Former Canadian Football League player signs with Fever

Kennewick - The Tri-Cities Fever have announced the signing of five new players, and the re-signing of seven more.
Wide receiver Quincy Jackson, offensive lineman Lance Brown, defensive back Elton Seals, and defensive linemen Michael Wessel and Doug Harding have been added to the Fever camp roster.
The Fever have re-signed Jarvis Dunn, Paris Moore, Thomas Ford, Kevin Heard, Josh Jelinek, Antar Brame, and C.J. Cheatwood for another season. Other previous signings include quarterback Lemuel Adams and defensive back Perry Jackson.
Quincy Jackson played his college ball at Alabama and was a teammate of Shaun Alexander. Jackson was the last Alabama player to lead the team in receiving two straight seasons (1997-1998). He had 48 catches for 621 yards and four touchdowns his senior season in the run happy Crimson Tide offense.
He signed with the Cincinnati Bengals as a free agent in 1999 and attended training camp.
He was released and then played one season in the Arena Football League with the Albany Firebirds where he had 68 receptions for 954 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2000.
He was then drafted by the Birmingham Bolts of the XFL in 2001. He had 45 receptions for 531 yards (second on the team), and led the team in touchdowns with six. With Vince McMahon closing the XFL doors after just one season, Jackson headed north to the Canadian Football League (CFL).
He spent the next four seasons in the CFL between the Edmonton Eskimos and the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Two of the four years he was in the top 15 in the league in receiving.

Canadian Football League player charged

By Michael WrightThe Facts
Published January 14, 2006ROSHARON — A Canadian Football League player is charged with beating his wife and dunking her head in a tub of water during an argument over a cellular phone bill Wednesday night.Kyries Hebert, 25, a linebacker and safety for the Ottawa Renegades, is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and resisting arrest, according to court records.Hebert is accused of slapping, punching and kicking his wife about 8:45 p.m. Wednesday at their home in the 1400 block of Hollow Canyon Lane, said Paige Newsom, an investigator with the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Department.“I know you could say she had extensive injuries,” Newsom said.Those included red marks on her face, bruises on her face, head and back and a bump in the middle of her forehead, according to the sheriff’s department report.Hebert is also accused of forcing his wife’s head into a bathtub full of water and threatening to kill her, according to court documents. His wife was taken to Houston’s Memorial Hermann Hospital and since has been released, Newsom said.News of his arrest shocked Renegade officials. Hebert signed a five-year contract extension with the team in December.“It’s the first I’ve heard of that,” said Phil Kershaw, a consultant with the team. “Kyries has been a good player for us.”Hebert, who was released Friday after posting $50,000 bail, could not be reached for comment.He was arrested in the 5600 block of Meadow Arbor Lane, Newsom said.According to the report, he did not pull over immediately and that’s why he also was charged with resisting arrest.Newsom said Hebert appeared to be heading to the friend’s house from where his wife called authorities.Hebert, who played college ball at Louisiana-Lafayette, was signed by the Houston Texans in December 2002 and cut during training camp the following year.He was named the Canadian Football League defensive player of the week Nov. 8.Michael Wright is a reporter for The Facts

