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Payne Makes Roster

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 28, 2008

As minicamp came to a conclusion, former Land O' Lakes and University of Minnesota receiver Logan Payne had high hopes. He knew entering training camp with the Seattle Seahawks that he would get a legitimate chance to crack the 53-man roster.

Once Aug. 30 rolled around, no phone call was a good phone call. Payne and teammate/roommate Steve Vallos, a lineman, milled around their rented home awaiting word. When the day passed and he hadn't received the dreaded phone call informing him to bring his playbook, it was official. After spending the 2007 season on the Seahawks' practice squad, Payne was a member of the active roster.

"I thought I'd be jumping for joy, but I don't think it really has set in," Payne said at the time when asked about the reality of his accomplishment. "We're playing the Buffalo Bills, my parents are going to come see me and I think on that opening kickoff, it'll definitely hit me that I'm in the NFL."

Payne was signed as an undrafted free agent last year and spent the 2007 season on Seattle's practice squad. As a senior at the University of Minnesota, Payne led the run-oriented offense in receptions (59), receiving yards (804) and receiving touchdowns (nine).

This summer, following minicamp, he told the Tribune: "It went real well. I ran with the starters, switching off. I got a lot of reps with Matt Hasselbeck, which is good to get him familiarized with me, and vice versa. It's going real well. I'm excited. Everything they told me thus far has kind of panned out. They didn't draft any receivers, and one of the starters from last year, D.J. Hackett, he went to the Carolina Panthers.

"They definitely like us, and I know I'm getting a lot of opportunities and I'll get even more this upcoming year."

The bad news came Sept. 14 when Payne tore the medial collateral ligament in his right knee against the San Francisco 49ers. Payne caught three passes for 39 yards and made a tackle before the Week 2 injury.

STEPPING RIGHT IN

Only a handful of practices after joining Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College's football team, former Wesley Chapel QB Greg Jenkins was named the starter.

MGCCC isn't just any team. It entered the 2008 season as the defending 2007 NJCAA co-national champions. Opportunity came suddenly for Jenkins, who was planning to head to a California junior college to play defensive back after throwing for 927 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior at Wesley Chapel. He also ran for 382 yards and six scores despite missing a game with a shoulder contusion during his senior season. The path to Mississippi was cleared when last season's starter, Genario McNealy, transferred to the University of Northern Alabama, and backup Jared Foster left the program because of legal issues.

Bulldogs coaches then turned to Jenkins, offering him a preferred walk-on deal, which could turn into a full scholarship if he opened the season as the starter. So how long did it take to get used to the new speed?

"It probably took like two weeks," Jenkins said in August. "I can't throw those lob passes, I have to put it on the money. ... In high school, you throw the ball to the open man. Now, you throw through windows."

ONE FOR THE OTHER THUMB

The Land O' Lakes-based Florida Kickers captured the U.S. Amateur Soccer Association Cup men's championship with a 3-1 win against a team from Baltimore. This is the sixth national championship the team has won since it was established in 1958.

It is the fourth national title the team has won since Coach Steve Gagos became involved with the team as a player/coach in 1997.

The Land O' Lakes organization first won a national soccer title in 1967, when it captured the over-30 crown. It took 22 years before the organization won the Open Cup of the United States in 1989.

Goals by Chris Hastings and Ryan Stewart against Baltimore proved to be enough for the Kickers to capture the national championship.

Kristopher Raad sealed the victory for the Kickers with a goal in the 82nd minute.

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