Young and Old Mix in Perfect Harmony for Phantoms
Campbell Blake
Thursday March 22, 2001
“We have a very outstanding group of guys; we are very big; we are very physical; and we have really upgraded our speed” said Stout. “We have the returning guys of Damion Harrell, Charlie Davidson, Kerry Brown, and then we throw into that mix a veteran like Ty Law. And then we have some exciting rookies in Deumaine Reeder and Phil Taylor.”
Coach Stout’s plan this year for Ty Law, who has joined the team after playing the first three years of his career in Orlando, is to mix him in with another veteran, Kerry Brown at the H Jack Linebacker/ Wide Receiver position. With veteran players Law and Brown providing leadership on and off the field, Coach Stout has expanded their roles to include assisting in what plays will be called when the team is on defence.
Last year, Law participated in his second Arena Bowl championship in three years when the Predators beat Nashville 41-38. During the season he set career highs in receptions, total yards and touch down catches, which definitely makes him a player on the rise. In Toronto, he gives the Phantoms an extra weapon on offence along with much-needed defensive prowess.
 Damian Harrell plans to finish what he started last year now that he feels 100% again. Image courtesy of Dave Williams |
Damian Harrell also believes he will be 100% percent healthy and is ready to be with the team until season end. He found it very frustrating to watch the team fall apart after he left, so this season he wants to put all that behind him and return to the role that he had before the injury as one of the AFL’s premier wide receivers.
Following his outstanding rookie season last year, Anthony Derricks is about to expand his role with the team. Coach Stout said that he was toying with the idea of occasionally using Derricks on offence as a wide receiver. Last season in New England, this top rookie was predominately used as a defensive specialist and kick returner.
Another top rookie has Coach Stout drooling at the mouth. That’s wide receiver/defensive back Deumaine Reeder. This University of Tennessee-Martin grad spent last year in AF2 with the Charleston Swamp Foxes where he was one of the league’s best all round receivers. As a member of the Swamp Foxes last year, Reeder lit it up on the field by hauling in 94 receptions to go with a whopping 1311 yards in receiving. Reeder topped off his amazing first season as a pro by being on the receiving end of 23 touchdowns. His success from last season is the main reason that Coach Stout could not wait to get this kid into camp, to see what he could do at the AFL level. He didn’t seem to have lost a step at this season’s training camp as he made the move up the pro football ladder.
Stout believes that with all the footwork and the added skill of having to move backwards, that a defensive back learning to be a receiver is much easier then a receiver making the move to defensive back. Rookie WR/DB Phil Taylor disagrees. Taylor, a recent graduate of the University of Eastern Illinois, believes a wide receiver who makes the move to defensive back will have the advantage because with a receiver’s mind set, even when playing defensive back, you can guess what your opponent will do.
However you look at it, Coach Stout has to be quite impressed with the group of receivers he has. With the perfect contrast of veteran experience and hungry rookies wanting to prove that they belong, this should be an exciting first season in Toronto. With the opener only weeks away, this group of very talented men get to prove that they are the best on the field as well as on paper.
Campbell Blake was a writer for ArenaFan Online during the 2001 season.
