From Here to There: Going to the NFL
Mary-Ann Williams
Wednesday September 24, 2003
It worked. After two years on the Astroturf in the Allstate Arena, Chatman got noticed in a big way. Starting in May of 2003, the Arena Football standout began getting calls.
“Everybody knew I was going to come to the NFL,” Chatman said in a recent phone interview. “They were trying to take me during the season, but I felt obligated to finish the season, to try to win the championship.”
Arena Football players dream of that kind of opportunity. Maybe a year or so in the indoor game will give them enough attention to move up and out of the arenas. Players like Kurt Warner (Iowa 1995-1997) and Oronde Gadsden (Portland 1998) have taken the leap and made a name for themselves, to name just two, and there are more.
To date, 21 former AFL players have made it onto the 53-man rosters in the NFL, including Mike Maslowski (San Jose 1998), Andy McCollum (Milwaukee 1994), and David Patten (Albany 1996). Most former AFL players moved into the NFL off of extraordinary Arena seasons.
R-Kal Truluck made the leap last year after pulling in armloads of award nominations as an OL/DL with the Detroit Fury in 2001 and 2002, including winning Rookie of the Year in 2001 and Defensive Player of the Year in 2002. Playing defensive end, Truluck spent most of his first season with the Kansas City Chiefs on the practice squad, finally making an appearance in red in November of 2002. In the remaining six games of the season, Truluck amassed 12 tackles (six solo), one tackle for a loss, half a sack (-3.5 yards) and one QB pressure. Now in his second season, Truluck still can’t believe how far he’s traveled.
“[The AFL] is where our opportunities came,” said Truluck. “Isn’t it something to go from there to here? I got to go out and play in front of a few thousand [with Detroit], and here I get to play in front of 80,000 people. The crowd noise is unreal. It’s so hard to hear. When they get going, it’s so unreal.”
It hasn’t been as easy for former L.A. Avenger Chris Jackson. Despite titles like “Rookie of the Year” and “Offensive Player of the Year,” Jackson has made the rounds in the NFL.
“I played with [the Packers] last year,” said Jackson. “I was with Miami first [this season] and then I got cut and they called me back here.”
When asked what has made the biggest impact on him in the NFL, Jackson sighed.
“The fact of being wanted, you know? The fact that I haven’t been here in over a year, and then when Ferguson got hurt, they still called me. There were some players saying, ‘Oh, we got to get Chris Jackson back.’ That made me feel good, knowing that they thought of me.”
Both Jackson and Chatman talked about the difficulties facing Arena players trying to step up to the NFL, and neither mentioned talent.
“The NFL is so political, and it’s so hard to get in,” said Jackson.
“The best people don’t always play,” said Chatman. “It’s a whole lot of politics. You got people who are being made into multi-millionaires and stuff. It’s: ‘We pay him this much and we pay [this other guy] this much. We’re going to get something out of the one we’re paying more to.’”
Chatman landed a two-year, $535,000 contract with the Green Bay Packers. Not the kind of money most guys think of in the NFL, but much better than anything found in the AFL. Number six on the receiving roster, Chatman still hopes to do more for the team than just return punts.
“I’m used to being on the field [every offensive play],” said the former offensive specialist. “I have to get myself into the game. I just want to play receiver, too, at times, you know? That’s the biggest adjustment. I’m so used to being on the field so much.
“The game is a little slower. To me personally, I felt the Arena game was more exiting, because it was for the fans, and it was a fast-paced kind of game. In Arena, I was always into the game. I have to get myself into the games here.”
For most players, there is no comparison. The NFL is the pinnacle of a player’s career, but don’t discount the value of the AFL just yet.
“Playing in the AFL helped my game a lot. Now I’m more mature as a player,” said Chatman. “A lot of things are easier to me [than when I left college]. I can read defenses faster.”
Jackson agreed. “[Working with the Avengers] not only helped physically, but mentally, too. And the fact that I’ve still been playing has helped me a lot.
“For whatever reason that you’re still in the AFL, politics, timing or chance, enjoy your time there. You could make a career out of the AFL, and that’d be all right, you know? I might go back there. I got cut last year… there’s nothing to say that I won’t be back in L.A. next season.”
The One that Got Away
Some of you may remember that Truluck had been nominated for the first ever Built Ford Tough Award in 2001 as a rookie. With his hefty contract with the Chiefs, he has recently bought his own truck, but it’s just not the same to Truluck.
“If I could have won it, I’d have to go with that. You know? Here’s the opportunity for them to give it to me, and have them customize it for me, so I don’t have to do it myself.”
Mary-Ann Williams lives in Chicagoland with her four children, Carter, Jackson, Jeremy, and Riley Jade. As a freelance writer, she`s written articles for the Associated Press, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and the Daily Herald. She also serves as editor of the AFL-side of Arenafan Online, and covers the Chicago Rush.
