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11/5/06-Football
Anthony Sherrell practices for success
BY MIKE ROSENBAUM OF THE OBSERVER AND ECCENTRIC
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Anthony Sherrell likes to carry the football, and he likes to set rushing records. As a senior at Orchard Lake St. Mary's he ran 174 times for a school-record 1,618 yards. In his best college season at Eastern Michigan, he carried a whopping 338 times for a school-record 1,531 yards.
This season, Sherrell is again getting plenty of carries, but he won't be setting any records. Nevertheless, he's happy to be where he is.
Sherrell, who completed his college career last season, was signed to the Lions' practice squad last month. His chief role is to play tailback on the scout team, which simulates opposing team's offenses in order to prepare the Lions' defense for each game. For example, Sherrell spent this week running plays designed for Warrick Dunn, in preparation for today's game against Atlanta.
Although he only plays during practice, Sherrell says "I try to give it my game speed every day, give the guys the best look I can...Every practice is pretty much like a game (for me), showing the coaches that I am able to be here, to be on the next level."
While his main job is helping prepare the Lions' defense, Sherrell is also trying to improve his own chances for an active pro football career.
Being on an NFL team is "a learning experience," Sherrell says. "It gets me prepared for what's coming in the future. It's pretty much a stepping stone to what I can have next year...
"I just sit back and learn, watching them do what they have to do, and soak it in like a sponge. Just get all the information...I sit back and watch them do what they have to do and then when I get in I do what the coaches ask me to do."
Sherrell initially tried out with the Lions, along with many other undrafted players, in May. Although he wasn't signed at that time, Sherrell stayed in shape in hopes of receiving another chance.
While waiting for the call that eventually came last month, Sherrell returned to St. Mary's, where he helped coach the Eaglets' freshman football team.
"I made sure I kept the guys in shape," Sherrell says. "I ran with them and did a lot of things. I stayed in shape."
Sherrell also did some work with the Eaglets' varsity, a squad he describes as "a nice group. There's a lot of guys that need to mesh a little bit more. But it's an awesome team."
After helping lead St. Mary's to a pair of state championships in 1999 and 2000, Sherrell sat out one season before playing four years for EMU, where he earned first team All-Mid-American Conference honors in 2003 and second team All-MAC notice in 2004. He only played in eight games as a senior and chalks that up to "a coaching decision. I'll just leave it at that."
Listed by the Lions at 5-foot-9 and 193 pounds, Sherrell says his "vision got a little bit better" during his college career. He attributes his successful seasons to EMU's "great offense. When you touch the ball maybe 30 times a game, what can you do? You just keep the ball rolling. It was just my time, I guess, at that time."
Now, Sherrell is looking forward to keeping the ball rolling in some real games, possibly beginning with the NFL Europe league next spring.
"That's where I want to go, to Europe," Sherrell said. "Let them know that I am a little bit more developed. And we can see what's going on after that."
For now, however, Sherrell wants to do the best job he can in whatever role the Lions give him. His philosophy, he says, is to "just work hard. Regardless of (whether I) get three snaps a game, or if I don't get any snaps. This is a great opportunity. That's what it is. Not everybody gets this opportunity, so you've got to take it like it is."
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