Q&A: Toros QB Will Arndt talks San Antonio, leadership, Jerry Glanville, words for the Tennessee Hornets and more
The San Antonio Toros will be taking the field in May when the team faces the Tennessee Hornets in a preseason matchup.
And leading the offense on the field will be veteran quarterback Will Arndt, who will be looking to bring stability and leadership to the team in the Toros inaugural season.
Arndt brings much experience to the Toros. From his time with the Ottawa Redblacks and the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League, and with the Albany Firebirds in the Arena One Football League, the Connecticut native’s vast field knowledge will be a boon for the Toros.
And if that were not enough, he brings coaching experience to the field, having served with the Edmonton Elks as an offensive assistant and with the Ottawa Redblacks as a quarterbacks coach.
Now looking to get back on the field, Ardnt is eager to stack wins this upcoming Toros season.
In this exclusive Q&A, we chat with the quarterback about his thoughts on the upcoming season, his leadership, and much more, including a splash of friendly smack talk ahead of the team’s preseason game versus the Hornets.
Jeff: Welcome to San Antonio. What’s it like putting on that jersey, commanding that Toros team on the offensive side of the field?
Will: Good to be here in the great city of San Antonio. We got football back. Toros are back, and we’re getting ready to start training camp. And I know all the players are working hard. We’re working on some stuff behind the scenes. Coaches are getting their stuff together, and we’re ready to do some winning football.
Jeff: I know the season is still a few weeks away. It’s coming up short, but what’s the vibe so far? What’s the vibe within the organization and the team? How confident is this team going into the new season?
Will: Very competent, very organized. Everything is in place. We got great ownership, and that just trickles all the way down. We got great coaching staff, tons of football experience on that staff, and a lot of bright minds. And then we got really, really good talent. When you look across our roster, we got guys a lot of pro experience.
We got guys from power four schools, and even better, we got guys that are true and rooted here in San Antonio and the surrounding cities. So it’s, it’s a really nice blend. But at the end of the day, all that stuff doesn’t matter, because we have to show up, put in the work, because football doesn’t care what you did or what you have done.
So we’re getting ready, and we know we’ve got a big challenge in front of us, but we’re up for it.
Jeff: What does it mean by putting the work?
Will: It’s around the I mean, this is professional football, so it’s around the clock. So whether that is, you know, even for me as a quarterback, and being a leader on the team, and it can’t fake that guys look right through the pro football.
So that’s starting to forge relationships and connections, and we’re working on stuff that we don’t have to do, you know, putting in time and getting together and studying the offense and making sure that’s, you know, secondhand nature. And then obviously, we’re, you know, we’re lifting, we’re running, and doing all the things that make us available.
Because football is a tough sport, and you can’t just roll it out there, and you can’t just work nine to five and then just say, I’m gonna go play football after that’s not what this is. Real football.
Jeff: What’s it like to be working with the legend, Jerry Glanville?
Will: Legend! The stuff he’s had a chance to be around, it’s pretty wild. So I know there’s a wealth of information there, and he’s on defense, and when I was in the CFL, I played against some of his defenses, and he’s a pain in the ass.
And I look forward to hearing stories and just seeing some of the wisdom through osmosis, kind of watching how he prepares and the looks he gives off, because after 60 years, you become a master at it.
I’m looking at, or looking forward to, just kind of observing from afar, what he means to this team. So, but at the same time, I’m gonna kick his ass, because we’re on offense.
Jeff: What about you? Tell us about your experience in the game.
Will: I think for me, I’m 32 years old, but I mean, that’s truthfully, where, if you were going to have a quarterback go make a championship run, I think that’s probably about where you’d want your guy.
So hopefully I can bring a sense of calm and belief. I think that’s really the ultimate job of a quarterback is they look at you and, even in moments of good or bad, they have the belief that you can get it done.
They have a belief in the type of person that you are, that’s got nothing to do with X’s and O’s. So, first and foremost, that’s what I need to bring. And that means being authentic and being prepared so that guys can look at me and hopefully feel those things. You’ve got to earn that, just because I’m a quarterback, that doesn’t mean that I’m special for some reason. So you know, that’s a process that doesn’t happen overnight.
And at the same time, I’ll be able to lean on all the good times and all the bad times that I’ve had, times that I’ve been cut other leagues, I’ve been around the Canadian Football League arena like it, just my experience over the last nine years as a professional, and be able to impart that on some of the young guys that have really good potential to go on and play at different levels.
Then also when guys are going through it, and whether that’s a slump, or, you know, it’s just professional football, guys get cut or, you know, pulling a guy out of a bad spot, or just being able to offer a note that maybe he’s coming from a place of experience that’s not a coach.
Relating to your teammates, relating to them!
Jeff: Fans are already starting to catch the Toros fever. What would be your message to San Antonio residents to go to that stadium?
Will: What’s not to get behind? I mean, football’s back in San Antonio. I know the city has had a strained relationship with that over time, but we’re here, and they’re doing it the right way.
These are people in San Antonio who want to do it the right way. I can tell you, we’re out in the community, meeting people and trying to do this thing the right way. Built from the ground up, and we got high-level players. We got a really dang good product of football, with three quarters of NFL-style ball, pro-style ball, and then the fourth quarter with Canadian rules. It truly makes for a unique and exciting product.
And then at the end of the day, we have a beautiful facility at UIW (University of the Incarnate Word), and we’re gonna be playing at night, so it’s not gonna be terribly hot. So what better way to enjoy a summer night than, you know, with a drink with your family, bring your friends, and go watch some football.
Jeff: There’s a preseason game first. Then the real deal begins in game one of the regular season against the Tennessee Hornets. What do you have to tell that Hornets team?
Will: In the words of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, it doesn’t matter what you think. So that’s about all I have to say to them, and we’re going to roll out there and go play our football and light it up.
The new season is closing in, and to catch all the Toros action on the field, tickets are now available, including fan-ownership options. Toros’ opening day is on May 30 versus the Texas Syndicate.
Follow us on X at CoFLToros and the Toros official staff writer, Jeff Garcia.