The Saginaw Sting players do more than just play football for a living

by James Falls For The Saginaw News
Sunday June 01, 2008, 10:24 PM

When game time arrives, players on the Saginaw Sting are all business, taking on the tasks of their assigned jobs in an effort to land another Continental Indoor Football League victory, like Saturday's 61-28 triumph in Milwaukee.

But it's back to the real world when the game ends, which for most of the players on the team means going about performing the tasks of their day jobs.
Having jobs outside of playing football is a great justification for wide receiver Charles Barber, and it's why he is sometimes late for meetings.

"The coaches want to get on me about being late, but it's like 'hey coach, I do have a job,' " jokes Barber.

Entertaining hundreds of fans weekly is not their only way of giving back to the community or helping kids; some professions of Sting players focus on just that.
Linebacker Kyle McKenzie teaches adults at Crossroads Adult School in Southfield. Quarterback Ryan Kaul is a special education teacher at Sashabaw Middle School in Sashabaw.

Offensive linemen Devaul Neal is a football coach for Henry Ford High School in Detroit.
Inspired by his own high school and college experiences, 6-foot-2 defensive linemen Eze Ejelonu is dedicated to help high school student-athletes with their transition to college academics and athletics through Daash Athletics, a program affiliated with 10/90 (10 percent physical/90 percent mental) sports camps.
It is a program where student-athletes can receive personal assistance, whether it is a personal trainer, academic assistance, scholarship searching or participation in camps and combines.
"Many athletes do not get the privilege to go on and play collegiate sports because their grades were bad or nobody helped them get noticed," says Ejelonu.

Besides working and playing football, some members of the Sting team also hang out together in their spare time. A group of former Michigan State University players -- wide receiver Charles Barber, defensive linemen Eze Ejelonu, defensive back Jeremiah McLaurin, quarterback Damon Dowdell, and offensive linemen Eric Knott -- hang out every chance they get.

"We play video games, go to clubs, go out to eat, you know, anything that a normal group of boys would do," says Barber.

After every game, each player stays on the field and signs autographs to fans.
Therefore, if you decide to head down to the field after a game, you could ask running back Nate Collins, a barber, to cut your hair, or defensive linemen LeRoy Barnes, a landscaper, to care for your lawn.

After all, these guys are working for a living, both on and off the playing field.

Former Michigan State Player Ejelonu Now With CIFL Sting

By Randy Snow

In his short professional football career, Eze Ejelonu has been many places. After playing college football at Michigan State from 2003-2004, he signed on with the Albany Conquest of arenafootball2 in 2006 and then played for the league's Fort Wayne Fusion team in 2007. But after only a few games with the Fusion he was traded to the Cincinnati Jungle Kats, where he finished out the season.

In January 2008, he was drafted by Team Tennessee of the All American Football League. However, just before the start of the new league's inaugural season in April, the AAFL decided to postpone its launch until 2009 due to the slumping economy.

With no playing season to look forward to, Ejelonu found a new team that had several of his former Michiagn State teammates already on it, the Saginaw Sting of the Continental Indoor Football League.

"I wanted to make sure I stayed in shape," said Ejelonu. "I've got to do more than just train in the gym. I've got to be out here playing. I've got a lot of friends on the team like (OL) Eric Knott and (QB) Damon Dowdell. We had a team chemistry back at Michigan State and I wanted to continue that chemistry and play football with these guys."

Ejelonu returned to Fort Wayne Saturday night (May 10) with his Saginaw teammates for a game against the Fort Wayne Freedom. He recorded two sacks during the game from his defensive end position and helped lead the Sting to a 34-21 win over the Freedom. With the win, the Sting improved its record to 7-2 on the season.

"I'm very excited that I'm on a winning team and (this team) has been my family," Ejelonu said.

Sting head coach Karl Featherstone is happy to have Ejelonu on the team. "He's got great footwork and great hands," said Featherstone. "He knows how to play that (defensive) end position. He's a very aggressive player and a great attribute to the defensive line."

But Ejelonu is more than just a football player. He is also an entrepreneur. He is the President and CEO of his own company called DAASH Athletics Enterprises, Inc., which will run sports camps throughout the year. The company will also have a scholarship fund to provide academic tutoring for athletes who can't afford tutors.

