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A New(son) Star Returns To Stockton

February 21, 2006 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Stockton Lightning News Release


STOCKTON, Calif. - Receiver/Outside Safety James Newson has been assigned to the Stockton Lightning from the arenafootball2 league office, Head Coach Richard Davis announced today.

"James is a tremendous player," said Davis. "What he's done in his career thus far speaks for itself, and I am very excited to be able to coach a player who has accomplished as much as he has. It should be fun watching him play in front of family and friends again."

Newson returns to Stockton after garnering NFL contracts to begin his professional career with the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins, followed by a 2005 summer stint in NFL Europe with the Cologne Centurions, tallying two catches for 23 yards.

Newson headlines a corps of Lightning talent with a homecoming to the San Joaquin Valley following a decorated college football and high school career. A Stockton, Calif. native, Newson built a storied college football career at Oregon State University (NCAA), where he started 36 of 42 career games for the Beavers, finishing second all-time at Oregon State for career pass receptions (213), receiving yards (3,572), and sharing a tie for the program record with 20 career touchdown receptions. He tallied 1,306 receiving yards as a 2003 senior for the Beavers (third all-time in program history), while garnering 12 touchdown receptions in 2002, currently a single-season program record.

A 2003 All-Pac-10 first-team honoree, his marquee game perhaps came in 2002 as a junior against Oregon, where he posted 11 catches for 168 yards and one touchdown, guiding the Beavers to a 45-24 win over the Ducks.

Newson, who helped guide the Beavers to a 41-9 victory over Notre Dame in the 2000 Fiesta Bowl, also tallied 81 receptions in 2003 (third all-time at OSU). The aforementioned Oregon State individual season and career statistics were program records at the time.

Before establishing his list of accomplishments at Oregon State, Newson starred at Stockton Edison High, where he garnered first-team All-San Joaquin Athletics Association honors and an MVP award of the SJAA league, adding first-team San Joaquin All-Area honors while being named the MVP of the Stockton Hall of Fame Lineman award.

Newson, 26, earned three letters in football at Edison and was a two-year starter, highlighted by a 1997 senior campaign with 52 catches for 952 yards (18.3 average), with 12 touchdowns, guiding the Vikings to its first winning season since 1983.

As a junior, Newson also garnered All-Area and All-League honors in basketball and was a two-year starter, leading to first-team All-American Grid-Hoop player honors by Student Sports Magazine as a combo football and basketball player.

The Lightning, who will introduce the entire 2006 inaugural season roster at the team's upcoming Media Day (date to be announced soon), open the 2006 season schedule on the road against the Spokane Shock on March 30 at 6 p.m. (PT), the opening game of the af2's season slate.

Season tickets for the upcoming Lightning season are on sale now. Tickets for the Lightning April 29 home opener against the Bakersfield Blitz can currently be purchased as part of a full season package. For more information on season tickets, merchandise, or other information, please call the Lightning at (209) 373-1500 or visit www.stocktonlightning.com.



arenafootball2 Stories from February 21, 2006


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