Desperados Lose Five in AFL Expansion Draft
October 8, 2003 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Dallas Desperados News Release
With three new teams joining the Arena Football League in 2004, the league held an Expansion Draft this afternoon to help stock the new teams in Austin, New Orleans and Philadelphia. Each existing team could protect up to 16 players on their roster, leaving 36 unprotected players for the expansion teams to pick from. The Dallas Desperados exposed six players and lost five during the draft.
OL/DL D.J. Cooper was taken by the New Orleans VooDoo with the first pick in the draft. Cooper, who was part of both of Dallas' 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.
OL/DL Doug Lytle was selected with the 10th pick in the draft by the Los Angeles Avengers, who had acquired the pick from New Orleans. Lytle signed with the Desperados as a free agent last offseason and started at center for 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.
OS Shannon Culver was taken by Austin with the 12th pick. Culver saw action in 2002 and 2003 as one of Dallas' offensive specialists. His play over the last half of the 2002 season helped propel Dallas into the playoffs in their inaugural season. In seven games last spring, 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.
WR/DB Brian Hinton was taken by the Grand Rapids Rampage with the 14th pick in the draft. The Rampage acquired the selection from the Philadelphia Soul. Hinton signed with the Desperados last offseason but did not report to training camp. He spent the 2003 season on Dallas' Reserve/Did Not Report list.
DS Kareem Larrimore was the final Desperado selected, taken by Austin with the 18th pick in the draft. Larrimore saw action in only seven games in 2003 while spending time on the Reserve/Injured list three times due to a sprained knee and a low back strain. 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.
The Desperados will be holding the club's third annual open tryout on Saturday, Nov. 1 at Texas Stadium. Participants can pre-register on the club's website â www.dallasdesperados.com - or on Nov. 1 at the stadium beginning at 8:00 a.m. The pre-registration cost is $45 and the day of the event registration cost is $55. Each participant will receive an official Dallas Desperados Camp t-shirt. All players will be evaluated in the 40-yard dash, 20-yard shuttle and standing broad jump. Selected players will be invited to participate in an elite workout, where players will be evaluated in drills specific to the game of Arena Football.
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.
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from October 8, 2003
- Philadelphia Soul Add Three Players Through Expansion Draft - Philadelphia Soul
- Georgia Force Names Rockwell as New General Manager - Georgia Force
- New Teams Take Shape - AFL I
- L.A. Avengers acquire OL/DL Doug Lytle - Los Angeles Avengers
- New Orleans VooDoo Pick Two in AFL Expansion Draft - New Orleans VooDoo
- Rush Lose Bowick, Taylor in Expansion Draft - Chicago Rush
- Rampage Add Three Players from Expansion Draft - Grand Rapids Rampage
- Desperados Lose Five in AFL Expansion Draft - Dallas Desperados
- Rush to Read Kicks off Third Year - Chicago Rush
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