McMillen, Rush set to kick off AFL season
and for those that need a football fix and sad will not have OTA news... just a reminder the AFL starts this week in chicago and around country:lol-027:
McMillen, Rush set to kick off AFL season
New coach ready for challenge
Bob McMillen always hoped he'd get a chance to be a head football coach.
He just didn't expect it this quickly.
"Not this early in my career of coaching, especially here in Chicago," said McMillen, a one-time Rush star fullback and later assistant coach. "I thought Coach Ho (founding coach Mike Hohensee) would be here for a long time."
But Hohensee's surprise departure last fall for Philadelphia left the door open for McMillen to be named just the second head coach in team history.
The 40-year-old will be on the sidelines Monday as the Rush play the Mustangs in their Arena Football League opener in Milwaukee.
"I'm very fortunate and blessed to get this position, and I'm up for the challenge," McMillen said. "I try to be the first one at practice and the last to leave, and I'm trying to be very organized and consistent."
He has a sprinkling of returnees, including quarterback Russ Michna and kicker Chris Gould. There are 10 other AFL veterans on the active roster along with 13 rookies.
"The offense is starting to click on all cylinders and the new guys that came in are doing a good job of getting into the playbook and studying," McMillen said. "The defense is just flying around making plays."
McMillen starred at Immaculate Conception High School, College of DuPage and at Benedictine University, where he was a three-time Division III All-American.
In a 13-season AFL career, he won championships with Arizona, San Jose and the Rush. He spent his final five seasons in Chicago and closed with 1,514 rushing yards — second highest in league history — and 85 touchdowns. In 2006, he as recognized as one of the top 20 AFL players of all time.
But even with all his experience and preparation, McMillen expects some jitters as kickoff nears.
"I don't think it's going to hit me until game day — until five minutes before the game," he said. "It'll be like when I was a player. I'll get the butterflies in my stomach and be excited to play football."
