Duane Nollen, The Oskaloosa Herald, Iowa –
DES MOINES — Iowa Barnstormers wide receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos took some time Tuesday night to talk a little bit about the transition from college football to the arena league and his time with fellow Iowa Hawkeye Tyler Sash.
The Barnstormers are conducting their preseason football camp at the William Penn University Penn Activity Center through March 2. The team took some time Tuesday evening to relax at the Peppertree restaurant and chat with fans.
Johnson-Koulianos — better know to Iowa Hawkeyes fans as “DJK” — said the scale and tempo of the game is different from college football.
The size of the game is different — there are fewer players on the field and the field is only 50 yards long — half the size of a college field — and only 28 yards wide.
“Timing is crucial,” DJK said. The spacing on the field is different, and the speed of the game is much faster than college football, he added.
The game is just as competitive in arena football as it is in college football.
“The guys are competitive and want to win,” he said.
DJK said he is working hard to learn the ropes in arena football.
“The workload is still there,” he said. The better a player knows the game, the better he can just react instead of think, which makes a player better, he added.
