Santa Ana Star
Simulated news... REAL journalism!
Otters George Wright Jr., the presumptive leader in the TE battle, was involved in a short but heated fistfight during the last training camp with UDFA LB Shawn Bottie. Bottie has little chance at starting at the LB position but, if he makes the final roster, may factor in as a special teams contributor.
The two had been chirping at each other all day during practice plays, but the argument came to the forefront after a perfectly floated pass by Josh Bercovici bounced off the hands of Wright and made an easy interception for Bottie. According to a reporter near the action, moments later Bottie remarked, "Maybe I should play Tight End, at least I can catch." to which Wright replied, "Maybe I should play linebacker, at least I can hit."
Otters teammates attempt to break up the skirmish amid grabbing and punches
What followed was a brief shoving match that ended in grappling and a few punches. Fellow teammates were quick to break up the brawl but not before Bottie lost his balance and tumbled to the ground. Although Wright was punished with extra laps after practice, the fight clearly motivated him as he ended practice with a diving catch that brought cheers from the visiting fans.
The Otters' Offensive Coordinator later remarked that both players had been disciplined by the team and they did not expect either to be involved in another brawl. He continued by saying, "Fights at training camp are common and hard to gauge. For some guys there is a lot riding on these practices and you like to see the fire and motivation they bring, but come game time your players have to be disciplined and keep a cool head. It's odd because both Shawn and George are normally very friendly guys, today they just had it out for each other."
This may have been the inaugural fight for the Orange County Otters, but there will be others to come across the league as players battle physically and mentally to secure their jobs.
Word Count: 346
Simulated news... REAL journalism!
Otters George Wright Jr., the presumptive leader in the TE battle, was involved in a short but heated fistfight during the last training camp with UDFA LB Shawn Bottie. Bottie has little chance at starting at the LB position but, if he makes the final roster, may factor in as a special teams contributor.
The two had been chirping at each other all day during practice plays, but the argument came to the forefront after a perfectly floated pass by Josh Bercovici bounced off the hands of Wright and made an easy interception for Bottie. According to a reporter near the action, moments later Bottie remarked, "Maybe I should play Tight End, at least I can catch." to which Wright replied, "Maybe I should play linebacker, at least I can hit."
Otters teammates attempt to break up the skirmish amid grabbing and punches
What followed was a brief shoving match that ended in grappling and a few punches. Fellow teammates were quick to break up the brawl but not before Bottie lost his balance and tumbled to the ground. Although Wright was punished with extra laps after practice, the fight clearly motivated him as he ended practice with a diving catch that brought cheers from the visiting fans.
The Otters' Offensive Coordinator later remarked that both players had been disciplined by the team and they did not expect either to be involved in another brawl. He continued by saying, "Fights at training camp are common and hard to gauge. For some guys there is a lot riding on these practices and you like to see the fire and motivation they bring, but come game time your players have to be disciplined and keep a cool head. It's odd because both Shawn and George are normally very friendly guys, today they just had it out for each other."
This may have been the inaugural fight for the Orange County Otters, but there will be others to come across the league as players battle physically and mentally to secure their jobs.
Word Count: 346