2 days: USA looking to defend gold medal – “This is our sport” (videos)

Defending Champions Team USA looking to repeat at IFAF Senior World Championship…

With the IFAF Senior World Championship just two days away now, each day we will preview a team competing in the tournament. Here is a look at defending champions United States.

Japan hosted the 2007 Senior World Championship in the Kawasaki suburb of Tokyo as the tournament featured the national teams of France, Germany, Japan, Korea, Sweden and the United States.

It was the first year that the United States competed as USA Football initiated the first ever US senior national team under veteran head coach John Mackovic.

Team USA reached the Gold medal game facing the two-time defending champions Japan and it was a game for the record books as it went to double overtime. In the end, USA outlasted Japan 23-20 as

Kicker Craig Coffin of Southern Illinois University split the uprights with a 23-yard field goal to claim the gold medal.

Running back Kyle Kasperbauer from the University of Nebraska-Omaha had rushed for 54 yards and two touchdowns and was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

About USA Football :

USA Football, the sport’s national governing body in the United States, inspires participation, and ensures a positive experience for all youth, high school, and other amateur players.The independent non-profit hosts more than 80 football training events annually for coaches, players and youth football league commissioners. USA Football is the official football development partner of the NFL and its 32 teams and manages U.S. national teams for international competition. Endowed by the NFL and NFL Players Association in 2002 through the NFL Youth Football Fund, USA Football distributes $1 million annually in equipment grants and offers youth league volunteer background check subsidies. Former NFL team executive Carl Peterson is USA Football’s chairman.

Head Coach Mel Tjeerdsma:

Team USA is led by former Northwest Missouri State University head coach and three-time NCAA Division II national champion MEL TJEERDSMA (pronounced “CHURCH-ma”).

“Our roster holds tremendously skilled players who recognize that success in football is rooted in playing as a team – and playing for America galvanizes us even more,” Tjeerdsma said. “We’ll be ready to face excellent competition in Austria and celebrate the world’s greatest game on an international stage.”

Coaching Staff:

Mel Tjeerdsman, Head Coach (Former Northwest Missouri State)

Larry Kehres, Offensive Coordinator (Mount Union, OH)

Lou Tepper, Defensive Coordinator (Former U of Illinois)

Steve Bernstein, Defensive Backs (former Virginia secondary coach)

Derrick Williams, Defensive backs (Mary-Hardin Baylor, TX, secondary coach)

Matt Webb, Defensive Line (Southeastern Louisiana defensive coordinator)

Erik Raeburn, Offensive line (Wasbash, IN, head coach)

Mickey Joseph, Running backs (Langston, OK, offensive line) Adam

Austin, Receivers (Midwestern State, TX, quarterbacks)

Jordan Brown, Tight ends (Hastings, NE, defensive line)

Players to Watch:

Quarterback Cody Hawkins

5-11, 190, former Colorado starting QB,

Hometown: Boise, Idaho

The former starting quarterback at the University of Colorado, Hawkins established most major passing records with the Buffaloes, including yards (7,409), touchdown passes (70), completions (667) and attempts (1,214). He was named honorable mention Freshman All-American after throwing for 2,693 yards and 19 touchdowns as well as leading Colorado to an Independence Bowl victory in 2007.

In high school, Hawkins led Bishop Kelly High School to back-to-back undefeated state championships in Idaho. He was also a two-time Idaho Statesman All-Idaho Football Team Player of the Year.

In 2011 Hawkins accepted an offer to play for the Stockholm Mean Machines of the Sweden Super Series league.

Defensive Back Tyler Roach

6-2, 315 – Northwest Missouri State

Roach joins former Northwest Missouri State University defensive back DIEZEAS CALBERT, a member of the 2007 U.S. Men’s National Team that won the gold medal, on the 45-man roster. The team is led by their former Northwest Missouri State University head coach and three-time NCAA Division II national champion MEL TJEERDSMA. U.S. Men’s National Team players must be at least 20 years old.

In his senior season at Northwest Missouri State, Roach started in all 15 games, recording 48 total tackles, including 4.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss. He earned Division II third team All-America honors and first team all-conference honors.

