Additions should help Phantoms

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AFL I Arena Football League (1987-2008)

Additions should help Phantoms

by Campbell Blake
March 28, 2002 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)


Every year in training camp, a team needs a good mix of veterans and new comers, old faces and new faces, to make it as much of a challenge as it can be to win or keep a job. It is no different in Toronto, where Phantoms Head Coach Mark Stoute, while bringing back much of the core from last year's team that won the division, has tweaked the roster with the addition of some experienced veterans along with a few wide-eyed rookies. With these additions, Stoute is hoping the Phantoms will have what it takes to get to the next step in their goal to win the Arena Bowl championship.

One key addition this year is defensive specialist Tommy Henry. Henry came over in an off-season trade with the Tampa Bay Storm and will be a great addition to the secondary. In his three seasons with Tampa, Henry has become one of the league's premier players on the defensive side of the ball. He was named second team All-Arena in 2000 when he set two AFL records with the most pass break-ups in a game (11, vs. Florida, 6/2) and most pass break-ups in a season with 35.

"We really expect Tommy to fit into our secondary. We are looking for more of a physical veteran corner and that is why we went out and acquired him," said Stoute. "He is probably one of the most physical corners we faced last year."

For a defense that all already has the likes of Charlie Davidson, Anthony Derricks, Del Lee and Ty Law, the addition of Henry will most likely allow this experienced unit to improve. Last season they were they league's ninth ranked defense and at times were prone to giving up the deep ball. That is why it was important for Stoute to find someone who could provide it, a void he hopes to have filled with Henry.

"I can bring some experience, bring some cohesion. Hopefully with my arrival I can help solidify the defense and help these guys get closer to an Arena Bowl championship," said Henry.

In contrast to the experienced Henry, the Phantoms have a player trying to crack an AFL roster as a rookie in James Dickerson. He is no stranger to the Arena game having played the last two years in arenafootball2 with the Tallahassee Thunder. Dickerson led af2 with 41 touchdowns and 256 points in 16 games. Named the offensive MVP of the Southeast Division, Dickerson placed second in the league with 3,038 all-purpose yards including 990 yards on kick-off returns. Dickerson was a finalist for the af2 Offensive Player of the Year award after receiving the Iron Man Award for his performance with the Thunder in 2000.

"James is an unusual talent in that last year was his second year in AF2. The year before he played as a two-way guy, he actually was a defensive back in college," said Stoute. "It is interesting to see a defensive back run routes as well as he does."

For a player like Dickerson the transition to the AFL from af2 will not be any easy one. He will now be facing top competition, the best the game has to offer. In af2 he might face one good defensive back per team, but with the Phantoms he will be seeing five or six good ones per outing.

The Eastern Division this season will be a fierce competition right to the end. Buffalo, New York and New Jersey have all made changes with hopes of knocking Toronto off its pedestal. Under the guidance of Coach Stoute, the Phantoms are bringing back largely the same team from last year, with the exception of a few new players like Henry and Dickerson, to make sure they can hang on to the division title. The Phantoms are hoping that the few tweaks to the roster will mean this team should have what it takes to win the division and, they hope, go even further this year. Maybe as far as winning it all.

The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central.



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from March 28, 2002


The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


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