Wabash College will serve as home to the 2011 U.S. Men's National Team from June 27 to July 4 as 45 players and 10 coaches prepare for the fourth International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Senior Word Championship. The team will live and practice on the 60-acre campus, home of the NCAA Division III Little Giants.
The eight-nation tournament takes place July 8-16 in Austria. USA Football assembles America's national teams in the sport for international competition. Fifty-nine (59) countries spanning five continents possess national football federations dedicated solely to football.
Practices will take place June 28 through July 3. Sessions run from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. A final practice will be held on Monday, July 4 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. All practices will be conducted in Wabash's Byron P. Hollett Little Giant Stadium, weather permitting. Outdoor practice sessions are open to the public at no charge. Team USA will practice indoors if it is raining. Indoor practices will be closed as fan seating is unavailable. Parking is free in all stadium lots.
U.S. Men's National Team players must be at least 20 years old.
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Team USA is led by former Northwest Missouri State University head coach and three-time NCAA Division II national champion Mel Tjeerdsma. Among the assistant coaches is Wabash head coach Erik Raeburn (right), who will serve as the U.S. offensive line coach.
The IFAF Senior World Championship, conducted every four years, was established in 1999. This year's games will be played in the Austrian cities of Graz, Innsbruck and Vienna. The U.S. defeated Japan, 23-20, in double overtime in Tokyo, Japan, to win the 2007 tournament, the first that included Team USA. Prior to the United States' participation, Japan earned gold medals at the first two IFAF Senior World Championships played in Palermo, Italy (1999), and Frankfurt, Germany (2003).
“Wabash is honored and excited to host the U.S. Men's National Football Team for their training and practice,” Wabash Director of Athletics Thomas Bambrey said. “Our excellent athletics facilities will help the team prepare for their trip to Austria as they compete for the International Federation of American Football Senior World Championship."
“The hospitality shown to us by Wabash College and so many others in Central Indiana is greatly appreciated,” Tjeerdsma said. “We look forward to turning our roster of 45 outstanding players into a true national team in Crawfordsville.”
Tjeerdsma (below left) led Northwest Missouri State to a 183-43 (.810) record in 17 seasons there. He was among the first three coaches inducted into the NCAA Division II College Football Hall of Fame before retiring in 2010.
Raeburn is 82-32 overall in 11 seasons as a head football coach. He is 27-6 since coming to Wabash in 2008, guiding his Little Giant teams to a 2008 North Coast Athletic Conference title and NCAA Division III playoff appearances in 2008 and 2009. Raeburn's 2010 team finished 8-2 overall with a 5-1 mark in NCAC play. Wabash closed the season with a 47-0 victory over arch-rival DePauw University in the annual Monon Bell Classic.
USA Football is the sport's national governing body in the United States. Recognized by the NCAA as a U.S. national team program, playing for Team USA does not affect NCAA eligibility.
The United States is part of Group A along with Australia, Germany and Mexico. Group B includes Austria, Canada, France and Japan. A round robin schedule in group play determines who will compete for gold and bronze medals.
USA Football's national team program is supported by the following corporate partners: Riddell, Marriott, Sports Authority, Gatorade, Shock Doctor and Rawlings.
U.S. Men's National Team roster:
|
No.
|
Name
|
Pos.
|
Ht.
|
Wt.
|
College
|
Hometown
|
|
1
|
Nate Kmic
|
RB
|
5-9
|
195
|
Mount Union (Ohio)
|
Delta, Ohio
|
|
2
|
Ricardo Lenhart
|
WR
|
6-3
|
190
|
Otterbein
|
Sidney, Ohio
|
|
3
|
Greg Betterson
|
WR
|
6-0
|
185
|
Delta State (Miss.)
|
Niagara Falls, N.Y.
|
|
5
|
Matt Bassuener
|
QB
|
6-2
|
210
|
Georgetown
|
Port Edwards, Wisc.
|
|
7
|
Cody Hawkins
|
QB
|
5-11
|
190
|
Colorado
|
Boise, Idaho
|
|
10
|
Myles Burnsides
|
DB
|
5-11
|
194
|
Northwest Missouri St.
|
Maryville, Mo.
|
|
11
|
Micah Brown
|
WR
|
5-11
|
185
|
St. Mary's (Nova Scotia)
|
Friendswood, Texas
|
|
12
|
DeWayne Lewis
|
CB
|
5-11
|
190
|
Southern Utah
|
Denver, Colo.
|
|
13
|
Ben McLaughlin
|
QB
|
6-3
|
205
|
Louisiana College
|
Dierks, Ark.
|
|
17
|
Gregg Berkshire
|
K-P
|
6-2
|
201
|
Ashland (Ohio)
|
Ashland, Ohio
|
|
20
|
Taylor Malm
|
WR
|
5-9
|
192
|
Northwestern (Iowa)
|
Thousand Oaks, Calif.
|
|
21
|
Jordan Lake
|
S
|
6-1
|
215
|
Baylor
|
Houston, Texas
|
|
22
|
Stephan Virgil
|
CB
|
5-11
|
190
|
Virginia Tech
|
Rocky Mount, N.C.
|
|
23
|
Osayi Osunde
|
LB
|
6-1
|
245
|
Villanova
|
Bloomsburg, Pa.
|
|
24
|
Daniel Tromello
|
DB
|
6-0
|
200
|
Occidental
|
Newbury Park, Calif.
|
|
25
|
Da'Shawn Thomas
|
RB
|
5-11
|
205
|
Univ. of Western Ontario
|
Newport, Ark.
