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Mr. Antwain "Twain" Spann

Home:
1300 Pont De Mouton #208 C
Lafayette, LA 70507

Work:

Home Phone: 228-313-0749
Work Phone: --
Fax: --
Email: antwain8@hotmail.com

Football: 19-0 Cajun?

Antwain Spann is one of only 63 players to suit up for the Patriots during their record-breaking season

Courtesy RaginCajuns.com Football 1/30/2008

What do Tom Brady, Randy Moss and Antwain Spann have in common? Only one is a former Ragin’ Cajun, but all three have a chance to be part of the greatest team in NFL history.
Although Spann has not played as significant a role as Brady or Moss in the Patriots’ record-breaking 18-0 season, he is still one of only 63 players to play for New England this season. With Spann’s special teams prowess, he could be that unknown player to make a game-changing play – one which could have a significant impact on NFL lore.
Spann spent nearly the entire 2007 season (13 weeks and one day) on the Patriots practice squad until New England cut 15-year veteran linebacker Chad Brown on Dec. 27, 2007. Less than 48 hours later, Spann was signed from the practice squad and told he would be in the lineup as the Patriots looked to defeat the New York Giants and finish the regular season 16-0.
Spann saw his first action of the season on special teams coverage and return units as the Patriots became the fourth team in NFL history to finish its regular-season undefeated in a 38-35 comeback win over the Giants.
He was inactive for playoff games versus Jacksonville and San Diego, but is listed on Patriots 53-man roster for Super Bowl XLII.
“We couldn’t be happier for Antwain,” Ragin’ Cajuns head football coach Rickey Bustle said. “I hope he makes us proud and helps the Patriots go 19-0.”
After his collegiate career ended at Louisiana-Lafayette, Spann signed with the New York Giants as a rookie free agent on May 17, 2005. He was released by the Giants on Aug. 30, 2005 and tried to catch-on with the Indianapolis Colts during the season, but was eventually signed by the Patriots as a free agent on January 19, 2006 – three days after the Patriots season ended with a 27-13 loss at Denver in the AFC Divisional Playoffs, the first postseason loss for the Patriots in 11 games.

The Patriots sent Spann to Düsseldorf, Germany to join the Rhein Fire for the 2006 NFL Europe season. He played in six games, starting the final three contests for the Fire, recording 17 tackles (14 solo), three interceptions for 42 yards and a touchdown, eight passes defended and three special teams tackles. The Fire finished the season 6-4, its best record in four seasons.
Spann’s performance overseas earned him a spot with the Patriots for the 2006 season. He played in his first career NFL contest in the Patriots’ 38-13 victory over Cincinnati on Oct. 1, 2006. The native of Oceanside, Calif., saw time in eight regular season games before playing in all three playoff games.
Spann was released by the Patriots on July 19, 2007, so that the team could sign Brown – the very same player the Patriots would cut some five months later to get Spann back on the active roster. Spann was added to the practice squad on Sept. 25, 2007.
A former standout with the Ragin’ Cajuns, Spann played two seasons at UL after transferring from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. He played in 22 games for Coach Bustle, starting 15 contests. Spann notched 98 tackles and had six interceptions during his two-year Cajuns tenure.
The Cajuns had a school-record 14 players on NFL rosters prior to the start of NFL training camps this past season. Half of the 14 players started at least one game during the 2007 season (D’Anthony Batiste – Atlanta, C.C. Brown – Houston, Anthony Clement – NY Jets, Jake Delhomme – Carolina, Brandon Stokley – Denver, Ike Taylor – Pittsburgh, Charles Tillman – Chicago). In addition to several of the Cajuns’ 2007 seniors expecting to join the NFL ranks, former UL safety Kyries Hebert ended a long career in the Canadian Football League by signing a two-year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 3, 2008.

-Ragin’ Cajuns-

Courtesy RaginCajuns.com, January 30, 2008

* * * * * * * * * *

Football: Ex-Cajun corner Spann signs with N.Y. Giants

May 20, 2005 –

Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajun football program is starting to get a reputation as a breeding ground for professional defensive backs.

Antwain Spann is the latest to earn that tag after signing a free agent contract with the NFL’s New York Giants.

Spann impressed Giants coaches enough at a May 6-8 minicamp for them to offer him a deal.

“I felt I had to come up here and compete,” Spann said. “I need to learn all the plays and do what they tell me to do.

“I was up here a couple of weeks ago, then went back home for a week. I came back up here on Sunday.”

The transfer from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College blossomed in his second year under coach Rickey Bustle, finishing third on the 2004 Cajuns with 68 tackles (36 solo), four interceptions for 89 yards and a touchdown, nine passes broken up and four kickoff returns for 109 yards.

Spann, who showed his versatility by playing both cornerback and safety for UL, had 30 tackles and six pass breakups as a junior in 2003.

“I just played safety last year to help the team out,” said Spann, who has been penciled in at right cornerback for New York. “I feel more natural at cornerback.

“We play a lot of man (man-to-man coverage), a lot of zone … we mix it up. It depends on who gets the job done. It’s all on the secondary. If they have confidence in you, we’ll play more man.”

Spann joins an increasingly long list of defensive backs who have stepped up to the NFL.

C.C. Brown, the other half of UL’s 2004 safety tandem, was a sixth-round selection of the Houston Texans (No. 188 overall) in this year’s draft.

