One year ago, Chase Clement ended a one-year hiatus from football for a second chance at professional football by signing with the Las Vegas Locomotives of the UFL.The Locos had won the inaugural UFL title in 2009 and returned veteran quarterback Tim Rattay, who had led them to the title.Late in the 2010 season, Rattay suffered a season-ending injury and Clement stepped in, eventually leading the Locos to a repeat UFL title.
On Monday, Clement and Rattay will both be on the practice field as the Locos open their third training camp. The difference is that Clement is the acknowledged starter, while Rattay has retired and will coach Las Vegas' receivers.The R Blog checked in with Chase for an update prior to the start of camp:
First off, is true what they say about the desert, that "it's a dry heat"? As someone who battled through grueling workouts in Houston's July heat and humidity for several years, how have you adapted to the desert?
It's definitely different because your sweat dries up. Sometimes, it's easier to forget to rehydrate than it is in Houston when you see how soaked your shirt is.
How does it feel to open your second professional camp as the acknowledged starter?
Awesome! First, it's always fun going into camp with knowledge of the playbook. Secondly, going in as the starter, I'm more relaxed and confident with the offense which is a huge advantage going into each and every game.
Will you miss not having Tim Rattay on the team? How much were you able to learn from him in terms of what it took to be a professional quarterback?
Fortunately, he has joined the staff as a wide receiver coach so he is continuing to help me. Obviously, Tim had eight or so years of experience so it was extremely easy to study his every move. Even now as a coach, I'm still asking him tons of questions because he has been in my shoes and knows the view through the facemask.
How much turnover has then been on the Locos roster? Being a developmental league, is it hard to maintain some continuity and consistency with your teammates?
We had 10 or so guys get picked up to the NFL which is the selling point of this league, but the most important thing is that the core group of guys from last year's team is back. I'm starting to see that at the professional level, your job is day to day so a guy you become friends with during camp might not show up for meetings the next day because the team went a different direction.
What were the things you knew you needed to work on the most heading into this year?
Movement within the pocket. When I get pressure, learning how to slide inside that three foot circle and keeping my eyes downfield versus scrambling too early.
Does the style of play in the league play to your strengths?
Coach Fassel does a good job of adapting the offense to the players we have.
Correct to assume that the goal remains to one day get into an NFL camp and test yourself at that level?
Absolutely. I was hoping I would get an opportunity after last season but unfortunately things didn't work out.
I know you had some bad experiences in the spring of 2009 in terms of what you were told by scouts vs. what actually transpired. Do you feel like your time in the UFL gives you the chance to disprove any hesitation on the part of NFL scouts?
No question I was frustrated but what's done is done. God has a better plan. Maybe I could have made a team that year, maybe shuffled around a few teams without a legit shot of playing. Now, I'm on the field developing and getting better with each experience on the field that I wouldn't have had sitting on the bench in the NFL. Ultimately, I believe things will work to my favor having gone this route. It wasn't easy though.
What was your off-season like? Did you stay in Las Vegas? If you did, any reflections on living there? You have a lot of folks offering to come visit?
I did stay here in Vegas with Lauren. We made it down to the strip quite a bit with the endless amount of good restaurants and shows, so that was a blast. Also, there are a lot of good golf courses that I played every week with one of my receivers. And family and friends were always here.
Talk a bit about working win Jim Fassel. What impact has he had on your career?
He is a heck of a coach. I have learned a lot from him and am excited to see my game grow from the start of training camp to the end of the year.
Las Vegas is obviously a town built on promotions and the Locos seem to be very aggressive in establishing an identity. How active were you in promoting the team and what was the experience like?
I didn't do a whole lot. There were a few championship celebration parties and some radio shows to talk about the season, but things cooled down after that.
In some ways, is the experience somewhat like it was to be at a school like Rice in a city the size of Houston? (Hard to get people to notice, by when they do, they appreciate the success of the hometown teams?)
Most people are here to be on the strip and enjoy Vegas. Those that do know about us playing here have been very supportive and have enjoyed coming out to games. I think this year will continue to get better in terms of attendance.
The Locos open their 2011 season on August 20 at Sacramento.
On Monday, Clement and Rattay will both be on the practice field as the Locos open their third training camp. The difference is that Clement is the acknowledged starter, while Rattay has retired and will coach Las Vegas' receivers. The R Blog checked in with Chase for an update prior to the start of camp: 
