![]() ![]() ![]() The competition for starting quarterback is underway as the Predators also still have late arriving QB Bernard Morris who joined the team in the middle of the season after Jason Boltus was out due to injury and later took the reins as starting quarterback. Hippeard completed 350 of 597 passes for 4406 yards and 93 touchdowns while also throwing 27 interceptions. The position under center is also up for grabs as Orlando signed former Tampa Bay Storm quarterback Randy Hippeard during the offseason. Former University of Miami wideout Thompkins will also make a comeback after making 72 receptions for 932 yards and 16 touchdowns. “If not a vocal leader, he will definitely be a passionate leader, and we want him to step up into that leadership role.”Īlso returning to catch the ball will be veteran receiver Brackins who the Preds signed on late last season but made a mark for the team catching 48 passes for 612 yards and 17 touchdowns. His biggest goal is to help us win a championship title.“ said Keefe about the returning player. It’s amazing, talking to him, Greg wants to do even more, he has his own accolades, but he is such a team player. “To get an athlete like that, the best rookie player that the AFL has to offer. At 6’ 6”, Carr towers above the average height receivers and can make catches others have only dreamed about. Carr made 114 receptions for 1440 yards and 36 touchdowns. Returning to the grid-iron for Orlando will be the 2014 AFL Rookie of the Year, Greg Carr. Of the receiving core, the organization can rest easy in the resigning of their big three receivers Greg Carr, Larry Brackins and Kendal Thompkins. Going into training camp, the organization has ten receivers currently signed onto the team’s tentative Training camp roster and looks to trim down to five or six depending on the performance of the perspective players. You want people that are smart, people that are courteous and people that are good teammates.” “You don’t want people that aren’t really good people, you don’t want people that take away from the football aspect of the system. “We look at the whole package, we want to see how people work together, you want to make sure people are respectable and they get along, the worst thing you can do is put people in a locker room that do not get along.“ said Keefe about the prospected players set to attend training camp next month. With a high intensity sport like football tensions can be high among players and Keefe plans to curb that mentality and ensure his team works as just that, a team. Looking at the upcoming training camp, Keefe is looking at much more than just physical ability to fill his roster. “Westgate created balance for a team that needed balance, last year we did great on the field and now off the field we have the backing to allow us to be great again.” said Keefe on the Westgate ownership. 500 for the first time since 2011 as the Predators went 4-14 in 2012 under head coach Brent Munsey and 7-11 in 2013 under coach Doug Plank. “And thats a place I want to be, I want to be in a great arena, I want to be at a great practice facility and I want to have great players.”Įven through the trials and tribulations of coaching and managing the team’s ownership responsibilities while the state of the team was unknown, Keefe helped bring the team to above. “The main thing we wanted to do was get better on all levels and I think when you hear us going to the Amway Center and us practicing in the Citrus Bowl and the type of athlete we are now recruiting because of what we’ve done last year,” said Keefe about the upcoming season, “With what Westgate has to offer, with this ownership group we are thriving and we will be on the forefront of Orlando entertainment. He also relinquished the debt the team had with the city of Orlando after a disagreement with past owner Brett Bouchy left the team in disarray and unable to use the city-owned Amway Center located downtown. That is when David Siegel, owner of Westgate Resorts, stepped in and purchased the team. The team seemed to be in turmoil last season as their owner David Pearsall made a scene at an AFL owners meeting and left the team in the league’s hand. This upcoming season will be make it or break it for Orlando’s Arena Football team the Orlando Predators as they will start training camp the first week of March to prepare for their 2015 season opener against the Philadelphia Soul.Īfter hiring on new head coach Rob Keefe and cleaning house within the organization, the team went 11-7 in the 2014 season and made it to the Conference Championship but lost 46-56 to the Cleveland Gladiators. The Orlando Predators went 11-7 in 2014 and advanced to the Conference Championship game before losing to the Cleveland Gladiators. ![]()
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