Trying out for the New York Dragons had me breathing fire.
Word has spread around Long Island that the arena football team, which called the venerated Nassau Coliseum home during the 2000s, is making a much-anticipated comeback in the 516 this June.
As someone who grew up on the thrill of watching the black-and-red brawlers, I had to throw my hat — or rather, my helmet — in the ring with some of the best local talent Tuesday night during open tryouts for a chance to make the Entertainment Football Association (ENTFLA) squad.
For the first time in ages, I was hitting blocking pads, firing out of my dormant O-line stance, doing quick-cut agility drills, running routes and, unfortunately, a 20-yard dash while trying to keep up with the skillful bunch vying to be one of 26 heading to camp.
But hey, I wasn’t expecting anything easy. Head coach Gerald Filardi, a well-known LI football figure who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and currently coaches Half Hollow Hills West, holds a high standard.
“We’ve got an eight-game regular season, but we’re going to play 10 games because we’re winning the championship,” he boldly told me of the coming inaugural season.
“You’ve got to win in New York. That’s what the fans want, and that’s what we’re playing for.”
Men in the arena
Fortunately, Filardi did some recruiting beyond one less-than-physically prime individual — being a third-string center at the JV level only gets you so far — and brought in many of his former players who have proven themselves as standout collegiate athletes.
“It’s full circle coming back now,” said 24-year-old Kendall Clark, a former Stony Brook safety who played for Filardi on various teams since he was 10.
“I didn’t expect to be here … but he gave me a call. I was on the fence, but I committed fully.”
Brian Bun, 27, who played basketball at Green Mountain College in Vermont, knows Filardi professionally and was lured into coming out for defensive end.
“I’ll be honest with you, I didn’t know about the Dragons,” confessed Bun, who has played football since age 5 and is in a weekend flag league. However, after doing some homework — and seeing that Filardi had won several division titles — he was sold.
“Plus, I really love contact,” Bun said.
The blindside
Turns out, you lose a step or two after not playing football since 2011.
I realized I was over my head early on when coaches put away stopwatches and took out a sundial for my sprint time. While looking back at a video of me attempting a zig-zag agility drill around some cones, it became apparent that my maneuverability was like that of a toddler rounding bases for their first time.
Still, I found moral victories in the little things, like making a 15-yard catch with an eight-second hang time and just being able to snap a ball at chest height.
I mentally tuned out that the nose guard reached the quarterback before I got out of my stance.
However, when it came time to hit the blocking pads, I thought I was holding my own.
That was, until I saw D-lineman Robert DiGiorgio explosively fire out during his turn.
The well-tuned 44-year-old from Bay Shore tried out for the Dragons 20 years ago, and after a career at the semi-pro level plus playing flag football regularly, DiGiorgio wanted one last crack at it.
“It makes me feel like I’ve still got something in the tank at my age,” he said. “It would definitely be some kind of a Cinderella story. I came out here, I gave it my all, and that’s all I could do.”
DiGiorgio’s leave-it-all-on-the-field mentality is exactly what Filardi wants from his men.
“That’s a big thing with me when coaching. As long as you bring effort, you make things happen,” Filardi said.
“The effort’s there,” he kindly fibbed about my performance.
Don’t just take my word for it that Filardi is a true leader. Another of his former athletes, 22-year-old defensive back Valen Richardson, called him a “player’s coach.”
“It would be great to play for him again.”
General manager Peter Schwartz has his work cut out when it comes to these real athletes who have a shot at making the roster.
“When I took this job, I wanted this to be a team that Long Island would be proud of,” he said. “I think we have a lot of talent here — a lot of untapped potential.”
