Football: Fenroy decides to play in Las Vegas instead of CFL

Joshua Parrott • jparrott@theadvertiser.com • June 21, 2009

Former UL running back Tyrell Fenroy decided to stay in the country to revive his dream of playing pro football.

On Saturday, Fenroy told theadvertiser.com that he has agreed to terms with the Las Vegas franchise in the newly formed United Football League. The all-time leading rusher in school, state and Sun Belt Conference history will leave in September for training camp in Las Vegas before the UFL regular season starts in October.

Fenroy was set to join the Canadian Football League’s Calgary Stampeders over the weekend, but was selected by Las Vegas in the inaugural UFL draft.

After getting passed over in April’s NFL draft, Fenroy signed as a rookie free agent with the Chicago Bears but was waiting for another opportunity since getting released after the team’s rookie mini-camp in early May. In Las Vegas, he will play for former NFL coach Jim Fassel.

"I just finished talking with my agent, who talked with the (Las Vegas) running back coach (Charles Watson, also the team’s director of football operations)," Fenroy said. "The reason (I’m going to Las Vegas) is because it’s a development league for the NFL and will be more of a stepping stone to the NFL. I will get to play with former NFL players and former NFL coaches and get that NFL experience.

"Plus, it’s in the United States, and my family can come see me play."

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The UFL is slated to play its first season in the fall as an 11-on-11 outdoor football league with franchises in Las Vegas, New York, Orlando and San Francisco. Additional games might be played in Hartford, Los Angeles and Sacramento.

Fenroy, who rushed for 4,646 career yards in college and was the 2008 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, attended the UFL’s invitation-only tryout camp in Las Vegas last weekend. Fenroy said he was picked in the UFL draft but wasn’t on the list online because three of the players Las Vegas drafted "weren’t eligible."

San Francisco draft pick Brett Dietz told the Madison (Ky.) Courier that 20 undrafted players were protected and assigned to specific teams. The UFL will likely sign more players after NFL teams make final cuts in August.

Regardless of how Fenroy joined the team, his addition will give Las Vegas another taste of Louisiana in the backfield. Multiple media outlets have reported that former Tulane and Buffalo Bills quarterback J.P. Losman has signed with Las Vegas.

According to a recent story in the Las Vegas Sun, the UFL will offer minimum salaries equal to that for an NFL practice squad player, who makes about $5,200 per week. UFL commissioner Michael Huyghue told the newspaper he has made an agreement to allow players from his league to join NFL rosters once the UFL season ends in November.

Fenroy plans to continue training and working out in Lafayette before leaving for Las Vegas in September. His specific contract terms will be ironed out by his agent and league officials in the upcoming weeks.

"I’m just glad I’ve got all this behind me now," he said. "I’m just going to be sure to catch a few UL (football) games before I leave."