Cornerback Charles Tillman was chosen in the second round (No. 35 overall) by the Chicago Bears in 2003 and went on to have a standout rookie campaign. Tillman has since overcome injury to remain a fixture in the Bears’ defense.

Tillman’s UL teammate Ike Taylor was a fourth-round pick of the Steelers in that 2003 Draft.

Speedy cornerback Brad Franklin was selected by Carolina in 2002.

Safety Orlando Thomas, who led the nation in interceptions as a junior at UL, was a second-round pick by Minnesota in 1995 and promptly led the NFL in interceptions as a rookie to earn a berth in the Pro Bowl.

Crowley product Thomas, whose jersey No. 42 is among those decorating the student side wall at Cajun Field, enjoyed a productive career before entering coaching at Comeaux High School.

Cornerback Todd Scott also played for the Vikings after being picked in the sixth round by Minnesota in 1991.

Tim Sensley, a standout at cornerback for UL from 1992-95, played for the New York Giants.

Also, Damon Mason (1994-96) carved out a productive career in the Arena Football League after playing well enough at UL to also have his No. 9 painted on the Cajun Field wall.

“I heard from scouts who were interested in me all through last year,” Spann said. “The Giants came down for my first Pro Day and told me they were interested. I heard from them in the sixth round of the draft, and that’s when they told me they wanted me to come try out.”

Spann clocked a 4.48 time in the 40-yard dash during his second Pro Day showcase. The Cajuns know what that kind of speed can do for a defense. Now he’ll try to show that same ability with the Giants.

Originally published May 20, 2005

Spann changes focus
Cajun safety faces pass-happy offense this time around
Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

September 23, 2004

LAFAYETTE — Antwain Spann knows how to adjust on the run.

That ability has made the 6-foot, 185-pound senior a valuable asset to UL Lafayette’s football program since his arrival from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in 2003.

Spann played cornerback last season and is now at free safety for the Ragin’ Cajuns, symbolically changing his jersey number from 35 to 6 this fall.

Now, after three weeks of facing teams that relied on the ground game, he and his teammates in the secondary will be switching gears when the Cajuns host pass-happy Middle Tennessee this Saturday in the Sun Belt Conference opener.

“We’re not really going to do anything different,” Spann said after Wednesday’s practice. “We still have to concentrate on our assignments. The safeties will be playing deeper this week because Middle Tennessee likes to throw the ball.

“We have to make sure we execute, that’s all.”

Middle Tennessee boasts one of the best receivers in the country in Kerry Wright, and the Cajuns are counting on a busy night from the Blue Raiders after battling star running backs like Ryan Moats and Darren Sproles in two games on the road at Louisiana Tech and Kansas State.

“We know this week we’re going to be tested in the air,” Spann said. “I think we’ve got a pretty good secondary. We’ve got good depth. As long as we come to play, I know we can play with anybody.”

Spann was less certain about the switch from the corner, where he made 30 tackles and intercepted two passes in 11 games for the Cajuns in 2003.

“At first, I didn’t like it, to be honest with you,” Spann said. “But, I did it to help the team. Moving to free safety instead of strong safety means I get to play the ball more. I can read the quarterback’s eyes and see the lane he steps out in.”

There’s another plus to roaming the middle of the field and playing the ball. Interceptions are nice, but a big hit trumps pickoffs.

“Popping someone over the middle is more fun than an interception,” Spann said. “You get a type of energy from it. The whole team can feed off of that.”

That’s a subtle red flag for Wright and other Blue Raiders receivers who cross Cajun Field this weekend.

“They work the short game, and they like to get the ball into Wright’s hands,” Spann said. “They mostly stay with the short passes, but they will take us deep occasionally.”

“Their quarterback is one of the top guys in the country in completion percentage and Kerry Wright is one of the best wide receivers in the country,” UL safeties coach Tim Rebowe said.

“They like to spread the field and throw the ball around a lot more than what we have faced so far. The problem is, Wright is not the only receiver you have to stop. They have a lot of weapons and I think they are going to try to run the ball on us as well.

“It’s going to be a big challenge for our defense and a big challenge for our secondary. We’ve taken some different reps in practice this week. The scout team has given us different looks and formations. It’s been the same type of practice, but we’ve seen some different looks.”

As for the new challenge for Spann and other defensive backs, Rebowe said, “It’s not like the other teams haven’t thrown the ball on us at all. We also have to go against our offense in practice every day and you know how they can throw the ball.

“Communication is big. Everyone on our back row needs to be on the same page. We’ve had some big hits, run to the ball and tackled well. I think we can tackle better, but we have some good depth that can keep us fresh.”

With the game starting Sun Belt action, the Cajuns are having no trouble concentrating this week.

“Everybody is focused,” Spann said. “We have a good team. We just have to clean up our mistakes. We believe we can compete. Winning in the Sun Belt will come down to whoever comes to play every Saturday. It’s going to be a battle, week in and week out.

“We made some mistakes against Kansas State that hurt us, but everybody is talking about winning. We want to win the Sun Belt.”

Spann and the Cajuns can take their first step in that direction on Saturday.

Injury Update

Chad Bordelon, shoulder (out for season), Jerrell Carter, hip (probable), Terryl Fenton, back (probable), Tony Hills, ankle (probable), Lawrence Johnson, ankle (probable), Eugene Kwarteng, chest (probable), Lamar Morgan, knee (out).