|
|
27
|
|
CB
|
5-8
|
185
|
Central State (Ohio)
|
Fairborn, Ohio
|
|
29
|
Diezeas Calbert
|
CB
|
5-10
|
190
|
Northwest Missouri St.
|
Omaha, Neb.
|
|
30
|
Maurice Banks
|
DB
|
6-3
|
212
|
Georgetown
|
Brandywine, Md.
|
|
32
|
Henry Harris
|
RB
|
5-8
|
185
|
Southeast Missouri State
|
Memphis, Tenn.
|
|
33
|
Joe Sturdivant
|
S
|
6-2
|
210
|
SMU
|
Lilburn, Ga.
|
|
40
|
Richie Brockel
|
FB
|
6-1
|
250
|
Boise State
|
Phoenix, Ariz.
|
|
42
|
Demetrius Eaton
|
LB
|
6-2
|
250
|
Northwestern
|
Milwaukee, Wis.
|
|
43
|
Terrence Jackson
|
LB
|
5-11
|
235
|
Indiana-Pennsylvania
|
Media, Pa.
|
|
44
|
Zach Watkins
|
LB
|
6-0
|
232
|
Washburn (Kan.)
|
Independence, Mo.
|
|
51
|
Gerard Bryant
|
DL
|
6-0
|
250
|
St. Lawrence (N.Y.)
|
White Plains, N.Y.
|
|
55
|
Daniel Catalano
|
DE
|
6-4
|
265
|
Northern Michigan
|
Belle Mead, N.J.
|
|
56
|
John Jacobs
|
LB
|
6-2
|
230
|
Saginaw (Mich.) Valley State
|
Prudenville, Mich.
|
|
58
|
Brandon Jordan
|
OL
|
6-4
|
315
|
Missouri S&T
|
New Orleans, La.
|
|
60
|
Cameron Zipp
|
OL
|
6-1
|
278
|
Southern Mississippi
|
Mandeville, La.
|
|
65
|
Josh Koeppel
|
OL
|
6-2
|
273
|
Iowa
|
Iowa City, Iowa
|
|
67
|
Alex Alvarez
|
OL
|
6-2
|
305
|
Iowa State
|
League City, Texas
|
|
70
|
Luke Summers
|
OL
|
6-4
|
290
|
Mount Union (Ohio)
|
New Middletown, Ohio
|
|
72
|
Frank Knights
|
OL
|
6-1
|
300
|
Southeast Missouri State
|
Aptos, Calif.
|
|
75
|
Nick Rossi
|
DL
|
6-6
|
295
|
Boston College
|
Walpole, Mass.
|
|
77
|
Dane Warderburg
|
OL
|
6-7
|
290
|
Northwest Missouri State
|
Creston, Iowa
|
|
78
|
Darius Henderson
|
OL
|
6-4
|
280
|
Central Missouri State
|
Chicago, Ill.
|
|
88
|
Mike Peterson
|
TE
|
6-2
|
245
|
Northwest Missouri State
|
Atlantic, Iowa
|
|
91
|
Charles Bay
|
DE
|
6-3
|
250
|
Dartmouth
|
Marietta, Ga.
|
|
92
|
Johnny Dingle
|
DL
|
6-3
|
270
|
West Virginia
|
Miami, Fla.
|
|
93
|
Wacey Coleman
|
DL
|
6-2
|
245
|
Black Hills State
|
Rozet, Wyo.
|
U.S. Men's National Team coaching staff:
|
Name
|
Position
|
College
|
|
Mel Tjeerdsma
|
Head coach
|
Former Northwest Missouri State head coach
|
|
Larry Kehres
|
Offensive coordinator
|
Mount Union (Ohio) head coach
|
|
Lou Tepper
|
Defensive coordinator
|
Former Illinois head coach
|
|
Steve Bernstein
|
Defensive backs
|
Former Virginia secondary coach
|
|
Derrick Williams
|
Defensive backs
|
Mary-Hardin Baylor (Texas) secondary coach
|
|
Matt Webb
|
Defensive line
|
Southeastern Louisiana State defensive coordinator
|
|
Erik Raeburn
|
Offensive line
|
Wabash (Ind.) head coach
|
|
Adam Austin
|
Receivers
|
Midwestern State (Texas) quarterbacks coach
|
|
Jordan Brown
|
Tight ends/Football Ops
|
Hastings (Neb.) defensive line coach
|
U.S. Men's National Team Schedule:
|
DATE
|
GAME
|
TIME
|
|
July 8
|
United States vs. Australia
|
9:00 a.m. ET
|
|
July 10
|
Germany vs. United States
|
1:00 p.m. ET
|
|
July 12
|
United States vs. Mexico
|
1:00 p.m. ET
|
*Games above will be played in Innsbruck, Austria
2011 IFAF Senior World Championship Medal Round Schedule:
|
DATE
|
GAME
|
TIME
|
|
July 15
|
Bronze Medal Game
|
1:00 p.m. ET
|
|
July 16
|
Gold Medal Game
|
1:00 p.m. ET
|
*Games above will be played in Vienna, Austria
About USA Football
USA Football, the sport's national governing body in the United States, inspires participation, and ensures a positive experience for all youth, high school, and other amateur players.The independent non-profit hosts more than 80 football training events annually for coaches, players and youth football league commissioners. USA Football is the official football development partner of the NFL and its 32 teams and manages U.S. national teams for international competition. Endowed by the NFL and NFL Players Association in 2002 through the NFL Youth Football Fund, USA Football distributes $1 million annually in equipment grants and offers youth league volunteer background check subsidies. Former NFL team executive Carl Peterson is USA Football's chairman.