Canadian Football League player trains with TEST Sports Club

Metuchen NJ (PRWEB) January 12, 2006 -- Two promising professional football players – Tad Kornegay and Aki Jones – made the grade this past season using a regimen that included ATX Athlete Nutrition Technology formulas, while training exclusively with TEST Sports Clubs in Martinsville, NJ. Prior to training, Tad and Aki met with the TEST nutritionist who put the athletes on a specialized diet plan. Starting four weeks before Pro Day, they took ATX’s “Zone 5” formula thirty-forty minutes prior to each workout, and both athletes said that after the four weeks of training they “couldn’t live without” their Zone 5. Their stories: Tad Kornegay, a native of Trenton, New Jersey, is a true success story. As a junior in high school, he stood 5-feet-1 and weighed 130 pounds, soaking wet. Now he is 5-9 and 182 lbs. Tad is an extremely hard-working athlete with a huge heart who always says “I want to work hard so I can give my mom a safer place to live.” Tad came out of Fordham University and made the starting lineup for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL. Aki Jones grew up in Bronx, New York and turned a tough background into a success story. Jones attended Christ the King High School in New York where he earned All-League, All-City, and All-Queens recognition in football. After graduating high school, Aki spent a year at Deerfield Academy in Deerfield, Massachusetts, then was admitted to Fordham University were he was a football standout and starter for all four years. Through his career at Fordham, Jones earned many honors including Second Team All-Patriots League (2004), team high sacks (senior year), second in sacks (junior and senior year), along with a degree in marketing and advertising. In addition to his athletic and academic accomplishments, Jones gave back to his community by taking part in Special Olympics. Aki landed a spot on this year’s Washington Redskins team.Both athletes trained Monday through Friday over a ten-week period, as follows:• Monday: Upper body lifts• Tuesday: Linear speed training• Wednesday: Explosive lifts, upper body lifts• Thursday: Multi-directional speed training• Friday: Skill training, positing work, critique of Combine eventsTAD: With the help of the TEST coaches in conjunction with ATX Zone 5, Tad was able to show significant improvements:• 40 yard dash: 4.72 to 4.39 seconds• Vertical leap: 33 to 37 inches• Pro agility drill: 4.44 to 3.82 seconds – best in pro circuit, 2005• 3-cone drill: 6.92 to 6.52 seconds – top 5 in circuit• Bench: 7 reps to 17 reps• Broad jump: 9 feet 1 to 10 feetAKI: Aki attended the Washington Redskins practice squad as a defensive tackle. ATX’s Zone 5 and TEST Sports Clubs, Inc helped Aki reach his goal of making it into the NFL. On Sept, 22, 2005 Aki was activated to the 53 man roster for the Washington Redskins, and his Combine results were a big reason: • 40 yard dash: 5.43 to 5.01 seconds• 10 yard dash: 1.92 to 1.68 seconds• Pro agility drill: 4.98 to 4.52 seconds• Bench: 13 reps to 22 reps• Vertical leap: 27.5 to 31 inches• Broad jump: 7.17 to 7.92 feet• Body fat: 22 to 15%About ATXATX Athlete Nutrition Technology of Metuchen, NJ develops and markets superior “SuperMulti” nutritional supplements engineered for serious athletes in specific sports. ATX products are carried by many leading retailers including Ringside Boxing, Universal Supplements (UK), Bodybuilding.com, Jumpusa.com, and Brazilian Jiujitsu Champion Ricardo Almeida's Academy, or directly from the ATX web site, www.atxsport.com. About TEST Sports Clubs Founded by Brian Martin in 1992, TEST (Total Energy System Training) Sports Clubs is a privately-owned chain of sports clubs that specializes in sports performance and personal training programs. TEST is headquartered at 1982 Washington Valley Road, Martinsville, NJ. For more information, visit www.testsportsclubs.com, or call (732) 271-1000.# # #

Former Canadian Football League coach accepts Tulsa job

Tulsa, Oklahoma - University of Tulsa Head Football Coach Steve Kragthorpe announced today the appointment of Mark Nelson as an assistant coach. Nelson will coach the Hurricane defensive line and serve as co-Defensive Coordinator.
Keith Patterson, who has coached the Hurricane linebackers the last three seasons, was appointed as the school's Defensive Coordinator on January 1. In addition to his position as coordinator, Patterson will now coach the Tulsa safeties.
Nelson, 49 (7-25-56), comes to Tulsa from Baylor University, where he has spent the past three seasons as a defensive coach and special teams coordinator. He has coached the linebackers the past two seasons, while coaching the defensive ends in 2003.
"I'm excited about the hiring of Mark Nelson as our new defensive line coach and co-defensive coordinator. He brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to our football program and will be a tremendous contributor to our staff," said Kragthorpe. "Mark will have a significant role in the coordination of our run defense."
At Baylor, Nelson's special team units have ranked among the nation's leaders in various categories. Baylor ranked among the top-30 in four team special teams categories -- kickoff returns (14th), net punting (16th), kickoff return defense (21st) and punt returns (29th) -- in 2005.
Prior to his stint at Baylor, Nelson coached two seasons at Kentucky. He was the tight ends coach in 2001 and coached the defensive ends in 2002. Nelson also served as special teams coordinator for both seasons. In 2002, his special team units established five NCAA records, nine Southeastern Conference marks and 10 school records.
Nelson spent the 2000 campaign as the defensive coordinator and defensive secondary coach at Arkansas Tech. Tech went 7-3, including a win over Delta State, the only loss suffered by the eventual NCAA Division II national champion. Before that, he spent three seasons (1997-99) coaching at Valdosta State.
During his tenure, Nelson served as Valdosta State's defensive coordinator and linebacker coach. He also served as interim head coach from October until the end of the 1999 season. Under his tutelage, his defenses ranked among the best in the Gulf South Conference each year, and ranked 13th nationally in 1998.
In his career as a collegiate assistant coach, two of his players have earned national special teams honors. aKentucky's Glen Pakulak was selected the 2002 Mosi Tatupu Award winner as the National Special Teams Player of the Year, and in 2004, Daniel Sepulveda was named the Ray Guy Award winner.
Nelson spent five seasons (1992-96) coaching in the Canadian Football League. He spent one year each with the Toronto Argonauts and the San Antonio Texans, and three seasons with the Edmonton Eskimos. In 1993, Edmonton won the Grey Cup Championship and he was selected as the league's Special Teams Coach of the Year. In his one-year stint at Toronto, the Argonauts also won the Grey Cup Championship in 1996.
Before that, he spent five years (1987-91) coaching at Independence Community College, including one year as defensive line coach, four seasons as defensive coordinator and linebacker coach and also the final two seasons as head coach.
Nelson began his coaching career on the prep level in Oklahoma, when he was the defensive line coach and special teams coordinator at Choctaw High School in 1986.
A 1980 graduate of East Central Oklahoma, Nelson went on to a career in the Canadian Football League, playing for the Calgary Stampeders for six seasons (1980-85) and spent one year (986) with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Nelson earned his Bachelor's of Science Degree in Education from East Central, and received a Master's of Science in 1988 from Pittsburg (Kan.) State.
He and his wife, Lori, have three children: sons, Kyle and Kolton, and daughter, Kayli.

