Kats Mid Season Report Card
Charliy Nash
Wednesday June 6, 2001
Perhaps that’s the secret. There’s no single target for opposing defenders to key on. There is no first or second string, no drop off when one receiver comes in for another. The receivers have also energized an already potent running game; in addition to fullbacks Rupert Grant and Travis Reece, opponents have to defend against receivers Tyronne Jones, Darryl Hammond, and Jarrick Hillery carrying the football. This has helped change the red zone offense from a weakness into a strength.
DS Adrian Lunsford has played for five other teams during his eight years in the league, so I asked him if the Kats’ unity is typical. “No, this team, we do have some special unity. We’ve got a lot of guys who have been here with the team since the beginning of the franchise. The nucleus of the guys have been with the team since then.” Lunsford did not find the tight nucleus to be a barrier when he joined the team. “You come in, you earn the respect of your teammates by playing hard, the rest will take care of itself.”
There are many factors that have contributed to the best start in franchise history. The linemen have done an excellent job, giving QB Andy Kelly protection while applying constant pressure to the opposing passer. Kicker Steve McLaughlin is having an outstanding season, quietly becoming the league’s top kicker.
The most amazing aspect of this successful season is that they’ve done it without so many key people. Nashville began the season without DS Robert Davis, DS/WR/KR Ron Carpenter, and WR/DB/LB/KR/KH/K Jeff Russell. Then in the preseason they lost DS Quincy LeJay, WR/DB Cory Sullivan, and WR/LB Cory Fleming. Early in the season DS John Williams and DS/WR Kirk Pointer went down with injuries. Somehow coach Pat Sperduto was able to find the right people to plug into these openings.
Consulting his extensive files, Sperduto brought in players who fit into his cohesive teams. Veterans like OL/DL James Baron and WR/LB Darryl Hammond have mentored the newcomers. Coaches Marty Lowe and Brenard Wilson spent the first several weeks of the season training new players as if they were still in training camp.
Since they do it all as a team, I’ll give them a B+ as a team – with an A to the coaching staff for getting such great results in such difficult circumstances.
Everyone Turn to Page 20
If you look in the 15th Anniversary Arena Football magazine, you’ll find a photo of a young Eddie Khayat when he was coaching the New Orleans Night. I showed Khayat, now the Kats GM, the picture and he kept reporters and players alike in rapt attention as he reminisced. “We put that team together in two weeks,” he began, going on to describe how 450 people showed up for open tryouts at the Super Dome. He described coaches staring at their stopwatches in disbelief, asking one another “What did you get?” when a candidate ran the 50 yard dash in 4.3 seconds. The hastily assembled team had a 4-6 record in their first season.
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.
