The United Football League defending champion Las Vegas Locos have protected 20 players as head coach Jim Fassel builds his team's roster for the 2010 UFL season. Fassel and his coaching staff will also conduct an open tryout to find more players for the 2010 campaign. The workout will combine individual position drills and timing in the 40-yard dash among other drills at Paradise Valley High School stadium and practice fields in Phoenix, AZ. Highlighting the protected players list are offensive and defensive standouts who last weekend received their UFL Premiere Season championship rings in Las Vegas. "Only protecting 20 players from the championship-winning roster that we assembled last season was a difficult decision," said Fassel. "Many more of those players deserved to be back on this team, but football is a competitive business and we made our decision and have protected a group we feel is balanced and talented." The services of league-leading tackler, linebacker Teddy Lehman, who led the UFL with 34.5 stops last year and defensive back Wale Dada, who posted 37.5 tackles and two interceptions, have been retained. Also bolstering the Locos defense is linebacker Brandon Moore, who played six seasons with the San Francisco 49ers and last season Moore posted 32.5 tackles and a sack. Nick Turnbull is protected having made 28 tackles last season along with a league-best three interceptions. Offensively, Marcel Shipp, who had 81 carries for 291 yards and 3 touchdowns, ending the season as the league's fourth-leading rusher, is joined by the Locos starting center Jesse Boone and three key wide receivers. Adam Bergen made 30 catches for 242 yards and averaged 10.5 yards per catch and had two touchdowns, while Tab Perry snared 12 receptions for 212 yards and a touchdown and also contributed 11 for 249 yards. Andrae Thurman will also return in a Locos jersey having made 16 catches for 235 yards and a touchdown in 2009. Last month the UFL announced a total of 60 players who were protected by the head coaches of the Florida Tuskers, Hartford Colonials and the Sacramento Mountain Lions. The newly unveiled Omaha team will announce their expansion player list on Friday. The United Football League teams will build 70-player training camp squads and eventual 52-man rosters through free agency signing, player allocation, and invitational and open tryouts. Las Vegas Protected Players: Las Vegas Protected Players: Pos Name College DE Adrian Awasom North Texas TE Adam Bergen Lehigh OC Jesse Boone Utah OT Brandon Braxton Oklahoma DB Wale Dada Washington State OG Frank Davis South Florida DB Marcus Hamilton Virginia DE Eric Henderson Georgia Tech LB Teddy Lehman Oklahoma LB Brandon Moore Oklahoma WR Tab Perry UCLA QB Tim Rattay Louisiana Tech NT Lauvale Sape Utah RB Marcel Shipp UMass DB Brandon Sumrall Southern Mississippi WR Andrae Thurman Arizona LB Brian Toal Boston College DB Nick Turnbull Florida International OL Tavares Washington Florida DB Trey Young Montana The Locos open tryouts will take place from 1pm to 2pm for OL, DL and TE, then from 2pm to 3pm for skill positions on Saturday, April 17 at Paradise Valley High School Stadium and Practice Fields (3950 E. Bell Road, Phoenix, AZ 85032). Online Registration for the tryouts costs $60 and closes at 11:59pm on Thursday, April 15. More information is available at www.UFL-Football.com/LasVegasLocos and by emailing LocosTryout@ufl-football.com. The Las Vegas Locomotives coaching staff will conduct all workouts.
