Reginald Overton and Brandon Tucker of the Oakland University Football Club are vying to play semi-professional football this spring in the Continental Indoor Football League.

Overton has secured a roster spot on the Saginaw Sting as a defensive back/wide receiver while Tucker is still competing to make the Port Huron Patriots final roster at the same two positions. Overton played wide receiver/defensive back for the Golden Grizzlies this past year while Tucker played quarterback/defensive back.

“The tryout was on Dec. 7 and I didn’t even decide on doing it until the day before,” Overton said. “The club team had originally planned on playing a game down in Florida but that fell through and I figured I’d give it a shot since I had the time off.”

Saginaw’s training camp opens on Jan. 20, and Overton said that the Sting are giving him a chance to compete for a starting job.

“Things happen so quick in arena football so I’d imagine the coaches see me as a potential physical corner to throw off the timing for opposing offenses,” he said.

Port Huron’s tryouts were originally supposed to run from Jan. 5-Jan. 9, but the team was forced to cancel the first two days due to the inclement weather conditions, according to Tucker.

The Patriots run a spread offense similar to what Oakland ran this year so Tucker doesn’t anticipate a particularly difficult transition if he makes the team.

“They ran it at Oakland so I’m pretty familiar with it,” he said. “Especially (since) I’ll be wide receiver. So it’s going to be hard, going to be more one-on-one kind of stuff, but I think I’ll be fine with that.”

Overton is finishing up graduate school this semester so he may be finished playing for OU, but he’d “love to coach and help the team out in any way” if he remains in the area once he completes his degree.

Tucker, however, plans to be back.

“I’m supposed to get paid,” he said. “But if I make the roster and I sign my contract, I’m not going to accept any money because I want to play next year at Oakland.”

Overton said the minimum pay for the CIFL was $50 a week, while Tucker said the highest-paid players can make several hundred dollars a week.

The Patriots finished 4-6 in 2013 while the Sting went 9-3, losing to the Erie Explosion in the CIFL Championship 37-36. The CIFL’s season begins Feb. 3.

The OU Football Club finished its inaugural 2013 season with a 5-2 record, with two wins coming by way of forfeit.