Peters still puts up big man’s fight

To know Kris Peters is to know the passion that drives him despite the circumstances he’s faced since he first started playing football.

He’s a 5-8 receiver going up against defensive backs often times taller than him.

But the former Alcorn standout never has really batted an eye to that sort of thing and instead used it to his advantage. Long a player who specializes in proving people wrong, Peters has stepped to another level now in the Arena League and is aiming for a spot on an AFL roster.

Now he’s with the Arena2 League Memphis Xplorers, and it’s a start of what he hopes is a series of events to continue to prove that professional football isn’t just a big man’s game.

&uot;With the stats and the films, I thought that was all you needed to see,&uot; said Peters, who begins March 22 with his new team. &uot;But it’s very much a business. It’s very much who you know. People who got drafted in front of me didn’t have the stats I did. This is my way to the NFL, and that’s fine. I don’t have any problem proving anybody wrong. I’ve done it before.&uot;

The gig with the Xplorers is a chance to do just that. Peters first got an opportunity with the Columbus Destroyers of the AFL after he sent films to teams looking to get a tryout.

The Destroyers brought him up for an invitation-only camp back in October, and things went well. On the same day Alcorn went down to Southern and pulled off a wild 36-34 win (said Peters: &uot;I was so upset. I was in my hotel room, and my mom had the phone next to the radio. It was unbelievable.) Peters walked away from the camp feeling confident he showed what he can do despite his diminutive stature.

&uot;I really, really did well, but they opted for a veteran guy,&uot; Peters said. &uot;They took a three-year guy over me, and the coach there told me to come here. It was a good experience.&uot;

That’s because other teams were at the tryout. Coaches from the Philadelphia Soul were also on hand, and they had a better liking for Peters than the Destroyers. Turned out the Soul were more interested, and things took off from there.

&uot;That’s how they got interested in me,&uot; Peters said. &uot;The guy from Philadelphia was at the workout, and when the Columbus coach called me and told me I had the best performance but they chose a veteran, he told me he wanted me to go to Memphis and play for a year or so and learn the game. I stopped by Memphis on my way back home and sat down and talked with their coach.

&uot;He’s got a real good reputation for sending guys up. I guess they sent me to the right place.&uot;

That was three weeks ago, and what Peters is finding is there are others just like him. Just like others in AF2 who are trying to get a shot at the big time, Peters can find solace in others around him as he begins his pursuit later this month.

&uot;Our quarterback is from Toledo, and he had real good stats &045; 70-percent completion rate, 43 touchdowns and seven interceptions,&uot; Peters said. &uot;The knock on him is he’s only 6-0. We’re film buddies. We’re in the same boat. We’re a lot alike as far as proving people wrong.&uot;

Adam Daigle

is sports editor of The Natchez Democrat. Reach him at (601) 445-3632 or

adam.daigle@natchezdemocrat.com.