Blaze offense gets doused again

Receiver Bryant out for season

By Jay Drew
The Salt Lake Tribune
02/12/2008 02:21:55 AM MST

After watching Arena Football League Offensive Player of the Year Siaha Burley sign with Arizona in the offseason, there was one player the Utah Blaze could not afford to lose prior to their season-opening matchup with the Rattlers on March 1.

Well, they have lost him.

Blaze coach Danny White confirmed Monday that receiver Orshawante Bryant is out for the season, after the six-year veteran suffered a leg injury in Friday's workouts.

Bryant underwent surgery Monday and won't be able to run again for six to nine months, White said.

"Yeah, boy, it is really bad news," White said. "He missed half the year last year, and he was going to replace Siaha as much as anybody, at that position anyway, so it's a tough deal for him. . . . He's the one guy who pays the price in the offseason, works hard. He's in great shape, and then a freak thing like that happens."

White said Bryant didn't tear his Achilles' tendon, as was previously reported by the club. Rather, the supportive tissue higher up his leg, near his calf muscle, was torn.

"The actual tendon itself didn't tear, which means he shouldn't lose any flexibility," White said.

Tom Pace will now play the middle spot, most likely, while Huey Whittaker will be the probable starter at the wing, with J.J.
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McKelvey and Aaron Boone battling for the third receiver spot, along with newcomers Anthony Brown and David Sutton.

Cougars in camp

The Blaze already had one former BYU offensive lineman, Eddie Keele, in camp vying for a spot on the 24-man roster. Now they have another.

All-Mountain West Conference lineman Jake Kuresa was in last week for a two-day tryout, and coaches liked what they saw from the 6-foot-4, 315-pounder. They signed him for the duration of training camp on Saturday.

"We watched him on tape, and [assistant coach] Ron [James] really liked him, so we brought him in," White said. "He's done well."

Familiar five?

McKelvey, the two-year veteran from Clemson who is the heir apparent to many of Burley's catches, is wearing No. 5, the same number that Burley wore in Utah. However, the receiver whom the Blaze acquired from Philadelphia for Steve Konopka says he didn't pick the number to send the message that he's going to fill Burley's shoes.

"No, no no," he said. "I had the number in af2 and did real well with that number, so I told myself, 'I am going to keep that number from here on out.' It's just coincidence. I am not the shifty guy like Siaha. I don't make moves. I either try to run over you or stiff-arm you."