Big Guys, Not Big Names
Charliy Nash
Saturday March 24, 2007
Carey Clayton, Clay Harrell, and Fitu Tu’ua may not be household names, but their importance to the Kats is immeasurable. In last week’s win over the Utah Blaze they cleared the way for Dan Alexander to tie a league record with five rushing touchdowns, and kept the defensive pressure off rookie Quarterback Jeff Smoker.
“We didn’t have too many mental errors,” observed newcomer Fitu Tu’ua, “and I think that played a role in us getting a W this week.” In fact the Kats only had two penalties in the first half, and head coach Pat Sperduto expressed his pleasure with their discipline. Tu’ua believes the performance in the game started with an intense week of practice. “It was my first week here and I thought the focus particularly was real on point.”
“Fitu had a lot of good energy,” veteran center Carey Clayton added, “He got everybody excited on the field and that’s half the battle, being out there and wanting to get after it.” Clayton also felt that last week’s practice was better than in previous weeks, but says that there was no specific catalyst for the change, “We practiced really hard last week, got on the same page and made it a point of emphasis to really jell together and play a good game..” He says that the same energy level is evident this week, “It’s looking really good. We’re going to be putting a few new wrinkles into the offense.”
“The intensity has been real good in practice,” agreed rookie Clay Harrell, “Looking forward to the same thing this week.” The former af2 standout began the season on the Kats’ practice squad, but quickly earned a starting spot. He points to group effort and determination as the key to last week’s win, “We took it on ourselves to really go out and win that game because the week before we gave up too many hits. We didn’t want to see our quarterback get hit that much.”
They don’t get the attention. They don’t get the glory. They don’t often get interviewed. They do make a big difference.
AMac’s Streak Could End
The only Kat to play in every game since the team’s return is currently getting around on crutches. A deep thigh contusion has OL/DL Aaron McConnell likely to miss his first game after playing 36 straight. Don’t expect him to be added to Nashville’s crowded injured reserve list. “They’re only getting me out for one game,” the durable lineman exclaimed.
Charliy Nash has covered both incarnations of the Nashville Kats, and now has make the 2 hour drive to Huntsville for an Arena Football fix. He also covers the Tennessee Titans as a blogger for nfl.com and still hopes this will eventually lead to a paying gig.