If all that wasn't enough, he recently had a tryout with the NFL Buffalo Bills.

So life is good for Ejelonu right now. His current team has a winning record and is certainly headed for the CIFL playoffs, he might be getting a call from the NFL or the AAFL in the near future and his company will be launching a web site very soon.

Not bad for a guy who never played football until his senior year in high school!

http://www.daashathletics.com/
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Randy Snow is a freelance football writer from Kalamazoo, Michigan. Since 2003, he has covered the Arena Football League, arenafootball2, United Indoor Football, the Continental Indoor Football League, the All American Football League and the Canadian Football League. Randy has been a member of the Arena Football League Writer's Association since 2005 and can be reached at randysnow22@yahoo.com

Big Mean Joe Dean: Confessions of the All-American

They told me everything would be okay. They told me that every thing is all good and my speed will pay my way. Hmm...that's the day I said to myself "Joe, you ain't got a thing to worry about" No doubt everyone would love me, the 4.3, the 4 TD's in one quarter when I intercepted three. Standing on top as the future #1 pick, but first gotta pass my SAT.

Its crunch time, but this is a different kind of time, no game lights, no cheerleaders screaming fight, its the hardest competition I've ever been in, it was time to put that paper to a pen. I'm sick to my stomach an don't know what to do, how to feel, I never prepared for an opponent just so real. Big, 350 pounders ready to break every bone in their body just to get to me, but don't scare me, not Mean Joe Dean!

I have never seen this kind of game before nor have I ever watched game film or studied the weekly playbook for his team before, they had a star player on the team..his name was Aca Demics. I was told that people beat his team before, but many fail and never come back to face this opponent again. I have to admit, I was not ready! They told me every thing would be okay they told me everything would be all good.

How dumb could I have been? So dumb that I took advice from people that only cared about winning. They never told me that one day I would face such a Goliath like specimen that would ultimately ruin my career. That day came, I tried my hardest to be the greatest of the great, but it was to late, I was to familiar with the study method called procrastinate. I remember my final play when I cam through a blocking lane that appeared open, then all of a sudden Aca Demic hit me so hard that my hands dropped causing me to fumble in the game of life.

Now take my advice, game time is great and all, but you have to be prepared for the much greater things you will face in the future that will create a winner out of you or a loser like me..Mean Joe Dean!

Eze Ejelonu
DAASH Athletics Enterprises, Inc.
President/CEO

http://www.daashathletics.com/

Never Looking Back

Have you ever been so preoccupied with your past that you never seem to get anything new started and finished? You could wake up every morning making plans to shoot extra free throws at practice or you can tell yourself to run that extra mile and push out at least 3-4 extra repetitions on the bench press. Unfortunately, many of us seem more comfortable accepting their past failures and would rather dwell in misery instead of "starting fresh".Come on people..WAKE UP! You are what you think and say you are.

Did you know that the mind can ultimately design an outline of your life? For example, if you believe and constantly say to yourself that you are the best high school or college fullback in the nation, one day you will be inducting yourself in the NFL Hall of Fame. You may not see it right away, but your mind will slowly mold you into what you think about 99% of the day. So don't give up, many people do not realize that "sticking with it" through the good times and bad will eventually pay off. With all of this being said, imagine if you kept in your mind an incident from 5 years ago when you blew the state championship game by air balling a three pointer in the last seconds. Go ahead, dwell on this all you want and you will one day hold the record for the most air balled shots in NCAA history.

I remember when I was in high school and we only won 6 regular season games out of 17. What did we do? We never gave up, we continued to work hard and have fun everyday at practice. Our high school basketball team always believed we were better then our record showed andwe knew that no matter what happened we gave it our best. We would eventually make a playoff run winning the District and Regional Championship and finishing our season two games away from the State Championship.Never look back at what you did in past, life is full of new adventures and new goals to accomplish. So get out there and make a name for yourself. Look forward with a head full of steam and never look back.

