2012 Chicago Rush Out to Handle Business
Jeff Sims
Friday March 9, 2012
The 2011 Chicago Rush set a new team record by going 13-5 last season and fell one game, some could say one play, short of reaching the ArenaBowl.
As we come up on the 2012 season, some things have changed in the front office for the AFL team out of Chicago. The team is now owned by the league and Gene Nudo has resigned as President and General Manager and is no longer involved with the organization.
In as the new President/GM is Roger Wexelberg, who does not have a background in Arena Football, but has spent the past 27 years involved with many minor-league baseball organizations. He was most recently the General Manager for the two-time champion Gary SouthShore Railcats of the Northern League. He was named the Executive of the Year in 2005 and the club was voted the Northern League Organization of the Year in 2006.
Wexelberg is excited about his new opportunity.
"I am glad to be here and am looking forward to a great season," he said. "My background is in minor league baseball, so this Arena Football thing is new to me, but the business model is basically the same. We are looking forward to seeing the fans."
Returning as head coach for his second season is Bob McMillen. McMillen was the runner-up for Coach of the Year last season and led the team to their best record in team history.
The rest of the coaching staff remains in tact from last season with one big exception. Sherdrick Bonner will not be returning as the Assistant Coach on the offensive side of the ball. Bonner is currently working as a color analyst for a sports network in Colorado.
Taking over the offensive coordination and play calling will be a combination of McMillen, returning Assistant Coach Walt Housman, and returning starting quarterback, Russ Michna.
The new offense will be designed to keep the offense moving and keep Michna healthy for a full 18 game schedule.
The move has seemed to have sparked the quarterback's excitement for the new season.
"I don't think that I have ever seen Russ as excited as he is this year than he was in the past," said McMillen at the team's Media Day festivities. "He is having more fun out there, he is having a good time, and he is understanding the offense a lot better. Russ has never really had any input into an offense in the time that he has been here. Last year, Sherdrick handled most of it and before that Coach Ho. Now, we are allowing Russ to tell us what he is comfortable with and what he feels will be successful. He has a comfort level that he has never had since he has been here in Chicago and with that being said, I believe that he will have the best year that he has ever had in Arena Football."
Michna concurs that he is excited about the opportunities he has this year.
"I am!," Michna said. "I am excited about what we have going on here. I think we have a ton of talent offensively. At this point, I don't even know who our three receivers will be. Whereas last year, we were trying to find guys. I think it is going to be a good year. I really do."
The only given going into the season at the wide receiver position is All-Arena second team player "Big Play" Reggie Gray. Gray returns after posting 130 receptions for 1969 yards, both team records. He also returned four kick returns for touchdowns in 29 attempts and will once again be a threat in the kick return game.
Last month, the team had signed 2011 breakout star Troy McBroom, who played for the Tulsa Talons last season and was one of the league's best receivers. McBroom has since failed his team physical after being diagnosed with a torn labrum and will not be joining the team.
Even with the loss of McBroom, the coaching staff feels that it has a more solid group of receivers going into the season than it had all of last year.
They have advised to keep an eye on Jared Perry, who is ready for his rookie season in the AFL. He is being compared a lot to Gray, but is a little taller at 6'1" and according to teammates, is faster than Gray. Many believe he could be a key player to watch this season.
Other new additions at wide receiver are first year players Terrance Turner, Marquis Hamilton, and Chad Lucas. Lucas recently spent some time in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers.
The Rush should once again be a force on defensive. Coach Hous returns along with wide receivers and defensive backs coach Titcus Pettigrew. Last season under their direction, the team ranked tops in the league in defense.
All-Arena first team jack linebacker Kelvin Morris returns for his second season with the Rush as does All-Arena first team defensive back Vic Hall. Last season, Hall finished tops in the league with an average of 8.4 tackles per contest and finished second in the league in interceptions with 15. He accomplished these feats only playing in 13 of the 18 games last season due to various injuries.
Joining Hall in the defensive secondary will be Kelvin Rogers, who spent last season with the Milwaukee Mustangs and Brandon Freeman, who has spent time with both the Arizona Rattlers and the Georgia Force.
The defensive line will consist of all rookies. Most notably of the bunch, Lindsey Witten spent the 2011 season as a member of the Calgary Stampeders in the CFL and Xavier Brown, out of my hometown of Brentwood, NY, spent some time with the Hamilton Tiger Cats of the CFL.
With the new rule of defensive lineman being ejected after three offsides penalties in a game, McMillen felt that he had to keep an extra defensive lineman on the roster (there will be five) and it will affect the way that he manages it throughout the season.
"Every team is going to have to dress an additional defensive lineman," he said. "Every coach has to teach their guys to watch the football. (The players) are excited to get out there and their job is to get to the opposing quarterback, but (the coach) will have to stay on them. The coach might have to pull them out. It may be after the first play or in the first quarter. That guy might not be able to return until the second quarter, so you have to dress an additional defensive lineman. We do not have any veterans on our defensive line. We are teaching these guys to watch the ball and do it the right way."
All in all, the team will consist of 12 players with AFL experience and 12 rookies, which is the exact balance that the coaching staff was looking for. Coach McMillen is excited about his team and is keeping them focused on the upcoming season that starts Saturday at Allstate Arena against the Tampa Bay Storm.
"We are building into one concept this season and that is to go out and handle our business," McMillen said pointing to the back of his team's camp t-shirts with the phrase on them. "We can't worry what's going on around the league. We have to worry about this team right now. So we are going to go out and handle our business and see how things happen."
Other Notes
There have been rumors of a potential players strike to start the season. According to different team sources, the league is ready for whatever happens and the season will go on as scheduled. Commisioner Jerry Kurz has addressed the players and has told them that any player that strikes can be released and replaced.
Quarterback Russ Michna is not too fond of the new ejection rule for defensive linemen. He said, "it is going to be interesting to see how that goes. It's a horrible rule. I think it is stupid. It's idiotic and I would love for you to print that. But at the same time, it is the rules that have been made and we have to play by them. It would be an embarrassment for the league to have the outcome of games determined by that."