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Destroyers Head To Nashville

January 30, 2006 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Columbus Destroyers News Release


THE QUICK FACTS: Game: Columbus Destroyers (1-0) at Nashville (1-0). Date: Friday, February 3 Kickoff: 7:00 p.m. (CT) Site: Gaylord Entertainment Center (15,711) Officials: R-Terry Brown, U-Rick Lowe, HL-Rod Pearson, LJ-Art Lucky, BJ-Scott Helverson Television: FSN South (tape-delayed, 10 p.m. CT). Eli Gold (Play-by-Play), Charles Davis (Analyst). Radio: Kats Radio Network. Flagship Station - 104.5 The Zone. Mike Keith (Play-by-Play), Larry Stone (Analyst). Internet: Live stats online at www.arenafootball.com. Last Week: Nashville 57, NEW YORK 28 Columbus, Grand Rapids Series Record: Nashville leads 2-0. Last Meeting: KATS 47, Destroyers 38 (1/28/05) Series Streaks: Nashville won previous two meetings. Coaches: Pat Sperduto, NAS (5th season; 39-27-1 overall). Doug Kay, first season in CLB. (1st season; 16-24 overall). MEDIA CONTACTS: Nashville, Ryan Altizer (wk: 615.565.4282; cell: 615.330.6969; email: raltizer@titans.nfl.com). Columbus, Ryan Holtmann (wk:614.246.0288; email: rholtmann@bluejackets.com).

OVERVIEW: The Nashville Kats host Columbus in their home opener in a game of two 1-0 teams. Nashville, who pounded defending Eastern Division champ New York last week, looks to duplicate an unbelievable defensive effort that included seven sacks in week one. Columbus will likely be a stiffer test, however, after posting a blowout of their own against Grand Rapids last week. The Destroyers are completely retooled from last year's squad which went 2-14. Columbus hired veteran coach Doug Kay in the offseason and cleaned house in the locker room. In fact, only four players from last year's team remain. A win would give the Kats their first 2-0 start since 1998.

THE SCHEDULES: 2006 Nashville Kats (1-0)

Game Opponent Result Time/Score Jan. 28 @ New York Won 57-28 Feb. 3 COLUMBUS 7:00 p.m. Feb. 12 @Chicago 2:00 p.m. Feb. 18 COLORADO 7:00 p.m. Feb. 25 GRAND RAPIDS 7:00 p.m. Mar. 4 @ Arizona 8:00 p.m. Mar. 10 @ Utah 8:00 p.m. Mar. 17 CHICAGO 7:00 p.m. Mar. 25 SAN JOSE 7:00 p.m. Apr. 1 @ Colorado 8:00 p.m. Apr. 8 @ Las Vegas 9:30 p.m. Apr. 14 PHILADELPHIA 7:00 p.m. Apr. 21 KANSAS CITY 7:00 p.m. Apr. 29 @ Grand Rapids 7:00 p.m. May 6 @ Los Angeles 9:30 p.m. May 13 TAMPA BAY 7:00 p.m.

2006 Columbus Destroyers (1-0)

Game Opponent Result Time/Score Jan. 29 GRAND RAPIDS Won 53-30 Feb. 3 @ Nashville 7:00 p.m. Feb. 11 DALLAS 6:00 p.m. Feb. 19 @ Kansas City 1:00 p.m. Feb. 24 ARIZONA 6:00 p.m. Mar. 3 @ New York 7:30 p.m. Mar. 10 GEORGIA 6:00 p.m. Mar. 18 PHILADELPHIA 6:00 p.m. Apr. 25 @ Colorado 8:00 p.m. Apr. 1 @ Dallas 6:30 p.m. Apr. 9 ORLANDO 2:00 p.m. Apr. 14 NEW YORK 6:00 p.m. Apr. 21 @ Philadelpha 6:00 p.m. Apr. 29 @ Austin 7:00 p.m. May 6 TAMPA BAY 7:00 p.m. May 13 @ San Jose 9:30 p.m.

THE SERIES: Nashville defeated Columbus 47-28 at Nationwide Arena last year in the franchises' first meeting (1/28/05). The Kats also played the Destroyers in 2001, when the team was located in Buffalo. Nashville defeated Buffalo, 87-48, on June 22, 2001, at the Gaylord Entertainment Center. That win marked Nashville's highest point production ever.

