Former Cougs dot Arena League
It isn’t exactly the NFL, but Calvin Schexnayder believes the alternative is pretty darn good. Chris Jackson got over the strange feeling of seeing walls instead of sidelines to make a name for himself by catching footballs indoors.
Schexnayder and Jackson are among a trio of former standout wide receivers for the Washington State Cougars continuing to do what they did best in Pullman in the increasingly-popular Arena Football League. Kevin McKenzie has also developed into one of the league’s standout pass catchers.
Schexnayder signed with the San Jose Sabercats as a free agent last November after taking a full year off from the game to rehab an injured right knee suffered in 2001. The fleet-footed wideout is in his ninth season in the AFL, having spent the first seven with the Arizona Rattlers and 2002 with the Tampa Bay Storm. During his time in the Valley of the Sun, Schexnayder had a season to remember in 1998, setting the all-time mark for receiving yards with 1,982 on 136 catches and also played for the ArenaBowl champions the year before.
“The talent level in this league was good, but not as much as it has been from 1997 on. That’s when guys outside the game started taking it seriously,” said Schexnayder, who has 575 catches in his AFL career for 8,106 yards and 171 touchdowns. “The game is still the same; you just have to change how you play it.”
Jackson, a part of the Cougars’ Rose Bowl team of 1998, is rising up the career charts for AFL wide receivers. The last original member of the Los Angeles Avengers (2000), Jackson led the league in 2004 with 1,803 yards on 125 catches with 45 touchdowns. In just four seasons, the 1999 WSU graduate has 480 catches for 6,795 yards.
“In my first year, it was a little bit weird adjusting to a different sport, diameter, passing and catching in a tight area. After that first year, I started having success, so it was something I had to maintain,” Jackson said.
Among his other career highlights, Jackson was named the AFL’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2003 for his 117-catch season that led the Avengers to the ArenaBowl playoffs. On the same day, he signed a two-year contract with the Miami Dolphins, but was among the final training camp cuts. In a 2002 game against the Dallas Desperados, Jackson not only played with a broken wrist, but also caught the game-winning TD.
Jackson counts fellow Cougars Jerome Riley and Chris Martin among his teammates. Martin is currently on the Avengers’ practice squad.
Like most of their counterparts, Jackson and Schexnayder took their shots at the NFL, but came up empty. Arena football, in its 18th season, has helped ease the sting.
“We know we’re here, but this isn’t a stopping place. I know I can get better,” said Schexnayder, who signed as a free agent with the San Diego Chargers in 2000 and played with the San Francisco Demons of the XFL in 2001.
Undrafted out of WSU, Jackson is starting to feel comfortable playing indoor football after tryouts with five NFL clubs – Miami, Green Bay, Tennessee, Seattle and Tampa Bay.
“I feel at home here. I could see myself finishing my career here,” Jackson said. “In the NFL, you have to be in the right place at the right time. At this point, I’m totally happy where I’m at.”
McKenzie, meanwhile, had a breakout year with the Colorado Crush, signing as a free agent after spending 2003 with San Jose. The third-year player caught 85 passes for 1,023 yards and 14 touchdowns as part of a Crush team that turned its record around from 2-14 to 11-5.
McKenzie has been named to the Arena Football League’s U.S. Army All-Ironman Team. Defensively, he recorded 23.5 tackles, four interceptions, five pass break-ups and a fumble recovery.
Jackson said he stays in touch with McKenzie.
“We have three (Cougars) on this team, so we’re representing alright,” Jackson said.