The Florida Tuskers and New York Sentinels squared off with each other in their first scrimmage of the season Thursday night at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando.However, the teams were not at full strength thanks to injuries to some key players. Tuskers safety Dexter Jackson, a former Super Bowl MVP with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, sat out with a shoulder stinger. Former NFL standouts Simeon Rice and Koren Robinson of the Sentinels also did not participate for undisclosed reasons.
During the scrimmage, Tuskers offensive lineman Julius Wilson injured his foot/ankle, though the severity of the injury is unclear as the team awaits test results.
Florida defensive end Willie Williams suffered what was thought to be a serious MCL injury during Thursday's scrimmage. However, a league representative said Friday that Williams was being re-evaluated and has also fitted for a brace.
Newly signed quarterback Brooks Bollinger, who played with the Tuskers' third-string offense, made a strong bid for the starting spot, as his new teammates played crisply while he was under center. Bollinger signed with Florida on Tuesday after being cut by the Detroit Lions on September 5.
Bollinger's resume includes a nine-game stint as the starter for the New York Jets in 2005, when he recorded a 2-7 record. He got his shot after veterans Chad Pennington and Jay Fiedler were injured.
The 29-year-old Bollinger played seven games for the Minnesota Vikings in 2006-07, and saw action in two games as a backup for Dallas Cowboys' starter Tony Romo last season.
New York starting quarterback Quinn Gray, a former back-up with the Jacksonville Jaguars, looked sharp in the first drive of the game, taking the Sentinels down the field for a score.
Florida's first-string offense was just as sharp thanks to quarterback Darrell Hackney, who finished the opening march by finding Chas Gessner for a TD.
Both teams' second-string offenses, led by Sentinels quarterback CJ Bacher and the Tuskers' Chris Greisen, sputtered. The aforementioned signal callers each threw interceptions that were returned for touchdowns.
For more in-depth analysis, check out this story from Examiner.com in Orlando.
The Las Vegas Locomotives and California Redwoods also worked out in Arizona but had separate practices instead of a joint scrimmage.
Final rosters in the four-team league will be set on October 1. The Sentinels and Tuskers will open the season against each other at the Citrus Bowl on October 10.