KATS INJURY REPORT

Player Injury Status Chris Angel Knee/Calf Out Rupert Grant Knee Out Jarrick Hillery Elbow Out Ronald Jones Elbow Out

LAST SERIES MEETING: Nashville 47, Columbus 38 (1/28/05 @ Columbus) The Kats overcame a five-point fourth-quarter deficit to win at Columbus in the first game after the franchise's rebirth. After Columbus moved ahead, 38-33, with a one- yard TD run with 11 minutes, 13 seconds left, the Kats got in gear and put the game away. A 24-yard TD strike from Leon Murray to Dan Alexander and a six-yard TD run by Murray in the final six minutes was enough for a 47-38 Kats victory.

KATS-DESTOYERS TIES: Destroyers backup quarterback Billy Dicken was in camp with the Kats in 2000... Starting quarterback John Kaleo was a teammate of Kats WR/LB Darryl Hammond in St. Louis and Austin, and he was a teammate of T.T. Toliver in Tampa Bay, where both won an ArenaBowl title in 2003... Columbus DS Cecil Doggette played in Arizona with Nashville lineman Charlie Morris.

LAST WEEK: Nashville 57, New York 38 (1/28/06 @ New York) The Nashville Kats scored 19 unanswered points at the end of the first half  and ran away with a 57-28  win over the defending Eastern Division champion New York Dragons at Nassau Coliseum on Saturday night. Nashville got three touchdowns from Jarrick Hillery and used a stifling defense to hold the ordinarily high-octane Dragons offense to just 28 points and 241 total yards. Nashville hounded AFL record-setting quarterback Aaron Garcia all night, sacking him a team-record seven times, intercepting him twice and also forcing a fumble on the center exchange.

Columbus 53, G. Rapids 30 (1/29/06 @ Columbus) Columbus QB John Kaleo completed 23-of-42 passes for 256 yards and four touchdowns to help the Destroyers to a season-opening 53-30 victory over the Grand Rapids Rampage at Nationwide Arena. OS Thabiti Davis earned Offensive Player of the Game honors after finishing his first game in a Destroyers uniform with 10 receptions for 131 yards and three touchdowns. Wide receiver/linebacker David Saunders was awarded Ironman of the Game honors after he recorded 3.5 tackles, broke up one pass, and added five receptions for 65 yards. Defensive specialist Cecil Doggette was named Defensive Player of the Game after leading the Destroyers with 5.0 tackles and an interception.

SERIES NOTABLES: Nashville defeated Columbus last year in its season opener, only to lose its next seven games, the longest losing streak in Kats history... The 87 points Nashville scored in the 2001 win over the Destroyers was the most in team history. The Kats found the end zone a team-record 12 times in that contest...

Destroyers QB John Kaleo is 3-2, all-time against the Kats, but his three wins all came as a member of the Tampa Bay Storm in 2000 and 2001. He was the QB for Los Angeles last season when the Kats upset the Avengers, 51-48, in Nashville.

Kaleo vs. Kats

Date Result Com-Att Yds Td Int 4/17/05 NAS 51, LA 48 25-35 304 6 0 4/21/01 TB 45, NAS 40 21-44 239 5 0 7/14/00 TB 35, NAS 31 20-29 215 2 1 6/15/00 TB 40, NAS, 30 18-36 195 2 0 5/2/97 NAS 47, SJ 21 12-29 127 2 2 Totals 96-173 1080 17 3

Offensive specialist Thabiti Davis had a big day against the Kats last season as a member of the New Orleans Voodoo. Here are his stats from that contest:

Davis Vs. Kats

Date Result Rec Yds Td 2/4/05 NO 59, NAS 34 8 58 3 Totals 8 58 3

Kats quarterback Clint Stoerner had a pair of outstanding games against Columbus last season while playing for the Dallas Desperados. Here are his numbers against the Destroyers:

Stoerner vs. Destroyers

Date Result Com-Att Yds Td Int 2/13/05 DAL 35, CLB 31 15-24 186 3 0 4/22/05 DAL 55, CLB 33 21-28 239 4 0 Totals 36-52 425 7 0

Kats backup Leon Murray has also fared well against Columbus in two games against the Destroyers. He led Nashville to a win at Columbus in the season opener last season, and also beat the Destroyers while playing with Georgia in 2004. Here are his numbers in those games:

Murray vs. Destroyers

Date Result Com-Att Yds Td Int 1/28/05 NAS 47, CLB 38 25-35 232 3 0 5/9/04 GEO 72, CLB 51 24-34 334 8 0 Totals 49-69 566 11 0

