Former Canadian Football League Player sets sights on coaching.
Rickey Foggie admits to having pangs of withdrawal.
For the first time since 1988, when he led the B.C. Lions to the Grey Cup game in the Canadian Football League as a rookie, Foggie isn't preparing to play football.
The 38-year-old former University of Minnesota standout, and a star in the CFL and Arena Football League, is about to begin his coaching career as the offensive coordinator of the Amarillo Dusters.
Foggie hopes to impart some of the things he learned as a player to Dusters quarterback Julian Reese as the team prepares for its Arena2 opener at 7 p.m. on April 1 against the Tulsa Talons.
''Mentally I think I still could have played longer,'' said Foggie. ''I knew my playing career was winding down. More than anything my body knew it. It was getting more difficult just to get out of bed after games.
''I probably could have continued but after 17 years I pretty much knew that it was enough.''
Foggie, who has a mortgage brokers license and lives in Minnesota, had a desire to become a coach.
''Last year at Carolina (in the Arena Football League) I was both a player and offensive coordinator,'' he said. ''I got a taste of what coaching is like and knew that I'd like to continue. I love the game and want to try and help players like I was helped during my career.''
Foggie's credentials as a player are impressive.
At Minnesota, under head coach Lou Holtz, he ranked second all-time in total yards.
Playing for five different CFL teams he threw for more than 14,000 yards and 91 touchdowns in addition to rushing for more than 2,500 yards.
After losing the Grey Cup game as a rookie at British Columbia as a rookie, he went on to win Grey Cups with Toronto in 1991 and Edmonton in 1993.
During his AFL career, in which he played for Minnesota, New Jersey, Florida, Detroit, Toronto and Carolina, Foggie threw for 18,636 yards and 332 TDs, while suffering 82 interceptions. He never was part of a league championship although he did get to the semifinals with New Jersey in 1998.
Asked what his biggest challenge with the Dusters might be, he said:
''Not being able to play. My role now is as a coach and not a player. It's difficult and different. I want to do the best job I can to teach the system of the arena game to our players.''
There are basically two styles of offense in the arena game - Pig or Poco - Foggie said.
In Pig, receivers run a particular route and don't deviate from it. The quarterback knows the routes and delivers the ball to that spot. In Poco, receivers can break off their initial route. In other words, if a post pattern is called the receiver can break if off and run to the corner.
''I would say I'm a Poco man,'' Foggie said. ''I like it where the receivers have an option to break off the route in order to get open.''
Foggie arrived in town two weeks ago and has spent much of his time developing the Dusters playbook.
Reese, who led the Dusters to the Intense Football League championship last summer, returns as the team's starting QB. He is expected to again be backed up by Steve Panella, who was a standout at St. Mary's University in Canada.
''Julian is a lot like I was as a player,'' Foggie said.
''He has the ability to pull the ball down and run with it. I hope that I will be able to teach him and our other quarterbacks things about the arena game that they don't already know.''
Dusters head coach Don Carthel is excited about having Foggie on board.
''Rickey knows the indoor game,'' Carthel said.
''He was successful on the field. I know he will be able to teach our guys the nuances of arena football. He will fit in with our vision for success in Amarillo.''
For the first time since 1988, when he led the B.C. Lions to the Grey Cup game in the Canadian Football League as a rookie, Foggie isn't preparing to play football.
The 38-year-old former University of Minnesota standout, and a star in the CFL and Arena Football League, is about to begin his coaching career as the offensive coordinator of the Amarillo Dusters.
Foggie hopes to impart some of the things he learned as a player to Dusters quarterback Julian Reese as the team prepares for its Arena2 opener at 7 p.m. on April 1 against the Tulsa Talons.
''Mentally I think I still could have played longer,'' said Foggie. ''I knew my playing career was winding down. More than anything my body knew it. It was getting more difficult just to get out of bed after games.
''I probably could have continued but after 17 years I pretty much knew that it was enough.''
Foggie, who has a mortgage brokers license and lives in Minnesota, had a desire to become a coach.
''Last year at Carolina (in the Arena Football League) I was both a player and offensive coordinator,'' he said. ''I got a taste of what coaching is like and knew that I'd like to continue. I love the game and want to try and help players like I was helped during my career.''
Foggie's credentials as a player are impressive.
At Minnesota, under head coach Lou Holtz, he ranked second all-time in total yards.
Playing for five different CFL teams he threw for more than 14,000 yards and 91 touchdowns in addition to rushing for more than 2,500 yards.
After losing the Grey Cup game as a rookie at British Columbia as a rookie, he went on to win Grey Cups with Toronto in 1991 and Edmonton in 1993.
During his AFL career, in which he played for Minnesota, New Jersey, Florida, Detroit, Toronto and Carolina, Foggie threw for 18,636 yards and 332 TDs, while suffering 82 interceptions. He never was part of a league championship although he did get to the semifinals with New Jersey in 1998.
Asked what his biggest challenge with the Dusters might be, he said:
''Not being able to play. My role now is as a coach and not a player. It's difficult and different. I want to do the best job I can to teach the system of the arena game to our players.''
There are basically two styles of offense in the arena game - Pig or Poco - Foggie said.
In Pig, receivers run a particular route and don't deviate from it. The quarterback knows the routes and delivers the ball to that spot. In Poco, receivers can break off their initial route. In other words, if a post pattern is called the receiver can break if off and run to the corner.
''I would say I'm a Poco man,'' Foggie said. ''I like it where the receivers have an option to break off the route in order to get open.''
Foggie arrived in town two weeks ago and has spent much of his time developing the Dusters playbook.
Reese, who led the Dusters to the Intense Football League championship last summer, returns as the team's starting QB. He is expected to again be backed up by Steve Panella, who was a standout at St. Mary's University in Canada.
''Julian is a lot like I was as a player,'' Foggie said.
''He has the ability to pull the ball down and run with it. I hope that I will be able to teach him and our other quarterbacks things about the arena game that they don't already know.''
Dusters head coach Don Carthel is excited about having Foggie on board.
''Rickey knows the indoor game,'' Carthel said.
''He was successful on the field. I know he will be able to teach our guys the nuances of arena football. He will fit in with our vision for success in Amarillo.''
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