AFL Expansion Draft Tomorrow - Rampage Have Three Picks

Published on October 7, 2003 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Grand Rapids Rampage News Release


The Grand Rapids Rampage Arena Football team has the Philadelphia Soul's second, fourth and fifth round selections in tomorrow's 2004 Expansion Draft, and will pick from a pool of 33 players that were left unprotected by their respective teams. Expansion teams Philadelphia, New Orleans and Austin will participate in the draft. The Rampage and Colorado Crush have picks in the draft because of trades with Philadelphia.

The 33 players come from just seven of last season's 16 teams (Chicago, Colorado, Columbus, Dallas, Indiana, Los Angeles and San Jose). Each of the 16 teams are allowed to protect up to 16 players under contract and the rest would be available for the draft. The Rampage have 15 players under contract, thus no Rampage players are available for the draft.

The draft, which is conducted via telephone conference, begins at 1:00pm on October 8 and consists of maximum of 12 rounds or until all teams pass. A maximum of five minutes per selection is allowed in each round. If the time limit expires, the pick is forfeited. Trades between the expansion team and other clubs may be made at any time prior to and during the draft. RampageFootball.com will provide live coverage of the expansion draft.

Players available to be drafted by the expansion teams include: former All-Arena WR/DB Charlie Davidson of the Colorado Crush; 2003 All-Rookie kicker Keith Gispert of the Chicago Rush; and former Super Bowl XXXI participant with the NFL's New England Patriots Marrio Grier of the Colorado Crush. Below is a brief description of the players available by team.

CHICAGO RUSH

Tony Bowick

Position: OL/DL

Ht: 6'02"

Wt: 268 lbs

College: Tennessee-Chattanooga

AFL Seasons: 11

The former Rampage lineman spent two seasons with the Rush, three with the Charlotte Rage, two with the Albany Firebirds and was in Grand Rapids four seasons. Named team Lineman of the Year four times in the AFL. Played in 12 games for the Atlanta Falcons during the 1989 and 1990 seasons. Has scored five receiving TDs in his career and posted 15.5 sacks.

Keith Gispert

Position: kicker

Ht: 6'02"

Wt: 185 lbs

College: Georgia State

AFL Seasons: 1

Played in 13 games scoring 91 points on 8-of-21 FGs and 64-of-79 PATs. He also made 7.5 special teams tackles. Spent two seasons with the af2's Augusta Stallions where he connected on 86.7% of his PATs and was fourth in scoring in 2002 and second in PATs made in 2001. He did not play football in college; he played soccer for West Virginia University (1995) and Georgia State University (1996-1998).

Jerry Montgomery

Position: OL/DL

Ht: 6'03"

Wt: 300 lbs

College: Iowa

AFL Seasons: 1

Had four tackles with the Rush last season. Was signed by the New Orleans Saints as a non-drafted free agent and spent part of training camp with them. He was a four-year letter winner at the University of Iowa (1998-2001), recording 135 tackles and 5 sacks as a defensive lineman.

Josh Phillips

Position: FB/LB

Ht: 5'11"

Wt: 185

College: Yale

AFL Seasons: 1

Spent 2003 on the Rush's practice squad. Spent time in NFL Europe with Amsterdam Admirals after signing with the Houston Texans.

Marvin Taylor

Position: DS

Ht: 6'01"

Wt: 185 lbs

College: Florida A&M

AFL Seasons: 2

Has been a member of the Chicago Rush for two seasons after spending two seasons in the af2 with the Tallahassee Thunder. Has five interceptions and 79.0 tackles in two years. Last season finished second on the team in tackles (52.0), breakups (nine), interceptions (three) and fumbles recovered (two). Earned league Defensive Player of the Week honors for the quarterfinal round of the playoffs in 2002 after recording 8.0 tackles, 4 passes defended and 1 interception vs. Dallas. With the Thunder, he had 90.0 tackles and nine interceptions. Also caught 19 TDs in 2001 and returned 67 kicks for 1,033 yards in 2000.

