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Dispatch

6/25/06

DESTROYERS

Long odds don’t discourage participants at open tryout

Sunday, June 25, 2006

Josh Moss
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

<!--PHOTOS--><TABLE class=phototableright align=right border=0><!-- begin large ad code --><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE align=center><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle></IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>KYLE ROBERTSON </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>DISPATCH </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Anthony Showers traveled from Detroit to take part in the Destroyers’ open tryout. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


William Duncan knows that he is older than most of the other participants who are waiting for the tryout to start. He cannot bolt off the line like some of the short, muscular receivers or fire the football with pinpoint accuracy like some of the quarterbacks.
But Duncan, who blocked on the offensive and defensive lines at Linden, still shows up because he shares the same goal with the rest of the participants.
"Even though I’m 36, I want to be able to put my talent on the field," Duncan said.
The Columbus Destroyers gave 60 men that opportunity yesterday at a four-hour open tryout in the Columbus Fieldhouse.
During the first part of the tryout, coaches clocked players in the 40-yard dash and 20-yard shuttle and recorded each participant’s vertical jump and maximum repetitions on the 225-pound bench press.
Then coaches made cuts, and the remaining participants performed position drills. Quarterbacks launched balls to wideouts. Fullbacks protected their "quarterback" — a tackling dummy from blitzing linebackers. Linemen such as Duncan blocked other linemen.
Offensive coordinator Ken Matous said he was looking for obvious traits such as agility, speed and strength. "But a guy can have all those things and not know a damn thing about football," he said. "We don’t have time to waste on those guys."
Each year the Destroyers hold two open tryouts. From that pool of participants, the team will invite some back to even more workouts. Matous said the Destroyers will contact about 15 or 20 of the participants yesterday for another tryout.
A player is not guaranteed a spot on the team no matter how many times a coach asks him to try out. Arena Football League rules allow teams a 20-man roster and four-man practice squad.
One athlete hoping to make it to at least another tryout was 24-year-old Steve Eastlake, a Clintonville native who played left tackle at Cincinnati.
"The NFL didn’t work out, so I’m giving this a try," Eastlake said. "I thought it would be fun to play (in Columbus) because I’m from here."
Matous admitted that it would be a long shot for any of the participants to play for the Destroyers. That did not discourage them, though. For some, it was not even their first tryout.
It was Duncan’s third.
"I want to make the NFL someday," Duncan said, sweat soaking through the gray Destroyers T-shirt he received for the $65 registration fee. "I’ll come until they say I’m too old."
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