“Dem Boyz” Going For Home Field Throughout PIFL Playoffs
NASHVILLE (June 26, 2014)-In a scene from the 1988 movie “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka”, the star of the movie Keenan Ivory Wayans was told that “Every hero’s got to have a theme song” by his hero Bernie Casey. Since Week 8 of the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL), the Nashville Venom (9-2) has played like heroes winning six straight games and clinching an American Conference championship in their inaugural season. After losing two games in a row, the Venom traveled to Pennsylvania to take on a tough Lehigh Valley team that was 4-1 on the season and just suffered a home loss to the Alabama Hammers. It would seem like the match-up would be a daunting task, but the Venom handled the Steelhawks 52-38. The coaches named the whole team for Player of the Game honors. The next week, the Venom took on the Columbus Lions. During the announcement of the starting line-ups, Wiz Khalifa’s “We Dem Boyz” was played. The song has been their rally cry ever since.
Wiz Khalifa
“When we first heard the song we knew that was it,” said Venom WR Jordan Jolly. “This here is a brotherhood. We go to battle for each other. It starts with Coach (Billy) Back and trickles down. He is always fired up. No matter what role you play on the team we are all in. We all came up with it as our song. The beat is real nice and it gets us hyped up.”
Jordan Jolly #4 celebrates a TD with Chris Thompson.
Playing as a team has been the key to the Venom’s success. Jolly, the self proclaimed best dancer on the team, was a healthy scratch in the Week 6 game at Georgia. He started the season with a four touchdown game in the opening game at Alabama. The next few weeks his numbers declined so Coach Back sat him for a game. Instead of sulking, Jolly came back with a vengeance. Since the benching he has been named the PIFL Offensive Player of the Week twice (Week 8 and Week 12).
Jolly’s recent success came simultaneously with the signing of QB Charles McCullum. McCullum’s play helped the team two-fold as it allowed WR George Murray, who was leading the league in receiving before having to move to QB for two games, to play receiver again. Jolly and Murray along with the PIFL leader in touchdowns scored Phillip Barnett and newly acquired veteran receiver Robert Redd have formed a lethal crop of receivers. Something that McCullum considers a blessing and a curse.
“Those guys are open on every play and they don’t mind letting me know it,” said McCullum with a chuckle. “When I got here the linemen told me that they will do their job and all I will have to do is do mine. They were right. I have been pretty clean all season. Not only do I have those guys to throw to, but to also have Stanlee (Bradley) and Mack (Oglestree) to hand the ball to makes my job even easier. Everybody comes to the huddle saying it’s their turn to shine. I just laugh it off and find the open guy. I don’t know who chose that song but I know I like it.”
The Nashville Venom has adopted Wiz Khalifa’s We Dem Boys as their theme song. They are undefeated since playing it.
A verse in the song says, “We Makin Noise”. In arena football you usually hear the noise coming from points on the scoreboard. The Venom is leading the league in points scored and has scored in the 50s in all but two games this season. Last week against Richmond the team scored 63 points in three quarters. In that game the defense had an unbelievable final minute of the first half. After giving up a touchdown on a fourth down play to cut the lead to 21-14, McCullum found Barnett deep in the end zone for a 40 yard TD. Then the defense on three consecutive plays sacked and stripped the ball away from the QB. The first was by DL Brian Ellis who recovered it at the Richmond one yard line. Oglestree scored on the next play. The very next play for Richmond, Cobran’i Mixon recovered a fumble by the QB in the end zone. Then on the final play on the half the ball was stripped again, this time it was recovered by one of the Richmond linemen. When the smoke cleared the Venom had a 48-21 halftime lead. Not to be outdone, the Venom kicker Christian Reed has been one of the most consistent kickers in the league since joining the team in Lehigh Valley. The noise is coming from all three sides of the ball.
DT Walter Thomas anchors a tough defensive line for the Venom
“That’s how the defense has been playing all year,” said DL James Frazier. Them scoring on fourth down kind of ticked us off. The crazy thing is we had four starters out. Some of the guys that haven’t dressed all year have come in and picked up where the others have left off. The cool thing is no one cares who gets the credit. Both of our lines were called out for this game by Coach (Chris) Taylor.
Defensive Coordinator Chris Taylor’s intensity has sparked his unit to the top of the league.
We heard all week how great Richmond’s pass rush was. Well, getting six sacks and making their QB fumble three times solidified in our minds who has the best line. Plus, our offensive line held them to one. I snap for Christian and that dude is phenomenal. Everything goes smooth. Snap, hold, kick; smooth and easy. He doesn’t get down on himself when he misses a kick. He just goes out there and makes the next one. You have to love that in a kicker.”
The offensive line has two different players named Player of the Game in consecutive weeks this season. Center Chris Thompson was the recipient in Week 10 and BJ Taylor in Week 11. Thompson, a former Outland Trophy Finalist at the University of Houston, is the only Venom player to be on the field for every offensive snap. He also makes all of the line calls and adjustments. Taylor, a former star at defensive line for Tennessee-Chattanooga, is still learning his position. The two plus gigantic OL Anthony Jackson and Bradley form an offensive line that is leading the pass happy PIFL is total sacks against with a minuscule 14 in 11 games. Since the four came together in Week 9, they have given up less than a sack per game.
QB Charles McCullum and Center Chris Thompson had helped make the offense rise to the top of the league.
“If we do our job then all is well with the offense,” said Thompson. “It starts upfront with us. We want the ball first to set the tone of the game. If we jump out early on a team that puts pressure on them. The line has settled in nicely. We trust each other and we are all physical. Coach tells us that if we make a mistake make it but be physical. We haven’t made too many mistakes. The song fits all of our personalities. This team has earned to have “swag” now. Having a song puts more emphasis on that swag. We are in this together. Nashville is hungry for a champion, well get ready to eat. Dem Boyz want it as much as they do.”
Now that the Venom has their theme song, Nashville now has some heroes.
Venom Players of the Game voted on by the coaches:
Week 1: WR Jordan Jolly
Week 2: WR George Murray
Week 4: DB Will Johnson
Week 6: WR Phillip Barnett
Week 7: Barnett
Week 8: Team
Week 9: DB Jaime Graham
Week 10: Center Chris Thompson
Week 11: OL BJ Taylor
Week 12: DL Walter Thomas
Week 13: LB Cobran’i Mixon
.Snake Bites:
- Cobran’I Mixon was named the Week 13 PIFL Defensive Player of the Week. Mixon had three sacks and a fumble recovery for a TD in the Venom’s 63-28 victory over Richmond.
- Maplewood grad Ernest Ramsey saw his first action in a Venom uniform. The rookie out of Cumberland University was credited with two tackles. Ramsey was the fourth Metropolitan Nashville Public School graduate to see action this year for the Venom. (Antioch’s Stanlee Bradley, Pearl- Cohn’s Will Johnson and Whites Creek’s Jaime Graham).
- WTNTribune Radio announced that the Venom Injection Show will be aired on location every Wednesday. Come out and meet Coach Billy Back and Venom players for the taping. Check the Tennessee Tribune website for times and locations.
Venom Head Coach Billy Back.