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Coyotes add six free agents

December 28, 2004 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Central Valley Coyotes News Release


FRESNO – Six players, including offensive/defensive linemen George Benson, Ricky Gaspar, Dwanyne Johnson, Tamarcus Tyson, Ben Unutoa and wide receiver/defensive back George Williams, have been assigned by the arenafootball2 league to the Central Valley Coyotes.

Benson (6-3, 325 pounds), who will enter his first season in af2, played defensive tackle at Fresno State University and Fresno City College before transferring to Louisiana-Lafayette in 2003.

Born on June 30, 1982, Benson prepped at Skyline High (Oakland, Calif.) where he helped lead his team to a 33-3 record in his three years on the varsity squad and was selected to the Bay Area's All-A&G newspaper team.

Gaspar (6-3, 310 pounds) will also be playing in his first af2 season after spending one season with the Try-City Diesel of the National Indoor Football League in 2004.

The lineman played at Linfield (Org.) College where he was a three-time first-team all-conference selection as well as a Division III All-West Region lineman. During his three years at Linfield, the team captain led the Wildcats to a 30-4 record.

Born on September 7, 1981, Gaspar is a native of Olympia, Wash.

Johnson (6-3, 335 pounds), will return for his second season with the Coyotes where recorded two and a half tackles in 2004 as an offensive/defensive lineman.

While at Iowa State, Johnson played on the defensive line in 2001 and later switched to offensive lineman in 2002, helping the Cyclones reach the Humanitarian Bowl. Prior to his career at Iowa State, the lineman played at San Jose City College.

Born on March 29, 1980, Johnson played at Milpitas (Calif.) High.

Tyson (6-3, 290 pounds), who is a native of Oakland and was a star at Freemont High, played on the Fresno State offensive line during 2001 and 2002.

Unutoa (6-5, 280 pounds), who started at tight end and tackle at Kentucky State University, will be playing in his first year in af2.

As a senior at Kentucky State in 2002, Unutoa was selected first-team All-Southern Conference as an offensive lineman. The previous year, Unutoa made a midseason switch from tight end, where he made the all-conference team in 2000.

In 2003, Unutoa was selected to play in the Cactus Bowl all-star game at Kingsville, Texas, on Jan. 10, along with 16 of the 22 seniors on the American Football Coaches Association Division II All-America team. Prior to his career at Kentucky State, Unutoa won a Junior College Championship at San Fracisco City College in 1999.

Born on March, 4 1977, Unutoa attended Wai'anae High in Honolulu, Haw.

Williams (6-1, 195 pounds) brings three years of arena football experience to Central Valley. Last season he played for the Manchester Wolves and Cape Fear Wildcats, totaling 91 receptions for 1184 yards and 25 touchdowns. In 2001, with the af2's Richmond Speed, the wide receiver/defensive back pulled in 54 passes for 879 yards and 13 touchdowns. On defense he recorded 53 tackles and three interceptions.

The two-way star would later earn a spot on the Las Vegas Gladiators of the Arena Football League in 2002. In his two seasons with the Gladiators, Williams played in 10 games, caught 36 passes for 447 yards and six touchdowns. In 2003, Williams rejoined the Speed for a game before being picked up by the Memphis Xplorers. Last season he returned to the AFL towards the end of the season to play a limited role with the Orlando Predators.

While at Butte Junior College, Williams was a first-team Golden Valley selection before transferring to Kansas State in 1998. He played two seasons with the Wildcats as a back up wide receiver, compiling 202 yards and scoring a couple of touchdowns.

"It is great to bring in a core of lineman to build around," said Coyote head coach Fred Biletnikoff Jr. "We are also extremely exited to bring in a two way player with so much arena experience. These moves have us in the right direction."

The Coyote's will kick off their 2005 af2 season on the road in Bakersfield on April 2. Their first home game will be on April 23 at 7:30 p.m. against the Arkansas Twisters. Fifty dollar deposits for 2005 Coyote season tickets, which include eight games played at Selland Arena, are now being accepted at 559-263-9780.

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