The Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League informed us Friday that they are signing former Demon offensive lineman Woodly Telfort for the 2007 season. The news led us to wonder about the status of the Demons in Canada.
Telfort started for the Demons in 2005, the only season at Northwestern for the South Carolina transfer. Last year, Telfort played with the Grand Rapids Rampage of the Arena Football League.
Another recent Demon player continuing his career in Canada is Toby Zeigler. Zeigler was picked up by the Edmonton Eskimos after finishing his four-year career in Natchitoches as the all-time leader in all-purpose yardage and receptions and all-time receiving yardage.
Former Northwestern linebacker, Jamal Johnson is the senior Demon representative in the CFL. While at NSU, Johnson was named All-Southland Conference in both of his seasons and SLC Defensive Player of the Year in 2004. Preparing for his third season with the British Columbia Lions, Johnson was a special teams contributor for the Grey Cup champions last season, recording 12 tackles, forcing a fumble, and recovering a fumble for a 39-yard touchdown.
We’ll keep an eye on these former Demons as they try to make a name for themselves on the Great White North.
Brian Seiler, Intern-Marketing/SID
Friday, March 30, 2007
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Nall moves up with the Bills
The Buffalo Bills’ trade of star linebacker Takeo Spikes to the Philadelphia Eagles was a boost to the career of former Demon quarterback Craig Nall.
Also in the trade this week, Buffalo sent their No. 2 quarterback and former starter Kelly Holcomb to Philly. That moves Nall, a record-setting passer who led the 2001 Demons into the national playoffs, into the backup spot behind former Tulane quarterback J.P. Losman.
Losman established himself as the starter with a strong finish to the season. Nall was looking good in preseason until he hurt a hamstring, and missed a lot of action before coming back with a couple of impressive outings that had a lot of media thinking he was the No. 2 or maybe even a threat to push Losman at the beginning of last season.
Now he’s the guy who will be in the bullpen for the Bills in 2007.
Doug Ireland, SID
Also in the trade this week, Buffalo sent their No. 2 quarterback and former starter Kelly Holcomb to Philly. That moves Nall, a record-setting passer who led the 2001 Demons into the national playoffs, into the backup spot behind former Tulane quarterback J.P. Losman.
Losman established himself as the starter with a strong finish to the season. Nall was looking good in preseason until he hurt a hamstring, and missed a lot of action before coming back with a couple of impressive outings that had a lot of media thinking he was the No. 2 or maybe even a threat to push Losman at the beginning of last season.
Now he’s the guy who will be in the bullpen for the Bills in 2007.
Doug Ireland, SID
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Another step closer for Brian Lawrence
Six more strong innings for Demon baseball great Brian Lawrence.
The 1998 Southland Conference Pitcher of the Year had his second consecutive impressive outing Sunday in Cactus League action for the Colorado Rockies.
Continuing his comeback from shoulder surgery that sidelined him for the entire 2006 MLB season – just when he was beginning to make a decimal-point salary – Lawrence earned headlines Sunday (“Lawrence has quality outing vs. D-Backs,” said www.mlb.com) and raised his stock with his new team.
He threw six innings, allowing only five hits and three earned runs, two on solo home runs by Arizona outfielder Eric Byrnes. Lawrence struck out four.
The Rockies already have settled on a five-man starting rotation to open the season next week. Lawrence is probably headed to Triple A so he will get regular starts for the first 2-4 weeks. If he keeps doing his thing, he’ll be in the Rockies’ rotation quickly; if I read the tea leaves correctly.
“I think they want me to pitch a few more times, every fifth day, before they are assured (the arm) is where they want it to be. But as far as I’m concerned, I feel awesome. I can’t ask for it to feel better than it does,” he said afterward.
Lawrence wasn’t signed by the Rockies to be an insurance policy, or a minor leaguer. He’s won 10 games or more in three of his last four big league seasons, all with the San Diego Padres. Having just signed a big deal (by our standards, not by MLB standards) with the Washington Nationals, he injured his right (pitching) shoulder on the first day of spring training last year, had surgery, and felt he was back to full speed by October. Still, the Nats let him go instead of paying him more than $3 million, nearly double his 2006 pay.
He was sharp last week in a win over the Cubs as previously noted on the Daily Demon.
