Peterson Returns to Barnstormers
October 7, 2022 – Indoor Football League (IFL) – Iowa Barnstormers News Release
DES MOINES – The Iowa Barnstormers have re-signed quarterback Darius-James Peterson to the 2023 roster, Head Coach Dave Mogensen announced today.
Peterson (5-11, 195, College of Idaho) returns to the Iowa Barnstormers for his second season with the team. Joining the Barnstormers following a standout collegiate career at the College of Idaho, Peterson led the 2022 team to a 9-7 regular season record and first round playoff appearance.
“It was easily identifiable in training camp last season that Darius was a unique talent, a guy with NFL caliber physical skills that played out during our season, where Darius was the offensive catalyst of our playoff team,” said Head Coach Dave Mogensen. “Although I knew Darius would garner interest not just from other IFL teams, but higher leagues as well, bringing him back was at the top of our list for 2023.”
Snubbed by the IFL’s end of the season awards, Peterson’s stats speak for themselves with him sitting at the top of the leaderboard in rushing.
“Darius is a proven multiple weapon on the mold of the new age professional QB,” said Coach Mogensen. “Most people say film and stats don’t lie, if you watch our 2022 film you will see that from our third or fourth game and on teams centered their whole gameplan around bottling up Darius. Although as a rookie he had to make some adjustments midseason, I would say that most of those game plans didn’t work as only one person finished with more all-purpose yards per game in the IFL and that was the IFL MVP Drew Powell.”
Appearing in 17 games, Peterson rushed 179 times for 892 yards and 17 touchdowns and passed 301 times for a whopping 2,004 yards and 36 touchdowns in his rookie IFL season.
“The beauty of Darius’s 2022 season is that in spite of all his success, he still has plenty to improve upon. He missed some throws that I know still haunt him and we know he needs to cut down on his interceptions,” said Coach Mogensen. “The great thing about him as a person is not only is he ultra-gifted with his natural athletic ability, he also has an amazing work ethic and drive. He is working with a QB coach this off-season just as any pro quarterback does and I suspect he will be ready in training camp to take the leap into IFL MVP discussions.”
Despite his success on the field, Peterson faced commentary about his size by both opponents and fans throughout the season – a factor that was never questioned by his head coach or the Barnstormers organization.
Coach Mogensen’s thoughts on this?
“Listen, I don’t try to shy away from the fact that Darius is not 6’2 and 220 pounds, but the NFL has had numerous guys under 6 feet tall who have had long and productive careers as professional quarterbacks. Darius proved last year that he can perform at a high level as a professional. I think his size should be a moot point going forward. He is a playmaker, a leader, and someone who has shown he should be in discussions when you talk about the best QBs in the IFL in 2023.”
Peterson is the first player to join the Iowa Barnstormers 2023 roster and will enter training camp in the spring with a championship mindset.
“Darius possesses every necessary tool to be the guy that leads us to an IFL Championship,” Coach Mogensen stated. “Football, more than any other professional sport, requires a team effort to win a championship so it won’t just be on his shoulders, but if I had any doubt in Darius I would not have worked to bring him back this season. I truly believe Darius is going to have an amazing 2023 season and springboard both the Barnstormers and himself to great success.”
2023 Iowa Barnstormers Players Signings are presented by Kelly’s Little Nipper. Kelly’s Little Nipper is located in Des Moines at 1701 E. Grand Ave. Stop by for daily specials!
Season Tickets for the 2023 Iowa Barnstormers season are available now for as low as $96 per seat. For more information, call the Barnstormers front office at 515-633-2255 or visit www.theiowabarnstormers.com. Don’t miss a minute of the action!
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