Professional Football Hits Northwest Arkansas

Professional football is headed to Northwest Arkansas, as tryouts begin for the Arkansas Stars. The soon to be squad is one of four new expansion teams in the 24 team National Indoor Football League. They have a coach, a place to play, and on Saturday it was all about finding talent. Around 40 local athletes put their skills to the test at All Star Sports Arena in Springdale. They ran the 40 yard dash, jumped vertically, and hit the weights. Each one vying for a coveted spot with the program. Head coach Raymond House, a former Razorback and Atlanta Falcon says even though the Stars are a new team in the NIFL, he`s looking for talent to fill his 35 man roster. Raymond House, Stars Head Coach: "First and foremost this is a professional team. We`re going to get the best players out there." And the best came from all walks of life. Some old, some young, some former Razorbacks. Padriec McGinnis, Trying Out: "I played in this league 5 years ago and I`ve been living in Northwest Arkansas. I decided to come back out and see if I still have it. Hopefully I didn`t come out here to embarass myself." The Stars will hold two other tryouts before the season kicks off in March and their home opener on April 1st at the Randal Tyson Track Center. The teams owner and coaches say Northwest Arkansas is a prime location for a professional squad. Corey Abernathy, General Manager: From March to August you don`t have alot going on. You`ve got baseball and everybodys going to root for them of course, but we`re going to fill that void." Ron Hargrave, CEO: "We want to be able to show the public we`re here to stay." Raymond House: "I think it will be something exciting. A definite show for people to come out and see." The Stars signed 28 players from Saturdays tryout in addition to a few others earlier like former Razorback Chrys Chukwuma. They`ll go to Springfield Missouri for their next tryout and then come back to Northwest Arkansas for a final third. Tickets for the Stars start at $10 each.