By the way, in the “it’s a small world after all” department: remember Tracy Renck, who covered NSU sports for the Alexandria Town Talk from 1995-97? His twin brother Troy is one of the beat writers covering the Rockies for the Denver Post. Tracy and his wife are settled back home in Pueblo, Col., where he works for the paper there. I don’t know if Tracy ever covered Brian as a Demon – Lawrence was here in 1997 and 1998.
Doug Ireland, SID
The 1998 Southland Conference Pitcher of the Year had his second consecutive impressive outing Sunday in Cactus League action for the Colorado Rockies.
Continuing his comeback from shoulder surgery that sidelined him for the entire 2006 MLB season – just when he was beginning to make a decimal-point salary – Lawrence earned headlines Sunday (“Lawrence has quality outing vs. D-Backs,” said www.mlb.com) and raised his stock with his new team.
He threw six innings, allowing only five hits and three earned runs, two on solo home runs by Arizona outfielder Eric Byrnes. Lawrence struck out four.
The Rockies already have settled on a five-man starting rotation to open the season next week. Lawrence is probably headed to Triple A so he will get regular starts for the first 2-4 weeks. If he keeps doing his thing, he’ll be in the Rockies’ rotation quickly; if I read the tea leaves correctly.
“I think they want me to pitch a few more times, every fifth day, before they are assured (the arm) is where they want it to be. But as far as I’m concerned, I feel awesome. I can’t ask for it to feel better than it does,” he said afterward.
Lawrence wasn’t signed by the Rockies to be an insurance policy, or a minor leaguer. He’s won 10 games or more in three of his last four big league seasons, all with the San Diego Padres. Having just signed a big deal (by our standards, not by MLB standards) with the Washington Nationals, he injured his right (pitching) shoulder on the first day of spring training last year, had surgery, and felt he was back to full speed by October. Still, the Nats let him go instead of paying him more than $3 million, nearly double his 2006 pay.
He was sharp last week in a win over the Cubs as previously noted on the Daily Demon.
By the way, in the “it’s a small world after all” department: remember Tracy Renck, who covered NSU sports for the Alexandria Town Talk from 1995-97? His twin brother Troy is one of the beat writers covering the Rockies for the Denver Post. Tracy and his wife are settled back home in Pueblo, Col., where he works for the paper there. I don’t know if Tracy ever covered Brian as a Demon – Lawrence was here in 1997 and 1998.
Doug Ireland, SID
Monday, March 26, 2007
Did you notice?
Not having watched the NCAA Tournament games on television as closely as usual, pardon if this observation is a little late in being passed along.
In each CBS telecast this past weekend, footage from last year’s NSU win over Iowa was used in a graphic promoting the Pontiac Game Changing Performance Contest.
Sunday, the promo ran when CBS came back from their commercial break after the “under 8 minute timeout” in the second half. I saw it in the Florida-Oregon game and told folks to watch for it at the same stage of the North Carolina-Georgetown game.
Fun to see Clifton Lee ripping the nets, Coach McConathy in front of a fired-up Demons bench, the shot dropping through and Tyronn Mitchell leaping upcourt. It couldn’t have been more than 10 seconds in a small panel at the bottom of the screen, but I could clearly see the “Northwestern State” on the jerseys.
Although there have been some good games in this year’s tournament, there’s been no such magic moment. A year removed from the Madness, it’s becoming more clear how remarkable last year’s NCAA Tournament truly was – not just for the Demons.
Doug Ireland, SID
In each CBS telecast this past weekend, footage from last year’s NSU win over Iowa was used in a graphic promoting the Pontiac Game Changing Performance Contest.
Sunday, the promo ran when CBS came back from their commercial break after the “under 8 minute timeout” in the second half. I saw it in the Florida-Oregon game and told folks to watch for it at the same stage of the North Carolina-Georgetown game.
Fun to see Clifton Lee ripping the nets, Coach McConathy in front of a fired-up Demons bench, the shot dropping through and Tyronn Mitchell leaping upcourt. It couldn’t have been more than 10 seconds in a small panel at the bottom of the screen, but I could clearly see the “Northwestern State” on the jerseys.
Although there have been some good games in this year’s tournament, there’s been no such magic moment. A year removed from the Madness, it’s becoming more clear how remarkable last year’s NCAA Tournament truly was – not just for the Demons.
Doug Ireland, SID
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Brian Lawrence makes a big move forward
A typically “crafty” outing in spring training Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs by Colorado Rockies pitcher Brian Lawrence raised his stock as the Demon great mounts a comeback from season-ending and career-threatening shoulder surgery in 2006.
