Clarion-Ledger from Jackson, Mississippi • Page 32

4DB The Clarion-Ledger Saturday, April 24, 1999 -v i-i JUL Iq) fo)iDi I MISSISSIPPI Jf JffOis MISSISSIPPI p. ff pr 3 fmes fa fcir Poison Ohio Cannon f' I 1 Ply" from: jLvY Ohio, fPSiiU fT Shreveport wise. ftl i i JLVt Coach: Darrell Farmer nigniS ST Stadium: Glass Bowl, Toledo fT f- Players from: (28,000) N.M.,Okla., Texas 'x Coach: Fred Akers i v. J. Stadium: Independence A 3 I Stadium, Shreveport (46,000) IPfedCT LA MississiPPj CTK) I TL Pride ME HOUStOn AVfc I jj zt Players from: Ga.

OlltlaWS VWiyr? ''f'T Coach: Johnny Plummer Players from: Texas, N.M., ShrevepOlt JackSOrt Memorial Stadium, 0ka Jackson (60,000) Coach: Ernie Stamper Stadium: Rice Stadium, Houston (78,000) HOUStOn gbuT-O Preseason April 3 Houston 20, Pride 0 April 1 0 Pride 25, New Orleans 6 Regular Season Shreveport 40, Pride 12 April 17 Today May 2 May 8 May 15 May 22 May 29 June 6 June 13 June 19 June 26 July 3 "We grew up idolizing Walter Payton, Mike Singletary, Richard Dent and guys like that. Every kid who played football knew about Payton and wanted to wear No. 34." On Monday, Pride players plan to give blood at a blood drive in Payton's honor at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. Pride offensive coordinator Cardell Jones joined the Jackson State staff a year after Payton left for Chicago. Jones and Payton have talked several times, though not since Payton's illness was diagnosed.

"I was at home when I heard about it on the news," said Jones, the former Alcorn State coach. "It was just devastating. "This man is a landmark as far as the state of Mississippi is concerned. I'm just hoping and praying that he can get a transplant sometime soon." Mississippi linebacker grew up watching Payton play for Chicago Bears By Henry Goolsby Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer Never in his wildest dreams did Aaron Styre think he'd be playing a football game in honor of Walter Payton. As a kid, Styre traveled three hours from Iowa to Chicago with his family to see Payton and the Bears play on Sundays.

Tonight, Styre will take the field as a Mississippi Pride linebacker in a game the team has dedicated to Payton. Payton, the NFL's all-time rushing leader, was diagnosed with a rare liver disease earlier this year and needs a transplant to survive. "When I heard about (Pay-ton's) health Styre said while shaking his head and looking at HOUSTON at New Orleans OHIO at Mobile SHREVEPORT MOBILE at Ohio at Houston NEW ORLEANS at Mobile SHREVEPORT 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m.

6:30 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 6 p.m. 7 p.m.

7 p.m. 6:30 p.m. 7 p.m. New Orleans Thunder Mobile nun iii aio i ii i Playoffs: to be announced Home games In CAPS. Times subject to change.

Did you know? The RFL has tentative plans to expand the league from six teams to 10 as early as the year 2000. Possible cities include Buffalo, N.Y., Orlando, San Jose, and Winston-Salem, N.C. Players from: Ga. Tenn. Coach: Rex Stevenson Stadium: Gormley Stadium, New Orleans (30,000) Players from: Fla.

Coach: Tom Walsh Stadium: Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile (40,000) the ground. "There's emotional ties for me in this game. The thing that kills me is it's so undeserving. Harold GaterThe Clarion-Ledger THE RFL THE NFL LZ ZriL! In NFL, everybody knows your name Plays two preseason games, a 1 2-game regular season and two playoff games. Plays a 4 week preseason schedule, 16 regular season games and a 4 week playoff period.

RFL doesn't give players superstar statusfound in places like Dallas, Green Bay ROSTER SIZES By Henry Goolsby Clarion-Ledger Stall Writer There are 37 active players and a five-man practice squad. There are 47 active players and a five-man practice squad. Wt. 205 "165" 172 205, 190 riio' 205 "205" 205 195 .202. 205 ,212" 202 "242" 232 233 245 CollegePro Experience Miss.

