Familiar Faces back in Jersey
Marc Viquez
Thursday June 14, 2001
“It’s important playing against the guys that you played with before. It’s just going to be a challenge because they are going to be out to get you and you’re going to be out to play your best against them,” said Gladiator Otis Moore who is anticipating this showdown. Steeple and Foggie were original members of the New Jersey Red Dogs in 1997 and both left after last season. Steeple signed as a free agent with Florida and looks to make an impression on some old friends up in Jersey.
“Playing against Steeple, he’s going to be up because he knows what kind of player I am. So he is going to be on his A game. Especially coming back here to New Jersey, he played here the last three years. So he has a lot of things to prove,” said former teammate Otis Moore who spent last season as a Red Dog. It is a game of bragging rights on both sides, as the former New Jersey players want to add to the team’s futility this season.
Coach Larry Kuharich is looking forward in doing battle with Foggie as he feels New Jersey has the strength to pressure the 6-season vet of AFL action. Gaines played in 4 games with New Jersey last season before being released and signed by Florida in the off season.
Guy served as defensive backs coach with New Jersey in 2000 until he was named interim head coach of Florida last season. He now serves as defensive coordinator with the team. “Kevin Guy is going to have a lot to prove,” said Moore, “A lot of guys playing against him like myself -- I have a lot to prove to him. I want to show them that I can play on both sides of the ball.”
There will be a lot to prove from some of the New Jersey players who are hungry for win number three, while Florida is looking to lay down loss number nine. This week’s meeting is no clash of the titans, but there is still a lot to prove from each side of the ball. Will Rickey Foggie be triumphed in his return to East Rutherford? Will Moore show his old coach Kevin Guy how he has developed this season? Or will Matt Steeple play some havoc against Connell Maynor? I guess all the questions will be answered this Friday night.
A fan of the sport since 1990 Marc has covered both the New Jersey Gladiators and Cincinnati Swarm (Af2) for Arenafan Online. Marc now resides in Indianapolis after graduating with a Masters in Sports Management from Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Ind. When not at a Firebirds game Marc can be found traveling the Midwest covering sports for various Internet and print publications.
