Avengers sign three new players
March 1, 2006 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Los Angeles Avengers News Release
LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Avengers have signed three players, fullback/linebacker Lavell Mann and offensive/defensive linemen Maurice Anderson and Victor Leyva, head coach Ed Hodgkiss announced today.
Mann and Anderson agreed to two-year deals, while Leyva inked a one-year contract.
The signings boost L.A.'s active roster to the Arena Football League game-day limit of 20. The Avengers began the week with a roster of just 17 active players, after placing FB/LB Josh Jeffries on the injured reserve list due to the broken fibula and dislocated ankle he suffered in last Saturday's 68-66 loss to the Utah Blaze. Jeffries will be out for the remainder of the 2006 season.
The signing of Mann (6-foot-1, 280 pounds) adds depth to the FB/LB position which is also currently missing Michale Spicer, who was placed on the injured reserve list on Feb. 24 (knee). Mann began the season with the Las Vegas Gladiators and played in one game, but was waived on Feb. 14. Last season, he played for the Memphis Xplorers of arenafootball2 and finished with eight tackles, 2.5 quarterback sacks and one safety, helping lead the team to the 2005 ArenaCup championship. As a senior at Colorado State University in 2003, Mann started all 13 games at defensive tackle and recorded 39 tackles, including seven for losses and five sacks.
Anderson (6-4, 305) was a member of the 2005 ArenaBowl champion Colorado Crush, playing in eight games after missing the entire 2004 season due to an injured right knee. Last year, he finished with three receptions for 21 yards and was credited with three tackles and two batted down passes. Anderson played in all three of Colorado's playoff games in 2005, and batted down a pass in ArenaBowl XIX. He also has two years of NFL experience. Anderson spent the 2000 season with the New York Jets, but did not see any action, and was on the New England Patriots' practice squad in 2001. At the University of Virginia, he started 11 games as a senior in 1999, recording 74 tackles (the third highest total by a defensive tackle in school history), four sacks, three batted down passes, two blocked kicks and one interception.
Leyva (6-4, 310) was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fifth round of the 2001 NFL Draft (135th overall selection). His most active season in the NFL came in 2002, when Leyva played in 10 games for the Bengals, seeing time at both right and left tackle. After three seasons with Cincinnati, he signed a free agent contract with the New England Patriots on May 13, 2005, but was released just prior to the start of the regular season. At Arizona State University, Leyva earned All Pacific-10 Conference honors as a senior in 2000. He started at right tackle as a senior and junior, after starting at right guard for most of his sophomore and freshman seasons. Leyva was born in Guanajuato, Mexico, but grew up in Porterville, Calif., where he played both offensive and defensive tackle at Monache High School.
The Avengers (1-4) will return to action on Sunday, March 5, when they hit the road to take on the Orlando Predators (3-2) at the TD Waterhouse Centre. Kickoff is set for 9 a.m. (Pacific) and the game will be televised on KNBC Channel 4 (Tom Hammond, Pat Haden, Lewis Johnson). The contest also can be heard on AM 570 (Isaac Lowenkron, Troy West).
Prorated Avenger season ticket packages are on sale now at 1-888-AVENGERS or online at www.laavengers.com. Single-game tickets may be purchased at the STAPLES Center box office, at all Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com and by calling 213-480-3232.
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