Tuesday, Apr. 01, 2008

Fever QB takes another shot at dream

By Ben Reynolds, Herald staff writer

John Pierce had a steady income working construction with his uncle in Los Angeles. He was making enough money to help support his young child and putting a little extra cash in his pocket each month.

Then he got a phone call -- again -- with a job offer. It would pay less, offer no stability and put him even further away from his family in Dallas. He had adhered to that opportunity once before and it turned out to be a nightmare both professionally and financially.

But there was something inside him that just wouldn't allow him to say no this time either. It was an opportunity to chase the dream one more time.

Pierce packed up his belongings, shed his stable employment and made the trek to the Tri-Cities to try and impress new Fever coach Cedric Walker.

What started as a goal to make the Tri-Cities Fever roster when he arrived in training camp last month, turned into a dream for Pierce on Friday night.

The Texas native won the starting quarterback job and made his first professional start in a 46-32 loss to the Stockton Lightning in the arenafootball2 league season opener at Toyota Center.

After a shaky first couple of throws, one that landed about five rows up in the stands, Pierce settled the butterflies in his stomach to throw for 115 yards and three touchdowns on 13-of-23 passing before being lifted at halftime.

"I was real nervous out there," Pierce said. "But once I got going a little bit, I started to get into a rhythm.

"But overall, I would give myself an 'F.' "

Stiff criticism considering it was his first game since his senior season at Arkansas Pine-Bluff in the fall of 2005. It's also a pretty harsh grade because Pierce has never been a passing quarterback.

Since his high school career in Texas, Pierce had gotten used to having three running backs behind him and only delivering an occasional pass in dire situations.

In his senior season in college, Pierce attempted just 171 passes and had six touchdowns to go with eight interceptions.

Pierce figured that was the end of his football career and was ready to enter the workforce. He spent the next year working a variety of his jobs just to pay the bills, living with his family in Dallas.

Then came the first phone call. It was former college teammate Myron Jefferson, who was fighting for a spot on the Fever roster and convinced Pierce to drop everything for a chance to play in the af2.

From the moment Pierce arrived in town, things did not go his way. He was put on the team's practice squad, making a measly $100 a week. He never played a game for the Fever and was shipped to Everett in a trade.

But because of Everett's ownership and financial issues, the trade never went through and Pierce spent the next four weeks in Everett living off the money he had earned in Dallas.

"He stuck it out and kept practicing," said Fever offensive coordinator Steve Papin, "and that says a lot about who he is."

When the season was over, Pierce headed back to Dallas and eventually ended up in Los Angeles to begin his new career in construction. He days of chasing a dream was over.

"You can't eat dreams," Pierce said.

But his dream didn't die easily. He figured he would try one more time when Walker called him in November, telling him he was hired in Tri-Cities and needed a quarterback.

Pierce, reluctant to relive the past, decided after a week that he would be in Tri-Cities in March to start training camp.

"He's does a lot of things," Walker said. "He's very athletic and a leader. The players respond to him."

With the recent trade to reunite Jason Campbell with Walker and Papin, Pierce likely will be relegated to the backup role. Obviously, the competitor in him does not want to accept that, but all he really wanted to do four weeks ago was prove he belongs.

That is not even a question any more.

"All he wants to do is win," Papin said. "We know he can get the job done.

Note

The Fever helped its lacking pass rush Monday by acquiring linebacker/fullback Eugene Lockett from the Arkansas Twisters. Lockett, out of Howard University, played in seven games last season and had 11/2 sacks and rushed the ball three times for 2 yards.

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