Post by Banana Cat on Feb 20, 2012 7:24:29 GMT -5
thegazette.com/2012/02/17/building-these-titans-will-take-odd-hours-and-hard-work/
Building these Titans will take odd hours and hard work
17 February 2012
By Mike Condon, Correspondent
CEDAR RAPIDS — You will have to get up pretty early, or stay up pretty late to keep up with the Cedar Rapids Titans as they prepare for their first season of play in the Indoor Football League.
The Titans open training camp on Friday night with a meet and greet session at the SportsZone in Hiawatha. Then they turn around and come back for a 6 a.m. practice on Saturday.
That is the way things will have to be for the Titans all season, according to head coach Kyle Moore-Brown.
“We have to practice when we can,” Moore-Brown said. “We have to get in there when the facility is available and we also have to work around the work schedules of our players.”
Moore-Brown has been around indoor football for over 20 years. After playing collegiately at Kansas, he played 15 seasons in the Arena Football League before turning to coaching.
He took over coaching the franchise midway through the last season when the team was based in LaCrosse, Wis., replacing his brother, former Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Gilbert Brown.
One thing Moore-Brown will have little of is time to put together a 25-man roster. Forty players will be at the first practice on Saturday morning. In two weeks time, Moore-Brown and his staff of offensive coordinator Tommie Williams and defensive coordinator Mitch Madland will have to come up with that roster.
“It’s a challenge,” Moore-Brown admitted. “I think we have a talented group of guys in camp, but we will have to work to mold them together quickly.
The Titans have one exhibition game, this Thursday night at home against the Omaha Beef. Then it is the season-opener on March 3 at home against Lehigh Valley. All home games will kickoff at 7 p.m.
Although he has only been in Cedar Rapids for a short time, Moore-Brown has been impressed with the people in the organization and in the community.
“Everybody in the city has been great to us,” he said. “We greatly appreciate all the support we have received so far.
“This is an area used to seeing good football,” Moore-Brown continued. “We hope to keep the tradition going.”
The Titans’ coach was referring to the play of the state’s NCAA Division I schools – Iowa, Iowa State and Northern Iowa.
The roster could end up having a big local flavor. Eleven of the 40 players invited to camp have Iowa ties. Some familiar names on the preseason roster include former Iowa players Paul Chaney Jr. and Lee Gray; ex-Iowa Staters Alexander Robinson and Nick Campbell. Four former UNI players, Johnny Gray, Brandon Henderson, Adam Pinckney and Everett Roberts will also be in camp.
“There are a lot of talented players who played for schools around here,” Moore-Brown said. “I’m pleased we will have some local guys on the roster.”
But back to that practice schedule. It will be early mornings and late nights for the Titans. Moore-Brown said it won’t be an issue for him or the players.
“They are all receiving a tremendous opportunity to have a chance to play pro football,” he said. “This will be just like a job interview for them. They have a chance to get paid to play football.
“There’s nothing different about indoor football except the size of the field,” Moore-Brown continued. “We will be a hard-working team, I can promise that.”
17 February 2012
By Mike Condon, Correspondent
CEDAR RAPIDS — You will have to get up pretty early, or stay up pretty late to keep up with the Cedar Rapids Titans as they prepare for their first season of play in the Indoor Football League.
The Titans open training camp on Friday night with a meet and greet session at the SportsZone in Hiawatha. Then they turn around and come back for a 6 a.m. practice on Saturday.
That is the way things will have to be for the Titans all season, according to head coach Kyle Moore-Brown.
“We have to practice when we can,” Moore-Brown said. “We have to get in there when the facility is available and we also have to work around the work schedules of our players.”
Moore-Brown has been around indoor football for over 20 years. After playing collegiately at Kansas, he played 15 seasons in the Arena Football League before turning to coaching.
He took over coaching the franchise midway through the last season when the team was based in LaCrosse, Wis., replacing his brother, former Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Gilbert Brown.
One thing Moore-Brown will have little of is time to put together a 25-man roster. Forty players will be at the first practice on Saturday morning. In two weeks time, Moore-Brown and his staff of offensive coordinator Tommie Williams and defensive coordinator Mitch Madland will have to come up with that roster.
“It’s a challenge,” Moore-Brown admitted. “I think we have a talented group of guys in camp, but we will have to work to mold them together quickly.
The Titans have one exhibition game, this Thursday night at home against the Omaha Beef. Then it is the season-opener on March 3 at home against Lehigh Valley. All home games will kickoff at 7 p.m.
Although he has only been in Cedar Rapids for a short time, Moore-Brown has been impressed with the people in the organization and in the community.
“Everybody in the city has been great to us,” he said. “We greatly appreciate all the support we have received so far.
“This is an area used to seeing good football,” Moore-Brown continued. “We hope to keep the tradition going.”
The Titans’ coach was referring to the play of the state’s NCAA Division I schools – Iowa, Iowa State and Northern Iowa.
The roster could end up having a big local flavor. Eleven of the 40 players invited to camp have Iowa ties. Some familiar names on the preseason roster include former Iowa players Paul Chaney Jr. and Lee Gray; ex-Iowa Staters Alexander Robinson and Nick Campbell. Four former UNI players, Johnny Gray, Brandon Henderson, Adam Pinckney and Everett Roberts will also be in camp.
“There are a lot of talented players who played for schools around here,” Moore-Brown said. “I’m pleased we will have some local guys on the roster.”
But back to that practice schedule. It will be early mornings and late nights for the Titans. Moore-Brown said it won’t be an issue for him or the players.
“They are all receiving a tremendous opportunity to have a chance to play pro football,” he said. “This will be just like a job interview for them. They have a chance to get paid to play football.
“There’s nothing different about indoor football except the size of the field,” Moore-Brown continued. “We will be a hard-working team, I can promise that.”