Wow.
As an illustration of the number of guys who have played football at a high level and who would love to play it at the highest possible levels, UFL spokesperson Rachel Gary estimates that nearly 1,000 men showed up for Saturday’s open tryout held by the UFL’s Florida Tuskers.
Per the Orlando Sentinel, the men paid $60 each for the opportunity, which translates to nearly $60,000 in revenue for the fledgling league.
“It was like American Idol,” Gary told us by phone on Sunday morning. “You saw people lined up. It was incredible.” [Editor’s note: Again, we prefer references to NBC’s America’s Got Talent.]
Gary explained that there were actually two workouts on Saturday -- an open session hosted by the Tuskers and a private look-see aimed at staffing all four of the UFL’s current teams with quality players. She said that 20 of the players who showed up for the open workout were picked for inclusion in the private event, and that the attendees ranged from guys who have no realistic chance of playing pro football to players with NFL experience.
The process is being overseen by former Saints and Jaguars exec Rick Mueller, who is responsible for finding players not for any one team but for the entire league. We assume that, if/when the UFL grows, teams will develop their own personnel offices.
Players who attended the session included former NFL quarterback Mike McMahon, former NFL linebacker Orlando Huff, and former NFL receiver Doug Gabriel.
Though no announcements have been made regarding players who made the cut, UFLAccess.com reports that the Tuskers have signed Gabriel and former NFL quarterback Craig Nall.
We’re also picking up stronger and stronger indications that the UFL already is positioning itself to be a true in-season minor league for the NFL, which makes plenty of sense. As we’ve previously explained, with well over 100 college programs churning out more than 20 seniors every year and only 32 NFL teams employing the last ten years or so of the best of the best, there are plenty of guys who can fill up an extra four pro teams.
Or, really, an extra 40.
