McPherson ready to lead Rampage to title
Chip Burch
Wednesday February 13, 2008
Adrian McPherson is ready to get the 2008 season going.
The 2004 Arena Football League Rookie of the Year is at training camp for the Grand Rapids Rampage this year and can't wait for the season to start.
"I feel great," he said. "(Head coach) Steve Thonn, I heard a lot about him, and he's amazing. He just makes things easy with the play-calling. It's really easy and it's exciting because things are going really well right now."
McPherson started the 2007 season with the Austin Wranglers, but was released after eight games. He was then picked up by the Rampage and former coach Sparky McEwen to back up Chad Salisbury.
It's assumed McPherson will be the starter after Salisbury retired from football to take the assistant athletic director's job at Byron Center (Mich.) High School.
McPherson is familiar with being a starter for Grand Rapids, as he started the final three games of the season for the Rampage. He was 76-of-129 for 814 yards, nine touchdowns and four interceptions with the Rampage. He also ran 16 times for 136 yards and three scores.
"I'm approaching this season like I have a lot to prove," he said. "Things didn't go as well as I'm used to in Austin and I feel like I'm in a great situation with Steve. The things he and (Georgia Force quarterback Chris) Greisen did in Georgia was unbelievable last year and that's why I'm so excited to work with him."
Everything's new for McPherson this year, including a new coach and mostly new players on offense around him.
"It's going great," McPherson said of the offense. "Everybody's putting in hard work every day. We're coming in there (to camp practices) early, staying late. We've got a great offensive line and when we screen we have a fullback who can catch the ball, so it's exciting."
McPherson spoke to the media after the Rampage scrimmaged the Cleveland Gladiators Tuesday and won 45-28 after a three-quarter scrimmage.
"I'm excited, especially after" the scrimmage, he said. "We looked really good. So I'm excited to go to Dallas next week and build on what we did, although it will be tough because we looked really good."
McPherson didn't have an interception during the scrimmage and the Rampage converted on all three pickoffs they gathered.
"The thing is I didn't have to throw the ball 30 yards," McPherson said. "I was making 2-yard throws and we had great playmakers that were making big plays for us."
McPherson said most of that is the effect Thonn has had on the team.
"I think Steve puts us in great positions," he said. "He's a great play-caller and he uses all of his talent. He doesn't depend on one guy or two guys. He uses four or five guys."
McPherson predicted the Rampage would go to the playoffs for the first time since 2003.
"This team will be in the playoffs, at least that," he said. "But our goal is to win the championship, and we talk championship every day. Steve, when he came in, he told us, 'I'm not here to rebuild, I'm here to win this year, and if I didn't believe you guys couldn't get it done you wouldn't be here.' That's how it goes. So our goal is to win a championship this year and we're working daily to achieve that goal."
McPherson and the Rampage will have a bye week in Week 1. Their season-opening game is March 10 at home against the defending champion San Jose SaberCats.
