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AFL I Arena Football League (1987-2008)

AFL veterans staying put for 2007

July 31, 2006 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release


NEW YORK - The Chicago Rush is still enjoying its first-ever ArenaBowl victory but the team's front office has put its plan for a title defense in motion.

Rush OS BOBBY SIPPIO, who joined Chicago on March 29 and eventually led the AFL in the postseason with 10 touchdowns and 452 receiving yards, is among the 110 AFL veterans who re-upped with their teams prior to the League's June 30 deadline for teams to re-sign players with contracts that expired at the end of the 2006 season.

Sippio, OL/DL CHARLIE COOK and DS JEREMY UNERTL were major contributors to the Rush's championship season and the team was intent on keeping all of them in the Windy City.

"Bobby Sippio, Jeremy Unertl and Charlie Cook were three very important pieces to our ArenaBowl title run," Rush Head Coach MIKE HOHENSEE said of signing the trio. "I am excited that all three believe in what we are doing here in Chicago and are looking forward to helping us defend our title."

Among the 110 to re-sign was Arizona Rattlers QB SHERDRICK BONNER, who contemplated retirement before deciding to return for his 14th AFL season with the Rattlers, which will extend his League record for most seasons with one club.

The New York Dragons re-signed two of their most productive players in OS KEVIN SWAYNE, who was second on the team to OS MIKE HORACEK in all major receiving categories last season, and DS DAHNEL SINGFIELD, who tied for the team lead with seven interceptions as a rookie in 2006.

All-Arena First Team members WR/LB DEREK LEE (Georgia), DS EDDIE MOTEN (Philadelphia), FB/LB DUKE PETTIJOHN (Dallas), and OL/DL JERMAINE SMITH (Georgia) also re-signed with their respective teams for next season.

The complete list of veterans to re-sign follows:

ARIZONA (7)
QB Sherdrick Bonner, WR/LB Curtis Fagan, OL/DL Asi Faoa, WR/DB Darrell Jones, OL/DL Steve Mascorro, OL/DL Jeff Ruffin, OL/DL Zach Rupp

AUSTIN (6)
W/LB Fred Coleman, FB/LB Dane Krager, WR/DB Kevin Nickerson, OL/DL Ramon Richardson, OL/DL Angel Rubio, K Todd Sievers

COLORADO (5)
OL/DL Dustin Barno, OL/DL Kyle Moore-Brown, FB/LB Saul Patu, OL/DL Chris Snyder, OL/DL Chris Watton

CHICAGO (3)
OL/DL Charlie Cook, WR/DB Bobby Sippio, DS Jeremy Unertl

COLUMBUS (10)
WR/DB B.J. Barre, OL/DL Howard Duncan, OL/DL Brad Greetis, DS Brandon Hefflin, OL/DL LaKendrick Jones, OS Marcus Knight, WR/LB Darcey Levy, OL/DL Juan Porter, WR/LB David Saunders, OL/DL Mike Sutton

DALLAS (8)
OL/DL James Cannida, DS Jermaine Jones, WR/LB Andrew Layton, K Carlos Martinez, DS Bobby Perry, FB/LB Duke Pettijohn, OL/DL Rickie Simpkins, OL/DL Devin Wyman

GEORGIA (11)
FB/LB Kevin Aldridge, DS Willie Gary, OL/DL Shane Grice, WR/LB Chris Johnson, OL/DL Marcus Keys, WR/LB Derek Lee, OL/DL Adam Metts, WR/LB Carl Morris, OL/DL Abdul-Salaam Noah, OL/DL Bobby Setzer, OL/DL Jermaine Smith

GRAND RAPIDS (10)
OL/DL Nikia Adderson, OL/DL Jason Berger, OL/DL Winfield Garnett, OL/DL DeMarcus Johnson, OL/DL Mike Lawson, WR/DB Timon Marshall, WR/DB Dameon Porter, QB Matt Sauk, OL/DL Greg Scott, DS Chuck Wesley

KANSAS CITY (7)
OL/DL Cyron Brown, OL/DL Bryan Henderson, WR/LB Rob Johnson, FB/LB Dawan Moss, OS Jerel Myers, OL/DL Chad Pegues, OS Sam Simmons

LOS ANGELES (4)
FB/LB Lonnie Ford, WR/DB Kevin Ingram, WR/DB Lenzie Jackson, WR/DB Rob Turner

LAS VEGAS (1)
OL/DL Tupe Peko

NASHVILLE (4)
OL/DL James Baron, DS Delmonico Montgomery, OL/DL Charlie Morris, K Jason Witczak

NEW YORK (3)
OL/DL Joe Laudano, DS Dahnel Singfield, OS Kevin Swayne

ORLANDO (10)
WR/DB Javarus Dudley, OL/DL Charles Hill, FB/LB Marlon Moye-Moore, FB/LB Kevin Nagle, WR/DB DeAndrew Rubin, WR/DB Lin-J Shell, OL/DL Jim Sodano, OL/DL Delanio Taylor, K Jay Taylor, OL/DL Greg White

PHILADELPHIA (7)
WR/DB Mike Brown, DS Clarence Curry, K Todd France, OL/DL Mike Mabry, WR/LB J.J. McKelvey, DS Eddie Moten, FB/LB Raheem Orr

SAN JOSE (2)
OL/DL Rex Richards, WR/DB Rodney Wright

TAMPA BAY (4)
OL/DL Thaddeus Bullard, OL/DL A.J. Ricker, WR/LB Lawrence Samuels, OL/DL Rod Williams

UTAH (8)
WR/DB Orshawante Bryant, FB/LB Kevin Clemens, QB Joe Germaine, QB Jason Gesser, OL/DL Hans Olsen, WR/LB Tom Pace, WR/DB Justin Skaggs, K Steve Videtich



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from July 31, 2006


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