Eze Ejelonu
President/CEO
DAASH Athletic Enterprises, Inc.

http://www.daashathletics.com/

Team Tennessee Drafts 12 in Supplemental Draft

Thanks for the Support! I made it through PHASE 1.....I will be much more comfortable at the end of camp.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW MY HIGHLIGHT FILM: http://www.vtap.com/cgi-bin/clip.cgi?sl:289~CL0135413686_20fbfe798


This in an article from the Team Tennessee blog:

Team Tennessee picked up 12 more players in the supplemental draft that was held today.
Below are the draft picks listed by order picked:

1. Adam O'Connor, OL, 6-6, 290, William and Mary
2. James Shaw, DL, 6-4, 265, Penn State
3. Kyle Acker, TE, 6-4, 260, Salisbury
4. Kinny Spotwood, DL, 6-0, 240, Tulsa
5. Reggie Merriweather, RB, 5-7, 220, Clemson
6. Eze Ejelonu, DL, 6-4, 235, Michigan State
7. Brandon Haw, DB, 6-0, 203, Rutgers
8. Joe Danielson, WR, 6-6, 215, Wisconsin Platteville
9. Chris Ibezim, DB, 5-11, 191, Southern Arkansas
10. Thyron Lewis, WR, 6-3, 192, Howard
11. Jasen Esposito, OL, 6-3, 300, Kutztown
12. Derrick Byrd, LB, 6-1, 222, Missouri State

Here is what Team Tennessee coach, Andy Kelly, had to say about todays' draft:

"There are still some good players left in the pool," Kelly said. "Our coaches worked hard studying film and preparing for our draft. We got a lot of the guys we evaluated as good players. We'll know when we get them on the field, but we did fine filling our needs. We got stronger and deeper at some positions and drafted some players we feel can end up starting for us." -Source: WBIR-10 News

All-American Football League Fundraising Opportunity

Here is a unique funraising opportunity from the AAFL:

Team Michigan of the All American Football League® to Offer Fundraising Opportunity to Local Church Programs and Youth Organizations

For Immediate Release
February 11, 2008

YPSILANTI, Mich. – The All American Football League (AAFL) and Team Michigan are pleased to announce an innovative fundraising program, where youth organizations have the ability to raise money through ticket sales for Team Michigan.The program, which was announced last week, has already been very well received by various church youth programs, high-school teams and clubs, and other charitable and non-profit organizations.

The program provides organizations with a fun, exciting way for their members to raise much-needed money. Many organizations have said that they have never seen their kids so excited and motivated to participate in a fund-raiser (see last week’s event photos at: http://www.allamericanfootballleague.com/Michigan/CrosswalkGamingPartyGallery.php)Organizations interested in learning more about the program for fundraising can contact fundraising@aafl.com or call 877-286-3248.

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Black History Month: African Americans in Sports

Check out these informative articles by Jessica McElrath (About.com):

Jackie Robinson
Dates: January 31, 1919 - October 24, 1972
Occupation: baseball player

In a time when baseball was ruled by a strict color line, Jackie Robinson bravely agreed to be the first to integrate the major leagues. Although he faced hostility from white fans, baseball players, and even teammates, Robinson never buckled under the pressure. For nearly ten years he played for the Brooklyn Dodgers, and when he finally retired, he refused to remain silent on the issue of civil rights. Until the end of his life, Jackie Robinson never gave up his dream of equality for blacks.
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Jackie Robinson’s Early Years Jack (John) Roosevelt Robinson was born on January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia. In 1920, his family moved to Pasadena, California. After graduating from John Muir Technical High School, Robinson attended Pasadena Community College. He went on to transfer to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1940. While at UCLA, Robinson played baseball, football, basketball, and track.

In 1942, Robinson was drafted into the Army. He served in Kansas and Texas, and eventually became a second lieutenant. While serving in Fort Hood, Texas, Robinson refused to obey an order to move to the back of an army bus. Because this was a violation of Army regulations, a court martial heard the matter; Robinson was acquitted.

Robinson Plays in the Negro Leagues When Robinson left the Army in 1944, he wanted to play baseball. At the time, baseball teams were segregated, and had been since 1887. Therefore, African American baseball players played in Latin America and in the Negro Leagues. Not unlike other African American players, Robinson also joined the Negro Leagues. He began playing for the Kansas City Monarchs.

