Post by Banana Cat on Mar 5, 2011 6:25:13 GMT -5
www.theindependent.com/articles/2011/03/04/sports/danger/doc4d717d5e2cd2e870013314.txt
Ex-Husker Wilson among those cut by Danger
By Bob Hamar / theindependent.com
March 4, 2011
Friday was cut-down day for the Nebraska Danger.
The Danger staff had to cut their roster to 30 players for Monday’s 7 p.m. season-opener at the Heartland Events Center by noon on Friday.
It wasn’t easy.
“We had to make some pretty tough decisions as to who stays and who goes,” Danger general manager Mike McCoy said. We’ve done it before. It’s the toughest part of the job. We have to go through it every year at this time.
“The players seem to get better and better and the decisions seem to get harder and harder, but we do it and everybody gets a very fair shake. We evaluate as much as we can and try to make the right decisions.”
One of the most recognizable names didn’t make the cut. Former Nebraska running back Kenny Wilson was one of the players sent home.
Wilson played in 12 games as a junior at Nebraska in 2006. He was the Huskers’ fourth-leading rusher with 335 yards and had four touchdowns that season.
Wilson was particularly effective early in the season when he ran for 311 yards in the first five games.
He redshirted in 2007 after a knee infection followed by a broken leg suffered in an off-field incident.
McCoy said Wilson just didn’t play well enough in the team’s scrimmage on Friday night.
“We really liked Kenny,” McCoy said. “He’s one of those guys I’m sure we’ll call back. We could call him back next week or the week after. Sometimes when you cut a player, you either try to trade him or just release him.
“Kenny did a great job here. He’s going to go home, work out hard for a few more weeks and hopefully we’ll have a chance to get him back.”
Brothers Will and Anthony Harding, both former Fresno State players, did make the cut.
Anthony rushed for 822 yards as a junior at Fresno State in 2008, but was hampered by injuries his senior season and finished with 32 yards on 15 carries. He went on to have some tryouts in the NFL, including one with the Green Bay Packers.
“We brought in Will Harding, a defensive back for us from Fresno State,” McCoy said. “He’s one of our starters. We’re very happy with him both on and off the field.
“His brother is a running back from Fresno State who had a good career there. He became available just last week so we brought him in as well. He’s done an incredible job so far.”
Former Nebraska-Kearney offensive lineman James Poynter did make the cut and will likely start at center for the Danger. Former Hastings College players Maurice Mansfield (receiver) and Ernesto Lacayo (kicker) are also still on the roster along with Zack Abrun, who holds the all-time rushing record at the University of Missouri.
Veteran quarterback Dixie Wooten and IFL rookie Willie Tuitama are the two quarterbacks.
“I’m very happy with the roster,” McCoy said. “I think we have a lot of good size there, a lot of good speed there. We have two very good quarterbacks. We have a lot of guys who can catch the ball.”
McCoy is just as happy with the defense as he is with the offense.
“Our defense will be fantastic without a doubt,” McCoy said. “The defense usually starts a little faster than the offense anyway because of the offensive timing, but I’m really pleased with how the defense is coming.
“Those people up front are very good football players. We have two middle linebackers that could really play anywhere and we have a great kicker too. We really feel blessed to be this talented this early in the season.”
The Danger will practice on Saturday and head coach Mike Davis will decide on his starting lineup after that practice. The team can suit up 21 players for Monday’s game — 10 offensive, 10 defensive and a kicker. That will also be decided on Saturday.
McCoy is hoping the staff made the right decisions.
“We have to evaluate as much as we can,” McCoy said. “We want to keep the right players. We agonize over this and spend a lot of time on it. We just want to make sure we’re doing the best thing for the Nebraska Danger.”
Number Name Pos Ht. Wt. College
No. 1 Antuan Bloom WR 5-10 187 Morningside College
No. 2 Patrick Wells DB 6-2 205 Ferris State
No. 3 Will Harding DB 6-1 205 Fresno State
No. 4 Tommy Phelps LB 6-3 250 Memphis
No. 6 Joseph Nairn WR 6-1 228 Arizona Western
No. 7 Willie Tuitama QB 6-4 Arizona
No. 8 Johnny Johnson WR 5-9 190 Missouri Southern
No. 9 Dixie Wooten QB 6-3 240 Wichita Wild (IFL)
No. 10 Brandon Lopez LB/RB 6-3 240 Arizona
No. 11 Andy Endemann DL 6-3 310 New Mexico HL
No. 13 Maurice Mansfield WR 5-11 185 Hastings College
No. 17 Ernesto Lacayo K 5-9 180 Hastings College
No. 20 Michael Pace DB 5-11 190 North Carolina A&T
No. 21 Darnell Terrell DB 6-3 205 Missouri
No. 22 Anthony Harding RB 6-0 220 Fresno State
No. 23 Doug Williams WR 6-4 205 Okla. Panhandle St.
No. 23 Arian Johnson DB 6-1 219 Weber State
No. 24 Walner Leandre DB 6-1 200 Arkansas
No. 26 Erick Jackson RB 5-6 190 UNLV
No. 33 Tyrell Henderson RB 6-6 285 Kentucky State
No. 34 Zack Abron RB 5-11 225 University of Missouri
No. 44 Darius Davis DL 6-3 260 Wayne State
No. 55 James Poynter C 6-2 310 Nebraska-Kearney
No. 65. Richard Burch OL 6-5 300 Mississippi Valley St.