Kats receivers have had mixed success in their careers against Columbus. Here's a look at those numbers:

Fleming Vs. Destroyers

Date Result Rec Yds Td 4/4/04 CMB 55, ORL 46 13 164 3 Totals 13 164 3

Hammond Vs. Destroyers

Date Result Rec Yds Td 1/28/05 NAS 47, CLB 38 2 11 0 Totals 2 11 0

Toliver vs. Destroyers

Date Result Rec Yds TD 4/25/04 TB 46, CLB 36 2 14 0 Totals 2 14 0

Bonner vs. Destroyers

Date Result Rec Yds TD 3/12/05 LV 63, CLB 34 1 17 0 Totals 1 17 0

THE COACHES: Nashville - Pat Sperduto, 5th season 38-27-1 (.583) overall Pat Sperduto is in his fifth season as head coach of the Nashville Kats. After struggling to a 1-7 start in 2005, the Kats first year back in Nashville after moving to Atlanta in 2001, Sperduto pushed the Kats to win five of their last eight games to finish 6-9-1. He was at the helm of the original Kats team from 1999-2001. Prior to last year, he spent the last four seasons as an assistant on the staff of the Tennessee Titans. He joined the NFL club after spending five seasons with the old Nashville Kats. He compiled a 32-18 record as head coach the last three seasons and led his team to back-to-back appearances in the ArenaBowl in 2000 and 2001. Sperduto replaced Eddie Khayat as head coach in 1999 and posted the best record of seven AFL coaches who took over new teams in 2000. Sperduto spent his first two years as defensive coordinator for the Kats and was elevated to assistant head coach in 1998. He is a three-time ArenaBowl World Champion, winning twice as a player for the Tampa Bay Storm (1991 and '93) and once as an assistant coach with the Storm (1994). Sperduto began his professional career as a player with the Canadian Football League's British Columbia Lions before joining the Tampa Bay Storm in the AFL from 1991-93.

Columbus - Doug Kay, 1st season 16-24 (.400) overall The Columbus Destroyers hired Doug Kay to take over the role of head coach on July 14, 2005. Kay enters his first season in Columbus with 12 years of Arena Football coaching experience. In 10 of his 12 seasons, Kay's teams have qualified for the playoffs, including two ArenaBowl championships. Kay is guiding his third team. He coached the Charlotte Rage in 1995 and the Carolina Cobras in 2000 and 2001. He has also coached in the college ranks and in the USFL.

2006 TEAM STATISTICAL RANKINGS

Category Kats Destroyers Scoring Offense 57.0 (4th) 53.0 (6th) Scoring Defense 28.0 (1st) 30.0 (2nd) Total Offense 296.0 (4TH) 285.0 (7th) Total Defense 241.0 (6th) 280.0 (10th) Pass Offense 254.0 (9th) 256.0 (8th) Pass Defense 227.0 (5th) 251.0 (9th) Rushing Offense 42.0 (4th) 29.0 (6th) Rushing Defense 14.0 (9th) 29.0 (12th) Interceptions 2 (t-1st) 2 (t-1st) Turnover Margin +2 (2nd) +4 (1st) Kickoff Return Avg. 30.0 (2nd) 17.0 (7th) Sacks By 7 (1st) 1 (3rd) Sacks Against 0 (t-1st) 0 (t-1st)

NOTES: GETTING DEFENSIVE - The Kats began the season by making a statement on the defensive side of the ball. Nashville held the usually high-flying New York offense to just 28 points, marking only the second time in the Dragons' six-year existence that the team had been held to fewer than 30 points in a game. The Kats sacked New York quarterback Aaron Garcia seven times, coming up just one sack shy of tying the league record, and hit him a whopping 26 times in the game. They also held the Dragons to just 241 total yards in the contest. After week one, Nashville's defense finds itself in a familiar position - atop the AFL's defensive scoring list. The 28 points Nashville surrendered in the first week was the lowest total in the league, and the 44.7 points per game they allowed last season also was the best mark in the AFL. Nashville, which also led the AFL in scoring defense in 2001 (the last year of the old Kats franchise) held opponents to 40 points or less five times last season.

