Boubacar Cissoko, Roundtree sighting
Looking up former Michigan players in obscure football leagues for my SuperGuide, and found this interesting piece on former CB Boubacar Cissoko.
This is from the website of the Trenton Freedom of the PIFL (Professional Indoor Football League).
Boubacar Cissoko called up to the AFL
TRENTON, NJ — Trenton Freedom defensive back Boubacar Cissoko has just earned a call up to the New Orleans Voodoo of the Arena Football League.
Following a torn left ACL injury last June with the Georgia Fire of the PIFL, his time in Trenton was about getting the reps on defense and proving he was back to one hundered percent. For Cissoko, the shot to be able to earn his way back to the AFL is gratifying.
“It is [rewarding],” Cissoko said. “It reminds me that the hard work pays off, and I wasn’t distressed about (getting assigned to a lower level), or mad about it. When I went to the Freedom, I looked at it as work hard, and try to get back. I'm coming off a knee injury, so I had to show him I was healthy, that I was good, and get my confidence back.”
Cissoko made his presence felt in the Freedom secondary during his time in Trenton. He ranked second on the team with 21.5 tackles, eight pass breakups and one interception.
He enjoyed his brief time with the Freedom organization and felt he made the most of it.
“I think the Trenton Freedom, by far, is the best PIFL organization there is,” he said. “Great coaching staff, great facility, great fans, great owners and I loved it.
“In my first (Voodoo) practice, people asked me where I came from, and I said Trenton Freedom and told them it’s by far the best PIFL team around. The coaches taught us the fundamentals and made it personal. I loved playing with the guys.”
Sidenote: For those of you wondering, yes, Roger “Spiderman” Jackson is also there, and as of now, both will room together for the rest of the AFL season.
Boubacar had a short-lived stint with the Chicago Rush of the Arena league back in 2012. Nice to hear that he seems to be doing okay. Here's a photo of him playing for Trenton.
Also, Roy Roundtree posted a photo tonight of him making a catch in what appeared to be an AFL game.
Turns out it was actually for the Colorado Ice of the Indoor Football League. Roundtree has 32 receptions for 471 yards and 6 TDs for the Ice.
Not to be a Debbie Downer, and I love the game of foot a so it feels weird saying this, but I would never put my brain on the line for the money these guys make. Best of luck to them.
have you ever played the game past the middle school level? Some people love the sport more than they love themselves. Also, AFL football league IMO is far less violent with barely in between the tackles running. Like padded 7v7 basically.
Reader71 played for Michigan.
I was also too young, dumb, and cocky to realize that I was putting my brain on the line for less than these guys are making. With what I now know about head trauma, I am not sure I would do it all over again if given the chance.
I totally would, though. Playing ball got me so much more tail than I otherwise would have gotten. Totally worth the early onset dementia.
Sometimes I think getting old is overrated. I don't know how much of a point there is to being 75, 80, 85, or 90 years old aside from watching children and grandchildren growing older. I'm not planning on going anytime soon, but if you have a lot of fun and die at 65 or 70, it might be better than not having fun and living until you're 85.
Probably too morbid for the board.
So...ummm...Cardale Jones is stupid!
I hope that fixed everything.
the years at the end are the worst, who needs them?
But I agree with you 100%, and it informs a lot of decisions that I make regarding money, and certain risks. Gotta live your life.
edit: not sure what happened, this was a reply to magnus.
have your seat when you are riding on the bus, eventhough they have no reason for living.
I don't know, man, my dad was still so busy and making so many contributions at 74 when cancer took him. My inlaws are almost 80 and they have great lives where they're free to pursue their passions & interests at will.
It sounds meatheadish to say this, but if I could still play competitive football (and get paid to do it), I would do it in a heartbeat.
Especially in an arena league. I have a friend who played arena ball and loved it.
It is very different, but it is cool. Anything to be on the field.
If you love the game you love the game. For some folks, it's not as easy to just walk away from.
Wow, last I heard of Cissoko he was having legal troubles. Glad he got another chance to get his life together.