No. 75 Shawn Santos OL 6-3 303 University of Tulsa
No. 76 Arthur Smith OL 6-7 390 Grambling State
No. 91 Eddrick Gilmore DL 6-6 265 North Texas
No. 92 Richard Posey DL 6-2 275 University of Erie
No. 99 OtisYoung DL 6-3 295 Grambling State
By Bob Hamar / theindependent.com
March 4, 2011
Friday was cut-down day for the Nebraska Danger.
The Danger staff had to cut their roster to 30 players for Monday’s 7 p.m. season-opener at the Heartland Events Center by noon on Friday.
It wasn’t easy.
“We had to make some pretty tough decisions as to who stays and who goes,” Danger general manager Mike McCoy said. We’ve done it before. It’s the toughest part of the job. We have to go through it every year at this time.
“The players seem to get better and better and the decisions seem to get harder and harder, but we do it and everybody gets a very fair shake. We evaluate as much as we can and try to make the right decisions.”
One of the most recognizable names didn’t make the cut. Former Nebraska running back Kenny Wilson was one of the players sent home.
Wilson played in 12 games as a junior at Nebraska in 2006. He was the Huskers’ fourth-leading rusher with 335 yards and had four touchdowns that season.
Wilson was particularly effective early in the season when he ran for 311 yards in the first five games.
He redshirted in 2007 after a knee infection followed by a broken leg suffered in an off-field incident.
McCoy said Wilson just didn’t play well enough in the team’s scrimmage on Friday night.
“We really liked Kenny,” McCoy said. “He’s one of those guys I’m sure we’ll call back. We could call him back next week or the week after. Sometimes when you cut a player, you either try to trade him or just release him.
“Kenny did a great job here. He’s going to go home, work out hard for a few more weeks and hopefully we’ll have a chance to get him back.”
Brothers Will and Anthony Harding, both former Fresno State players, did make the cut.
Anthony rushed for 822 yards as a junior at Fresno State in 2008, but was hampered by injuries his senior season and finished with 32 yards on 15 carries. He went on to have some tryouts in the NFL, including one with the Green Bay Packers.
“We brought in Will Harding, a defensive back for us from Fresno State,” McCoy said. “He’s one of our starters. We’re very happy with him both on and off the field.
“His brother is a running back from Fresno State who had a good career there. He became available just last week so we brought him in as well. He’s done an incredible job so far.”
Former Nebraska-Kearney offensive lineman James Poynter did make the cut and will likely start at center for the Danger. Former Hastings College players Maurice Mansfield (receiver) and Ernesto Lacayo (kicker) are also still on the roster along with Zack Abrun, who holds the all-time rushing record at the University of Missouri.
Veteran quarterback Dixie Wooten and IFL rookie Willie Tuitama are the two quarterbacks.
“I’m very happy with the roster,” McCoy said. “I think we have a lot of good size there, a lot of good speed there. We have two very good quarterbacks. We have a lot of guys who can catch the ball.”
McCoy is just as happy with the defense as he is with the offense.
“Our defense will be fantastic without a doubt,” McCoy said. “The defense usually starts a little faster than the offense anyway because of the offensive timing, but I’m really pleased with how the defense is coming.
“Those people up front are very good football players. We have two middle linebackers that could really play anywhere and we have a great kicker too. We really feel blessed to be this talented this early in the season.”
The Danger will practice on Saturday and head coach Mike Davis will decide on his starting lineup after that practice. The team can suit up 21 players for Monday’s game — 10 offensive, 10 defensive and a kicker. That will also be decided on Saturday.
McCoy is hoping the staff made the right decisions.
“We have to evaluate as much as we can,” McCoy said. “We want to keep the right players. We agonize over this and spend a lot of time on it. We just want to make sure we’re doing the best thing for the Nebraska Danger.”
Number Name Pos Ht. Wt. College
No. 1 Antuan Bloom WR 5-10 187 Morningside College
No. 2 Patrick Wells DB 6-2 205 Ferris State
No. 3 Will Harding DB 6-1 205 Fresno State
No. 4 Tommy Phelps LB 6-3 250 Memphis
No. 6 Joseph Nairn WR 6-1 228 Arizona Western
No. 7 Willie Tuitama QB 6-4 Arizona
No. 8 Johnny Johnson WR 5-9 190 Missouri Southern
No. 9 Dixie Wooten QB 6-3 240 Wichita Wild (IFL)
No. 10 Brandon Lopez LB/RB 6-3 240 Arizona
No. 11 Andy Endemann DL 6-3 310 New Mexico HL
No. 13 Maurice Mansfield WR 5-11 185 Hastings College
No. 17 Ernesto Lacayo K 5-9 180 Hastings College
No. 20 Michael Pace DB 5-11 190 North Carolina A&T
No. 21 Darnell Terrell DB 6-3 205 Missouri
No. 22 Anthony Harding RB 6-0 220 Fresno State
No. 23 Doug Williams WR 6-4 205 Okla. Panhandle St.
No. 23 Arian Johnson DB 6-1 219 Weber State
No. 24 Walner Leandre DB 6-1 200 Arkansas
No. 26 Erick Jackson RB 5-6 190 UNLV
No. 33 Tyrell Henderson RB 6-6 285 Kentucky State
No. 34 Zack Abron RB 5-11 225 University of Missouri
No. 44 Darius Davis DL 6-3 260 Wayne State
No. 55 James Poynter C 6-2 310 Nebraska-Kearney
No. 65. Richard Burch OL 6-5 300 Mississippi Valley St.
No. 75 Shawn Santos OL 6-3 303 University of Tulsa
No. 76 Arthur Smith OL 6-7 390 Grambling State
No. 91 Eddrick Gilmore DL 6-6 265 North Texas
No. 92 Richard Posey DL 6-2 275 University of Erie
No. 99 OtisYoung DL 6-3 295 Grambling State