We will stay after the games and sign every last autograph. From the kids to the adults, we want everyone to have a good time. To coach Theus, it is just as important to be good people off the field as it is to be good players on it. “This is a great chance to interact with the kids,” Sanders said. Sanders and his teammates understand the public relations angle will be key for the franchise to be successful at the box office. The majority of the games take place in the spring and summer when there isn’t any football.
The original Arena Football League and Arena Football 2 built popularity on a national stage by being a fan-friendly sporting event. Our fans will be able to know their names.” We want a team the local community can support. There are also the Mississippi junior colleges. We will go east to UAB, Alabama, and North Alabama. We will go south to Jackson and Jackson State. We will be reaching out to players there after they finish their careers. Fortunately, we have two Southeastern Conference schools in our backyard. However, the bulk of my team will be a Mississippi-based team. We have 25 roster spots, and I will have eight players from out of town. “As a player, I played with guys from all over the universe. “When I first took the job, I knew it was important to have a local identity,” Theus said.
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A standout Arena League player himself, Theus feels the Hound Dogs will be successful if they can find a niche in the local community and produce a roster full of local players. Theus understands the key to building a successful indoor football franchise. He has his head on straight and is a great leader. Coach is going to be a great coach to play for. The tryout went well and he called me back with a spot on the team. “Once I met coach (Martino Theus) there was an instant bond. Me and my twin brother (Cordney Sanders) went to the tryout. I found the advertisement for tryouts on the web. The last couple of years, I had heard a team was coming back to Tupelo. Even though I never went to a game, I knew they were very popular. “When I went to Northeast, we heard about the Tupelo Mudcats all the time. “I did not know there was going to be a team in Tupelo this upcoming year,” Sanders said. After brief stints at Mississippi Valley State University and Mississippi State, Sanders completed his college career at McPherson College, a NAIA school in McPherson, Kan. I feel blessed to have this opportunity and look forward to getting started.”Īfter playing high school ball at New Hope High School and at Columbus High, Sanders played at Northeast Mississippi Community College.
This will give them another opportunity to showcase their talents and get some exposure. There are a lot of talented players who have fallen by the wayside in this state. “I was excited when I found out this league had connections to the National Football League and Canadian Football League. “This was definitely a great opportunity,” Sanders said. 15, and the season opener against the Rome Rampage will be March 3 at the BancorpSouth Arena in Tupelo. Sanders is expected to be a defensive back when the Mississippi Hound Dogs kick off their inaugural season in the Ultimate Indoor Football League. Columbus native Corey Sanders is excited about his new football-playing home, even if the season doesn’t start for another two months.