Linebacker Demetrius Eaton

6-2 250 – Northwestern

Eaton will suit up for Team USA during the 2011 Senior World Championship in Austria to defend their championship from four years ago.

For Eaton, playing in the IFAF Senior World Championship in 2007 inspired him to pursue a football career overseas.

Since the 2007 games, Eaton has played in five different countries and currently plays in Switzerland. He got his start for Nice, France, in 2008 and hasn’t looked back.

Now, he will try to provide advice and wisdom for the new players on the squad as the team vies for another championship.

“I know a lot of the guys playing on Germany, Australia, other countries,” Eaton said. “They all want to beat America, and we’re going to have to be ready for that.”

Defensive Back Tommy Connors

6-1 215 – Southeastern Louisiana

Tommy Connors is a former Southeastern Louisiana University defensive back from Marrero, La.

In his senior season of 2010, Connors ranked second for the Lions in tackles with 98, while leading the team in tackles for loss (10), fumble recoveries (three) and forced fumbles (four). He also had three interceptions that season, including one returned for a touchdown. He finished his career at Southeastern Louisiana ranked third in school history with 355 total tackles and ranked first in forced fumbles with nine.

Running Back Jason Haller

6-0, 210 – Occidental

Former Occidental College running back JASON HALLER of Oakland, Calif. Haller was named Most Valuable Offensive Back during his senior season at Occidental College in 2009. He went on to play professional football in Europe, first in Italy for the Bologna Warriors and later in Spain for the Badalona Dracs.

“In the European leagues, you’re almost like a hired gun,” Haller said. “You haven’t gone through training camp with the guys, you haven’t gone through spring off-season workouts to really feel the camaraderie. So you can be a little hesitant to get beat up for guys you aren’t sure about. Playing for the USA is just a huge honor. You automatically have this strong bond with the players on the team.

“You just want to make everybody proud and play your best.”

Running Back Nate Kmic

5-9, 195 – Mt. Union

The University of Mount Union (Ohio) graduate is the only running back in NCAA history to rush for more than 8,000 yards – 8,074 to be exact.

Kmic also holds NCAA all-division records for most career touchdowns (130) and points (780). His best season came as a senior in 2008 when he posted NCAA all-division records for rushing yards (2,790) and rushing touchdowns (44) en route to a 15-0 season for the Purple Raiders.

During his career at Mount Union, the Purple Raiders compiled a 58-2 record with three Division III National Championships.

“We understand that the seven other countries we’re competing against are gunning for us. And in talking with some of the guys who played on this team in 2007, they said that everybody wants to beat America.

“This is America’s game. To beat us in our own sport would be something for another country to be very proud of, so we’re not going to let that happen. We’re going to go out and do our best.”

Other Player Notes:

Team USA QB Matt Bassuener has an International Affairs degree from Georgetown, speaks five languages, has played football in Mexico (college) and Finland (post-college), and is an active Arena League QB who will miss his team’s playoff chase to play for the U.S.

The team boasts the NCAA’s all-time leading rusher across all divisions in Nate Kmic, Mount Union.

DE Charles Bay graduated from Dartmouth this spring with a medical anthropology degree; he led the Ivy League in sacks last season (8.0). he is the son of Nigerian immigrants.

LB Osayi Osunde was born in Nigeria and graduated from Villanova with a Psychology degree.

Two US players – CB Diezeas Calbert and LB Demetrius Eaton – were also part of the U.S. Men’s Team that won the gold medal at the 2007 IFAF Senior World Championship in Japan.

Defensive backs coach (Steve Bernstein) who is a Vietnam veteran and former Marine captain who was awarded a Purple Heart; has spent nearly 40 years as an assistant coach at some of the NCAA’s top programs.