The headline in the Denver Post: “Productive pitchers include Lawrence.” On www.mlb.com: “Lawrence makes statement.”
Post writer Patrick Saunders said the 1998 Southland Conference Pitcher of the Year “… made a bold statement … is emerging as a viable candidate for the rotation, sooner than later.”
Lawrence, whose No. 29 jersey was retired by NSU before the 2005 season, was hurt on the opening day of spring training a year ago when he had signed with the Washington Nationals. He had surgery and worked all year to recover. Understandably, the Nationals released him in the offseason, and after considering offers from the Pirates, Padres, and Mariners, Brian chose to join the Rockies. He likes pitching in Coors Field and thought the club was a good fit for him.
Wrote Thomas Harding of MLB.com: “After being hidden in bullpen sessions and on the minor league field for 10 days … Lawrence stepped into the competition for the Rockies starting rotation Tuesday.”
In five innings, he allowed two earned runs on seven hits, throwing four scoreless innings after giving up a leadoff homer to Alfonso Soriano (ironically, his teammate in Washington a year ago, when Soriano went deep 46 times) in the first frame. Following the first, Lawrence didn’t allow a runner to reach second. He was the winning pitcher in the 4-2 outcome in the Cactus League contest in Tuscon, Ariz.
“Everything’s together and it’s working the way it should be, and I can tell that in the command,” Lawrence said. “My first couple of outings, I was all over the place. Now the command is there with every pitch.”
Saunders described Brian as “beaming,” understandably so.
Rockies manager Clint Hurdle was pleased with what Lawrence showed.
“He’s crafty, the kind of guy that you go back to the dugout thinking, ‘Man, I can get him,’ but you don’t get him. There are days you might get him, but he makes you swing the bat and challenges your discipline.”
Hurdle said the Rockies might not have the same starting-five rotation on the mound at midseason as they could when the season starts next week, obviously referring to the desire to bring Lawrence along gradually. Byung-Hyun Kim and Josh Fogg have been mentioned for potential trades, especially if the Rockies decide Lawrence could be ready sooner than later.
From Tuesday’s outing, that might just be the case. No question Brian’s prospects soared with his smooth showing against the Cubbies.
Doug Ireland, SID
The headline in the Denver Post: “Productive pitchers include Lawrence.” On www.mlb.com: “Lawrence makes statement.”
Post writer Patrick Saunders said the 1998 Southland Conference Pitcher of the Year “… made a bold statement … is emerging as a viable candidate for the rotation, sooner than later.”
Lawrence, whose No. 29 jersey was retired by NSU before the 2005 season, was hurt on the opening day of spring training a year ago when he had signed with the Washington Nationals. He had surgery and worked all year to recover. Understandably, the Nationals released him in the offseason, and after considering offers from the Pirates, Padres, and Mariners, Brian chose to join the Rockies. He likes pitching in Coors Field and thought the club was a good fit for him.
Wrote Thomas Harding of MLB.com: “After being hidden in bullpen sessions and on the minor league field for 10 days … Lawrence stepped into the competition for the Rockies starting rotation Tuesday.”
In five innings, he allowed two earned runs on seven hits, throwing four scoreless innings after giving up a leadoff homer to Alfonso Soriano (ironically, his teammate in Washington a year ago, when Soriano went deep 46 times) in the first frame. Following the first, Lawrence didn’t allow a runner to reach second. He was the winning pitcher in the 4-2 outcome in the Cactus League contest in Tuscon, Ariz.
“Everything’s together and it’s working the way it should be, and I can tell that in the command,” Lawrence said. “My first couple of outings, I was all over the place. Now the command is there with every pitch.”
Saunders described Brian as “beaming,” understandably so.
Rockies manager Clint Hurdle was pleased with what Lawrence showed.
“He’s crafty, the kind of guy that you go back to the dugout thinking, ‘Man, I can get him,’ but you don’t get him. There are days you might get him, but he makes you swing the bat and challenges your discipline.”
Hurdle said the Rockies might not have the same starting-five rotation on the mound at midseason as they could when the season starts next week, obviously referring to the desire to bring Lawrence along gradually. Byung-Hyun Kim and Josh Fogg have been mentioned for potential trades, especially if the Rockies decide Lawrence could be ready sooner than later.
From Tuesday’s outing, that might just be the case. No question Brian’s prospects soared with his smooth showing against the Cubbies.
Doug Ireland, SID
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