Avengers sign Arnold Parker, Albert Stinson and LaShaun Ward
January 26, 2007 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Los Angeles Avengers News Release
LOS ANGELES -- With the signings of defensive back Arnold Parker, offensive lineman Albert Stinson and wide receiver/defensive back LaShaun Ward, the Los Angeles Avengers took another step toward finalizing their 2007 training camp roster, head coach Ed Hodgkiss announced today.
Parker, Stinson and Ward each signed two-year deals that will keep them with the club through the 2008 season.
With the trio added to the roster, the Avengers are now one player shy of the Arena Football League's 37-man limit for training camp, which will begin on Feb. 5, at Oak Stadium on the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indian Reservation.
Training camp will be preceded by a three-day mini-camp, beginning on Tuesday (Jan. 30) at the Avenger Training Facility at West Los Angeles College in Culver City.
Parker (6-foot-2, 215 pounds) played in nine games last season for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League. He was signed by the Seattle Seahawks following the 2004 NFL Draft, but was placed on the injured reserve list for the remainder of the season. In 2005, Parker was claimed off waivers by the San Francisco 49ers.
On of the fastest players to ever play at the University of Utah (Salt Lake City, Utah), he was once clocked at 4.36 in the 40-yard dash. He started 35 of 45 games for the Utes, recording 213 tackles (22.5 for losses), 19 pass breakups, five forced fumbles and one interception.
Stinson (6-6, 335) signed a free agent contract with the Minnesota Vikings following the 2006 NFL Draft, but was released prior to training camp.
At Jackson (Miss.) State University, Stinson started 36 games for the Tigers. He helped pave the way to 13,201 total yards, including 7,247 through the air. Stinson also made a couple appearances on the defensive side of the football as a senior. He was a second-team All-Southwestern Athletic Conference preseason pick in 2005.
Ward (6-0, 200), who played wide receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2003, has bounced around NFL training camps for the past three seasons where he also saw some time in the defensive backfield.
A two-way standout at the University of California (Berkeley, Calif.), he played in 41 games. On offense, Ward caught of 59 passes for 1,223 yards and 14 touchdowns for the Golden Bears. On defense, he finished his collegiate career with 44 tackles, eight pass breakups, three interceptions, two fumble recoveries and one blocked kick. Ward also returned 45 kickoffs for 1,086 yards (24.1-yard average) and one touchdown while at Cal.
Ward played quarterback at John Muir High School (Pasadena, Calif.) and accumulated more than 5,000 yards of total offense as a junior and senior.
The Avengers will kick off their eighth season of play in the 21-year-old AFL versus the San Jose SaberCats on Sunday, March 4, at STAPLES Center. That contest, which features the past two Western Division champions (Los Angeles in 2005 and San Jose in 2006), will kick off at 7 p.m.
Avenger season tickets, which include nine games played at STAPLES Center, are on sale now at 1-888-AVENGERS or www.laavengers.com.
Single-game tickets, which range in price from $10 to $69.50, are also on sale now at all Ticketmaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com and the STAPLES Center box office.
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