Post by Banana Cat on Feb 12, 2013 22:01:53 GMT -5
www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20130211/GPG02/302110346/IFL-Green-Bay-Blizzard-has-many-new-players-but-same-goal?nclick_check=1
Blizzard has many new players, but same goal
Feb 11, 2013
Andrew Pekarek / Press-Gazette Media
The Green Bay Blizzard has done pretty much everything an indoor football team can do through its first 10 years of existence.
It’s made the playoffs eight times, gone through six coaches and three ownership groups, advanced players to the NFL, had individuals set league records and switched leagues all together.
The one thing the Blizzard hasn’t done is win a championship.
The opportunity to change that in the franchise’s 11th season is what ultimately brought Robert Fuller back to Green Bay because, much like the team, the second-year coach never has experienced winning a title at any level of football.
“For the all the places I’ve been, we don’t give out rings for winning the division title,” said Fuller, who is in his 12th year of coaching indoor football. “To me a division title gets you a T-shirt. You have to win a championship to get a ring. I can’t stop until I get one.”
The Blizzard’s quest to accomplish that begins Friday at the Resch Center when it opens the 2013 season by hosting the Sioux Falls Storm, which is the two-time defending Indoor Football League champion.
With five of its eight losses over the past two years coming against the Storm, including two in the United Conference title game, Green Bay knows Sioux Falls is the standard for every team in the now nine-team league.
“I’ve been to a lot of the indoor championship games and it’s only served to fuel my fire,” Fuller said. “That’s what drives me to put in the extra hours and to make the sacrifices of being so far away from home.”
Following a 12-4 campaign in which it compiled a league-high 1,458 rushing yards, the Blizzard again has a revamped roster to start a season — it returns only five players.
“It certainly is a challenge because you’re essentially starting with a new team, but if you do your work ahead of time, you bring in guys that understand the culture that you’re trying to create and they understand the philosophy of the program,” Fuller said.
With veteran receiver Scott Burnoski retiring, B.J. Hill takes over as the most tenured player on the team.
The defensive back and return specialist enters his fourth season as the team’s leader in interceptions (20), tackles (200) and return yards (2,371) in addition to holding league records for kickoff return touchdowns (11) and kick return average (21.3).
“I definitely feel like the old man on the team,” Hill said. “I like the way Coach recruited this year and the way we’re going. It’s a huge deal to have the same continuity with a coach. I know in this league there’s a lot of turnover, especially transactions-wise with players, so it’s a big thing for an organization to have the same coach.”
The Blizzard also has the same starting quarterback.
Donovan Porterie became the first one in franchise history to start every game of a season last year when he threw for 1,990 yards and 44 touchdowns. This will be his third year in Fuller’s system — the two were together with the Fairbanks Grizzlies in 2011.
“It’s very important to have that type of experience and knowledge in the system and that level of comfort, especially with the amount of changes we made everywhere else,” Fuller said. “He’s come back with a better understanding of what we want to accomplish offensively.”
After being in the only offense in the IFL to run more than it passed last season, Porterie may be airing it out more this year.
That’s in part to running back LaRon Council signing with the Cedar Rapids Titans, along with veteran receivers Bryan Pray and Desmond Tardy.
In rushing for an IFL record 1,040 yards and 32 touchdowns, Council became the first indoor player to reach 1,000 yards on the ground since Fred Jackson did so in 2005.
But having coached a different player as the league’s top rusher the last two seasons, Fuller feels confident rookies Josh Murray and Levell Coppage can fill those shoes in the backfield.
“Those guys are playmakers,” Fuller said. “You don’t replace LaRon, but these are two young men that I have absolutely no problems handing the keys to as far as our run game goes.”
With linebacker Greg Jackson signing with the Colorado Ice, the defense will be anchored this year by Peter Buck, who was the IFL’s defensive rookie of the year last season with the Omaha Beef.
