Dusters Assigned Three More to the Roster
March 6, 2006 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Amarillo Venom News Release
The Amarillo Dusters today announced the assignment from the af2 league office of three new faces to the team, headlined by an af2 standout from the 2005 season. Swing Man Gathan McGinnis, DS Donta Bright, and WR/DB Dimetric Lyons have been added to the 2006 training camp roster, and will report for camp on March 19th.
"Gathan McGinnis is a beast, and he will be a tremendous asset to our team with his pass-rushing skills and his ability to play fullback as well," said Dusters General Manager Warren McCarty. "Donta Bright is a hard-hitting, athletic defensive back and fits perfectly into Coach Perdue's style of play in the secondary. He now has a taste of the AFL game, and we believe he can shine in af2 as he develops. Dimetric has electrifying speed, and can play on both sides of the ball. His workout was impressive."
Amarillo fans will remember Gathan McGinnis (6'1, 275) from his time with Lubbock in 2004 as he was a foe of the Dusters. Last season, he played as an OL/DL for the Rio Grande Valley Dorados of af2, and had a tremendous impact during their run to the conference finals. In 14 regular season games, he had 16.5 tackles, 4.5 sacks (7th overall in af2), 4 tackles for loss, 5 forced fumbles (2nd overall in af2), 3 fumble recoveries, and 1 blocked kick.
"Warren and I both tried to get Gathan to join us last season, and we're glad to have him on board for 2006," said Dusters Head Coach Steve Perdue. "He'll play the fullback for us on offense, and we feel like he can give us the big load in the running game that we need. Defensively, he can come from the mike linebacker spot or put his hand down and really put heat on the quarterback. He's got experience, and he's versatile. He proved last season that he is one of the best pass rushers in our league."
Defensive Specialist Donta Bright (6'1, 200) joins the Dusters after being released earlier this year by the AFL's Utah Blaze. He played his college football at New Mexico Highlands after enjoying a standout juco career at Eastern Arizona JC. He earned All-Conference and All-American honors at Eastern Arizona, and was an All-Conference performer at New Mexico Highlands. During his senior season in 2004, he racked up 36.5 tackles, 2 interceptions (both returned for TD's), 4 pass break-ups, 2 blocked kicks, 1 forced fumble, 5.5 sacks, and 7.5 tackles for loss.
"Donta has size, speed, tremendous leaping ability, and he loves to be physical," said Perdue. "That's my kind of guy. He's seen what the AFL looks like, and I know he desires to be at that next level. If he performs the way we expect him to, he'll make his way back to the AFL very soon."
Dimetric Lyons (5'9, 175) joins the Dusters as a WR/DB. He brings impressive athleticism and speed to the team, as well as solid receiving numbers during his two seasons as a starter at Southwest Baptist University in Missouri (NCAA DII). In 2003 and 2004, Lyons hauled in 40 passes for 473 yards (11.8 yards per catch) and 5 touchdowns.
"Dimetric really impressed me with his workout," said Perdue. "He can run, he's got great body control, and you really can't tell from first glance whether or not he's a true receiver or a true defensive back. The transition from playing on one side of the ball during a game and flipping over to the other side needs to be easy. For him, I'm sure it will be. I'm excited about Dimetric's potential."
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