COLORADO CRUSH

Charlie Davidson

Position: WR/DB

Ht: 5'11"

Wt: 195 lbs

College: Mississippi State

AFL Seasons: 8

He began his AFL career with the Orlando Predators in 1996 and, since then, has spent time with the Albany Firebirds, Nashville Kats, New York CityHawks (who later became the New England Sea Wolves and then the Toronto Phantoms) and last season with the Colorado Crush. In that time, he has lined up as a wide receiver/defensive back, offensive specialist, defensive specialist, and a kick returner. He was named to the 2001 All-Arena second team after recording 35 receptions for 507 yards and 13 touchdowns on offense and 39 tackles (31 solo) on defense. In two seasons with the Phantoms, Charlie caught 71 passes for 965 yards and 17 touchdowns on offense, was credited with 99 tackles (79 solo), 5 interceptions, and 3 forced fumbles on defense. Last season, he notched career highs in receptions (78), receiving yards (1,031) and receiving TDs (21). He finished second on the team with 53.0 tackles. Overall, he has 309 receptions for 4,029 yards and 80 TDs in his career with 17 interceptions.

Joey Dozier

Position: FB/LB

Ht: 6'03"

Wt: 240 lbs

College: New Mexico State

AFL Seasons: 3

Led the Crush in rushing with 92 yards and five TDs. Also notched seven receptions, 14.5 tackles, and a sack. Spent 2002 in NFL Europe with Frankfurt after the Green Bay Packers allocated him there. Was with the San Jose SaberCats from 2000-01, where he rushed for 295 yards with 15 TDs, had 32.5 tackles and two sacks.

Javon Green

Position: WR/LB

Ht: 6'03"

Wt: 205 lbs

College: Colorado

AFL Seasons: 1

Played in two games in 2003 and recovered a fumble. Was the Crush's second overall pick in the 2003 expansion draft. Signed by the Oakland Raiders in 2001, was allocated to NFL Europe, but was signed by the Green Bay Packers and spent training camp with them in 2002. Finished collegiate career fifth in Colorado history with 2.031 receiving yards, third in receptions (136) and third in TDs (17).All-Big 12 Conference selection in 1999 and 2000.

Marrio Grier

Position: FB/LB

Ht: 5'11"

Wt: 242 lbs

College: Tennessee-Chattanooga

AFL Seasons: 4

Drafted in the sixth round of the 1996 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. In three seasons with the Pats, he rushed for 180 yards with two TDs. Spent three seasons with the Carolina Cobras and ran for 293 yards with 20 scores on offense and on defense had 22 tackles and three sacks. Last season with Colorado, he rushed for 33 yards with three TDs, grabbed two TDs receiving and had 6.5 tackles and a sack.

Geoff Groshelle

Position: kicker

Ht: 6'00"

Wt: 197 lbs

College: Montana State

AFL Seasons: 1

Scored 66 points on 4-of-12 FGs and 54-of-73 PATs last season with the Crush. Also made nine solo stops on special teams. Spent the previous two seasons with the af2's Richmond Speed. In 2002, he was named second-team all-af2. Made 11 field goals and 94-110 PATs for 127 points-the second best total among af2 kickers. His 94 made extra points led the league. He also finished third in extra point percentage (85.5), third in extra point attempts (110), and fifth in field goal percentage (34.4). In 2001, he converted 11 field goals and 79-95 PATs for 112 points.

Bobby Pesavento

Position: QB

Ht: 6'05"

Wt: 225 lbs

College: Colorado

AFL Seasons: 1

Saw action in four games last season with the Crush completing 13-of-37 passes for 118 yards with 2 TDs and 2 interceptions. Completed nearly 80 percent of his passes for the af2's Cape Fear Wildcats during the 2002 postseason. Bobby stepped in for the injured starter and helped lead the team to the brink of the ArenaCup. Finished his career at the University of Colorado after initially enrolling at Miami (OH) University. Bobby earned a bachelor's degree in communications while guiding the Buffs to a Big-12 Conference championship.

Chris Polinder

Position: OL/DL

Ht: 6'02"

Wt: 300 lbs

College: Eastern Washington

AFL Seasons: 2

Played in 14 games last season with the Crush and had 5.0 tackles. In 2001 was with the Detroit Fury and did not allow a sack on offense while recording two solo tackles on defense. Polinder captained the Eagles on offense during his senior season. He earned numerous Division I-AA All-American honors and was named to the All-Big Sky Conference team as an offensive center. He was also voted to the Division I-AA Academic All-American team.

Geoff Turner

Position: WR/DB

Ht: 5'08"

Wt: 195 lbs

College: Colorado State

AFL Seasons: 4

Spent four seasons with the Iowa Barnstormers/New York Dragons organization where he grabbed 14 TDs on 77 receptions, returned two kicks for scores and posted 45.0 tackles.

