DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- These young Stallions of Birmingham plan to be romping through the USFL in a few years.
Birmingham Coach Rollie Dotsch Wednesday said the Stallions, preparing for a March 7 opener in Birmingham against the Michigan Panthers, are among the youngest teams in the new league.
'Only Tom Banks, Robert Wood and Kevin Miller have played much in the NFL. We have a lot of young puppies out there,' said Dotsch, a former assistant with the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers. 'But that was our thinking coming in. It may hurt us early on, but I think in the long run, it will work out.
'We're not pampering these guys and they are responding well.'
Quarterback Reggie Collier, Birmingham's No. 1 draft pick, is battling Matthew Reed for a starting slot. Reed was a star quarterback for the old Birmingham Vulcans, leading them to a World Football League championship.
'Right now, Reggie has the edge,' Dotsch said. 'But Collier still has room for improvement. He will look better in a game than in practice, because he'll be able to run more. Once everything starts, he'll be fine, though.'
The Stallions were to play the Washington Federals in a controlled scrimmage in Jacksonville, Fla., Wednesday, as the teams prepare to trim 12 from their 70-player rosters by Monday.
Last week, the Stallions scrimmaged the Philadelphia Stars and Dotsch was pleased with the results.
'We were competitive against them -- we'll be competitiveagainst everybody,' he said.
Dotsch said he was happy with the way training camp has gone.
'We're a little bit behind schedule,' he said. 'We've lost about four days because of rain, but I guess everybody is in the same situation.'
Among the standouts in camp have been former Alabama players Jackie Cline, a defensive lineman, and Eddie Lowe. Stallions coaches say Lowe, who at 5-foot-9 is considered small for a pro linebacker, has been a pleasant surprise.
'He has been the biggest surprise of the camp,' Stallions linebacker coach John Mitchell said. 'The people at Alabama did a heckuva job with him. It is really a shame Eddie is not two or three inches taller.
'But even though he is small, when you watch him on film, he is in there making every play. He has a knack for getting to the ball.'
