Omaha Welcomes the Nighthawks May 5, 2010 by UFL Press
Wednesday, May 5, 2010 – The Omaha franchise of the United Football League will proudly kick off the 2010 season with a name for fans to cheer from the stands at Rosenblatt Stadium – the Nighthawks.
The name was announced jointly by 1620 The Zone, Omaha’s ESPN Radio, Omaha.com, the Omaha World Herald and UFL-Football.com following a promotion encouraging football fans to suggest their favorite name for the Omaha team.
The ‘Your Town, Your Team, Your Name – You Make The Call’ initiative produced a record response of more than 9,000 entries and the name Nighthawks emerged as the winner.
“I think it is a fantastic name and I am proud and excited to be able to tell people I am the head coach of the Omaha Nighthawks,” said Jeff Jagodzinski, whose team kicks off the 2010 UFL season at home to the Hartford Colonials on Friday, September 24.
“I know people wanted a name that is dynamic and has a regional connection and I believe that is what we have. Now I can’t wait to get started playing some exciting football for the fans here in Omaha.”
The Nighthawks name encompasses several interpretations. The F-117 Nighthawks is more commonly known as the stealth fighter jet and similar aviation names proved popular with fans in the naming process. The Nighthawk is a bird of prey also known as a bull bat or Bugeater – the original nickname of the University of Nebraska. Nighthawk is also a term used to describe a cowboy who watches his herd while fending off predators and can be associated with a vibrant member of a city’s nightlife.
Nighthawks to hold player tryouts:
Aspiring local athletes who believe they have the ability to play high-quality professional football will have an opportunity to bid for a place on the first Nighthawks roster when the team holds open tryouts at the city’s Central High School on Saturday, May 15. Players can pre-register online at www.ufl-football.com.
Each tryout camp will last approximately four hours. Athletes will be timed in the 40-yard dash and 20-yard short shuttle and will then participate in a series of individual and team drills. The tryouts are for all positions, including kickers and punters.
“We know that there are a lot of good football players out there that need an opportunity to show what they can do, which they will have this month,” said Jagodzinski. “Immediately after we announced that there would be a UFL team playing at Rosenblatt Stadium this season and then at TD Ameritrade Park in 2011, we received calls from players and agents eager for an opportunity to play in Omaha. We will open that opportunity up to them and see how they perform at the tryouts. I’m excited to get started here.”
The Nighthawks will continue their search for talent at additional tryouts likely to be held in Chicago and Texas.
The Nighthawks tryout will be held Saturday, May 15th at Central High School 124 N. 20th Street Omaha, NE 69102.