Robinson is Recruited to the Minor Leagues Robinson's career in the Negro Leagues was short. In 1945, Branch Rickey, the manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, requested a meeting with Robinson. Rickey wanted to integrate the major leagues and was looking for a player who could withstand the hostility that would come. After determining that Robinson was the perfect candidate, he asked him to first play for the minor league team, the Montreal Royals. On October 23, 1945, it became official when Robinson signed a contract with the team.

Robinson Integrates Major League Baseball Although Robinson had a successful year with the Royals, he was close to having a nervous breakdown by the end of the season. Notwithstanding his nerves, Robinson’s time with the Montreal Royals led to his April 1947 signing with the Dodgers. As expected, his entrance into the major leagues was not without controversy. Some white fans were hostile, while others were enthusiastic. Regardless of the reaction, Robinson excelled on the team. For the first few years he did not respond to the insults, but he began speaking out against racism in 1949. He attacked the Jim Crow laws in the South and spoke out in support of the desegregation of Southern hotels and ballparks.

Robinson’s Awards In 1947, The Sporting News, which had initially been opposed to the integration of the major leagues, awarded him its first Rookie of the Year Award. Robinson was also the recipient of numerous other awards and honors; in 1949, he was also awarded the National League’s Most Valuable Player, he received the Spingarn Medal in 1956, and he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.

Robinson Supports the Fight for Civil Rights In 1956, Robinson retired. With his newfound freedom to speak out on behalf of African Americans, Robinson did not shy away from the public spotlight. He supported integration, was an active member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and he was a participant in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963.

In addition to his activism, Robinson served as vice-president of personnel at Chock Full O' Nuts from 1957 to 1964. Robinson died of a heart attack in Stamford, Connecticut on October 24, 1972.

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Muhammand Ali
World Heavyweight Champion
Dates: January 17, 1942 -
Occupation: boxer

Muhammad Ali’s Early Life Muhammad Ali was born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. to Cassius Marcellus Clay, Sr. and Odessa (Grady) Clay on January 17, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky. Clay’s father worked painting billboards and signs and his mother worked as a domestic. Clay began boxing at the age of twelve, under the direction of Joe Martin. He began fighting in the amateur ranks. In the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, he won a gold medal in the 175-pound division.

Muhammad Ali’s Professional Career

After the Olympics, Clay emerged in the professional league under the sponsorship of the Louisville Sponsoring Group. In October 1960, in his first professional heavyweight fight against Tunney Hunsaker, he won.
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After winning his next eighteen fights, fifteen by knockout, Clay was scheduled to fight the heavyweight champion Sonny Liston on February 25, 1964 in Miami Beach, Florida.
Clay was the considered the underdog to Liston who had knocked out his last three challengers in the first round. Before the fight, as Clay was known to do, he verbally attacked Liston and boasted that he would win. To the shock of the boxing world, Clay’s prediction came true. He defeated Liston.

Two days after the fight, Clay announced that he was converting to the Nation of Islam. On March 6, 1964, he changed his name to Muhammad Ali, which was the name given him by Elijah Muhammad. This was so controversial that during the 1960s, the New York Times and several other papers refused to acknowledge his new name when writing about him.

Ali fought a rematch with Liston on May 25, 1965. Ali knocked out Liston in the first round. Over the next two years, Ali defended his title and won against Floyd Patterson, George Chuvalo, Henry Cooper, Brian London, Karl Mildenberger, Cleveland Williams, Ernie Terrell, and Zora Folley.

Muhammad Ali’s Heavyweight Title is Stripped

On April 28, 1967, Ali made another controversial decision. When drafted in the U.S. Army during the war in Vietnam, he refused to go. For Ali, his opposition stemmed from more than just his belief that the war was immoral. He believed that since blacks did not experience equality at home, for them to serve in the war was a perversion of justice.

Initially, Ali was granted conscientious objector status, but after he stated that he was not against all wars and would participate in an Islamic holy war, he no longer qualified. He was fined ten thousand dollars, sentenced to five years in prison, and his heavyweight title and license to box was taken away. Four years later, his conviction was overturned by the U.S. Supreme court because of procedural grounds.

