McMillen Takes to the Line for Rush
Jeff Sims
Friday March 10, 2006
McMillen went into last Sunday’s game against the Dallas Desperados needing just seven yards to break the AFL all-time rushing record. Instead, he found himself doing something that he had not done since the 2000 season when he played for the Arizona Rattlers; playing on the offensive line.
In addition to losing to the Desperados 59 –42, the Rush lost both OL/DL staples John Moyer (sprained knee) and D.J. Bleisath (ankle) to injuries during the game forcing the Chicago coaching staff to make a decision.
"They (the coaches) came up to me and asked me if I could play it," said McMillen after the game. "I said yes because I want to help this team."
McMillen, in his 12th season in the AFL, has had the reputation of being a team player. With the Desperados sending a wide pass rush, the Chicago coaching staff had not planned to run the ball much against them. As a matter of fact, McMillen did not get one carry on this day. But that did not stop him from wanting to take to the line and contribute to his teams’ effort, especially after the loss of his teammates.
"I haven’t worked at it a whole lot," stated McMillen. "I have played it in the past and I knew that I could go down in the trenches if I had to. I just try to go in there, do my best, hold on, and hopefully not let them get to the quarterback."
And while the AFL rushing record is still in his sights, the topic never comes up with McMillen unless he is specifically asked.
McMillen states, "the rushing record is the furthest thing from my mind right now. We have to get this team better and some guys are going to have to step it up for us."
And the best thing about McMillen is, he sincerely means it.
The loss of both Moyer and Bleisath puts the Rush in a bind in a short week situation as they prepare for their next game against the Colorado Crush on Friday night at Allstate Arena.
"The biggest thing on my mind is the players we’ll possibly lose and not knowing how long we’ll lose them for," said Rush head coach Mike Hohensee, after his team had their three-game winning streak snapped. "The hard part will be figuring out which 20 we’re going to dress (for Friday)."
Game Notes
Rush kicker Dan Frantz had a career day on Sunday. In the first quarter, Frantz kicked a career best 46-yard field goal and then topped it in the second quarter with a 52-yarder. It appears that Frantz will remain the kicker for the upcoming game against the Crush. Regular Rush kicker Keith Gispert worked out prior to the game Sunday, but said, "something still does not feel right". It is still uncertain as to when he will return to the roster.
With the injury to John Moyer, it was the first time this season that the Rush have had to play a down on offense without him in the line-up.
Jeff has been writing for ArenaFan.com since 2004. Originally from New York, Jeff has been living in the Chicago area for the past ten years and is an avid football fanatic. He holds a BA in communications from Hofstra University in New York and a sports management certificate from Loyola University in Chicago.
