Desperados Expose Six Players for AFL Expansion Draft
October 2, 2003 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Dallas Desperados News Release
With the Arena Football League expanding by up to three teams for the 2004 season, the league will hold the 2004 Expansion Draft for its newest teams â New Orleans VooDoo, Philadelphia Soul and possibly an Austin, Tex., team â on Wednesday, Oct. 8. For this draft, the Desperados have left unprotected OL/DL D.J. Cooper, OS Shannon Culver, WR/DB Brian Hinton, OL/DL Ben Huff, DS Kareem Larrimore and OL/DL Doug Lytle.
Cooper, who has been part of both of Dallas's fist two teams, saw action in six games last spring. He finished the season with five tackles and a quarterback pressure on defense while catching two touchdown passes on the offensive side of the ball.
Culver has played a big part in the initial success of the team, seeing action in 2002 and 2003 as an offensive specialist. His play over the last half of the 2002 season helped propel Dallas into the playoffs in their inaugural season. In seven games last year, he caught 37 passes for 478 yards and 10 touchdowns, returned six kickoffs for 103 yards (17.2 avg.) and rushed twice for -1 yard. He saw action early in the year before being inactive for eight of the final nine games, including the playoff loss to Georgia.
Hinton signed with the Desperados last offseason but did not report to training camp. He spent the season on the Reserve/Did Not Report list.
Huff came to Dallas as part of the trade that sent QB Andy Kelly to Detroit a year ago. Huff had two stints on the Reserve/Injured list in 2003 before seeing his first action in the season finale at Grand Rapids. He also played in the playoff loss to Georgia, but did not record any statistics in either game.
Larrimore, who made a big impact as a rookie in 2002, saw action in only seven games in 2003 while spending time on the Reserve/Injured list three times. He finished the season with 27.0 tackles, four passes defensed and half a tackle for a loss, 27 kickoff returns for 476 yards (17.6 avg.), two interceptions for six yards and a missed field goal return for 17 yards. He suffered a sprained MCL in his right knee at Arizona (3/2) and missed the next four games. He then suffered a low back strain at Indiana (4/13) and missed the following three games. He was activated for one game before being placed back on IR on May 16 due to his low back strain, missing the season finale and playoff game.
Lytle signed with the Desperados as a free agent last offseason and started at center for the team in the first 15 games of the season before tearing the ACL and MCL in his left knee at Georgia (5/10) and being placed on Reserve/Injured. He finished the year with 9.5 tackles. He underwent reconstructive surgery on May 19 and has spent the last four moths undergoing rehabilitation.
For the expansion draft, each existing team was allowed to protect up to 16 players on their current roster. The league's newest teams have 36 players to choose from in the 12 round draft. The selecting teams have the option of passing in any particular round. After a current team has a player selected, they are allowed to pull a player off the board. The draft will conclude after 36 selections or when all the new teams pass in the same round.
The Desperados and the rest of the AFL kick off the 2004 season the weekend of Feb. 6-8. The AFL will be releasing the 2004 schedule in the coming weeks. However, Desperados season ticket packages are available now by calling 972-785-4900.
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