Ali Resumes His Professional Boxing Career

Ali returned to professional boxing in October 1970. Although his skills had eroded and he was less agile than before, he was victorious over Jerry Quarry and Oscar Bonavena. The challenge came when he fought Joe Frazier in the match called the “Fight of the Century. On March 8, 1971, Ali lost to Frazier. In a second match with Frazier, he won.

After years of working his way closer to the heavyweight title, on October 30, 1974, Ali fought heavyweight champion, George Foreman. The fight took place in Kinshasa, Zaire (now called the Democratic Republic of the Congo) and it was referred to as the “Rumble in the Jungle.” Ali was the favorite for the people of Zaire and Foreman was considered the American. In the eighth round, Ali knocked out Foreman. He regained the heavyweight title for a second time.

Before retirement, Ali had a few other notable fights. He fought a third match against Frazier. Called the “Thrilla in Manila,” the fight took place on October 1, 1975 in Manila, Philippines. Ali celebrated another victory over Frazier. On February 15, 1978, he lost his title to Olympic gold medallist, Leon Spinks. Less than a year later, he defeated Spinks, and for the third time he held the heavyweight title.

Muhammad Ali Retires

Ali retired in 1979, but returned to the ring in 1980 to fight Larry Holmes. His skills had substantially diminished and he suffered the worst loss of his career. He returned for his last fight in 1981 against Trevor Berbick. While not as brutal as his prior fight, he lost again.

In the late 1980s, Ali began suffering from Parkinson’s disease. Despite this hurdle, Ali remained active. He was the spokesperson for Operation USA in Rwanda in 1996, he formed the Muhammad Ali Community and Economic Development Corporation in Chicago, Illinois, and in 1996 he lit the opening flame at the Olympic Games in Atlanta.

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Jesse Owens
Dates: September 12, 1913 - March 31, 1980
Occupation: track and field athlete, Olympic medalist

Frail and often sickly as a child, who would have guessed that Jesse Owens would go on to achieve the status of an Olympic medalist. With Hitler in power, the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany was marred by Aryan racism. Despite the pressure to perform, Owens went on to win four gold medals and set a new world record.
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Jesse Owens’ Childhood On September 12, 1913, James Cleveland Owens, later known as Jesse Owens, was born in Danville, Alabama, the seventh of eleven children. His father was a sharecropper, and with eleven children, it often meant that there was not enough food for all them. As a result, Owens was often sick.

With such grave financial prospects, when Owens was nine years old, his parents sold the family mule and moved to Cleveland, Ohio. It was in Cleveland that Owens became known as Jesse. When Owens started school, a teacher misunderstood his nickname J.C. and called him Jesse instead.

Owens Becomes a Track Star While at Fairview Junior High, track coach Charles Riley recognized Owens’ talent after he saw him sprint down a street. Riley was quick to recruit Owens, and began coaching him. With Riley still as his coach in high school, during his senior year he broke the world records for the 100 and 200-yard dashes and for the broad jump at the state scholastic meet.

After high school many colleges tried to recruit Owens, but he chose Ohio State University. In 1935, at the Big Ten Track and Field Championship, Owens set new world records; he tied the world record for the 100-yard dash and broke world records for the long jump, the 220-yard dash, and the 220-yard hurdles. A year later, Owens made the U.S. Olympic team.

Owens Competes at the Berlin Olympics At the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany, Hitler was in power and by then his racist philosophy of Aryan superiority was prevalent. Nevertheless, despite the tension, Owens won gold medals in the 100 and 200-meter sprint, the 400-meter relay, and the broad jump, setting a new world record of 25 feet, 10¼ inches.

Owens’ Career after the Olympics Upon his return to the United States, Owens was disappointed with the continuing discrimination experienced by blacks. To make matters worse, Owens had trouble finding work. He decided to turn professional, and began engaging in races against a horse, a car, and other nonhuman opponents. Professional racing, however, failed to materialize financially. In the 1940s, he pursued work on the lecture circuit, which proved to be more lucrative.

