Several Players Make the WMU-Rampage Connection
Randy Snow
Monday December 22, 2003
Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Bush was offered a scholarship to WMU after being spotted at a high school all-star game. Bush was named Offensive MVP at WMU in 2001 and was named second team All-MAC the same year. He finished his college career third in WMU history in receptions (150) and as the school’s all-time leader in punt return yardage (786).
Bush has been watching arena football the past two years and attended his first Arena game in Grand Rapids last season when the Rampage hosted the Dallas Desperados.
The Rampage have a new head coach this year in Bob Cortese and, even though they are just getting to know each other, Bush likes what he has seen so far in his new coach.
“He does a lot of teaching on the field,” said Bush. “He tries to teach you every little thing. That’s what you need in a coach. He does a real good job breaking it down, taking you step by step on what you need to do to get open on this route (on offense), or stay in your back peddle longer (on defense). He’s a great teacher.”
Cortese also has similar praise for Bush. “He has excellent speed, athletic ability and good work habits. He looks like he could be the real deal.”
Bush is also excited about the possibility of being reunited on the field with his old quarterback from Western Michigan, Jeff Welsh. “Hopefully, it can be the Welsh to Bush Connection,” said Bush.
Welsh (WMU, 1997-2001) was Grand Rapids’ emergency third string QB last season. He did not see any action on the field, but was in uniform for every game and traveled to all of the team’s away games, which is something the other players on the practice squad did not get to do. In 2002, Welsh played in seven games for the Columbus (Ga.) Wardogs in arenafootball2, the AFL’s developmental league. He threw 16 touchdown passes and had over 1,000 yards passing with the Wardogs.
It was Welsh who told Bush about some off-season workouts that the Rampage were holding in Grand Rapids. Bush spoke with Rampage receivers coach Michael Baker and asked if he could participate in the workouts. Baker agreed.
Bush has tried to learn as much as possible during the off-season workouts. “It’s been good getting that experience under my belt running routes with those other guys,” said Bush.
Bush played last summer for the Southwest Michigan Rage, a semi-pro team in Kalamazoo. The experience of playing defense for the Rage may have been the difference in Bush being signed by the Rampage because six of the eight players on the field in Arena football are required to play both offense and defense. There is a greater need for players who can play both ways. Last year, both Welsh and Bush participated in the Rampage’s open tryouts. Welsh was eventually signed, but Bush was not.
While Bush received many accolades for his play on the field at WMU, an unexpected one came his way in the spring of 2001. Bush was in the locker room one day and saw someone taking his name off the back of his jersey. When he asked why, he was told that the President was coming to the university to make a speech. The school was going to put Bush’s name on the back of a Western Michigan number one football jersey and give it to the President as a souvenir of his visit. I guess you could say that he gave the President the name off his back!
More former WMU players in the AFL
There have been a number of other players from Western Michigan who have gone on to play for the Rampage as well as other teams in the Arena league.
Tristan Moss (WMU, 1992-95) played defensive specialist for Grand Rapids in 2000 and 2001. The Rampage won the Arena Bowl championship in 2001. He was with the Chicago Rush in 2002.
Sean Riley (WMU, 1995-96) played wide receiver/defensive back briefly for the Rampage in 2003 before moving on to the Las Vegas Gladiators. He has played in the AFL for four years and was named to the All-Arena second team in 2000. Riley recently signed on to play this coming season with the New York Dragons.
Mark Ricks (WMU, 1991-92) was a defensive specialist with the Rampage in 2003. He was signed midway through the season after being released by the Arizona Rattlers. Ricks was making his presence known on the field for the Rampage until a knee injury sidelined him for the final two games of the season. He has played in the Arena league since 1996 and has played for seven different AFL teams. Prior to playing in the Arena league, he played for three years in the Canadian Football League.
The WMU-Rampage connection goes even deeper when you include current Western Michigan tight end coach Tony Kimbrough (WMU, 1987-88). The former WMU quarterback was an unpaid assistant coach with the Rampage in 2003 until he was hired by Western Michigan. Kimbrough played for five seasons in the AFL with three different teams and then coached in the league for another three years.
And then there is former Bronco Corey Alston (WMU, 1997-2000), who recently signed on with another AFL team, the Detroit Fury, as a wide receiver/linebacker. Kicker Brad Selent (WMU, 1997-2000) was also with the Fury during the 2002 season. FB/LB Chris Browning (WMU, 1999-2002) recently signed with the Chicago Rush. For Alston and Browning, this will be their first seasons in the Arena league.
During a Rampage game against Las Vegas last April, there were two WMU alums on each team’s roster, Welsh and Ricks for Grand Rapids, Riley and quarterback Jay McDonagh (WMU, 1993-95) for Las Vegas. McDonagh has been in the Arena league for three years and was recently signed by the Colorado Crush.
Randy Snow covered the Grand Rapids Rampage of the Arena Football League for ArenaFan from 2003-2008. He also covered the Fort Wayne Fusion of arenafootball2 in 2007. From 2004-2008 and in 2010, he was a member of the Arena Football League Writer’s Association and, since 2011, has been a member of the Professional Football Researchers Association. Randy lives in Kalamazoo, Michigan but will travel just about anywhere for a football game or a great football story. He runs the web site www.theworldoffootball.com and hosts a podcast with his son, Adam, called “This Week in The World of Football.”
