Cobras Cory Fleming Focused to Take o Former Team
June 12, 2002 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Carolina Cobras News Release
For Cobras' wide receiver/linebacker Cory Fleming, Carolina's 55-54 win over the Georgia Force back on April 26 was bittersweet. Fleming, who spent his first five seasons in the Arena Football League with the Nashville Kats, and his Cobras teammates will go for the season sweep of the Force this Friday, June 14, 7:30 p.m. at the Entertainment & Sports Arena.
The Force moved from Nashville, Tenn. to Atlanta, Ga. and changed their name to Georgia Force this off-season.
In this season's earlier meeting with Georgia, Fleming caught six passes for 29 yards, including the game-winning touchdown with less than a minute remaining.
"It was pretty sweet," Fleming said after the game, "I was really excited to play them because I think they looked at us and thought that they would just come in here and have their way with us."
The Cobras (4-4) used the victory over the Force to start a three-game winning streak, but have since dropped two straight and three of their last four games. Carolina will look to get back on track this week against Georgia (3-5), who has won two in a row for the first time this season.
As an AFL veteran and a team-leader, Fleming knows what it takes to get to the big game. He helped the Nashville Kats (now the Force) to back-to-back ArenaBowl appearances in 2000 and 2001 and was part of the Dallas Cowboys' Super Bowl championship team in 1995.
A standout wide receiver at the University of Tennessee, Fleming was selected in the third round of the 1994 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers and later signed a free agent contract with the Cowboys. After his NFL playing career ended in 1996, Fleming headed back home to Tennessee, where he joined the AFL's expansion Nashville Kats in 1997.
He led the Kats to a 10-5 record and a playoff berth as an expansion team. In fact, Nashville had a winning record and made the playoffs in each of Fleming's five seasons (1997-2001) in the Music City. Cory had arguably the best three seasons (1997-99) of any receiver in AFL history, reaching the 300-catch mark quicker than any other player.
Injuries have slowed the former AFL Rookie of the Year (1997) the past two seasons, but Fleming looked in top-form last week in a heartbreaking 48-42 overtime loss to the Arizona Rattlers. He led the club with eight catches for 97 yards and two touchdowns, including a 15-yard scoring pass from John Fitzgerald to tie the score at 42-42 as time expired in regulation.
Fleming and the rest of the Cobras offense will look to get back on track against a Force defense that ranks last in the league in total yards allowed (302.0) and passing yards allowed (283.9).
"I like to play against my old guys and I was fortunate to make some good things happen out there the last time we played them," Fleming said. "Some of those guys in that organization thought they didn't need me anymore, so for that reason beating them the first time was real sweet."
The second time around may be a little more difficult, but Fleming has confidence the Cobras offense can get the job done against the Force.
"I have confidence in Coach Neu and that was one of the main things that brought me here," Fleming said. "I know he's going to get guys that are going to play ball. I look at guys like Carl Bond and Aaron Bailey and they bring their 'A' game every week. There are going to be enough balls to go around, and what makes it so great is that nobody is selfish and everybody makes plays."
NEWS & NOTES
COBRAS/FORCE CONNECTIONS...Cory Fleming won't be the only Cobra player with ties to the Georgia Force (Nashville Kats) franchise....DS Robert Davis and line coach Brennen Booth were all with the Nashville Kats organization last season...Carolina FB/LB/Special Teams coach Jorge Cimadevilla was a kicker for the Kats from 1997-98 and also spent the 1999 season as the club's quality control administrator... Carolina head coach Mike Neu was a player (1997) and coach for the Kats organization (1998-99).
HOME COOKIN'...The Cobras have gotten off to an uncharacteristically slow start at home this season (1-3). Last year, Carolina finished with a 5-2 record at the ESA and the Cobras are 8-10 (.444) all-time at home. Last week, home teams in the AFL went 5-3 and through the first eight weeks of the regular season AFL home teams are a combined 36-28 (.562).
FITZ ON FIRE...Carolina QB John Fitzgerald set career numbers in attempts (43) and completions (27) in last week's 48-42 overtime loss to Arizona. On the season, Fitzgerald has completed 82-of-128 passes for 877 yards and 10 touchdowns with two interceptions. He's also rushed seven times for 15 yards and four scores.
PICKED UP...It is expected that former Cobras OL/DL Colin Greczek will sign with the Orlando Predators today. Greczek, who played in seven games and totaled 4.0 tackles for the Cobras before being waived on June 5, will join QB Connell Maynor on the Predators' roster. Maynor was released by Carolina on June 5 and signed by Orlando the next day.
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