X-Trojan 60 Minutes Away From a Trip to New Orleans

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FORMER USC TROJAN, 60 MINUTES AWAY FROM A TRIP TO NEW ORLEANS

Riley Bernard and the Rest of the Columbus Destroyers Travel to Georgia to Take on the Force on Saturday July 14, 1:00PM ET on ESPN

It’s been a turbulent season for the Columbus Destroyers. But if the road to New Orleans is a bit bumpy, you won’t hear fans in Columbus complaining. They will simply buckle-up and enjoy the ride.

An up and down season it has been for the Destroyers. Given their inconsistency, big wins against the leagues top two teams in Dallas and Georgia have been somewhat discredited as the team struggled against lesser competition. A 7-9 regular season was good enough to squeak them into a post-season berth. An opportunity they seem determined to make the most of. Three straight wins, including Saturday’s dramatic triumph over the leagues best team in Dallas (15-1), could be a signifier that the team has finally caught their stride.

At the center of the momentum, literally, has been nose-tackle Riley Bernard. Bernard, a former Trojan, was a four-year letterman for the Men of Troy. Playing in 40 games at Southern Cal, Bernard compiled an outstanding collegiate career and brings with him an exceptional pedigree to the Columbus Destroyer roster, including a tradition of winning that the Destroyers hope will carry over to this weekend’s Conference Championship.

If Columbus has proven anything over the course of the 2007 season, it’s that they tend to play up, or down, to their level of competition. Luckily for Destroyers fans, the level of play only ascends from here, and the discovery of their newfound momentum could not have come at a better time.

Be sure to check out Riley Bernard and the Columbus Destroyers when they travel to Georgia on Saturday, 1:00PM ET on ESPN