SACK ATTACK - Nashville, which finished tied for the league lead in sacks last season with 24, nearly tied the AFL record for sacks in a game last week. The seven QB takedowns that the Kats registered against New York were the most in team history and just one shy of the league record of eight. Three players had sacks in the win - Frank Carter (4), Aaron McConnell (2) and Anthony Herron (1). Carter's four was the most in team history and ties him for third in AFL history. He and McConnell currently rank 1-2 in league sack leaders, and the Kats were the only team to have more than two sacks last week. Last year, the Kats had six players who had at least three sacks on the year, while no other team had more than three players reach that mark. Of those six players, the Kats return four (James Baron, Rupert Grant, Aaron McConnell, Joe Minucci), plus they have added FB/LB Frank Carter, who tied for second in the league with nine sacks a year ago.

A GREAT FIRST IMPRESSION - Nashville made a few well-publicized acquisitions in the offseason, and several of those made a key impact in last week's season opener. FB/LB Frank Carter, who was signed as a free agent from Las Vegas, had a team-record four sacks in the game. Meanwhile, free agent pickup Monty Montgomery, whom Nashville signed away from New Orleans, had two interceptions. Quarterback Clint Stoerner, who was landed in a trade with Dallas, threw for 254 yards and four TD's. Lineman Anthony Herron, who was activated from the Kats' exempt list after playing last season in the NFL, also had a sack. Nashville WR/LB Cory Fleming came over in a trade with Orlando, and he had two catches and a TD in the win.

HOME OPENERS - The Kats are 3-3, all-time, in home openers, winning games to start out the 1997, 1998 and 2001 seasons. Nashville dropped its home opener last year, losing 59-34 to New Orleans. Sperduto is 1-3 in home debuts as the Kats coach since taking over the top job in 1999. A complete look at the Kats' home openers through the years:

KATS HOME OPENERS

Date Opponent Result Score Feb. 4, 2005 NEW ORLEANS L 34-59 Apr. 13, 2001 ORLANDO W 50-25 Apr. 13, 2000 ALBANY L 65-76 Apr. 23, 1999 ORLANDO L 40-49 May 01, 1998 HOUSTON W 64-40 May 02, 1997 SAN JOSE W 47-21

OLD SCHOOL - This Kats team has a familiar look to it, as five players on this year's roster were also with the team in its previous version (1997-2001). OL/DL James Baron, WR/LB Cory Fleming, FB/LB Rupert Grant, WR/LB Darryl Hammond and WR/DB Jarrick Hillery all played with the old Kats, and all were on Nashville's back-to-back ArenaBowl squads in 2000 and 2001.

ARE YOU EXPERIENCED? - Nashville began the 2006 season with a much different look than when it began the 2005 season. The biggest change is reflected in the years of AFL experience this year's roster has compared to last year's. When the Kats played their season opener at Columbus on Jan. 28, 2005, the active roster featured 24 players with a combined 46 years of AFL experience. When Nashville opened the year at New York exactly one year later, they featured 23 players with a combined 80 years of experience. That is an improvement of 34 combined years, and that does not include the nine years of AFL experience between injured reserve players Rupert Grant and Chris Angel. The 2005 opening week roster had 11 rookies, where this year's opening roster had only one - lineman Tyrone Hopson, who was inactive for the first game.

STOERNER GETS THE NOD - Much of the offseason talk surrounding the Kats centered on the quarterback position, where incumbent starter Leon Murray was competing with Clint Stoerner, an AFL All-Rookie choice with Dallas last season, for the starting job. Nashville traded for Stoerner in the offseason, and both players looked solid during training camp. Kats coach Pat Sperduto did not announce the starter before last week's game, but it was Stoerner who played the entire contest under center. The second-year player, who finished second in last season's Rookie of the Year voting, completed 20-of-31 passes for 254 yards, four TD's and an INT. Stoerner played three seasons in the NFL before bursting onto the AFL scene with the Dallas Desperados last year. He was named to the All-Rookie squad and was runner-up in the Rookie of the Year voting. Murray did not play in the season opener. Here is a comparison of the two players' numbers from last season:

Player G Att. Cmp. Pct. Yds. TD INT Murray 13 416 250 60.1 2851 48 10 Stoerner 16 506 322 63.6 3918 77 16

BIG BOY FOOTBALL - While most teams in the Arena Football League tend to air it out, Nashville head coach Pat Sperduto loves to keep the ball on the ground. That was reflected in week one when the Kats ran the ball 10 times for 42 yards and two touchdowns. Nashville ranks fourth in the AFL in rushing after one week. The original Kats, under Sperduto, perfected what the coach calls "Big Boy Football," highlighted by a pounding ground game. Nashville led the AFL in rushing in 2000 and 2001, averaging more than 35 yards per game on the ground in both seasons. Last year, the Kats ranked third in the AFL in rushing, averaging 32.9 yards per game.

