Stingley Out. Enter Moss and the Walkers
Kevin Sheller
Tuesday March 12, 2002
Not to say that the Chicago-native was a poor performer. He averaged 18.5 yards per kick return and registered 48 tackles, 23 assists, an interception and a kick return for a touchdown. Stingley, just wasn’t the all-star he was billed to be, and his high salary demanded more.
 Stingley struggled at times during the season Image courtesy of Drew Kennedy |
Not only did his performance on the field suffer, but his scripted pre-game theatrics may have caused some rifts in the locker-room.
In an attempt to educate new Rush fans and give them a hero to cheer for, the pre-game show was geared to give Stingley, 30, the biggest hoorah. Although the offense was introduced at every game, in an unusual move, Stingley was brought out as the last player. The music boomed, the announcer bellowed, and “The man in the middle” gyrated onto the field, whooping it up while fireworks blazed around him.
Stingley’s special treatment was meant as an entertaining theatric to get the crowd pumped up, but it may have had the opposite effect on the rest of the roster.
Enter DS Cedric Walker.
When Walker signed on and started along side Stingley, the impact was clear and immediate: Walker was a hitter and a leader. His style changed the demeanor of the Rush defense, and opponents took immediate notice. Walker’s impact was so dramatic that he earned MVP of his first game as a member of the Rush -- the final regular season upset over the Orlando Predators -- primarily because his hard-hitting presence intimidated opponents and dominated the defensive backfield.
All of these facts, plus Stingley’s falloff and high salary, brought to light that the team needed to move in another direction.
“We wanted to get better at the position,” said head coach Mike Hohensee. “We didn`t get the production out of Derek that we`d hoped for.”
During the off-season, the Rush added DS Tristan Moss to the defensive backfield. Moss, who started for the 2001 Arena Bowl Champion Grand Rapids Rampage, was acquired during the Dallas Desperados expansion draft in a three-way trade with Buffalo. Moss enters his third season as a DS, and Hohensee projects him to fill the open safety spot.
Not necessarily a big hitter, he is very quick and his new head coach likes Moss’s strong mental discipline.
Nonetheless, be sure to use pencil when figuring the final DB spot in Chicago. Just because the Rush signed Moss doesn’t mean the battle is already won. Rookie DS Damien Marzett comes from the Denver Broncos, and fits Walker’s aggressive style into his large 6’0” 200 frame.
Then there’s the “other” Walker, Jabir, an af2 standout defensive specialist who could surprise the team with his valuable Arena Football experience.
Finally, don’t forget Dale Koscielski. Last year’s starting WR/LB plans to make a run for the second or third DS spot, having promised Hohensee that he will successfully make the transition. Even if he doesn’t, Koscielski is too good of a player to lose, and Hohensee plans to allow him to return to a two-way spot if necessary.
With the addition of Moss, Jamir Walker, and Marzett, the Rush defensive backfield is in good hands. Even though Stingley may not be replaced with a so-called all-star, the team’s morale and the direction of the defense will likely be the better for it.
How Many D-Backs?
In case you are curious, an AFL team is required to employ three defensive backs in its 8-man scheme. Two are defensive specialists who replace their specialized offensive counterparts: QB and OS. The other is a WR/DB. Last year’s Ironman of the year and interception leader, Dameon Porter, admirably fills the only two-way DB spot for the Rush. With a defensive foundation of Porter and Cedric Walker, the duo only need one more skill-man to complete a formidable backfield.
More DS to think about
What happened to DS Chris Lawson, a.k.a. C-Law? Lawson became a free agent at the end of last season and is still unsigned.
"We needed more of an impact player,” said Hohensee about Lawson. “He was a role
player, and we need a stopper."
Stopper Signed
Cedric Walker was recently re-signed to the Chicago Rush through the 2002 season.
Kevin Sheller ia founder of Arenafan Online and was the principal owner until 2004. Kevin graduated from the University of Akron with a degree in technical writing, and has been a member of the Arena Football Internet community since 1993. He has worked as a professional web programmer and is also the executive producer for a computer/video game company. The most recent Xbox title to his credit is called Hunter: The Reckoning.
