NAMES OF THE GAME : Former NFL Veterans Branch and Mike-Mayer Say They Keep Playing Arena Football for the Love of It

In the Arena Football League, the players have to play both offense and defense. It is a league that seems to be geared to fresh legs, endurance and young bodies.

However, the Los Angeles Cobras have two former National Football League players, Cliff Branch and Nick Mike-Mayer, who defy the youth movement. They continue to play, they say, because of a love for the game. Tonight, they will put their bodies to the test once again in the Cobras’ last regular-season game against the first-place Chicago Bruisers at the Sports Arena at 7:30 p.m.

The 39-year old Branch is a 15-year former Raider who has 501 career NFL receptions and has played in four Pro Bowls and two Super Bowls. He ranks fourth on the Raiders’ all-time career scoring list and is co-holder of the NFL record of longest touchdown reception--99 yards.

“I feel like I am a pioneer of the Arena Football League,” Branch said. “My name gave the league and the Cobras credibility. I contacted the Cobras first, even before (Cobra Coach and former Raider assistant Ray) Willsey was named coach. I was totally interested after watching the league last year. It seemed catered for someone like me because it is so fast and everyone scores so quickly.”

To Branch, his first season as a Cobra has been a success, despite missing six games because of groin and hamstring injuries.

“We are in the playoffs and that was a goal from the start,” said Branch, who has caught 15 passes for 134 yards and 3 touchdowns. “One of my goals was to be competitive, and I have been that. I know that I missed some games because I was injured but I love this game and I am having a lot of fun.”

Branch is confident about Arena Football’s survival.

Said Branch: “Arena Football is here to stay. There are not any egotistical athletes in this league because everyone is paid the same. They have better athletes in this league than they have in the NFL, because it takes an athlete to play both ways. For example, we have players like Gary Mullen and Wade Lockett, who did not get decent chances in the NFL. They can play receiver and catch 15 touchdowns and then turn around and stuff you on defense.”

But does Branch miss the NFL action?

“I couldn’t go back to the NFL now because my body just would not be able to take it. I have always prided myself with my conditioning to perform consistently at a high level, but now it just takes longer for me to recover.”

For Branch, making the decision to play Arena Football after the NFL was not a problem. However, for Mike-Mayer, making the choice to continue playing football in a new league required a deeper look.

Mike-Mayer, is the Cobras’ 38-year-old kicking specialist, who joined the team two weeks ago. He is a former 10-year NFL veteran who played with the Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles and the Buffalo Bills. He also played two seasons with the San Antonio Gunslingers of the defunct United States Football League.

“I debated for a while,” said Mike-Mayer, whose brother Steve also kicked in the NFL. “I had heard rumors about new leagues starting (with the USFL and now Arena) when I was in the NFL but I was not certain if I wanted to play.”

Mike-Mayer, whose last season in the NFL was 1982, had a few stops before joining the Cobras. After taking a year off from football, Mike-Mayer joined the Gunslingers for the 1984 and ’85 seasons.

“I had some good years in the USFL before they folded,” said Mike-Mayer, who still lives in San Antonio. “After the USFL, I knew that I wanted to keep playing, but I did not kick again until last year when I kicked for the Chicago Bruisers.”

Mike-Mayer, who was drafted in the 10th round by Atlanta in 1973, again did some debating before the start of this season.

“I decided not to go back to the Bruisers at the beginning of this season because I was still teaching special education in San Antonio,” said Mike-Mayer, who played in 128 NFL games, scoring 571 points.

“I just wanted to finish school and see what happened and that’s when the Cobras contacted me.”

Mike-Mayer, who shares the NFL record for the highest field-goal percentage in a game, going 5 for 5 against the Rams his rookie season, is also a fan of the new league.

Said Mike-Mayer: “Hopefully, the league will continue to grow. They are definitely going about it in the right way because they are not competing with the NFL like the USFL did. This league is great because it gives young players a chance to play and develop.”

Being a kicker in Arena Football is not an easy adjustment from the outdoor version. The goal posts are half as wide as the NFL and because punting is not allowed, every kicking situation usually means a field goal try. “It is the same except that your accuracy percentage will be down,” said Mike-Mayer. “You have to use more strategy when you kick because you don’t want the other team to get a good return.”

One person who is happy to have Mike-Mayer and Branch on the Cobra roster is Willsey.

“You have to have a balance between youth and experience in order to be successful,” Willsey said. “Having Cliff and Nick on the team can only benefit the team with their NFL experience.

“They take nothing for granted. They are professionals who take pride in what they are doing, from the Super Bowl to the Arena Bowl. They are still playing because they still love the game.”

Cobra Notes

Quarterback Matt Stevens was named player of the week for the second time this season. He completed 22 of 39 pases for 262 yards and 5 touchdowns in the Cobras’ 48-20 victory over the Bruisers last week. A Cobra victory and a loss by the Pittsburgh Gladiators will send the Cobras to Detroit to play the Drive in the first round of the playoffs. A Cobra loss or a Gladiator victory will send the Cobras to Chicago to take on the Bruisers.