Canadian Football League MVP signs with KC

CFL quarterback signs with KC
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
Don’t expect newly signed Chiefs quarterback Casey Printers to challenge Trent Green for the starting spot next season.
But Printers, 24, could give the Chiefs — at long last — a competent developmental quarterback. Printers, who signed a three-year contract Wednesday, was the most outstanding player in the Canadian Football League in 2004 with British Columbia.
After his big 2004 season, Printers’ play slipped last season. But that didn’t concern the Chiefs, who outbid the Detroit Lions and Indianapolis Colts to sign him.
“They convinced me I could have a great future there,” Printers said. “They told me they would be patient with me and that they would try to bring me along.”
Printers’ timing in joining the Chiefs couldn’t be better. Green will be 36 when next season begins. Backup quarterbacks Todd Collins and Damon Huard are both over 30, and each was in the last year of his contract.
“This is a 24-year-old kid who was (most outstanding player) in the CFL,” said Printers’ agent, Jason Medlock. “They think of this kid as a Michael Vick-Vince Young-type of player. He’s got a good, accurate arm and knowledge of how to play the game.
“He’s a valuable guy to groom.”
That’s how Chiefs president/general manager Carl Peterson looked at it, too.
“We’ve had some good fortune with Canadian players,” Peterson said. “Joe Horn was a guy we had to draft to get out of Canada. Marc Boerigter …
“I look at it this way: It’s like having an additional draft choice. And this draft choice has pro football experience, albeit the CFL. It’s a bigger, wider field and so on. But I think he’s got a chance to come in and help us. He’s going to be a backup for us and learn what we do and what this offense is all about.”
Printers began his college career at Texas Christian, where he played with running back LaDainian Tomlinson. He finished it at Florida A&M.
“I feel I have the elusiveness of Donovan McNabb or Michael Vick,” Printers said. “I feel I could make plays with the best of them. I don’t know if that’s just me being overconfident, but I can bring some things to the table. I can run, I can throw and I can think.”
■ The Chiefs announced the signing of eight free agents. Most have gone to camp with the Chiefs at some point in the past.
Most notable is defensive lineman Eddie Freeman, their second-round draft pick in 2002. Freeman never developed into a reliable player and lasted only two seasons.
The others are quarterback James Kilian; tight ends Aaron Golliday and Willie Walden; defensive linemen Zach Ville, Arrion Dixon and Clint Mitchell; and cornerback Kevin Garrett.

Dallas adds former Canadian Football League player

IRVING, Texas - The Cowboys signed two free-agent futures on Tuesday, including wide receiver Ahmad Merritt, who went to training camp with the team this past summer.
The Cowboys also signed cornerback Byron Parker, who spent last season in the Canadian Football League.
Merritt (5-10, 195), who played four seasons with the Chicago Bears, had a good shot at making the Cowboys roster this year, but suffered a sprained foot in the team's third preseason game in Seattle. Merritt received an injury settlement and did not sign with another team during the season, although he did work out for the Cowboys around midseason.
Merritt's ties to the Cowboys are with wide receivers coach Todd Haley, who coached the Chicago receivers before coming to Dallas in 2004.
The Cowboys like Merritt's ability to play special teams, not only returning kickoffs and punts, but he has experience covering kicks as well.
Parker (6-0, 195) went to training camp with the Jaguars last summer but was released before the start of the season. The former Tulane cornerback spent last year with the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL.
NFL teams are now allowed to start signing "street" free agents who did not finish the 2005 season on an NFL roster. The unrestricted free-agent signing period doesn't begin until March 3.

Montreal adds former Canadian Football League player to coaching staff

Montreal Alouettes' Vice President and General Manager Jim Popp and Head Coach Don Matthews announced today that John Kropke has been named the team's new defensive line coach.

Kropke joins the Alouettes after six years in the collegiate and professional coaching ranks. He spent 2005 as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers' defensive line coach, following five years at Illinois' Eureka College. He served as the defensive line coach there from 2001 through 2004 after working with linebackers in 2000.

Kropke was a four-time East Division All-Star during a nine-year CFL career with the Ottawa Rough Riders, the Blue Bombers and the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He retired in 1997.

The 2006 edition of the Alouettes' coaching staff is now complete with Co-Offensive Coordinators Kevin Strasser (passing game) and Steve McAdoo (running game), Marcel Bellefeuille (running backs and receivers), Defensive Coordinator and Linebackers Coach Chris Jones, Special Teams Coordinator and Defensive Backs Coach Noel Thorpe and Kropke.