Delta CCOle Miss NW Miss. CCNW (La.) State" Holmes CC1 Jackson State Ole MissChicago Bears E. Texas St. Dallas Cowboys 7 Harding Grambling State Mississippi State Miss. Delta CCldaho 1 Hinds CCOle Miss Alcorn State Northwestern (La.) State Hinds CCLouisiana Tech Jackson State Northwestern (La.) State Jackson State Colorado Southern Miss.Ariz.

Cardinals Mississippi State SALARIES Team Record Houston 1-0 Mobile 1-0 Shreveport-Bossier 1-0 PRIDE 0-1 New Orleans 0-1 Ohio 0-1 Tonight's games Shreveport at Mobile 6:30 p.m. Houston at PRIDE 7 p.m. Sunday's game New Orleans at Ohio 2 p.m. Next week's games PRIDE at New Orleans 7 p.m. Ohio at Shreveport 7 p.m.

Mobile at Houston 7 p.m. Salaries are between $15,000 and $75,000. The average salary last season was $1 A franchise player may earn up to $200,000. Seven-round draft every April. Sixteen-round draft each November for each region.

Ht. 6-112 5- 9 6- 2 5- 8 6- 2 6-0 6-1 "e-1 6-1 5-10 1 6-0. 6-0 6-0 6-0 6-1 6-3 6-3 6-3 6-2 6-2 6-4 6-6 6-3' 6-6 6-4 6-5 6-5 6-1 5-11 6-3 6-5 6-4 6-3 Pos. QB WR-RB-KR PK-P WR-KR-CB WR-RB-SS. CB 1 QB-WR CB-S QB RB RB RB FS-SS RB FB LB LB DE-LB C-G LB LB ..7, -C-G.

G-DL G-T' G-T WR WR DE-TE DT DE-DT DE RULES No. Name 1 Stewart Patridge 2 James Brock 4 Shelby Johnson 6 Dexter Thomas 7 Tyrone Ashley 9 Terrell Sutton 11 ClayBeason 12 Chris Samson 15 Brian Hazelwood 16 Virgil Gardner 21 David Knott 22 Alfred Daniels 24 Terry Williamson 25 LeeRagsdale 29 Eric Austin 31 Teryl Williamson 32 Carlos Knight 35 Keith Miller 43 Marchant Kenney 44 Dwayne Curry 45 Aaron Styre 51 Keith Washington 54 Rodney Washington 55 Ken Newton 56 Michael Moncrief 57 Johnny Jones 60 Michael Mote 64 Dietric Lockridge 65 Kasey Keith 66 Jerry Myers 67 Ernest Marshall 70 Jeff Miller 74 Michael Lindsey 75 Karl Thomas 77 Calvin Bolton 80 Reggie McGee 81 Adam Young 82 Fred Ward 88 Stacy Wilson 91 Robert Miller 97 Derrick Cagins 99 Scott Stacy Note: Five different players There was a time when Mississippi Pride cornerback Terrell Sutton couldn't finish his lunch without being interrupted. It was almost a year ago that Sutton, then a free agent with the Dallas Cowboys, stopped eating while crazed fans sought the autograph of superstar teammate Deion Sanders. That was in the 1998 preseason. Sutton made it to the final cut.

With one Regional Football League game behind him, Sutton can see first-hand the difference between the RFL and the NFL. "You go around town and everybody knows you, even if you're a rookie like I was," Sutton said of his days with the Cowboys. "People even know the lowest players on the team, like myself. It's like you're a superstar. You get love from everybody." But not in Jackson.