SUPER SOPHS - The Kats feature four of last year's AFL All-Rookie selections, easily the most of any other team. Nashville FB/LB Dan Alexander and linemen Aaron McConnell and Joe Minucci were honored for their outstanding rookie seasons in 2005, and the Kats got the All-Rookie quarterback (Clint Stoerner) in a trade with Dallas in the offseason.

ALEXANDER THE GREAT - Kats FB/LB Dan Alexander leads the league in rushing after the first week, having gained 35 yards on eight carries in the win over New York. He also scored on a one-yard run. The 35-yard performance tied his career best, set in last year's season opener at Columbus. Alexander, who played at Nebraska and in the NFL for the Titans, Jaguars and Rams, was an AFL All-Rookie FB/LB last season.

SECOND(ARY) TO NONE - The Kats have put together one of the most formidable secondaries in the league, adding to a group that already helped Nashville post the third-best turnover margin (+8) in the AFL in 2005. In addition to returning stars Khalil Carter (a second-team All-Arena standout last season), Reggie Stephens and Rober' Freeman, the Kats added two-year veteran Monty Montgomery from New Orleans and six-year vet Cornelius Bonner from Las Vegas. Montgomery was an All-Rookie choice in 2004, and he is currently tied for the league lead in interceptions with two. In addition, the 9.5 tackles that he registered in last week's win over New York, ranks him second in the AFL after one week. Bonner is a two-way player, whose 12 INT's over the last two years is second only to three-time AFL Defensive Player of the Year Kenny McEntyre during that span. As is true with the rest of the team, this year's defensive backfield is a much more veteran unit than the one Nashville fielded in 2005. Coming into '05, the Kats had four natural defensive backs with a combined three years of experience in the AFL. This season, Nashville's five primary DB's on the active roster have a combined 12 years of experience. Those five (Carter, Freeman, Montgomery and Stephens), plus WR/DB Jarrick Hillery, had a combined 18 interceptions in 2005.

NEW FACES - Nashville made some significant roster additions over the offseason, resulting in several new faces on this year's squad. One of the most notable is WR/LB Cory Fleming, who rejoins the Kats after a year in Carolina and three seasons with Orlando. He was the AFL Ironman of the Year in 2004. Nashville also signed first-team All-Arena FB/LB Frank Carter, as well as veteran WR/DB Cornelius Bonner, both of whom played for Las Vegas last season. The Kats also traded for QB Clint Stoerner, who started all 16 games for Dallas in 2005, and they signed defensive specialist Monty Montgomery, who was an AFL All-Rookie choice in 2004. A list of the new faces to the 2006 Kats:

Player Pos. Exp. Spent 2005... Chris Angel DS 2 New York Cornelius Bonner WR/DB 6 Las Vegas Frank Carter FB/LB 4 Las Vegas Cory Fleming WR/LB 9 Orlando Anthony Herron OL/DL 1 NFL-Atlanta Tyrone Hopson OL/DL R ---- Ronald Jones OL/DL R ---- Monty Montgomery DS 2 New Orleans Clint Stoerner QB 1 Dallas

TITANS CONNECTIONS - Five of the 23 players on Nashville's active roster have spent time with the Tennessee Titans organization. FB/LB Dan Alexander and saw extensive playing time with the NFL club, while DS Rober' Freeman, WR/LB Jermaine Lewis, OL/DL Aaron McConnell and OL/DL Joe Minucci were all in camp with the Titans at some point. Head coach Pat Sperduto also served on the Titans' staff the four seasons between his stints with the Kats.

PROTECTING THE PASSER - In stark contrast to the damage they did on the other side of the ball, Kats linemen were nearly perfect on offense at New York, not allowing any sacks and only allowing Stoerner to be hit twice. They also paved the way for 42 yards rushing and two TD's on the ground.

AMONG THE GREATEST - The Kats had two players on the recently-announced AFL's 20 Greatest Players of All-Time list. Lineman James Baron, who is widely considered the most dominant lineman to ever play the game, was ranked sixth. That is higher than any other non-quarterback or receiver. WR/LB Cory Fleming was tied for 14th on the list. Darryl Hammond, who was on the voting committee, also received votes. Nashville and Arizona were the only two teams to have two active players on the list.

