Chasing dreams

Monday, Jan. 6, 2003 | 9:49 a.m.

Before the Las Vegas Gladiators' tryouts Sunday afternoon at Sam Boyd Stadium, coach Frank Haege eagerly anticipated watching quarterback Rob Adamson.

Fifteen days earlier, Adamson led Mount Union (Ohio) College to a second consecutive Division III national championship. He was in town vacationing with his parents when his father, Paul, learned of the Arena Football League team's open invitation.

When the Adamsons left their home in Akron, Ohio, last Monday, Rob Adamson had blackjack on his mind and Carol Adamson, the quarterback's mother, sought to drain a deuces-wild video poker machine or two. They planned to return home Saturday.

"What the heck, we're out here," said Rob Adamson, "so we thought we might as well stay the extra day."

But after 2 1/2 hours of drills and workouts, Haege's enthusiasm had shifted toward another QB, former UNLV star Jon Denton.

"In leadership and skills," Haege said, "Jon did a nice job."

Denton, a standout athlete at Green Valley High School who set 10 NCAA freshman passing records when he threw for 3,591 yards and 25 touchdowns for the Rebels in 1996, displayed poise, confidence and a tight spiral.

He quickly corrected one receiver who ran twice as far as required on a 5-yard hitch. After another receiver dribbled away an easy pass that had hit him in the hands, Denton looked back at him, pointing to his head. He could have thought more, himself, as a Rebel.

Denton left the school in June 1998 after getting suspended twice in four months for reportedly testing positive for marijuana. He lasted only one season at Division I-AA Eastern Kentucky, leaving after being hit with another suspension.

"When I first walked out here (Sunday), I had little jitters," Denton said. "I had, like, ooooh, little butterflies. Excitement. The field's different than when I played, being grass instead of turf. But it still has nostalgia and brings back memories.

"I have thrown some good passes here and played some good games here. I'm excited. It's a good opportunity, and there are good players out here. There are a lot to pick from, I'll tell you."

With less than a week's notice of the public tryout, Haege was very happy that more than 110 players turned out for a shot at one of four positions on the practice squad.

Dreamers, all of them.

"God bless 'em," Haege said.

Haege only found out about the team's move from New Jersey to Las Vegas less than a month ago, so the franchise has been operating on the run. Haege's wife Michele even helped out Sunday with registering players.

Haege and his staff might pick one or two more than they had originally planned.

Too bad the Gladiators couldn't get perennial Pro Bowl lineman Jonathan Ogden, among the Sam Boyd crowd of 100, on loan from the Baltimore Ravens. Ogden, formerly of UCLA, said he attended on Sunday to support some participating Bruins.

A chosen few, perhaps former Rebels defensive back Mark "Hit Man" Hays, will receive phone calls from Haege today.

"I mean, it's a long shot," said 29-year-old Al Dawkins, a Rancho High graduate who was a 250-pound fullback at the University of Memphis and now weighs 290.

"But, hey, if you have desire and get the right breaks, it could happen. I've put on a few pounds and thought I'd give it up. But it's hard, man. It's hard to give it up completely. Every time something like this comes up, it's like, I'll give it another shot."

After more than two hours of scouting, Haege pared his receivers, defensive backs and quarterbacks to half a dozen at each position. Adamson, Denton, Hays and Zed Robinson all made it to that critical point.

Robinson, 27, helped Valley High win a state 3A baseball title before transferring to Chaparral and taking up football. He played for the Las Vegas Posse in 1994, the lone season for that Canadian Football League team.

"It's a quick game, and exciting," he said of Arena ball. "It's a short (50-yard) field, so it's made for offense. I just hope someone catches a glimpse of me."

Easily the most intriguing participant was Brendan Gaughan, an 11-year auto racing veteran who won 2002 rookie of the year honors in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck series. The Bishop Gorman High graduate earned all-league honors as a kicker on Georgetown's Division III football team. The Hoyas have sinced moved up to I-AA.

A left-footed booter, Gaughan, 27, said he harbored no false hopes of taking incumbent Gladiators kicker Steve Videtich's job.

Then again, Gaughan has studied the Gladiators' schedule for the next few months. He noted that there is only one major conflict with his NASCAR schedule.

"If they wanted me out there, I'd love to do it. If it helped with publicity for the league and for NASCAR, more power to it," Gaughan said. "It's why we're here -- to have fun. But I highly doubt I'll make it.

"I came out to prove something to myself and to others, have a good time and see what the program is all about, see if someone will notice me. That way I can go down saying I gave it a chance."

(To the majority that won't be tabbed by the Gladiators, National Indoor Football League coaches from Rapid City, S.D., and Tri-City, Neb., will stage a workout Saturday, starting at 7 a.m., at Cannon Middle School.)

Adamson and Denton occasionally played catch with each other Sunday.

Adamson, 23, was 25-0 in two years as a starter at Mount Union. If offered a spot on the Gladiators' practice squad, he said he would probably accept. He likely won't have to decide, since Haege desires to stock the practice squad with local talent.

Denton's moxie hurt Adamson's chances, too.

"I'm just kind of finding out where I'm at," Adamson said.

Denton, 25, barked orders like a veteran, but he also gave reassuring slaps to boost morale and often clapped his hands for others who had executed above-average plays.

He estimated that he has worked out for almost a dozen teams, in Canada and in both levels of Arena ball, over the last three or four months.

"Anyone who wants to say, 'Hey, we'll take a look at you,' any league, anywhere ... my biggest thing is, I have been out for a year and a half or two years," Denton said. "People question, 'Can he still play?' or whatever it is, and I'm out here to show that I can.

"It's a mind set. That's all it is."

Current NFL quarterbacks Tommy Maddox (Pittsburgh) and Kurt Warner (St. Louis) raised eyebrows in indoor football, and Denton yearns to be given a chance to provide such a spark.

He also knows that Jay McDonagh has been very successful as the Gladiators' starting quarterback. Denton said he'd make the most of a spot on the practice roster. If not, he'll be the team's biggest fan.

"We have to win," Denton said. "That's the big thing about this city. You go sub-.500, or even .500, around here, you're going to lose more season ticket holders than you'll gain. They realize I've played here, I've been here, I'm born and raised here.

"I've seen many teams come, and many teams go. One has never been a solid winner. They have to put good people on the field. Whether it's me or not, I don't care. I'll support them. This is just a good opportunity for me to come out here and be a part of it."

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