Getting another chance with Gladiators
Jersey City natives Sabb, Almanzar doing the Arena football thing
Careers in professional football are hard to come by – and even harder to maintain once you get there. You spend countless years in preparation and training, toiling in college football, sometimes in obscurity, all for the chance to possibly get recognized by the powers that be that run the National Football League.
Two guys from Jersey City were fortunate enough to get recognized.
Dwayne Sabb, a product of Hudson Catholic who played college football at New Hampshire, was drafted by the New England Patriots in 1992 and remained in the NFL for seven seasons, playing in the Super Bowl against the Green Bay Packers five years ago.
Luis Almanzar went to Nebraska, then Southwest Missouri State, after graduating from Dickinson, and was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as a free agent in 2001.
Bingo. Both received enough recognition on the collegiate level and certainly enough talent to reach the pinnacle of football, namely the NFL. It’s what every kid dreams of.
However, sometimes, dreams die fast.
After leaving the Patriots, Sabb went to play for the St. Louis Rams, but was released. He gave it one last try to play for the Buffalo Bills, but was the team’s last cut at the end of training camp in 1998. He couldn’t hook on with another NFL team.
"I’m being as frank as I can be," Sabb said. "Going from being drafted to playing in the NFL, then going to the Super Bowl was like a dream come true. But then it was over. For me, it was hard personally, because I was done with football, but not on my terms. It was dictated by other people. I didn’t get invited to a camp. I didn’t have a single offer. It was surprising, but it was also humbling. I wanted to show people I could still play, but it took a couple of years."
Sabb spent the next two years in Providence, R.I., making a living by owning a sandwich shop and doing other marketing work. But through it all, he felt like he wanted one last chance to play professional football. Sabb’s dream wasn’t going down without a fight.
He received a call from his agent in December of 2000, asking Sabb if he was interested in playing in the now-defunct XFL, the disaster football league created last year by wrestling mogul Vince McMahon and NBC.
"I said, ‘Hell, yeah, I’m interested,’" Sabb said. "It was an opportunity to get back on the football field. I was getting a chance to show people that I wasn’t done."
There was an added bonus. Sabb was going to play for the New York/New Jersey Hitmen in the new league. He was coming home.
"Being here in Jersey made it special to me," said the 6-3, 265-pound Sabb said. "I thought I played well for them."
Sabb was the Hitmen’s top defensive performer in the first few weeks of the season, but the interest in the league faded fast.
After the season, he signed a contract with the New Jersey Gladiators of the Arena Football League, where he spent all of the 2001 season learning the intricacies of the indoor football game.
"It was another opportunity for me to play," Sabb said. "Again, it was here in New Jersey, so I was willing to give it a try. When I first signed, I was second-guessing myself, playing Arena football. I was skeptical. But I had a good friend who played in the league and he told me that it was hard. Once I got involved, I realized it was the real deal. They play hard every play, running to the ball. It’s so fast and exciting. I fell in love with the game immediately."
Sabb did so even though he had to learn to play both offensively and defensively, which he barely had done on the high school level.
"I had to learn how to pass block," Sabb said. "I never did that in my life. I was so used to just going after the quarterback that playing both ways was a new challenge for me. It was a learning experience, getting down the technique. But I think I can be in the upper echelon in this league."
Sabb has returned for another season with the Gladiators, who opened their season last week. Sabb has a familiar face as a teammate, namely Almanzar, the same guy who almost saw his professional dreams die when he was released by the Steelers.
"I made it to the final cut and got caught up in a numbers game," Almanzar said. "I knew that my chances of making the team were slim, because they had a veteran returning and they had a draft pick. I was just a free agent. But I learned a lot in my time with the Steelers. It was very frustrating to work so hard to get to that point and see it end. I felt like I was making a name for myself. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out. I knew I would get another chance."
Added Almanzar, "I was a positive person. I knew what it took and that it was just the nature of the business. But I also knew that I could play on the professional level."
Almanzar was told by his agent that a few teams were interested, but they all wanted to see what he could do first. His agent told him about the opportunity with the Gladiators.
"The Gladiators knew that no one had the rights to me, so they took the initiative and offered me right away," said the 6-4, 285-pound Almanzar. "Before anyone else offered, they gave me the chance."
So, sure enough, as the weird, wacky football fates would have it, here are two Jersey City kids trying to make a living out of playing football, together as teammates on New Jersey’s Arena football team.
One is 32 years old, with a storied past and hopefully a promising future. The other is 25 years old, still trying to make his mark in the game. They’re cut from the same cloth, a fabric known as Jersey City.
"It is a wild scenario," Almanzar said. "You think of all the possibilities. No one knew who Dwayne was and he made it all the way to the NFL. I was the opposite way, going to a big school right away. But we talk. He’s a little older and been through it, so he’s been a big help."
"Luis is a good guy and a hard worker," Sabb said. "He’s working hard to get into shape and help this team. I think we’re both valuable assets, being from Jersey City."
Both also hope that their stints with the Gladiators will lead to bigger and better things.
"I definitely want to get to an NFL camp after the season ends," Almanzar said. "That’s the outlook I have. I just have to take it step by step."
"I’m looking at this as a challenge to prove that I can still play," Sabb said. "I just want a chance. Just a workout would do. I don’t even have to sign. Just let me come in and work out. I’m in good shape and can still play. I think I can play for four or five more years. I love the game."
For now, the two Jersey City guys will remain teammates with the Gladiators, who have six home games remaining, including May 11 against Carolina at the Continental Airlines Arena.
"This is a good opportunity for me," said Sabb, who plans to open another sandwich shop in Elizabeth in the near future. "It’s such a good fit. Things happen in life for a reason. Being with this team is a brand new opportunity. I’m still blessed to be a professional football player. I know millions of others would kill for this chance, so I’m lucky."
"It’s my first year here, so I’m excited to play in front of my family and friends," Almanzar said. "I feel like I’m representing Jersey City, so hopefully, people can see for themselves what I’ve been doing. I think my ability to play all the positions is advantageous to me in this league. I fit very well and I’m excited about that as well."
Added Almanzar, "Dwayne and I have come back home, and it’s a type of feeling that you can’t describe. I hope I can be an example to kids that if you want something bad enough, you can get it. I still want to play pro football."
For Sabb and Almanzar, the dream is not yet ready to fade away. It’s proven in their play with the Gladiators.