"I can go to places around here now with a Pride T-shirt on and people will be like, You play for that The physical part of the NFL is nothing like the RFL, either. Pride offensive lineman Jeff Miller, who played at Ole Miss, said the gameday preparations and prac- A player needs both feet in bounds for a complete pass. In case of a tie the game goes to sudden death. A player needs only one foot in bounds for a complete pass. In case of a tie each team will get the ball on the 25-yard line with four downs to score.

tices differ as well. Miller was with the Green Bay Packers for two years and the Washington Redskins for the 1997 season before being released with a knee injury. "The aggressive play and things like that are pretty much the same," Miller said. "But on gameday, the NFL teams won't let you stay at home with your family. They put you in a hotel.

"You have to already have your technique and you have to watch a lotoffilmintheNFL. "They don't like too many mistakes, either." REFEREES 263 Coe College (Iowa) 253 Hinds CCLouisiana Tech 255 .1 McNeese State 300 Memphis 245 North Alabama 238 Ole Miss 275 Hinds CCLouisiana Techi 315 Jackson StateDenver Broncos rf329 Southern Mississippi' 325 Grambling State 305 Hinds CC Arkansas 309 Ole MissWashington Redskins 312 Mississippi State 315 Jackson State 360 Mississippi Valley State 186 JSUNew England Patriots 250 7 Dartmouth 181 MSU WinnepegOttawa(CFL) 270 Ole Miss '305 LSU 295 3 1 Mississippi State 260 Hinds CCAuburn Each city in the league has its own head official who coordinates with college referees in the area. Referees must have a minimum of 10 years experience with five years at the college level. Harold GaterThe Clarion-Ledger Local players vital to building fan base make up the practice squad each week. Harold Gater The Clarion-Ledger Number of Pride players from in-state colleges: Start-up: Pride needs more fans.wins, financial backing to survive first season Jackson jState.

Ole Miss A 6 5 Miss. State From ID Hinds CC Alcorn State 1 1 Average age of players: 24 No. of Mississippi-ans: 29 Miss. Valley Holmes CC League hopes area players help teams can gain identity By Henry Goolsby Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer James Brock took the long road home. Brock, a Charleston native, played at Northwest Community College, Northwestern (La:) State and Winnipeg, Alberta, of the Canadian Football League before landing in Jackson.

Brock, a wide receiver and running back, is getting the chance to play with other Mississippi high school and college alumni thanks to the six-team Regional Football League, which requires its teams to have a lot of local players. "I think it's very exciting that he's playing here in the States," said Brock's mother, Mary Brock. "I never got to go to Canada because it was too far." The RFL was formed last year to feature local players who fans could identify Miss. Delta CC 1 first year, there's a lot that's going to happen." Floridia is keenly aware of the Pride's financial situation. He knows that some Houston Outlaws players' paychecks bounced.

But Houston has new owners and is apparently operating better financially, Floridia said. Meanwhile, the league searches for new revenue it can share with its franchises. The league has been talking with major corporate sponsors and cable television networks about future contracts, Floridia said. The Pride hopes to generate a sizable portion of its attended the last preseason game." Players say they are willing to overlook the financial problems that limited their first paychecks to $500 apiece, regardless of their contracts. The front office says it can sustain the franchise on a minimal operating budget.

Everyone involved says one key to success at the bank will be success on the field. The Pride is 0-1. "I don't think that it's do or die by any means," Van said of tonight's game. "However, everyone likes to support a winner, and that's what we have to do to deserve the support we're asking for." i "I 1 revenues from ticket sales for its six home games. The team needs to average at least 12,000 fans to operate comfortably, Van said.

"We can grow to that," he said. "I think that we have to build support for our team. Some people have to be proactive and come see a game before they make judgments. We don't get anything but rave reviews from the people that Harold GaterThe Clarion-Ledger with, league officials "When our founder, Gus Bell, came up with the idea, he was watching the New England Patriots play. They didn't have any players on the team from the area," said Ron Floridia, deputy commissioner of the RFL.

"We feel that to bring fans to the stadium, there has to be more involved than just a game." John Sever son 'The Clarion-Ledger Quarterback Stewart Patridge of Ole on the Mississippi Pride, which draws Miss is one of many home-grown players most of its talent from the local area. 1 i.