Destroyers End Quarterback Shuffle, Prepare for Predators
K.E. Schlosser
Tuesday March 30, 2004
Initially, Rayborn was brought to Columbus to be the starting quarterback and a veteran leader. With an inconsistent training camp, he lost his job to Arena Football League rookie quarterback Ryan Vena. While Rayborn was not a veteran in terms of longevity in the AFL, he did bring a diverse resume to the Destroyers after spending time in the af2 and Canadian Football League, along with previous AFL stints in Detroit and Indianapolis.
In hopes of changing the Destroyers’ offensives woes, Bruce twice replaced Vena with Rayborn at different points in the season. In both of Rayborn’s starts, the results were not as good as either he or Bruce had hoped. While not all of the Destroyers woes can be blamed on the man under center, Rayborn’s effect was minimal as Columbus continued to struggle, running their losing streak to six games in a row. For the season, Rayborn effectively finished 50-82 for 553 yards with nine touchdowns and six interceptions.
While Rayborn may not be remembered in Columbus for what he accomplished or achieved on the field, he will be remembered as a friend and a teammate, both in the locker room and off the field. When asked about his relationship with the departed veteran, starting quarterback Ryan Vena responded candidly.
"John was a great guy on and off the field,” said Vena. “I always supported him, as he did me."
When questioned about the timing of the release, Bruce asserted he was simply trying to “help him get someplace else if he can and making the best decision in the long term interests of the franchise."
With Rayborn’s release, Vena is the staring quarterback for time being. When pressed about whether or not Vena was the future, Bruce was noncommittal.
“Unless we get someone between now and then, yes, Ryan is our guy right now for sure,” said Bruce.
Simply put, if the young signal caller is unable to unite his teammates and display the consistency that the coach and the team have been searching for all season, Bruce is willing to look to someone else for the answer.
While the Destroyers have had two weeks to prepare to host the Orlando Predators on Sunday, most of the team was given last week off to refocus and refresh for the stretch run of the season. With Rayborn’s release, Vena will get the vast majority of the snaps this week in practice. Whether or not the extra practice time will benefit Ryan Vena depends as much on his individual play as it does on the team’s execution against Orlando.
Starting today, Vena has an eight-week audition for next year. If he performs well, develops consistency, and emerges as a leader, the young quarterback could solidify his role as the starter and would look to come into camp next year with his eyes fixed on the receivers instead of watching over his shoulder. If the inconsistencies continue, Bruce will not stop searching until he finds his answer.
