Wheelers lineman Ravenell sacks day job as strength coach

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By Craig DeVrieze | Thursday, April 17, 2008 |

Away from the pads and the helmets and the uniforms, Roy Ravenell was fine.

A year removed from a career as a three-time Division I-AA all-American at Furman University, the big man from Goose Creek, S.C., was going to be proceed without playing football.

He was keeping in shape at a local gym, working as a physical trainer with younger athletes of all sorts.

Life was good.

“I was out of college for about a year, waiting to hear back from the NFL for a while and that didn’t pan out and then, just being away from it for so long, I though I lost the love for it,’’ the former standout defensive end said.

So, to start the next chapter in his life, Ravenell, 25, accepted an assignment as strength and conditioning coach for Savannah (Ga.) State University, even declining an invite to attend a minicamp for the Arena Football League’s Kansas City Brigade in January.

But, then, early workouts beckoned at Savannah State, where Ravenell’s duties included distributing equipment.

It was like asking a sugar addict to pass out candy bars.

“I started to put their pads and stuff together, and I thought ‘I cannot take the chance of not playing while I’m young,’ ” he said. “It just hit me hard, and I was like ‘No, I’ve got to go back and play just to see where it goes.”

A phone call followed in late February to Quad-City Steamwheelers coach Troy Biladeau, who had recruited Ravenell heavily before the

6-foot-2, 260-pound end with a 4.7-second 40-yard-dash speed had decided football was over.

Several weeks later, Ravenell was running wild at the i wireless Center, draped over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (Pa.) quarterback Rod Rutherford like he was his jersey and pads.

“He has not been a surprise at all,” Biladeau said of the rookie pass rusher’s 2½-sack night in a 48-41 season-opening win two weeks ago. “When I signed him, he is one I expected was going to be good. His highlight tape is really impressive.

“I actually called an agent I know and told him, ‘You’d better sign this guy because he is a very good player and definitely could play at the AFL level.’ ”

Ravenell would like to think so. In fact, he thought bigger thoughts after a celebrated career at Furman (S.C.).

“When you first come out, you’re like ‘I am going to play in the league,’ ’’ he said, meaning the NFL. “(Or) ‘I am going to be AF1.’ ”

He hasn’t changed his expectations despite failing to secure much of an opportunity from either league last year. He just has amended them to include a year of indoor apprenticeship in the $200-a-week arenafootball2.

“When you think about it, this is just another stepping stone you have to use,” he said.

Whatever the long-term future might hold, Ravenell’s short-term future might be that of a dominant af2 pass rusher.

He ranks sixth in the league in sacks right now and everyone in front of him has played two games to his one.

“I just have to play hard every game,” he said. “If I can be sack leader by the end of the season, that’s a bonus.”

Ravenell credits first-year Q-C line coach Montra Edwards with teaching him the intracacies of the indoor game, but Biladeau said the South Carolinian also arrived with pass rushing skills that simply are innate.

“A lot of the really good pass rushers are guys who can get to the edge, but he has some moves where he can go inside and he can also bull you,” said the coach. “He’s got a lot of really good moves and that’s what makes him good. He does a really good job of mixing up what he does.”

Meanwhile, Ravenell no longer is mixed up about what he wants to do with his life.

“I just want to to step my game up every week and hopefully move up next year,” he said.

Craig DeVrieze can be contacted at (563) 333-2610 or cdevrieze@qctimes.com.