In 1972, while still working on the public speaking circuit, Owens moved to Phoenix, Arizona. He became a philanthropist. In Owens’ name and with his financial support, the Jesse Owens Memorial Medical Center and the Jesse Owens Memorial Track Club was established. He also served on the boards of the National Council of Christians and Jews and the Boy Scouts of America. Owens died on March 31, 1980 in a Phoenix hospital.

2008 AAFL DRAFT DAY IS HERE

It has finally come..the 2008 ALL AMERICAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE Draft.. Did I mention I am in the Draft Pool? Wish me luck!

Here is a press release from the All-American Football League:

The All-American Football League’s Team Michigan to Host
Inaugural Draft Day Event at Ann Arbor Marriott in Ypsilanti January 26th


For Immediate Release
January 19, 2008

YPSILANTI, Mich. – The All-American Football League’s (AAFL) Team Michigan will host it’s inaugural AAFL Draft Day event, Saturday, January 26th at the Ann Arbor Marriott Ypsilanti at Eagle Crest from 12pm – 3pm. There will also be an evening meet & greet reception with Head Coach John Fontes, newly appointed Team President, Stan Edwards, assistant coaches Tyrone Wheatley, Deek Pollard, Ed O'Neal, Otis Flowers, Paul Lounsberry and selected players from 7pm – 10pm.

Celebrity guests include Wayne Fontes, Lem Barney, Lomas Brown, Tommy "Hitman" Hearns, Herman Moore, and Robert Porcher. Players to watch are: Jeremy LeSueur - DB - Michigan , Dewayne Patmon - S – Michigan, Jon Beutjer - QB – Illinois, Allen Fiegel - OL - Ferris State, Kyle Rasmussen - OL – MSU, Sean Poole - OL – MSU, Charles Missant - OL - Western Michigan, Garrett Rivas - K – Michigan, Phil Archer - LB - Western Illinois, James King - DB - Central Michigan, Adam Stenavich - OL – Michigan, Shannon Fitzhugh – DB – Western Illinois, George Hall – LB – Purdue, Ron Isreal – DB – Notre Dame, Quenton Burrell– DB – Notre Dame, Travis Leitko – DL – Notre Dame, Madison Miller – LB – Indiana State, Chris Frome – OL – Notre Dame.

Originating from Turner Sports studios in Atlanta, the Draft will be televised live and will be simulcast with the remaining team markets in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Texas and Tennessee covering the Draft Day activities. Turner’s PlayOn Sports will also provide live streaming online Draft coverage through the AAFL website and Team Michigan’s Uniform will be unveiled during the Draft portion of the day’s activities.
Throughout the Draft Day event there will be a live Pep Band, Cheerleaders and fans will be eligible to win great prizes. Team Michigan will be picking 5th in the first round of the inaugural season Draft and the Draft order is as follows:

2008 Draft Order
1.Team Arkansas (Head Coach Ron Calcagni)2.Team Tennessee (Head Coach Andy Kelly)3.Team Texas (Head Coach John Jenkins)4.Team Florida (Head Coach Shane Matthews)5.Team Michigan (Head Coach John Fontes)6.Team Alabama (Head Coach Mike Jones)


Draft Selection Order by Round
Round 1: Teams will select players according to the selected Draft orderRound 2: Teams will select players according to the reverse of the selected Draft orderRounds 3, 5, 7 and 9: Same order as Round 1Rounds 4, 6, 8 and 10: Same order as Round 2

Timing of Draft Selections
Rounds 1-2: Teams will have four (4) minutes to make their selectionRounds 3-4: Teams will have three (3) minutes to make their selectionRounds 5-10: Teams will have two (2) minutes to make their selection

Player Eligibility
Players must have satisfied the following set of criteria to be eligible for the Draft:
- Attended a league combine, workout or tryout, or have a written scouting report from an AAFL coach, scout or player personnel official on file at the league office
- Have a signed AAFL Draft Eligible Player Agreement on file at the league office
- Have verification of their college degree and official transcripts on file at the league office

The All American Football League (AAFL) teams will play 10 games, with kickoff scheduled for April 12, 2008. The spring schedule is designed to satisfy fans who hunger for quality football between the NFL and college seasons. The League’s teams are located in avid college football markets representing Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Michigan, Tennessee and Texas. For more information about the All American Football League log on to http://www.aafl.com/ .

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