Roster

The Joliet Stallions made the trek to Waterloo IN in search of the Crush/Stang Tournament trophy. What we got instead was much more valuable.

The players that signed up for the tourney planned on rolling into town, knocking heads with the other teams, and going home. But as soon as we stepped inside the facility we realized; this was not what we were accustomed to. We saw wall to wall fans! The place was packed!  Our players were instantly energized. It didn’t stop there. When we came into the back (the dressing area) we came face to face with what this thing was all about… FOOTBALL!  Thirty-six hours of nothing but football. Teams were in the changing area stretching, going over game-plans, resting, I was completely overwhelmed. All the teams looked so organized and so UNIFORM. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am all about uniformity. “Look good, feel good, play good”, that’s my motto.  The sheer appearance of all the teams gave our players a rush. This is what semi-pro football is supposed to be about. No paychecks, no endorsement deals, no big budgets, just a real love for the game and a love for competition.  Not only by the players, but by the fans… yes I said fans, every seat in the arena was filled! We hadn’t even stepped on the field yet, and we felt as if we had already won. We were in the big leagues now!

Adam Crozier organized the event, and took every detail into consideration. Everything ran smoothly. The teams were aware of their opponents, game times and the scenarios depending on whether they won or loss. That type of foresight and preparation is what  semi-pro football needs all year round. Teams traveled from Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois with the expectation of being part of top notch football tournament. No one was disappointed. Win or lose the atmosphere was electric. Being around all those “weekend warriors”, men from different backgrounds, different cities, different states, with only one thing in common… love for the game, a love that was not compromised by chaos and confusion. I take my hat off to Mr. Crozier for all of his hard work.

I was truly inspired by my experience in that one stoplight town in Indiana. I have a renewed vision of what football at this level can be, with hard work and proper planning.

I expected the tourney to be an opportunity to take a look at some newly acquired players and check out some different teams. It was that and more. The camaraderie was something that our team needed. The overnight road trip brought us closer. We ate together, laughed, joked, held a Madden tournament (which I won). I started the weekend off a little upset that some of the guys who committed themselves to play did not show up. However, by the time it was all over, I felt kinda sorry for them. They missed an experience that every semi-pro/minor league player lives for… a chance to compete in a structured environment against quality, class opponents.

The outcome of our two games was not favorable, but through the experience we got a chance to play a boys game a little while longer.