Kats’ Veterans Ready to Return

Charliy Nash
Friday March 30, 2007

Week five is very special this season.  Not only is it the Nashville Kats’ first game against a division opponent, it’s the first week that players are eligible to be activated from Injured Reserve.

Injuries have been a huge factor for the Kats this season.  At one point they had more linemen on IR than on their active roster.  Players who were slated as starters have had to sit out the first quarter of the season.  Some of those missing pieces are ready to be fit back into place. “We are hoping we can get a whole bunch of guys off of IR,” head coach Pat Sperduto said, “We have to evaluate how Monty (Montgomery) did, Rupert (Grant) did, how Isaiah (Ross) did and how all the other guys did.”

“I’ve been waiting for this”, said Monty Montgomery, “it seems like it’s been about ten weeks now.”  While recovering from a broken finger he found ways to help the defense.  “I’ve been coaching, doing whatever I can just to help the young guys, get them in the right position.  In this game it takes a lot of communication, and since I’m the older guy back there I just want to communicate with the guys out there and make sure we’re all on the same page.”  

The timing could not be better for Montgomery’s return.  The defensive secondary has been playing well, but during last week’s action in Austin, Eric Joyce had to leave the game with a concussion and a cut above his nose that required four stitches.  

“I’m so excited,” exclaimed Rupert Grant, “I’m really trying to harness my energy.”  Grant, who has always been one of he emotional leaders of the team, has been encouraging some of his less experienced teammates during his exile, “The young guys are getting acclimated to the game now and won the last two.  I just want to be a part of it.  Hopefully I can come out and do something to help the team.”

The scoring proficiency of Dan Alexander at fullback, and solid performances by Maurice Brown and Liam Ezekiel at linebacker mean Grant has a lot of competition for playing time, but he is not concerned, “I don’t know how they’re going to work it, but the coaches do a good job of utilizing their personnel, so I think we should be able to coexist.”

Four weeks on Injured Reserve can seem like an eternity.  This years new rules make four weeks the minimum.  But now it’s week five, and the Nashville Kats are getting the band back together.

Stoerner Released

Another player coming off Injured Reserve this week is quarterback Matt Kohn.  With Kohn available to back up starter Jeff Smoker, the Kats had the flexibility to honor another player’s request.  “A couple of weeks ago when we decided to make a change and go with Jeff, we brought Clint [Stoerner] in and I told him about the change,” explained Pat Sperduto, “At that point in time he said, ‘I’d like to hook on with somebody else if I’m not your guy.’”   After testing the trade waters, the team gave Stoerner his release.