NLL Insider

When the Rochester Knighthawks got news of the season-ending injury to John Grant Jr., lots of folks wondered where the offense would come from for the 2009 National Lacrosse League season.

Yeah, the birds have Shawn Williams and Scott and Shawn Evans, who are very capable ballers in their own right. Aaron Wilson was added to the lineup and things were looking pretty good. Then Gary Gait traded his retirement suit for a Knighthawks jersey and now news outta Rochester is that hometown hero Joe Walters will be sportin’ the teal this winter. The Knighthawks signed the former Maryland All-American and current U.S. National team member to a one-year contract on Wednesday.  No case needs to be made for the slick shooting skills of this lefty, but if there were any concerns about the Rochester offense before, there really shouldn’t be anymore.

Unless, of course, you’re wondering just how to find enough touches for all the sick sticks the Knighthawks are gonna have on the floor this winter. And if you ask new coach Paul Suggate, I’m bettin’ he’ll tell ya that’s a nice problem to have.

So Joe’s gonna have some learning to do. There’s a bit of a difference between the indoor game and the outdoor game, but dude’s not backing down from this challenge.

“Yeah, it’s pretty exciting,” says the soft-spoken Walters. “I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

Walters played his high school ball at nearby Irondequoit High before heading to Maryland, where he was a four-time All-American and a Tewaaraton finalist. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bandits in 2006 before he was traded to Philadelphia. He neve suited up, though, keeping his focus on the field game and this past summer, he helped the Rochester Rattlers win the Major League Lacrosse title. Still, he knows what’s up with the indoor game and the Knighthawks.

“I’ve been going to Knighthawks games since I was 8 years old and have always been a fan. It’s going to be pretty cool to play for both teams and try to win another title for the Knighthawks,” he told the Democrat and Chronicle.

There’s no reason to think Walters won’t pick up quickly on the indoor game. He’s got the quickness, he’s got the shot and he’s got the lacrosse IQ to realize there isn’t as much space indoors as there is outdoors. And with fellas like Gait, Williams, the Evans brothers and Wilson breaking down the two-man game for him, Knighthawks fans should be resting easy about the status of their offense for the season. It’s in good hands, on the right side AND left side.
 

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