Did he want to toil on the practice squad for the NFL’s Chicago Bears another fall with the hope that one day he might play in a real game, or did he want to cast his lot with the fledgling XFL, a potentially exciting if uncertain new league with ties to the World Wrestling Federation?

“I thought about it awhile, and it was a money factor,” said Lies, a former Kansas University offensive lineman who opted to play this season for the XFL’s Birmingham (Ala.) Bolts. “I’m working and getting some money out of the deal. And there’s the great entertainment experience of the XFL.”

There’s plenty of that. From the in-your-face camerawork to the unusually, uh, prominent cheerleaders, the XFL has taken its knocks for putting style before substance.

Lies, who played at KU from 1996-98, disputes that assertion.

AP File Photo

“People think there’s the NFL and then there’s nothing,” Lies said. “But there are so many players out there. They’re all legitimate players. You really can’t see any talent drop at all. There are a lot of (NFL) draft picks in this league. It’s actual football. These are good football teams, good football players. Our team had (Iowa State standout running back) Troy Davis in camp. And he didn’t make the team. That tells you something about this league, that Davis didn’t make it.”

Lies is one of four former Jayhawks in the XFL. In Sunday’s 19-12 Bolts victory over the New York/New Jersey Hitmen, Lies spent much of afternoon blocking another former Jayhawk, Chris Maumalanga, a fourth-round NFL draft pick at defensive line by the New York Giants.

Former Jayhawk Dorian Brew, a third-round pick at cornerback by the Miami Dolphins in the 1996 draft, and Chris Perez, a fifth-round pick at offensive tackle by the Dolphins in the ’92 draft, both play for the Chicago Enforcers.

‘It’s entertaining’

Lies had some concerns about joining the XFL. While the NFL is stable and even its practice squad players are treated well, the upstart XFL is a gamble, despite its backing by NBC.

“It’s entertaining, to say the least,” Lies said. “You heard all these nasty rumors about them bringing back head slaps and everything else, but it’s just football. It’s a strange brand of football. In the NFL, you’re so used to everything being cleaned up, so organized. Then you go here and do this. In the XFL, in front of the scenes, everything is very professional-grade. Behind-the-scenes, it’s a lot different. It’s a new league. Everybody’s by the fly. Nobody knows what everybody else is doing.

“In the NFL, you get spoiled. You used a charter jet. Coming back from New York, I spent the whole day on the road. Now it’s back to flying commercial not that that’s a bad thing, but when you’re 300 pounds and you get the middle seat, that’s not the nicest thing.”

An undrafted free agent, Lies went through training camp with the Carolina Panthers in 1999 and the Dallas Cowboys this year. Last summer, he played for Amsterdam in NFL Europe.

“Amsterdam once you get past the hookers, the sex and the drugs, it’s a nice place,” Lies said.

Between his stint with the Cowboys and his joining the Bears practice squad, Lies worked at the Capital City Bank here in Lawrence.

“There was a stretch in there where I had to work a regular job,” Lies said, “but when you’re in the loop, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll be playing somewhere for somebody.”

‘Legitimate money’

Lies is guaranteed a league-standard $4,500 per game, plus an additional $2,500 for every game the Bolts (1-1) win. Thus, Lies will make at least $47,250 for the Bolts’ 10-game season and the one game they’ve won this season.

“It’s legitimate money,” Lies said, “but I don’t know how much longer I can take the abuse. I like it. It’s an interesting way to make a living. But sometimes you look for roots in your life. I’ve moved so many places in the last two years it’s ridiculous. This is the most settled I’ve been in a long time, but it wears you down mentally and physically. I’m 25 years old, and already the ankle sprains and groin injuries get to you. You jam your fingers so many times, you don’t remember how they’re supposed to work right. And I really think I’m starting to notice a loss of short-term memory. There are some things you want to forget, but I do want to be able to talk to my grandkids some day.”

Lies sees a feud brewing between Vince McMahon, the XFL’s founder, and the NBC brass.

“Vince wants the cheerleaders taking their clothes off,” Lies said, “but NBC wants to make it a legitimate league. You’d think it would be utterly insane. I’m sure those guys are fighting it out all the time.”

The Bolts play their home games at storied Legion Field. That’s the same stadium where, as a senior, Lies helped the Jayhawks to a 39-37 four-overtime victory over Alabama-Birmingham.

“I still have flashbacks of that game from time to time,” Lies said. “I was pretty gassed last time I played there. But it’s a nice field with a lot of history. I like playing there.”

Whether he returns there next season remains to be seen.

“I figured I’d play at least one season,” Lies said. “I don’t know what I’ll do. I’m kind of wishy-washy on the whole thing. One day I think, ‘Oh, God, I never want to play in this league again.’ The next day I think, ‘This is great.’ We’ll see.”