Game Schedule for United States:

Friday, July 8: USA vs Australia Innsbruck, Austria

Sunday, July 10: Germany vs USA Innsbruck, Austria

Tuesday, July 12: USA vs Mexico Innsbruck, Austria

Placement Games July 15 & 16 in Vienna, Austria

U.S. Men’s National Team roster:

No.	Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	College	Hometown
1	Nate Kmic	RB	5-9	195	Mount Union (Ohio)	Delta, Ohio
2	Ricardo Lenhart	WR	6-3	190	Otterbein	Sidney, Ohio
3	Greg Betterson	WR	6-0	185	Delta State (Miss.)	Niagara Falls, N.Y.
5	Matt Bassuener	QB	6-2	210	Georgetown	Port Edwards, Wisc.
7	Cody Hawkins	QB	5-11	190	Colorado	Boise, Idaho
10	Myles Burnsides	DB	5-11	194	Northwest Missouri St.	Maryville, Mo.
11	Micah Brown	WR	5-11	185	St. Mary’s (AUS)	Friendswood, Texas
12	DeWayne Lewis	CB	5-11	190	Southern Utah	Denver, Colo.
13	Ben McLaughlin	QB	6-3	205	Louisiana College	Dierks, Ark.
17	Gregg Berkshire	K-P	6-2	201	Ashland (Ohio)	Ashland, Ohio
20	Taylor Malm	WR	5-9	192	Northwestern (Iowa)	Thousand Oaks, Calif.
21	Jordan Lake	S	6-1	215	Baylor	Houston, Texas
22	Stephan Virgil	CB	5-11	190	Virginia Tech	Rocky Mount, N.C.
23	Osayi Osunde	LB	6-1	245	Villanova	Bloomsburg, Pa.
24	Daniel Tromello	DB	6-0	200	Occidental	Newbury Park, Calif.
25	Da’Shawn Thomas	RB	5-11	205	Univ. of Western Ontario (OUA)	Newport, Ark.
27	Jeff Franklin	CB	5-8	185	Central State (Ohio)	Fairborn, Ohio
29	Diezeas Calbert	CB	5-10	190	Northwest Missouri St.	Omaha, Neb.
30	Maurice Banks	DB	6-3	212	Georgetown	Brandywine, Md.
32	Henry Harris	RB	5-8	185	Southeast Missouri State	Memphis, Tenn.
33	Joe Sturdivant	S	6-2	210	SMU	Lilburn, Ga.
40	Richie Brockel	FB	6-1	250	Boise State	Phoenix, Ariz.
42	Demetrius Eaton	LB	6-2	250	Northwestern	Milwaukee, Wis.
43	Terrence Jackson	LB	5-11	235	Indiana-Pennsylvania	Media, Pa.
44	Zach Watkins	LB	6-0	232	Washburn (Kan.)	Independence, Mo.
51	Gerard Bryant	DL	6-0	250	St. Lawrence (N.Y.)	White Plains, N.Y.
55	Daniel Catalano	DE	6-4	265	Northern Michigan	Belle Mead, N.J.
56	John Jacobs	LB	6-2	230	Saginaw (Mich.) Valley State	Prudenville, Mich.
58	Brandon Jordan	OL	6-4	315	Missouri S&T – 2011 St. Mary’s (AUS)	New Orleans, La.
60	Cameron Zipp	OL	6-1	278	Southern Mississippi	Mandeville, La.
65	Josh Koeppel	OL	6-2	273	Iowa	Iowa City, Iowa
67	Alex Alvarez	OL	6-2	305	Iowa State	League City, Texas
70	Luke Summers	OL	6-4	290	Mount Union (Ohio)	New Middletown, Ohio
72	Frank Knights	OL	6-1	300	Southeast Missouri State	Aptos, Calif.
75	Nick Rossi	DL	6-6	295	Boston College	Walpole, Mass.
77	Dane Warderburg	OL	6-7	290	Northwest Missouri State	Creston, Iowa
78	Darius Henderson	OL	6-4	280	Central Missouri State	Chicago, Ill.
88	Mike Peterson	TE	6-2	245	Northwest Missouri State	Atlantic, Iowa
91	Charles Bay	DE	6-3	250	Dartmouth	Marietta, Ga.
92	Johnny Dingle	DL	6-3	270	West Virginia	Miami, Fla.
93	Wacey Coleman	DL	6-2	245	Black Hills State	Rozet, Wyo.