“We have a young, talented group of guys out here,” Hill said. “The one thing I like about them is they’re a hungry group and willing to learn. I think that’s something we need in order for us to get to that 1-0 that coach talks about every week, so by the end of the season we’re in position to have a chance to win that championship.”
Feb 11, 2013
Andrew Pekarek / Press-Gazette Media
The Green Bay Blizzard has done pretty much everything an indoor football team can do through its first 10 years of existence.
It’s made the playoffs eight times, gone through six coaches and three ownership groups, advanced players to the NFL, had individuals set league records and switched leagues all together.
The one thing the Blizzard hasn’t done is win a championship.
The opportunity to change that in the franchise’s 11th season is what ultimately brought Robert Fuller back to Green Bay because, much like the team, the second-year coach never has experienced winning a title at any level of football.
“For the all the places I’ve been, we don’t give out rings for winning the division title,” said Fuller, who is in his 12th year of coaching indoor football. “To me a division title gets you a T-shirt. You have to win a championship to get a ring. I can’t stop until I get one.”
The Blizzard’s quest to accomplish that begins Friday at the Resch Center when it opens the 2013 season by hosting the Sioux Falls Storm, which is the two-time defending Indoor Football League champion.
With five of its eight losses over the past two years coming against the Storm, including two in the United Conference title game, Green Bay knows Sioux Falls is the standard for every team in the now nine-team league.
“I’ve been to a lot of the indoor championship games and it’s only served to fuel my fire,” Fuller said. “That’s what drives me to put in the extra hours and to make the sacrifices of being so far away from home.”
Following a 12-4 campaign in which it compiled a league-high 1,458 rushing yards, the Blizzard again has a revamped roster to start a season — it returns only five players.
“It certainly is a challenge because you’re essentially starting with a new team, but if you do your work ahead of time, you bring in guys that understand the culture that you’re trying to create and they understand the philosophy of the program,” Fuller said.
With veteran receiver Scott Burnoski retiring, B.J. Hill takes over as the most tenured player on the team.
The defensive back and return specialist enters his fourth season as the team’s leader in interceptions (20), tackles (200) and return yards (2,371) in addition to holding league records for kickoff return touchdowns (11) and kick return average (21.3).
“I definitely feel like the old man on the team,” Hill said. “I like the way Coach recruited this year and the way we’re going. It’s a huge deal to have the same continuity with a coach. I know in this league there’s a lot of turnover, especially transactions-wise with players, so it’s a big thing for an organization to have the same coach.”
The Blizzard also has the same starting quarterback.
Donovan Porterie became the first one in franchise history to start every game of a season last year when he threw for 1,990 yards and 44 touchdowns. This will be his third year in Fuller’s system — the two were together with the Fairbanks Grizzlies in 2011.
“It’s very important to have that type of experience and knowledge in the system and that level of comfort, especially with the amount of changes we made everywhere else,” Fuller said. “He’s come back with a better understanding of what we want to accomplish offensively.”
After being in the only offense in the IFL to run more than it passed last season, Porterie may be airing it out more this year.
That’s in part to running back LaRon Council signing with the Cedar Rapids Titans, along with veteran receivers Bryan Pray and Desmond Tardy.
In rushing for an IFL record 1,040 yards and 32 touchdowns, Council became the first indoor player to reach 1,000 yards on the ground since Fred Jackson did so in 2005.
But having coached a different player as the league’s top rusher the last two seasons, Fuller feels confident rookies Josh Murray and Levell Coppage can fill those shoes in the backfield.
“Those guys are playmakers,” Fuller said. “You don’t replace LaRon, but these are two young men that I have absolutely no problems handing the keys to as far as our run game goes.”
With linebacker Greg Jackson signing with the Colorado Ice, the defense will be anchored this year by Peter Buck, who was the IFL’s defensive rookie of the year last season with the Omaha Beef.
“We have a young, talented group of guys out here,” Hill said. “The one thing I like about them is they’re a hungry group and willing to learn. I think that’s something we need in order for us to get to that 1-0 that coach talks about every week, so by the end of the season we’re in position to have a chance to win that championship.”