Blockbuster trade brings Fleming back to Kats
October 20, 2005 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Nashville Kats News Release
NASHVILLE (Oct. 20, 2005) - All-Arena star Cory Fleming is coming home to play for the Nashville Kats, the team with which he played five standout seasons from 1997-2001. The nine-year AFL veteran and Nashville native was introduced by head coach Pat Sperduto at a press conference today, after the Kats acquired him from the Orlando Predators in a trade for veteran lineman Henry Taylor.
"This is a big day for the Nashville Kats," said Sperduto, who coached Fleming in his previous stint in Nashville. "Cory is a great player and we are thrilled to have him back in Nashville where he belongs. This is his home, and he wants to be here as much as we want him here. He is the kind of player that makes us better in all phases of the game, and he will mix very well with the guys we have returning and the players we have added so far this offseason."
Fleming (6'2, 218) is widely viewed as one of the top players in the 20-year history of the Arena Football League. He was named AFL Rookie of the Year in 1997 after a spectacular first season with the Kats in which he caught 89 passes for 1,104 yards and 32 touchdowns. Fleming has been named to the league's All-Arena squad five times and to the All-Ironman squad four times. In 2004, he received the AFL's top individual award when he was named U.S. Army Ironman of the Year after catching a career-high 131 passes for 1,620 yards and 33 TD's. Last year, in his third season with the Predators, Fleming was once again named to the first-team All-Arena squad and to the All-Ironman team. He caught 96 passes for 1,089 yards and 33 TD's, and helped lead Orlando to the AFL Semifinals.
The former University of Tennessee star, who also earned a Super Bowl ring as a receiver with the Dallas Cowboys in 1995, played one season with the Carolina Cobras in 2002 before joining the Predators for the last three seasons. Still, he made the biggest name for himself as an original member of the Kats, helping lead Nashville to back-to-back ArenaBowl appearances in 2000 and 2001, and establishing himself as a fan favorite in the Music City.
"I am very honored to be able to play for the Nashville fans once again," said Fleming. "I'm very excited to come back home and play with such a great organization as the Nashville Kats, and to rejoin some old teammates and be able to be with my family on a daily basis. It's a great feeling, and I'm looking forward to the season."
Fleming is unarguably one of the best two-way players in league history. In addition to averaging more than two touchdown receptions a game over the course of his nine-year career, he has also picked off 20 passes and returned four for scores. His offensive career statistics are staggering, as he ranks among the top four in all AFL career receiving categories. His 798 receptions and 229 receiving TD's ranks him third all-time, and his 9,658 receiving yards lists him fourth.
The 34-year old played at Stratford High School in Nashville and had his number 12 retired at a game there earlier this Fall. In college, he set a Tennessee record with 18 career receiving TD's, including 11 in his senior season, when he was named second-team All-SEC and honorable mention All-American for the Vols. Despite playing in Carolina and Orlando since the original Kats franchise was sold and moved after the 2001 season, Fleming has continued to live with his wife and two children in nearby LaVergne, where he also operates an insurance agency.
To get Fleming, Nashville parted with Taylor, who had 16 tackles and 4.5 sacks for the Kats in 2005. He was part of a Nashville line that led the AFL in sacks and scoring defense. The three-year AFL veteran from South Carolina will now join the Predators.
The circumstances of the trade are similar to the swap that the Kats did with Chicago last offseason that brought top
AFL lineman and original Kat James Baron back to Nashville. As Chicago did with Baron, Orlando agreed to Fleming's requests for a trade that would allow him to play in his hometown. Predators head coach Jay Gruden informed Fleming on Tuesday that he would agree to the trade.
"Jay is a great coach," said Fleming, "and my family and I are eternally grateful for him giving me the opportunity to come home and play in Nashville. I wish those guys the best down there."
The trade comes on the heels of several major acquisitions that the team has made in recent weeks, beginning with the free agent signing of All-Arena FB/LB Frank Carter, who was second in the league in sacks last season with Las Vegas. The Kats also made a trade to acquire AFL All-Rookie quarterback Clint Stoerner from Dallas, and just this week signed veteran wide receiver/defensive back Cornelius Bonner, whose 12 interceptions over the last two years is the second-most in the AFL during that span.
"I am really excited about our upcoming season," said Kats owner K.S. "Bud" Adams, Jr. "After a rocky beginning to our first season last year, the Kats made significant improvements so that we were a formidable opponent throughout the second half. Pat Sperduto is, without a doubt, the best in the league on judging players' abilities to play arena football. He has made the necessary personnel adjustments and signed additional outstanding players to improve our team. With these changes and under the leadership of Coach Sperduto (whose prior experience includes three years in the AFL playoffs and two AFL championship games), I believe we could go all the way this year."
The addition of Fleming looks to make the Kats' receiving corps one of the most formidable in the Arena Football League, adding him to a mix with proven playmakers like T.T. Toliver and Jarrick Hillery. It also brings yet another player from the original Kats franchise, which played in the AFL from 1997-2001, back into the fold. Fleming joins Hillery, James Baron and Rupert "Dogghead" Grant as current Kats who also played for the original organization. Another original Kat, Darryl Hammond, played last season with the team and is expected to re-sign with Nashville in the near future.
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from October 20, 2005
- Rattlers add four free agents - Arizona Rattlers
- Rush adds all ironman selection White, pair of rookies - Chicago Rush
- Blockbuster trade brings Fleming back to Kats - Nashville Kats
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.
