Originally published on ArenaFan.com
It should be no surprise that Green Bay Blizzard defensive tackle Quartez Vickerson’s goal after football is to open a shelter to help troubled youth.
He’s been helping people his entire life.
In fact, his job as a defensive tackle for the Blizzard is to help open lanes for the Mac linebacker to run through to get to the quarterback.
Vickerson started helping others as a youth growing up in the Detroit area. He said he enjoyed teaching things to younger kids that he picked up on.
His first pupil was his younger brother, Kevin.
Kevin would go on to play college football at Michigan State, and Quartez was the anchor on the defensive line at Grand Valley State that won a Division-II National Championship in 2005, but the National Football League didn’t come calling after that season.
Vickerson would go to NFL Europe and play for the Berlin Thunder, but it didn’t result in an NFL contract.
In 2007, he attended the Tennessee Valley Vipers training camp and after a few practices
decided to go back to Europe for another season.
His hard work paid off as he was invited to the NFL’s Tennessee Titans training camp last year, but he didn’t make the final roster. His younger brother Kevin, however, did.
“What he knows I know,” Vickerson said. “As far as speed wise, technique wise...we help each other out a lot and I’m proud of him.”
Entering this spring Vickerson was unsure what he would do because NFL Europe had shut its doors and the All-American Football League put off its inaugural season.
Blizzard head coach Bob Landsee saw the closing and delay of the leagues as an opportunity to bring talented players to Green Bay, so he called one of his former teammates Darryl Sims, who coached in NFL Europe, about which guys are on the cusp of making it to the next level and wanted to work hard to get there.
Vickerson’s name was the first to come up.
Both Landsee and defensive coordinator Doug Lytle feel the closure of NFL Europe has increased the talent level league wide in arenafootball2, and Vickerson is a perfect example of that.
“Everything is a learning experience. I take everything as a stepping stone and the deuce isn’t bad either,” Vickerson said. “It’s a stepping stone to learn this game and hopefully get a contract with the Arena Football League.”
“Under coach Landsee I’m doing real good,” Vickerson said. “He’s teaching me a lot since I’ve been here and it’s starting to show.”
Vickerson came to Green Bay to gain experience in the arena game, but also is getting a shot to do what he does best, help others. He is one of the few players on the team that has won a championship at any level and he said after this season he would like everyone to know what that feels like.
He also likes the fact that there is good fishing in the Green Bay area, and can’t wait to test the waters with teammate Adam Tadisch, who is a Wisconsin native and has a boat.
As for Vickerson’s playing future, it’s looking bright, according to Lytle. Lytle, a former AFL defensive lineman, said Vickerson has progressed in the arena game faster than he expected and compares him to James Baron, which is high praise considering Baron was voted as the sixth-greatest player in AFL history in 2006.
In the immediate future for Vickerson and the rest of the Blizzard is a game at Tennessee Valley tonight.
“They have a lot of speed,” Landsee said. “There coming off a tough loss just like us, and I’m sure their going to be mad, so we’ve got to be prepared to take them on.”
Landsee also said that the Vipers have a lot of guys with AFL experience, specifically mentioning two-way lineman Terrance Ford and quarterback Andy Hall.
The Blizzard’s starting quarterback for tonight is unknown. Landsee said he’s going to keep the media guessing, but he would tell either Matt Bohnet or Shane Adler who was starting on Thursday.
Last week, Bohnet got the start, but was replaced in the fourth quarter after throwing his second interception. Adler replaced him, but also threw two interceptions.
If Landsee needed any help to make a decision perhaps he should go to Vickerson because he seems to have this whole helping other people out thing down pact.
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