Post by Banana Cat on Mar 31, 2011 22:07:00 GMT -5
www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20110331/GPG0211/103310486/Arena-football-Blizzard-gives-Sewell-chance-keep-playing?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|GPG-Sports
Blizzard gives Sewell chance to keep playing
Mar. 30, 2011
Jameel Sewell had given up on football at 23 years old. He was undrafted in 2010 after an in-and-out of the lineup career as a University of Virginia quarterback. Sewell signed as an undrafted free agent with the Miami Dolphins, but was released before offseason team activities began.
No other NFL team was interested.
Sewell ended up signing with the Milwaukee Mustangs of the Arena Football League, but was cut before the first game.
That was enough for Sewell. He went home to Richmond, Va., and began work at Hilldrup Moving & Storage.
"I was just discouraged to the point where I said I'm not playing football anymore," Sewell said. "I'm going to hang the cleats up and try to get a degree and work on my future that way. I talked to my family and all the coaches that called as well, I told them the same thing.
"Then I really sat down with coach Cedric Walker from the Milwaukee Mustangs and talked to my pop and talked to coach (Rik) Richards (of the Green Bay Blizzard), and they said they'd like to have me. … I don't know, I guess God spoke to me and told me to keep going. I didn't have the feeling in my heart to stop playing ball, but I was just so discouraged."
Sewell was tired of being told no. Tired of being not good enough.
Then an opportunity presented itself in Green Bay. Quarterback Willie Copeland was dealing with a litany of injuries with the Blizzard and the team needed a backup. The Milwaukee staff, which previously coached in Green Bay, put Sewell in touch with Richards.
Sewell came to Green Bay on March 14 and started his first game Sunday — a 48-38 win against the Nebraska Danger that improved the Blizzard's record to 3-1.
The journey — from throwing for 5,366 yards and scoring 24 touchdowns at Virginia to a backup with the Blizzard — has been an ordeal.
"It's hell," Sewell said. "I've never given up on anything in my life, regardless of how discouraged I was. But there's only so many times you can be told, 'No.'
"I was saying, 'Oh, I'm done with football.' But my heart was saying you are one dumb boy for thinking that. You've still got it in your body. You still feel it in your soul. All I am is football and family right now. Until that's totally taken away from me, I'm not going to stop."
Sewell steps into a situation where Copeland is the established quarterback, but Richards is fond of Sewell's athleticism and running ability. Copeland has a year of indoor experience after playing with the Arkansas Diamonds in 2010, but Richards wouldn't name a starter for Friday's home game against Richmond.
Copeland seems to be the better pure passer and wasn't thrilled to be inactive last week. Sewell, still adjusting to the quick pace and the increased need for accuracy, is the better athlete. He threw for 81 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 49 yards and three touchdowns in his debut.
Copeland's 77.2 quarterback rating ranks No. 24 in the Indoor Football League. He has 461 passing yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions in three games.
"It takes two quarterbacks to win a championship, and both of those guys will probably see some time this weekend," Richards said. "You need two good ones, and I think we've got two good ones.
"We've had a couple different quarterbacks during training camp that just didn't fit our needs. It was kind of a Christmas gift to fall in our laps and find (Sewell)."
Football aside, Sewell is still adapting to his new surroundings. He grew up in Virginia and went to the ACC university. Spring snow was something new.
"Green Bay is cold," Sewell said. "Green Bay is so cold. Not talking about the people, talking about the weather. I called my mom the other night and told her, 'Mom, there's 2 feet of snow on the ground and last night it was the middle of a blizzard and it was lightning and thunder.' I never ever experienced (that). I called my brother, too. I was just telling everybody I talked to.
"But it's cool. It's a quiet football town. That's what I love. I love the people around. They accept us almost as much as they accept the Packers."
Mar. 30, 2011
Jameel Sewell had given up on football at 23 years old. He was undrafted in 2010 after an in-and-out of the lineup career as a University of Virginia quarterback. Sewell signed as an undrafted free agent with the Miami Dolphins, but was released before offseason team activities began.
No other NFL team was interested.
Sewell ended up signing with the Milwaukee Mustangs of the Arena Football League, but was cut before the first game.
That was enough for Sewell. He went home to Richmond, Va., and began work at Hilldrup Moving & Storage.
"I was just discouraged to the point where I said I'm not playing football anymore," Sewell said. "I'm going to hang the cleats up and try to get a degree and work on my future that way. I talked to my family and all the coaches that called as well, I told them the same thing.
"Then I really sat down with coach Cedric Walker from the Milwaukee Mustangs and talked to my pop and talked to coach (Rik) Richards (of the Green Bay Blizzard), and they said they'd like to have me. … I don't know, I guess God spoke to me and told me to keep going. I didn't have the feeling in my heart to stop playing ball, but I was just so discouraged."
Sewell was tired of being told no. Tired of being not good enough.
Then an opportunity presented itself in Green Bay. Quarterback Willie Copeland was dealing with a litany of injuries with the Blizzard and the team needed a backup. The Milwaukee staff, which previously coached in Green Bay, put Sewell in touch with Richards.
Sewell came to Green Bay on March 14 and started his first game Sunday — a 48-38 win against the Nebraska Danger that improved the Blizzard's record to 3-1.
The journey — from throwing for 5,366 yards and scoring 24 touchdowns at Virginia to a backup with the Blizzard — has been an ordeal.
"It's hell," Sewell said. "I've never given up on anything in my life, regardless of how discouraged I was. But there's only so many times you can be told, 'No.'
"I was saying, 'Oh, I'm done with football.' But my heart was saying you are one dumb boy for thinking that. You've still got it in your body. You still feel it in your soul. All I am is football and family right now. Until that's totally taken away from me, I'm not going to stop."
Sewell steps into a situation where Copeland is the established quarterback, but Richards is fond of Sewell's athleticism and running ability. Copeland has a year of indoor experience after playing with the Arkansas Diamonds in 2010, but Richards wouldn't name a starter for Friday's home game against Richmond.
Copeland seems to be the better pure passer and wasn't thrilled to be inactive last week. Sewell, still adjusting to the quick pace and the increased need for accuracy, is the better athlete. He threw for 81 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 49 yards and three touchdowns in his debut.
Copeland's 77.2 quarterback rating ranks No. 24 in the Indoor Football League. He has 461 passing yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions in three games.
"It takes two quarterbacks to win a championship, and both of those guys will probably see some time this weekend," Richards said. "You need two good ones, and I think we've got two good ones.
"We've had a couple different quarterbacks during training camp that just didn't fit our needs. It was kind of a Christmas gift to fall in our laps and find (Sewell)."
Football aside, Sewell is still adapting to his new surroundings. He grew up in Virginia and went to the ACC university. Spring snow was something new.
"Green Bay is cold," Sewell said. "Green Bay is so cold. Not talking about the people, talking about the weather. I called my mom the other night and told her, 'Mom, there's 2 feet of snow on the ground and last night it was the middle of a blizzard and it was lightning and thunder.' I never ever experienced (that). I called my brother, too. I was just telling everybody I talked to.
"But it's cool. It's a quiet football town. That's what I love. I love the people around. They accept us almost as much as they accept the Packers."