No doubt...glad to see someone take advantage of 2nd or 3rd chances. It is quite easy to pass judgement on guys like BC who threw away so much, but my favorite author CS Lewis has a line in one of his books that changed my whole thought process regarding people like BC. Here it is paraphrased:
"Can you be so sure that if you had the life and upbringing of such a person that you would turn out any different!?"
This has allowed me to bring Grace to people that otherwise I would cast aside in judgement.
Oh yeah, definitely. I will never feel bad for supporting a guy turning his life around, no matter what he did before. Hopefully he stays out of trouble.
It sounds like Lewis was restating the expression, "there but for the grace of God go I."
Hey, looks like Treezy is playing in Fort Collins. Great town. If you ever get the chance to go to new Belgium or Odell, I highly recommend it. It is so choice.
Is pretty good as well..
Here's this though
he was just a dumb kid. Everyone deserves a second chance.
Agreed
That's not how I would describe Cissoko, in fact he was quite the opposite. A kid who was sheltered his whole life and then cast off on his own.
He could of changed, just seemed like a hoodlum. He was arrested for yelling at cops, selling drugs and robbing people at gunpoint...
http://www.annarbor.com/news/former-u-of-m-football-charged-in-attempte…
It's could have.
Yeah no.
Notice...Roundtree wearing #12. Not #21.
I always wonder what happens to some of these guys after they leave, like Carlos Brown, Justin Turner, Martell Webb, Obi Ezeh and others. I really hope they're doing well in life.
I actually see Martell Webb all the time. I don't talk to him so I don't know if he is still playing ball or not but he is still working out.
That's cool, where do you see him?
At his house. Martell just works out on his Bow Flex there. Despite living together, they have never spoken. Bluewolverine just stares at him on that bow flex and goes about his day.
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Carlos Brown worked at UPS in ypsi for a while
between PIFL and AFL?
A lot. The AFL pays more and has some different rules. It's the top league for indoor football.
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SuperGuide.
Nonetheless, thanks for the updates...need more of theses.
People ask him where he came from and he replies The Trenton Freedom and praises them for teaching the fundamental.
I wonder what he thinks of the coaching staff during his time here.
The guy probably still has nightmares of Michael Floyd.
That and thoughts of coffee boy Tony Gibson prolly haunt him to this day.
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Last I knew, he wasn't headed towards freedom, Trenton or otherwise.
Nice to see these guys in football in some capacity actually, and especially in the case of Cissoko, it is cool to see that he is apparently turning it around and playing somewhere - like others, the last time I think we as a board checked in on him, football of some variety did not seem to be where he was headed.
Nice to see both are at least playing ball somewhere. Good for them.
Cissoko and Roundtree, WD?
Thanks for giving us updates on their football careers; what got me to click, though, was the expectation of reading how and where an MGoBlogger saw them both together.
It just seemed, theoretically, as unlikely an occurance as seeing WD and TIMMMAAY together anywhere.
Well....they both are from the same recruiting class.
Cissoko and Roundtree, WD?
Thanks for giving us updates on their football careers; what got me to click, though, was the expectation of reading how and where an MGoBlogger saw them both together.
It just seemed, theoretically, as unlikely an occurance as seeing WD and TIMMMAAY together anywhere.
At the risk of sounding like Rex Ryan, Boubacar Cissoko had some of the best feet I've ever seen from a high school cornerback.
only name my wife could remember. Thought he had great potential and was aggressive for a young guy which is rare. Coulda woulda shoulda.
To me, the term "called up" implies that they were playing in the minor leagues before getting the call to join the big leagues. Which leads to the natural follow-on question: does the PIBL have a developmental league? Or does "called up" literally mean a phone call?
When Boubacar was a freshmen he was friends with a few girls I was friends with and the few times I met him he was just always smiling a giant smile and being fun & friendly. They called him Booby Car! So all those bad things he did were quite a surprise to me :(
I also knew Tree a little through someone else and he was always a nice guy. I guess you never really know about people though, especially if you don't know them very well.