The roster is filled and the future looks bright for the Sioux City Bandits.
Thanks to the signing last month of veteran quarterback Jarrod DeGeorgia (2,405 yards passing, 30 TDs) and defensive backs Lamont Truitt, Trice Crump and Corey Mayes along with newcomers Phil Wilson (defensive back), Colin Bryant (defensive back/wide receiver) and Heath Keim (offensive lineman), Coach Carl Reinhardt's team of 42 is filled.
The Sioux City Bandits opened the 2003 National Indoor Football League schedule March 14 on the road at LaCrosse, Wis. against the LaCrosse Night Train.
This will be the Bandits' third NIFL season; they are one of the nine original teams that played in the first season of 2001.
The NIFL has grown to 24 teams this season with four six-team divisions. Third-year Coach Reinhardt's team will play in the Pacific North with the Night Train, the St. Louis Show Me Believers, the Tri-City Diesel, the Omaha Beef and the Lincoln Capitols.
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Last season, the Bandits finished 9-5, just missing out on the post-season playoffs. Home games are played at the Municipal Auditorium; the first one will pit the Bandits against Rapid City.
This will be the second NIFL season for Keim, a 6-4, 305-pound offensive lineman, who makes it 13 former Wayne State Wildcats on the Bandits' roster.
Reinhardt says it's no coincidence that one college supplies so much key talent to a team and notices similar situations elsewhere in the NIFL.
"I think it's just a case of three or four years of outstanding recruits that they (Wayne State) had and a lot of them have stayed in this area," said Reinhardt.
Following his 2001 graduation, Keim, a Wakefield, Neb. native, played four games with the Peoria (Ill.) Pirates in the Arena 2 Football League, then he played the last 10 games with the Bismarck (N.D.) Roughriders, who compete in the NIFL's Pacific West division.
Bismarck's 12-4 season concluded with a 59-56 loss in the semifinals of the NIFL play-offs to the Billings Outlaws. Keim explained that he asked for his release so he could play football closer to home.
"I'd get phone calls from my parents and they'd tell me how well the Bandits were doing," said Keim. "I have a lot of friends on the team and it's going to be great to play with them. I think the Bandits have got a lot of quality, vocal players."
Bryant, a 6-6, 240-pounder, was impressed with the treatment he had during the Bandits' tryout camp after unsuccessful bids on rosters of Arena 2 teams Chicago Rush and Grand Rapids (Mich.).
"Colin came into our first tryout camp and really impressed the coaching staff with his speed and work ethic," said Reinhardt. "With his athletic ability, Colin will be a versatile player on both sides of the ball."
Wilson is back for his second stint with the Bandits. The 6-0, 205-pounder played in 2000 with the Sioux City Attack, then played the following season with the Bandits and suffered a season-ending injury in the first game.
Those who attend Bandits' games can expect to have a good time, said Mark Carley, sales manager.
"We'll still do all the fun promotions," he said. "It's more fun than just the football to come to a game."
Carley thought the Bandits' future looked bright. The local ownership is committed to keeping a team in Sioux City, and the Bandits will have a new home soon when the Tyson/IBP Events Center is built. The new arena will mean that the team can play on a regulation-size field. The current field is a little narrower and shorter than most. The arena will also increase seating capacity.
"We're looking forward to putting a quality team on the field and for people to have fun," he said.
For those who prefer the comforts of home, the Bandits have announced a partnership with ClearChannel Radio of Sioux City. ClearChannel owns five stations, KG-95 (95.5-FM), Z-98 (97.9-FM), KSFT (107-FM), KMNS (620-AM) and Fox Sports Radio KWSL (1470-AM). Fox Sports Radio will broadcast all 14 games with sports director Curtis Anderson calling play by play for the fourth straight year.
Anderson will also host a one-hour show about the Bandits that will air live from 6-7 p.m. Monday nights during the season. The show will originate from Applebee's on Hamilton Boulevard.
