QB battle looming for Stoerner
Posted on Sunday, January 20, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Sports/214262/
He might be the de facto face of the franchise, but don’t assume Clint Stoerner will be quarterbacking Arkansas’ All American Football League team just yet.
Stoerner will have to compete for the starting job when Arkansas begins its March training camp in Mobile, Ala., Coach Ron Calcagni said. Calcagni submitted a 25-man list of players Friday to be “protected” from the Jan. 26 AAFL draft, and one of the more noticeable names is one familiar to SEC football fans.
Former LSU quarterback Marcus Randall, who was part of the Tigers’ 2003 national championship, will push Stoerner for the top spot on the depth chart, Calcagni said.
“When we go to camp — I told Clint this and I told Marcus this — we have two weeks,” Calcagni said. “I’m going to give one week with all the reps being the same. Then I’m going to hand it to the starter.”
Stoerner, the University of Arkansas’ all-time career passing leader, has been at the forefront of the AAFL’s public relations efforts in Arkansas, appearing in television commercials, making public appearances and doing radio and television interviews on behalf of the team.
But he’s no longer alone when it comes to name recognition. Among the players selected by Calcagni, seven are former Razorbacks, including linebacker Tony Bua, running back Chrys Chukwuma and offensive lineman Zac Tubbs.
Bua, a fifth-round draft pick of the Miami Dolphins in 2004, played outside linebacker and safety at Arkansas and will have a chance to compete at both positions, Calcagni said.
Chukwuma, who played for the Razorbacks from 1996-1999, impressed Calcagni during a recent invitation-only combine at Central Arkansas and will also be looked on to compete for a starting role.
“First of all, he’s 250 pounds and running a 4. 6,” Calcagni said. “He’s got outstanding hands, and he’s got confidence galore.”
Calcagni is also excited about former Central Arkansas star Landon Trusty, whom he recruited as a quarterback out of Hot Springs Lakeside while an assistant at Tulsa. The 6-7 Trusty spent a short time in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers.
Trusty, Calcagni said, can be split wide along with playing tight end and might see some long-snapping work.
“Outstanding athlete,” Calcagni said. “He’s a big guy with the wingspan of a crane. He could be an every-down player.”
All nonprotected players will be eligible for Saturday’s draft, after which each team will go to camp with 60-man rosters. Those rosters will be cut down to 42 with a four-man taxi squad for the start of the regular season in April.
Calcagni said that while he plans to take a third quarterback in the draft, the competition right now is between Stoerner and Randle. Whoever loses that two-way battle, Calcagni said, won’t have an easy time wresting the job back.
“We’re not doing any kind of quarterback controversy,” Calcagni said. “That’s the last thing you want to do.” Protected player list
AAFL teams are required to protect a minimum of 15 draft-eligible players before the league’s Jan. 26 draft. Each player must have a four-year degree from either the same state as the franchise or from the franchise’s assigned territories. The Arkansas franchise has been granted Louisiana and Oklahoma as additional territories. Here are Arkansas’ protected players: NAME (SCHOOL ) POS. Larry Brown (Oklahoma State ).............. DL Tony Bua (Arkansas )............................ LB / S Chrys Chukwuma (Arkansas )................. RB Tom Crowder (Arkansas )....................... WR Aaron Danenhauer (Tulsa )).................... OL Damarcus Davis (Tulane )...................... WR William Delahoussaye (ULL )............. TE / LS Bobby Gray (La. Tech )............................ DB Charlie Hebert (McNeese )....................... TK Chris Hollie (Langston )........................... OL Anthony James (La. Tech )....................... TE Jasper Johnson (UCA )........................... DB J. J. Jones (Arkansas ).............................. LB Matt Miller (La. College )......................... OL Jason Olford (La. Tech ).......................... DB Antonio Perkins (Oklahoma ).................. DB Jermaine Petty (Arkansas )..................... DL Marcus Randall (LSU )............................ QB Barry Robertson (La. Tech )..................... LB Jason Russell (UCA )............................... OL Byron Santiago (La. Tech )....................... LB Ivan Stevenson (McNeese ).................. TDB Clint Stoerner (Arkansas )....................... QB Landon Trusty (UCA )............................... TE Zac Tubbs (Arkansas )............................. OL