Jason Walters

Position: OL/DL

Ht: 6'04"

Wt: 280 lbs

College: Syracuse

AFL Seasons: 4

Spent three seasons with the New Jersey Red Dogs/Gladiators franchise before being traded to the Toronto Phantoms in 2001. In 2002, he was named the Phantoms' Ironman of the Year. As a senior at Syracuse, he led the team with seven sacks while registering 40 tackles and one fumble recovery. He was the recipient of the Tim Green Defensive Lineman of the Year award.

COLUMBUS

Malik Campbell

Position: WR/LB

Ht: 6'03"

Wt: 200 lbs

College: Syracuse

AFL seasons: 1

Was active for one game in 2003. Played in one game for the af2's Albany ConQuest in 2002 grabbing two passes for 19 yards. Played basketball and football at Syracuse. Campbell had 59 career receptions for 811 yards and one touchdown in three seasons for the Orangemen. He ranked 37th nationally and fifth in the Big East with 10.6 yards per punt return as a junior. He originally came to the Orangemen as a quarterback before being moved to wide receiver his sophomore season.

Tim Carey

Position: QB

Ht: 6'03"

Wt: 200 lbs

College: Hawaii

AFL Seasons: 4

Completed 52-of-103 passes for 529 yards with 8 TDs and 3 INTs in 2003 with the Destroyers in five games before a groin injury sent him to the IR in early April. Spent two seasons with the Chicago Rush primarily as the holder on all kicks. Was with the New England SeaWolves in 2000 where he completed 58.6% of his passes for 1,793 yards with 33 TDs and just six interceptions for a 109.15 passer rating. Graduated from Stanford with a degree in psychology. Played three seasons with Stanford and was at Hawaii for his final year.

Eddie Diaz

Position: FB/LB

Ht: 5'11

Wt: 255 lbs

College: Villanova

AFL Seasons: 1

Recorded 6.0 tackles and a sack with the Destroyers in 2003. Was on the Chicago Rush's practice squad in 2002. Spent two seasons in the af2 with the Macon Knights (2001) where rushed for 75 yards in seven games with two touchdowns. He posted eight tackles and two sacks on defense. In 2000 was with Augusta playing in 10 games for the Stallions rushing for 105 yards and nine touchdowns. He added 20 tackles and a half sack for Augusta.

Anthony Hicks

Position: FB/LB

Ht: 6'03"

Wt: 255 lbs

College: Middle Tennessee State

AFL Seasons: 6

The six-year AFL vet began his career with the Nashville Kats (1999-2001) then played for the Toronto Phantoms in 2002 and last season with Buffalo. He has rushed for 17 TDs and recorded 7.5 sacks moving back and forth in six seasons as a FB/LB and a lineman. He played with the Barcelona Dragons of NFL Europe in 1998 recorded 38 tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles and a blocked field goal. Hicks signed with the San Diego Chargers in 1997. Hicks was a three-time All-Ohio Valley Conference selection (1993-1996) at linebacker for Middle Tennessee State. He finished his career with 285 tackles, 36 tackles for a loss and 11 sacks.

Gary Kral

Position: kicker

Ht: 6'01"

Wt: 174

College: Pittsburg State (KS)

AFL Seasons: 1

Scored 35 points on 4-of-20 FGs and 23-of-32 PATs last season with the Destroyers. He appeared in 15 games for the af2's Cape Fear Wildcats connecting on 74-of-92 PATs (80.4%) and hit 10-of-32 field goals scoring 104 points. First Team All-MAIAA selection in 2000. He set a school record hitting 44 consecutive PATs from September 4 to November 6, 1999.

Gunnard Twyner

Position: OS

Ht: 5'10"

Wt: 185 lbs

College: Western Illinois

AFL Seasons: 3

Led the Destroyers in scoring (96), touchdowns scored (16) and receiving yards (846) despite playing just nine games. Twyner broke his right clavicle during in week 13 and was placed on Injured Reserve. Spent 2001-02 with the Tampa Bay Storm. Played in just 15 games and grabbed 17 TDs. Twyner was spent seasons on the practice squads of the Cincinnati Bengals and New Orleans Saints He was active for four games in '97 with the Bengals and Saints recording four receptions for 45 yards. He spent the entire 1998 season on injured reserve with the Saints after sustaining a season ending knee injury in the preseason. Twyner went to camp with the Saints in 1999 and the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2000.

