BERLIN, Conn. - Most of his friends and former teammates have real jobs. Not Kyle Harrington. While nobody grows up dreaming of playing in the United Football League, playing with the Hartford Colonials beats working for the former University of Massachusetts tackle.

"I'm living the life," Harrington said sporting a freshly-grown beard and a sweat-soaked black UMass T-shirt that he'd been wearing under his shoulder pads. "Playing football, instead of getting a job behind the desk."

Harrington is one of two UMass alumni on the Colonials (along with Sean Smalls) and one of four former Minutemen competing for jobs in the five-team minor league that will begin its second season next month.

"It's been pretty good," said Harrington, who was a second-team all conference selection last year. "At first there was a big difference between college and this pro level, but I'm starting to come into my own and have fun. At first I was a little rusty, but as practice has gone on I've been improving, holding my own."

Head coach Chris Palmer, the former head coach of the Cleveland Browns, agreed.

"Kyle is getting stronger," he said. "We've been very pleased with him."

Harrington first became aware of the league when his former Minuteman teammate E.J. Barthel was on the Las Vegas roster last year.

"I thought it would be a good league to get into if things didn't work out in the NFL. I'm glad I'm here. It's a great experience," he said. "It's a great stepping stone toward the NFL. There's great competition here."

Smalls agreed.

"There's a bunch of good guys here. Everybody out here is talented. These same guys could be up there too. I think being here will help us learn what it takes to be in the NFL," he said. "It's fast. You have to be mentally smart because everybody is good out here. We don't have anybody who can't play."

The UFL and NFL aren't officially affiliated, but NFL teams have summoned UFL players regularly, including 12 in the past week from Hartford, making Harrington hopeful.

"Every other day somebody gets called up. They're constantly calling Coach Palmer looking for guys," Harrington said. "Coach Palmer has great contacts throughout the league. Half the coaches here have coached in the NFL. They have all that knowledge."

TOP UMASS TAILBACKS - The Minutemen's top two career rushers are both in UFL camps. Marcel Shipp led the Las Vegas Locomotives to the inaugural UFL title last year and was fourth in the league last year with 257 rushing yards and three TDs on 72 carries. He's back with the Locomotives again.

Steve Baylark, who was out of football last year, is competing for a tailback spot on the Sacramento Mountain Lions.

UFL INFO - The UFL's five teams each play 10 regular season games that play mostly on Saturday. The Colonials play at UConn's Rentschler Field. They open the season, Sept. 18 at home against Sacramento.

Former NFL standouts Daunte Culpepper, Ahman Green and Jeff Garcia are all on UFL rosters.

Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. Follow UMass coverage on Twitter at twitter.com/GazetteUMass. Get UMass coverage delivered in your Facebook news feed at http://www.facebook.com/GazetteUMassCoverage.