FLEMING RETURNS - Friday night's Kats home opener will mark the first game legendary WR/LB Cory Fleming has played in his hometown in nearly five years. One of the AFL's all-time greats, Fleming returns to the Kats in 2006 after spending the last three years with the Orlando Predators. He has posted 39 games with 100 or more receiving yards and 23 games with 10 or more catches in his nine-year career. He had two grabs for 46 yards and a tremendous touchdown catch in last week's win at New York. The TD reception was the 800th catch of his career and it marked the 41st consecutive game in which he has caught at least one TD pass. Fleming has earned first unit All-AFL honors four times, including 1997, 1998, 2004 and 2005, and he was named AFL Ironman of the Year, signifying the Arena Football League's best two-way player in 2004. He was tabbed AFL Rookie of the Year in 1997. His 800 career receptions ranks him third, all-time, behind Barry Wagner and Edie Brown. He ranks fourth on the all-time lists for career touchdowns (197) and receiving yards (9,704). Fleming has averaged 89 receptions, 1,073 receiving yards and 25 receiving touchdowns in his previous nine seasons in the AFL, despite missing all but five games in 2001 and the final four games of the 2000 season with injuries. Last season, he was named to the first-team All-Arena squad, catching 96 passes for 1,089 yards and 33 touchdowns for the Orlando Predators, and helping to lead the team to the AFL semifinals.

BARON OF DEFENSE - OL/DL James Baron is widely known as one of the AFL's all-time greatest linemen, and he showed why in last week's season opener. Although he had no sacks in the game, his fierce push on the defensive line helped pave the way for Kats defenders to register a whopping seven sacks in the win. He also batted down a pass at the line. Last year, Baron sat out the first two games of the season with an ankle injury, ending his streak of 131 consecutive games played. He returned, registering 11 tackles, four stops for loss, three sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a safety in his 14 games. Baron was recently named no. 6 on the list of the league's 20 greatest players, and he has been named the league's defensive player of the year once and lineman of the year twice. The former Virginia Tech standout earned all-Arena honors six times (1997-2002), including the first-team five times. He is a two-time member of the all-Ironman team (1999, 2001), and he has 39.5 career sacks - tied for fourth-most in AFL history. With his next full sack, he will become the fourth player in league history to surpass 40 career sacks, and he will jump into third place on the career list. Baron could move into second with four sacks in 2006. His 24.5 career tackles for loss is the second-highest total in AFL history, and he was named to the AFL's 15th Anniversary all-time team at the 2001 ArenaBowl. Baron, who played three seasons with Chicago between stints in Nashville, was one of only two players to play in all 80 games with the previous Kats franchise, including 10 postseason contests (joining quarterback Andy Kelly). He is Nashville's franchise leader in sacks (39.5), and he also holds team records for sacks in one season (7.0) and sacks in one game (2.5).

SWEET 16 - Kats WR/LB Darryl Hammond began his 16th year in the AFL (the longest tenure in Arena Football League history) last week at New York. He caught two passes for 15 yards and had three stops in the win. Hammond continued to defy Father Time in 2005, earning a selection to the league's All-Ironman team. He had 66 receptions for 632 yards, eight TD's and 42.5 tackles in 14 games played last season. In 2005, he became just the second player in league history to have 8,000 receiving yards and 30 interceptions in a career. San Jose WR/LB Barry Wagner is the only other player to have accomplished the feat. Hammond now has 8,474 receiving yards and 30 INT's. He is one of only three players in AFL history to surpass 600 stops (Wagner and Grand Rapids' Damon Mason are the other two). He is fourth in AFL history with 793 career receptions and ranks eighth on the league's all-time receiving-yards gained in a career with 8,474 yards. Hammond has returned six interceptions for touchdowns in his career, tied for third-most in the AFL, and he ranks third in the league for career tackles with 633. He will join teammate Cory Fleming on the prestigious 800 career reception list with just seven more catches.

LEGENDARY PAIR - In Fleming and Hammond, Nashville features two of the top receivers in AFL history, and they are about to give the Kats a historic first. Cory Fleming became just the third player in league history to catch 800 passes in his career last week. With 793 career receptions, Hammond is just seven catches shy of becoming the fourth player on that list. When he does, the Kats will become the first team ever to have two 800-catch receivers on the same roster.