DALLAS DESPERADOS

D.J. Cooper

Position: OL/DL

Ht: 6'04"

Wt: 285 lbs

College: Arkansas

AFL Seasons: 2

In two seasons with Dallas, he has posted nine solo tackles and grabbed two TDs. Posted 10 tackles with the Memphis Maniax of the XFL in 2001. Signed with the New Orleans Saints and then spent part of the season on the Chicago Bears' practice squad.

Shannon Culver

Position: WR/DB

Ht: 5'11"

Wt: 178 lbs

College: Oklahoma State

AFL Seasons: 6

Played three games with the Rampage in their inaugural 1998 season catching 11 passes for 202 yards with three TDs and also rushed for another score. Began his AFL career with the Anaheim Piranhas in 1997. There he grabbed a career-high 16 TDs and posted 30.0 tackles and two interceptions. >From 2000-01, he was with the Los Angeles Avengers and has spent the past two seasons with Dallas. Played in 10 games for the XFL's Orlando Rage in 2001.

Brian Hinton

Position: WR/DB

Ht: 5'10"

Wt: 180

College: SE Missouri State

AFL Seasons: 1

Hinton spent the 2001 and 2002 pre-season with the Saskatchewan RoughRiders of the Canadian Football League. Spent 2001 training camp with the Orlando Rage of the XFL. Spent 2000 training camp with the Kansas City Chiefs. Hinton was an All-Ohio Valley Conference selection his senior season after leading the league with five interceptions for 118 returns yards while posting 51 tackles and nine passes defensed. He also returned 17 kickoffs for 650 yards.

Ben Huff

Position: OL/DL

Ht: 6'03"

Wt: 285 lbs

College: Michigan

AFL Seasons: 2

Acquired in the trade that saw Andy Kelly go to Detroit, Huff played in four games with Detroit in 2002 and posted a fumble recovery and a tackle. Spent 1998-2000 with the Atlanta Falcons as a member of their practice squad and active roster. Played in 37 games at Michigan. Originally from Charlotte, NC.

Kareem Larrimore

Position: DS

Ht: 5'11"

Wt: 190 lbs

College: West Texas A&M

AFL Seasons: 2

Named to the AFL's All-Rookie team in 2002 after posting 24.5 tackles, an interception and 604 combined return yards. In 2003, he posted 27.0 tackles, an interception and had 28 returns for 493 yards. Spent two seasons with the Dallas Cowboys after being selected in the fourth round of the 2000 draft. Started six games in the NFL.

Doug Lytle

Position: OL/DL

Ht: 6'03"

Wt: 300 lbs

College: Chadron State (NE)

AFL Seasons: 4

Began his AFL journey with the Milwaukee Mustangs (2000-01), then was with the Toronto Phantoms (2002) and last season was with Dallas. He also was a member of the 2001 undefeated Gold Cup champion Peoria Pirates of the Indoor Football League, where he posted 12 sacks.

INDIANA FIREBIRDS

Tyrone Brown

Position: WR/DB

Ht: 5'11"

Wt: 170 lbs

College: Toledo

AFL Seasons: 1

Grabbed six passes for 62 yards and a touchdown last season with the Firebirds.

Rameel Cook

Position: OL/DL

Ht: 6'04"

Wt: 280 lbs

College: Illinois

AFL Seasons: 1

Was placed on the refused to report list by the Firebirds prior to the 2003 season. Has never played in the AFL.

Shawn Stuckey

Position: FB/LB

Ht: 6'00"

Wt: 240 lbs

College: Virginia Tech

AFL Seasons: 1

Was placed on the refused to report list by the Firebirds prior to the 2003 season. Has never played in the AFL.

LOS ANGELES AVENGERS

Brandon Davis - WR/LB

Ht: 6'04" Wt: 210 lbs

College: Arkansas

Has not played Arena Football. His rights are owned by the Avengers.

SAN JOSE SABERCATS

All three of these players below have not played in the AFL-they were either on IR, the practice squad or their rights are held currently by the SaberCats

Fred Coleman - WR/DB

Ht: 6'01" Wt: 194 lbs

College: Washington

Winfield Garnett - OL/DL

Ht: 6'06" Wt: 320 lbs

College: Ohio State

Abdul-Salam Noah - OL/DL

Ht: 6'02" Wt: 285 lbs

College: San Jose State

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from October 7, 2003


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central