Coventry's latest signing quite literally packs one hell of a punch, Danny Williamson, the Jets' most recent addition has traded the boxing ring in search of a championship ring. The club level boxer from Sheffield has joined fellow Yorkshireman David Saul on the Jets' defence where he'll play linebacker, the position at which he was selected for the NFL's European Player Development Programme in 2008.
Having previously played for the Sheffield Hallam Warriors of the British University American Football League and the Sheffield Tomahawks youth team, Williamson is no stranger to the gridiron "I'm happy to be joining a club with such a good team spirit" stated the Sports Science and Coaching student, "the banter's great and has helped me fit right in. I've been treated the same as the guys that have been here since the start and it's helped me hit the ground running."
Williamson made his debut in the 33-19 win away to the Farnham Knights playing at the unfamiliar defensive end position. "Danny's a great kid" commented Head Coach Gerry McManus "he's so easy to coach, he's like a sponge which is why I was confident enough to throw him into a position that he was unfamiliar with and he stepped up." The 21 year old previously played alongside Shadrach McCook as part of the England side that won a youth tournament in Scotland four years ago.
A winning start has Williamson hungry for more success "I want to win games, I want to win every game and progress into the playoffs", few would argue with the 6'3" 19 stone athlete. Apart from American Football and Boxing, Williamson has also competed at Football and Basketball as well as in Athletics. Next up for Danny and his new team mates is a trip to the Capital to face the London Cobras.
The two clubs have met only once before, Coventry's 34-0 victory at the Butts earlier this month. Will White is expected to make his first appearance of the season after recovering from knee surgery, his return to fitness will add much needed depth to the linebacking core. Both sides will be lacking several players due to a clash with Great Britain's European Championship campaign. The rescheduled fixture sees the Cobras deprived of offensive linemen Richard Gadzepko and Alex Phillips as well as wide receiver and kicker Ian Jacquet. Coventry will be without second leading tackler, safety, David Saul.
Saul returns in the home fixture versus the Sussex Thunder on the 7th of August. The Saturday night game will be the first staged at the Butts Park Arena and is a must win for the Jets if they hope to make the playoffs. The 19:00 kick off will be preceded by the youth team's clash with the Nottingham Caesars (15:00). Adult tickets are available for the double-header at £5 whilst Under 16s can get in for just £2. A family ticket is also available at a bargain price of £10 and covers two adults and up to 4 children. For further information please visit the Jets' website www.coventryjets.co.uk. You can also follow the Jets on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CoventryJets.