Elliot Leads Terrific Trio Back to Blitz in 2004

Published on March 9, 2004 under arenafootball2 (af2)
Bakersfield Blitz News Release


Bakersfield, CA - The Bakersfield Blitz of the af2 have announced that quarterback Chad Elliot, wide receiver/linebacker Eric Mahanke, and defensive specialist Delvin Myles have all been assigned to the team from the af2 office.

Elliot, 24, a Sacramento native, averaged 210.3 yards a game last season and has placed fifth in quarterback ranking in each of the last two af2 seasons. He had the single-game high for touchdown throws in 2003 when he tossed nine scores on July 27th in Hawaii. He also had the 10th highest passing game in the league when he hurled for 349 yards at Tulsa on June 21st. On June 28th, he was selected the game's MVP after completing 22 of 30 passes for 224 yards and five TDs.

While sporting a Blitz uniform, Elliott has completed 586 out of 935 passes for a total of 6,879 yards and 134 touchdowns. After a short session with the Pensacola Barracudas in 2001, Elliot teamed up with the Bakersfield Blitz in 2002, and has become the mainstay in the pocket since. He attended Arizona State and Syracuse Universities during his college days.

Mahanke, 26, is back for his second season with the Blitz. Last year, he teamed up with Elliot in that same Hawaii match to tie an af2 record seven TD catches. Overall, he led the Blitz in catches (84), receiving yards (1,129) and touchdowns (30). One of his scores was on an interception return on the defensive side of the ball. He was selected Game Ironman once last season and Game MVP four times, including three games in a row from May 31st – June 16th, as well as the final game of the year, his record-tying night in Hawaii.

Mahanke also played in 2002 with the Fresno Frenzy, where he had six scores on 40 catches and over 500 yards. He played college ball at Fresno State where he was a target of NFL QB and Bakersfield native David Carr.

Myles, 32, will play in his third season with Bakersfield and has been a mainstay on defense during his tenure on a pair of top-10 defensive units in the af2. He is second all-time in Blitz history with 96.5 career tackles (84 solo) and finished 2002 with 60.5 tackles. He also has three interceptions and 3.5 sacks in his Blitz career.

After playing at Oklahoma State University, he moved on to the Canadian Football League from 1995-96. From 1997-2001, he played in the AFL with Anaheim, Portland, Oklahoma and Los Angeles. In 1999 with the LA Avengers, while playing in just 10 games, he led the AFL in interceptions with six. That year he was a finalist for AFL Defensive Player of the Year and First Team All-AFL.

"We've got the foundation back with Chad, Eric and Delvin," said Head Coach Rick Van Horne. "They're three of the best in af2. With the addition of these three guys, I feel we can line up against anyone in the league."

These three are the latest additions of several players who will return for another season with the Bakersfield Blitz. Their rights were transferred to the Central Valley Coyotes with the old franchise and most of them were not eligible to sign with any other team until midnight on February 28th. Elliott, Mahanke and Myles will play alongside former teammates OL/DL Phil Blackmon, QB Jeff Dover, and WR/DB Nathan Buergey in 2004.

Kickoff for the Blitz season is just 26 days away, as they start on the road against Tennessee Valley on April 3rd. The home schedule opens with the San Diego Riptide on April 17th. Season tickets for the Blitz upcoming season start at just $63, and are on sale now by contacting the Blitz office at 716-BLITZ (2548) or by stopping by the Bakersfield Sports Entertainment office located in Centennial Garden. The Blitz and Condors have also teamed up for special discounts for those purchasing ticket packages for both teams. All 2003-04 Condors season ticket holders can receive 25% off a Blitz package containing the same number of seats.

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