Hogan ready for playoffs

by lee scheide
lscheide@oaoa.com

Odessa Roughnecks running back De'Wayne Hogan was standing on the 10-yard line as Katy Ruff Riders kicker Darren Brown ran toward the ball.

Hogan was part of the "hands" team as Katy was trying to get back into a game it trailed, 64-42, at the time and everyone expected Brown to hit an onside kick.

He did - a line drive right into Hogan's chest. The third-year Roughneck never flinched, catching the ball and rumbling to the 4 before being tackled.

"I think it got stuck in my pads," Hogan said with a laugh. "It was coming pretty quick."

Footballs, however, have been secure in Hogan's hands ever since his days at Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis and Indiana University, where he was a teammate of Roughnecks quarterback Tommy Jones.

Following college, Hogan went to the Indianapolis Colts minicamp, but he didn't make the roster and played in semi-pro leagues for three years.
Odessa coach Chris Williams then recruited Hogan three years ago to come to the Permian Basin, and his presence helped the team to the 2006 IFL championship.

On Saturday he will attempt to help the Roughnecks on their first step back to the title as they host the Frisco Thunder at 7:11 p.m. in the first round of the IFL playoffs at Ector County Coliseum.

"De'Wayne has been a huge part of our success," Williams said. "He's tough with the football and then he made the transition to linebacker as well and had done a great job."

"When we need tough yards down near the goal line, he's going to get the job done and that's all you can ask for in this game."

Hogan leads the team with 151 yards rushing on 48 carries and 12 touchdowns. Also, he has one interception on the season. He had 51 yards rushing and seven touchdowns in a 2007 season that was cut short by a foot injury and in the championship season he rushed for a team-high 211 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Defensively, he is fifth on the team in tackles with 21 solo and eight assists.

But the longtime ball carrier still prefers the offensive side of the ball and thinks his team has the advantage after defeating the Thunder twice during the regular season.

"The first game was close because we were still finding ourselves as a football team," Hogan said. "We had a lot of issues at the beginning of the year and people were playing for themselves and not for the team.

"Coach Williams came in and told us that he had given us a chance to play our way and now we were going to do it his way and that's what we've been doing and we are back in the playoffs."