Former Bulldogs Leading W.M. ThunderHawks
Big Rapids, Mich. - A trio of former Ferris State University
football players are currently playing key roles in helping the
Indoor Football League's (IFL) newly-relocated West Michigan
ThunderHawks off to their best start in franchise history.
The Bulldog alumni trio of quarterback Dan Richard
(1999-00), defensive back Jim Skodak (2002-06) and
wide receiver Nate Fricke (2004-07) have helped
fuel the Grand Rapids-based ThunderHawks to a 2-0 start this season
heading into Sunday's (March 28) 3 p.m. (EDT) league home tilt
versus the Rochester Raiders at the DeltaPlex in Walker, Mich.
Fricke currently ranks second on the squad this year with eight
receptions for 75 yards and two touchdowns while averaging 9.4
yards per catch in two contests to date.
Meanwhile, Skodak has started both games at defensive back and is
tied for the team lead with two interceptions and has added six
solo tackles along with six assisted hits for a total of 12 stops
in addition to one pass breakup.
Finally, Richard, who's in his third season with the franchise,
started the season opener at quarterback and competed five-of-nine
passes for 42 yards with 1 TD and a 104.9 passer rating in a
decisive 52-36 home win over the Maryland Maniacs (Feb. 26).
The ThunderHawks, who are coached by former Grand Valley State
player Terry Foster, play a 14-game regular season schedule this
spring in the 25-team league. The IFL consists of two
conferences called United and Intense and each conference features
three divisions.
West Michigan is a member of the Atlantic East Division along with
the Rochester Raiders, Maryland Maniacs and the Richmond
Revolution.
The franchise is in its first season in the Grand Rapids area after
playing since its inception in 2007 until 2009 as the Muskegon
Thunder at the L.C. Walker Arena in Muskegon.
The renamed ThunderHawks moved to Grand Rapids in the offseason to
help fill a void created with the loss of the Grand Rapids Rampage
when the Arena Football League (AFL) suspended operations following
the 2008 season.
In addition to the former Bulldog players, the ThunderHawks' roster
also features a number of other former Great Lakes Intercollegiate
Athletic Conference (GLIAC) standouts such as Northern Michigan
quarterback Buddy Rivera and signal caller Brad Iciek, who wrapped
up a stellar four-year career for Grand Valley State last
fall. The squad also has players from Northwood, Saginaw
Valley State, Michigan Tech and Findlay in addition to other
schools such as Michigan, Michigan State, Florida State and
Marshall.
Fricke wrapped up his four-year Bulldog career in 2007 with 84
career catches for 1,209 yards and 10 TD's in 39 contests.
The 2007 All-GLIAC Honorable Mention honoree had a personal
career-high 35 grabs for 401 yards and four scores as a sophomore
in 2005.
Skodak helped the Bulldogs to an 8-3 overall record as a senior in
2006 while earning All-GLIAC Honorable Mention accolades for the
third consecutive season. His 10 career pass thefts for 59 yards in
47 career games is presently tied for seventh-best in FSU history.
The 2006 D2football.com All-Northwest Region Second Team
standout concluded his four-year career at Ferris State ranking
sixth all-time on the school's charts in punt returns with 37 for
432 career yards (11.7 avg.) and also in kickoff returns with 48
for 938 yards (19.5 avg.). He was a two-time (2005-06) FSU
defensive co-captain.
Finally, Richard appeared in nine games in his only season on the
field for the Bulldogs in 2000. He started a single contest
and completed 67 of 125 balls for 934 yards and seven scores after
redshirting during the 1999 campaign.
In addition to Skodak, Fricke and Richard, another player also
listed with FSU ties is a member of the ThunderHawks' roster.
Linebacker/running back Doug Emery redshirted at
Ferris in 2003, but never saw game action for the Bulldogs.
Tickets for all ThunderHawks' home games are available through the
team's website (www.westmichiganthunderhawks.com),
at the DeltaPlex box office (616-364-9000) and via all Ticketmaster
outlets.
