The Florida Tuskers have little room left for error in the five-team United Football League. But before they spend too much time worrying about wins and losses, there is some much needed rest to catch up on after losing 20-17 on Thursday.
The Florida Tuskers had nothing left in the tank by the time the fourth quarter rolled around Saturday, in another game out west, as the Tuskers were defeated 24-20 by Sacramento and former UCF quarterback Daunte Culpepper.
Brooks Bollinger threw for 308 yards and a pair of touchdowns while Odell Thurman had a sack, forced fumble and an interception to lead the Florida Tuskers to a 27-20 win over Las Vegas in the United Football League season opener for both clubs.
The Florida Tuskers running back position was a hot topic in training camp ever since head coach Jay Gruden brought in four legitimate National Football League veterans to battle for the starting job, one of those being Aveion Cason.
Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders come to mind as athletes who had the athletic ability to excel in two sports at the highest levels. But before “Bo Knows” and “Prime Time,” who both played football and baseball, there was Jim Brown.
Imagine throwing for a phenomenal 107 touchdown passes in 2010. Add in a PlayStation-like 5,139 yards and a 68-percent completion rate. Yet imagine those numbers still only get you back-up status to Brooks Bollinger, the reigning UFL Most Valuable Player.
The Florida Tuskers trimmed its roster to 52 players on Thursday by releasing 14 players on the eve of the regular season. The Tuskers open up on the road Saturday, Sept. 18 at Las Vegas. Training camp began last month with 70 players taking part.
To call Jay Gruden a rookie head coach is somewhat of a stretch. After all, he did spend two different stints as head coach in the Arena Football League, managing to get his team to four championship games, win a pair of titles, and enter the AFL top 10 in career wins and winning percentage.
In many professional sports the term “open tryout” is often viewed as simply a publicity stunt – something that is done for the sole purpose of connecting a team to its community. But for the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League, the tryout system is a legitimate tool.
Jermaine Wiggins entered professional football when the New York Jets took a chance on him as an undrafted free agent 11 years ago, signing him to their practice squad. Following an exciting NFL career, why would a player sign with an unproven league such as the UFL?