Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, April 7, 1995                   TAG: 9504070061
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

RUSH HOUR COMING FOR ROANOKE

The team will be called the Roanoke Rush, not necessarily after team co-owner Nick Rush.

``It's almost a coincidence,'' Rush said. ``We're going to tell people, `Come feel the excitement; come see The Rush.'''

Rush and his partner, Donald Wayne Snell, have been awarded a National Minor League Football franchise and are awaiting approval from Roanoke City Council to play games at Victory Stadium. ``We're hoping to get on the docket for the first [council] meeting in May,'' Rush said.

Rush, a member of the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors, said talks are being held with potential coaches and that tryouts might be held as early as mid-May.

The NMLF, which bills itself as a ``farm system'' for the National and Canadian football leagues, is scheduled to begin play in the fall. The Federation of Italian-American Football will conduct a draft of the top 100 NMLF players.

Roanoke will be in the South Atlantic Division with the Chambersburg (Pa.) Cardinals, the Charleston-based West Virginia Lightning and two teams from Washington, D.C. - the Chiefs and Stonewalls.

There will 28 teams in the league, which will have its headquarters in Charlotte, N.C., site of the championship game or ``Holiday Bowl'' on Dec.2.