T.T. MEANS TWO TOUCHDOWNS - OS T.T. Toliver, whose 132 receiving yards was the most of any player in the league in week one, continues to show the "true meaning" of his initials by scoring two touchdowns in nearly every game he plays with the Kats. Two of his nine grabs in last week's win over New York went for scores, and he scored two or more touchdowns in six of the seven contests he played in since being acquired in a midseason trade with Tampa Bay last season. Toliver has proven to be an excellent pickup for Nashville. In fact, he was named Offensive MVP in each of his first three games he played with the team, and he got the same honor in last week's 2006 season opener. Toliver, who was named to the league's All-Ironman squad as a WR/DB in 2004, had 55 receptions for 768 yards and 17 TD's with Tampa Bay and Nashville last season. He also had 14 rushes for 57 yards and three TD's, and he ran in a pair of key two-point conversions as well. The Bethune-Cookman product was a member of Tampa Bay's 2003 ArenaBowl championship squad, and he has spent time on NFL practice squads with the San Francisco 49ers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and St. Louis Rams. Toliver has moved to offensive specialist this season after being a two-way player for his first four seasons.

HILLERY TO MISS 3-4 WEEKS - WR/DB Jarrick Hillery will likely be placed on injured reserve this week after dislocating his elbow in the week one win at New York. The injury is expected to sideline the versatile veteran 3-4 weeks. Hillery proved last week why he is one of the game's best all-around players, scoring TD's on a reception, rush and kickoff return. He had 139 total yards before being injured in the third quarter, and was named Ironman of the Game. Hillery is one of the Arena Football League's top Ironmen, having excelled in all facets of the game in his first five years in the league. The former Tennessee State star was selected to the All-Ironman team in 2001 and was an All-Rookie selection in 2000, while with the old Kats. He played with the Georgia Force in 2002 and 2003, and played last season with the Carolina Cobras. In his first six years in the league, Hillery made 214 tackles, caught 268 passes for 2,840 yards and 45 TD's, rushed for 393 yards and 28 more TD's on the ground and accumulated more than 2,000 yards and scored six times on kickoff and missed field goal returns.

FEBRUARY FIRST - The Kats are looking for their first-ever win in the month of February, after going 0-4 in the month last season. The 2005 campaign marked the first time Nashville had ever played in February.

GETTING HIS KICKS - Nashville kicker Tony Dodson knocked home two of his three field goal attempts, including a 42-yarder at the end of the first half, in last week's win over New York. He also nailed all seven of his PAT attempts in the game.

SCOUTING COLUMBUS The Destroyers look remarkably different from the team that went 2-14 just one year ago. Only four players from last season's squad remain, and new head coach Doug Kay has the squad off to a fast start. Columbus blasted Grand Rapids at home, 53-30, in last week's season opener, forcing four Rampage turnovers. The new-look Destroyers feature 10-year AFL veteran John Kaleo under center, and talented receiver Thabiti Davis at receiver. Fullback/linebacker Leroy Thompson and defensive specialist Cecil Doggette are also legendary arena football veterans. Thompson just crossed the 1,000-yard career rushing plateau last week and Doggette is the AFL's all-time leader in pass breakups. He had an interception in last week's game. Coach Kay brings a new attitude to the Destroyers and an impressive 12-season AFL resume which includes two ArenaBowl titles as an assistant in Arizona

PLAYERS TO WATCH: OS THABITI DAVIS - Davis grabbed a league-best 10 passes in last week's win for 131 yards and three touchdowns, earning him Offensive Player of the Game honors. The veteran signed as a free agent from New Orleans in the offseason, and he has caught more than 300 passes for nearly 4,000 yards in his first three years in the AFL. He torched the Kats for three TD's while playing with the VooDoo last season.

QB JOHN KALEO - Destroyers QB John Kaleo has passed for over 30,000 yards and 500 touchdowns in his 10-year career, and he led Tampa Bay to an ArenaBowl title in 2003. Kaleo, who signed with Columbus after spending the 2005 season in L.A., completed 23-of-42 passes for 246 yards and four touchdowns in last week's victory over Grand Rapids.

OL/DL KELVIN KINNEY - A force on the line who has been one of the league's top two-way lineman in recent years, Kelvin Kinney came to Columbus from Tampa Bay in the offseason. He brings veteran leadership and an ArenaBowl title with Tampa Bay to the Destroyers. He has 12 career sacks.

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