr 14, 2011 4:17:41 GMT -5
www.scbandits.com/news_detail.cfm?id=516
Wayne State trio at heart of Bandits offensive line
Michael Brauer, Sioux City Journal
Apr. 09, 2011
SIOUX CITY -- "All for one and one for all."
The Three Musketeers made the phrase famous. Three Bandits are making it their own.
Forget Athos, Porthos and Aramis.
Try Joe, Nemo and Okie -- as in, Joe Bundy, Nehemiah Blackburn and Brian Okonofua, a trio of former Wayne State teammates who make up the Sioux City Bandits' all-rookie offensive line.
"Me, Brian and Nemo got together and kind of did this whole ‘All for one, one for all' team mentality kind of thing, and decided to give (arena football) a try," Bundy said. "I didn't think I was going to be playing this spring, or ever again."
Head coach Butch Faulkenberry is sure glad he is.
"The fact that we were able to recruit three guys that are a pretty tight group, on and off the field, that's what you have to have," said Faulkenberry, whose Bandits play their first road game tonight against the Kansas Koyotes in Topeka. "Your line-of-scrimmage guys have to be a close group, and having them coming into camp already close was huge."
After a 14-day layoff, the Bandits (1-0) are hoping for a repeat performance of their season-opening 57-50 victory over the defending-APFL champion Iowa Blackhawks.
Sioux City scored on its first and final offensive plays of the night, both touchdown passes by Scott Jensen. He hit Eddie Pertilla on the first play from scrimmage and found Fredrick Bruno with 26 seconds left in what turned out to be the game-winning play.
Jensen threw for 190 yards and four touchdowns -- and zero interceptions. He was sacked only once, rushed for 44 yards and otherwise stayed upright for most of the night, thanks in large part to his line. Behind Bundy, Blackburn and Okonofua, the Bandits also topped the century mark on the ground and punched in four rushing touchdowns.
"We want to make each other look good, so we're each playing for everybody on the line," Bundy said, fully embracing the Musketeers' motto. "If one of us fails, the whole line looks bad."
"They were up against a seasoned, veteran d-line that outsized them, and still Scotty-J was untouched most of the night," Faulkenberry added. "For their rookie debut, I couldn't have been more pleased."
Pleased? Yes. Surprised? No - not with the track records his linemen have.
During the 6-foot-6, 305-pound Bundy's redshirt freshman season at Wayne State, he was Okonofua's backup at offensive guard. The 6-5, 340-pound Okonofua, then a senior, was a first-team all-Northern Sun Conference selection that year.
The next season, Bundy made the first of 34 straight starts for the Wildcats and eventually won his own first-team all-NSIC honors as a senior. For Bundy's final two collegiate seasons, Blackburn started right alongside him at left tackle.
After that, the Bandits came calling and the trio reunited to take their block party indoors.
"It's a little different from the outdoor game," Bundy said. "It just took a little bit of tweaking on our technique, though."
Tonight, he and his linemates will put that tweaking to the test against the Koyotes (0-1).
Kansas lost its season opener 37-27 last week against Mid-Missouri. It was head coach Troy Biladeau's debut at the Koyotes' helm, though he's had plenty of experience as an assistant for five different teams in the arena ranks, as the head coach of the Quad City (Iowa) Steamwheelers in 2008 and as the defensive coordinator last season for the Arena Football League's Chicago Rush.
"In order to win, we need to be able to keep Scott up," Bundy said. "If you give him time, Scotty's going to make something happen, either with his legs or his arm."
Michael Brauer, Sioux City Journal
Apr. 09, 2011
SIOUX CITY -- "All for one and one for all."
The Three Musketeers made the phrase famous. Three Bandits are making it their own.
Forget Athos, Porthos and Aramis.
Try Joe, Nemo and Okie -- as in, Joe Bundy, Nehemiah Blackburn and Brian Okonofua, a trio of former Wayne State teammates who make up the Sioux City Bandits' all-rookie offensive line.
"Me, Brian and Nemo got together and kind of did this whole ‘All for one, one for all' team mentality kind of thing, and decided to give (arena football) a try," Bundy said. "I didn't think I was going to be playing this spring, or ever again."
Head coach Butch Faulkenberry is sure glad he is.
"The fact that we were able to recruit three guys that are a pretty tight group, on and off the field, that's what you have to have," said Faulkenberry, whose Bandits play their first road game tonight against the Kansas Koyotes in Topeka. "Your line-of-scrimmage guys have to be a close group, and having them coming into camp already close was huge."
After a 14-day layoff, the Bandits (1-0) are hoping for a repeat performance of their season-opening 57-50 victory over the defending-APFL champion Iowa Blackhawks.
Sioux City scored on its first and final offensive plays of the night, both touchdown passes by Scott Jensen. He hit Eddie Pertilla on the first play from scrimmage and found Fredrick Bruno with 26 seconds left in what turned out to be the game-winning play.
Jensen threw for 190 yards and four touchdowns -- and zero interceptions. He was sacked only once, rushed for 44 yards and otherwise stayed upright for most of the night, thanks in large part to his line. Behind Bundy, Blackburn and Okonofua, the Bandits also topped the century mark on the ground and punched in four rushing touchdowns.
"We want to make each other look good, so we're each playing for everybody on the line," Bundy said, fully embracing the Musketeers' motto. "If one of us fails, the whole line looks bad."
"They were up against a seasoned, veteran d-line that outsized them, and still Scotty-J was untouched most of the night," Faulkenberry added. "For their rookie debut, I couldn't have been more pleased."
Pleased? Yes. Surprised? No - not with the track records his linemen have.
During the 6-foot-6, 305-pound Bundy's redshirt freshman season at Wayne State, he was Okonofua's backup at offensive guard. The 6-5, 340-pound Okonofua, then a senior, was a first-team all-Northern Sun Conference selection that year.
The next season, Bundy made the first of 34 straight starts for the Wildcats and eventually won his own first-team all-NSIC honors as a senior. For Bundy's final two collegiate seasons, Blackburn started right alongside him at left tackle.
After that, the Bandits came calling and the trio reunited to take their block party indoors.
"It's a little different from the outdoor game," Bundy said. "It just took a little bit of tweaking on our technique, though."
Tonight, he and his linemates will put that tweaking to the test against the Koyotes (0-1).
Kansas lost its season opener 37-27 last week against Mid-Missouri. It was head coach Troy Biladeau's debut at the Koyotes' helm, though he's had plenty of experience as an assistant for five different teams in the arena ranks, as the head coach of the Quad City (Iowa) Steamwheelers in 2008 and as the defensive coordinator last season for the Arena Football League's Chicago Rush.
"In order to win, we need to be able to keep Scott up," Bundy said. "If you give him time, Scotty's going to make something happen, either with his legs or his arm."