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Brigade signs af2 wide receiver and standout Big Ten lineman

October 27, 2006 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Kansas City Brigade News Release


Kansas City, Mo. (Oct. 27) - In what continues to be a dramatic makeover of last season's team, the Brigade on Friday announced the signing of wide receiver Charles Frederick and center E.Z. Smith. Frederick spent last season with the Spokane Shock of arenafootball2 under new Brigade offensive coordinator Chris Siegfried, who was the team's inaugural head coach. Smith last played as a senior at Penn State in 2005.

"We're really pleased with these two additions to the team and we expect them to contribute immediately," head coach Kevin Porter said. "Frederick isn't a big name, but he's playmaker and is familiar with coach Siegfried's offense. And Smith is a true center with a lot of talent who can help anchor our line."

Frederick (5-11, 195 lbs.) has rocketed through the Arena Football ranks after a stellar collegiate career. He just completed his first season of indoor football in August and it turned out to be a very successful campaign as the Shock won the ArenaCup title as an expansion team. Frederick contributed the game-winning touchdown with six seconds remaining in the divisional round against the Bakersfield Blitz and then jump-started a rout of the Arkansas Twisters in the conference championship game by returning the opening kickoff 54 yards for a touchdown.

"I'm very excited to be playing again and happy to join the team," Frederick said. "I can be a great player for this team. Coach [Siegfried] has been good to me, I really like the way he is on and off the field."

Frederick led the team in scoring, totaling 216 points on 36 touchdowns. He recorded 85 receptions for 973 yards with 22 touchdowns and rushed 17 times for 66 yards with 10 touchdowns. He also recorded 33 kickoff returns for 535 yards with one touchdown and three fumble returns for 94 yards with two touchdowns. He also returned his only interception of the season 39 yards for a touchdown. Frederick led the league in single-game points scored (42), touchdowns scored (7) and rushing touchdowns (4), and finished in the top ten in scoring on the season.

A native of Lake Worth, Fla., Frederick was a four-year letterman from 2001 to 2004 and a senior captain at the University of Washington. He was a starting wide receiver from 2002 to 2004, including the number one receiver in 2003 and 2004. Frederick was named to the All-Pac-10 First Team in 2003 and holds three Huskies records: single-game all-purpose yards (371 vs. Oregon State in 2003), single-season kickoff returns (30 in 2002) and career kickoff returns (72). Frederick is in the top ten in the record book in 11 other categories.

Smith (6-1, 276 lbs.) joins the Brigade after one year out of football. He last played for the Nittany Lions in the epic 2006 Orange Bowl in which Penn State defeated the Florida State Seminoles 26-23 in triple overtime. Smith played center and deep snapper in his career in Happy Valley.

"I'm really excited. I came out with the coaches for a workout a few weeks ago and felt it went well," Smith said. "I'm looking forward to playing football again and getting back in the swing of things and having fun. I'm a multi-dimensional player so hopefully that will get me on the field as much as possible."

During his senior season, Smith anchored a line that helped Penn State lead the Big Ten in scoring offense (35.2 ppg) in conference games and double its overall scoring average from 2004. Named a third-team Freshman All-American by The Sporting News, Smith started the season opener and five other games and played in 12 games his first year.

A native of Concord, N.C., Smith won the U.S. Army Scholar-Athlete Award while at Concord High School. He started 46 consecutive games at defensive tackle and helped his team to four consecutive playoff berths under his coach and father, E.Z. Smith III.



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from October 27, 2006


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