Former ER standouts testing arena football waters

A.J. Haglund and Mike Pruitt spent much of their youth suiting up in the same color uniform. Now in the professional world of Arena Football, the pair is trying to carve out their own careers and trying to shake off a sense of déjà vu.
From their 9-year-old league games through the end of their high school careers, Haglund and Pruitt, both El Reno natives, found themselves repeatedly on the same side of the line of scrimmage. After successful college careers, both are now pursuing professional careers as players with the Arena Football League 2 team, the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz.
“I have played with Mike since Little League football, played with him all through high school. We were really good friends in high school, and it’s really fun to have him around now,” Haglund said.
Haglund, 21, began kicking as a sophomore in high school. As he improved both his accuracy and strength, he began to consider the possibility that he would not only play football in college, but that he could also reach the professional level.
After a record-breaking senior season as the kicker for the University of Central Oklahoma, where he will complete a general studies degree in the spring, Haglund contacted the Yard Dawgz, who asked him to try out against their then-current kicker.
“I talked to the coaches after UCO’s season was over and came down and tried out. Basically, I just competed head-to-head with the guy who was kicking for them for a couple of days,” he said.
Assistant head coach and special teams coach Jon Lyles said, “A.J. has great mechanics. We have put a lot of responsibility on him right at the beginning here. That game against Memphis was a tough one, and the next game against Amarillo will be as well. Amarillo is an especially tough place for specials teams to play. He’s really been asked to grow up fast.”
In his arena football debut June 24 against the Memphis Xplorers, Haglund was 1-for-3 in field goals, hitting an 18-yard try. He also made five of seven extra point attempts in the Yard Dawgz’ 50-47 win.
The transition from the outdoor game to arena football, though, can be difficult, particularly for kickers.
“He (Haglund) was surprised by the indoor game a bit, and is in a transition right now. After the first game, he said his legs were like jelly. It’s really a different game from the outdoor game, and he’ll have to get used to it,” Lyles said.
His coaches said he is progressing well, making the transition from the outdoor game. In traditional football, kickers are taught to get as much trajectory and loft under their kicks as possible. In the arena game, kickers are required to be exceptionally accurate, as the goal posts are only 9-feet-wide with a 15-foot-high crossbar, compared to 18 ½-feet- wide, with a 10-foot-high crossbar in outdoor play. To accommodate this difference, some kickers have to learn to lower their trajectory to hit the nets more consistently, Lyles said.
Mentally, Haglund said, the transition has been a change to a more business-like approach to the game. In college, he said, the coaches were more like friends, who would spend time in their offices chatting with their players and spend time on the field joking and laughing. At the professional level, the coaches are friendly, but much more business-like.
“Everyone has a job to do, and it’s business,” he said. “The toughest transition is being mentally prepared. When I miss a kick, it’s all mental. In fact, kicking is 90 percent mental. The actual kicking isn’t what’s so hard.”
Pruitt said he first began to believe he could play professional football when he qualified to play collegiate ball, first for two years at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M in Miami and then two years at the University of North Texas.
“I had planned to take the path of playing professional football, but was unsure if I would be academically eligible to play ball in college. Once I was able to play in college, I believed I could make it to the professional level,” he said.
After graduating from UNT with a degree in criminal justice, Pruitt, who plays on both the offensive and defensive lines for the Dawgz, traveled to Indianapolis to try out with the NFL’s Colts franchise. After the Colts mini camp, he returned home to El Reno. His mother had been in contact with Jeff Jarnigan, head coach of the Yard Dawgz, who expressed interest in seeing Pruitt play.
In his first game with the Yard Dawgz against the Amarillo Dusters, Pruitt managed a solid day with one spectacular highlight – a fumble recovery for a touchdown. Despite the momentary glory, Pruitt said prefers making hits to scoring points.
“The best part about playing is just putting on the helmet and shoulder pads. I like being in front of the crowd and making big hits. I don’t care about the touchdowns, I just care about making the hits and doing my part,” he said.
Dawgz line coach J.R. Conrad said Pruitt’s success is driven by his attitude.
“Mike provides a great spark for this team. He always plays hard and has a desire to be successful. He brings a certain passion to the game,” he said.
Conrad predicts as Pruitt gains more experience, he will become a difference maker for the Yard Dawgz, rushing from the edge and making plays on the opposing quarterback and ball carrier. Pruitt leads on the field with the level of play he brings to each down and a determination to prove that he can play quality football, he said.
Pruitt and Haglund agree the greatest rewards to the hard work required of them are the opportunity to compete and to be part of a team.
“These guys on the team are great. Part of the reason you come out every day and practice and play hard is because you are part of a team like this,” Pruitt said.
The demands of the game, though, are difficult.
“It’s hard to always be dedicated, to always work hard and come out and do your best every day. But in the end, I get to come out and compete, meet new people and be part of a good team,” Haglund said.
Pruitt said his greatest challenge is the physical demands. It is difficult to keep his body fit when every day he is making hits and being hit, bumped and bruised, he said.
For Pruitt, the transition to arena football has meant adapting to the indoor game’s speed. Arena football is played on a field half the length of an outdoor field. The playing surface is padded turf and resembles a large carpet laid out on the floor of the Ford Center. Pruitt said he enjoys the challenges of playing indoors. The game is more spontaneous and much faster. The change from 11-man football to the arena’s eight-man set-up creates an extremely quick pace he enjoys, he said.
Both men said they hope to use the experience they gain with the Yard Dawgz to advance to the NFL.
“I would like to play in the NFL, but whatever happens, happens. I’m a religious man, and I say if it’s God’s will, then I’ll take it,” Pruitt said.
Haglund said he would like to move into the NFL as soon as possible but will only pursue his goal for a limited time.
“I’ll give it three years, and if I don’t make it, I’ll do something else and I won’t play anymore,” he said. “Playing in a league like this helps get you ready for the next level. It’s not about the money, and there’s not a whole lot of that in AF2, but it helps you prepare.”
Pruitt and Haglund both enjoy the local support they receive from playing close to home and say they feel fortunate to be playing in Oklahoma City. The experience has helped them to appreciate their fans, both past and present.
“It hasn’t really sunk in yet that I am playing professional football, having people look up to you, signing autographs after games,” Haglund said.
“The fans make it really special. It is great to get to interact with them after the games, to get to sign autographs with young people. I like to talk to them, hear about how they liked the game. They are such a big part of it,” Pruitt said.
Both players said they encourage young people to pursue their dreams and to never stop working hard to make their dreams reality. The best advice they can offer to a young person who wants to come up in the game is to work hard and to be dedicated.
“You don’t have to be the biggest guy on the field. I’m not the biggest guy. But you have to have the biggest heart,” Haglund said.

By Glen Miller/El Reno Tribune