As Gerry
McManus prepares his squad for a tough trip to
Bristol this Sunday, one of the first names
on the team sheet will be cornerback Danny Wardell. The former Iowa Central
Community College Triton has returned for a second spell with the Jets and
recorded his first interception last week in the 20-7 victory over
Sussex. Wardell
is joined by former Yorkshire Rams and Huddersfield Hawks team-mate Olivier
Rougeot as well as Sheffield Sabres linebacker Chris Jackson.
Jackson made his debut against the London
Blitz, getting on for one play late in the game and, making an immediate
impact. It was pressure from the 25 year old
Chester native that forced Blitz quarterback
Fred Boyle into a wayward throw that Daniel Smallman-Gough intercepted.
Currently studying for an MA in Landscape Architecture,
Jackson has signed for the Jets to
“participate within the highest standard of American football” stated the
energetic
Sheffield resident, continuing “I
want to push myself to new levels and to have fun whilst doing so”.
Rougeot has
little experience but adds fantastic athleticism to the Jets' defensive
backfield. Born in
Paris
the 23 year old student of Logistics and Supply Chain Management is thrilled at
the prospect of pushing himself at the highest level. “It's a real opportunity
to improve myself and discover what I can do against the best players in
Britain. The Jets are like a family and have a great sense of team spirit that
motivates me to give 100% all of the time. I only really found out about
American football since I moved here and playing with the best players in the
Country is a real challenge that I'm looking forward to”.
Wardell
will be looking for a big day in his first match against the Aztecs this
Sunday. In the clubs last meeting in early May Bristol threw 4 interceptions as they went
down 16-7 at the Sphinx, the sixth time they've fallen to the Jets in six meetings.
Signing from the Rams in 2007, at just 18, Wardell had already constructed an
impressive resume having represented England Youth in 2004 and 2005. Seeing
limited action behind Britball legend Mike Dunson, Wardell left mid-season to
attend Southwest Minnesota State University.
From Iowa Central to Bristol, Danny Wardell returns to the Jets and is ready for the trip to the Aztecs.
A redshirt
freshman in his initial season, Wardell transferred from the Mustangs to Iowa
Central where he continued his football education before returning to Europe
where he briefly joined Dunson with Italy's Bergamo Lions. Late in 2008 the
rangy defensive back rejoined his local club, the Yorkshire Rams, for two
games, before his desire to play BAFL Premier football brought him back to the
Midlands. At twenty two, Wardell, currently studying Sports Coaching at the
University of
Huddersfield, sites the opportunity to
work with former
England
youth team mate and current Jets' Defensive Co-ordinator Simon Vardy as well as
former London Monarch Rowelle Blenman as reasons to return to
Coventry. “The coaching staff here at the
Jets is first rate, working with them in practice and against receivers like
Jeremy Simms, Mark Cohen, Dale Hawes and now Courtney Pope can only help me
develop into an even better player. My first two games have been great to be
involved with and I can't wait to get back out there against Bristol. I've
never faced them before but I know that they're the team
Coventry has faced most over the years and
therefore have built up quite a rivalry. They're a big outfit and like to run
the ball so I don't expect to be seeing much through the air”. The Jets defense
has been one of the stingiest this season, having great success in stopping
opponents rushing attacks, including holding the Aztecs to just 39 yards
earlier this season.
McManus
expects a much tougher contest than the first meeting this season “
Bristol weren’t anywhere
near up to their usual high standard back in May. We were under prepared and on
another day could easily have lost. I’ve been back with the club for almost two
months now though and have seen progress every week, it’s only a matter of time
before we really click, fingers crossed it’ll be this Sunday and we can go into
the summer break on a real high”.
