Fayetteville Force Signs DBs JeRome Mann and DeLeon Raynor
February 1, 2011 - Southern Indoor Football League (SIFL)
Fayetteville Force News Release
The Fayetteville Force announced today that it has signed AIFA All-Star defensive backs JeRome Mann and DeLeon Raynor to contracts for the 2011 season. Mann (St. Paul's College) and Raynor (NC Central University) spent last season together with the rival Richmond Raiders.
Mann and Raynor join the Force as complementary pieces to the team's aerial defense strategy. The Force recently signed shutdown cornerback Armar Watson, who has recorded 29 interceptions in his last two seasons with the American Indoor Football Association's Baltimore Mariners. Mann has his own knack for the football, having recorded 4 interceptions in a game against the Fayetteville Guard in 2010, en route to 17 interceptions on the season. He provides the Force with another shutdown defender at a key strategic position.
Raynor joins Mann from the Raiders with five years of indoor football experience. Like Mann and Watson, he has a unique attraction to the football, having recorded 45 interceptions over the span of his career. Raynor joined the Richmond Raiders in 2010 after four seasons with the Fayetteville Guard, where he was known as both a ball-hawk and a heavy hitter. He now returns to Fayetteville with a crew that gives the Force arguably the most dominant defensive backfields heading into the season.
"Signing JeRome gives us two awesome cornerbacks who can alter the scope of a game," said head coach Marquette Smith. "Brining DeLeon into the fold adds an over-the-top weapon that solidifies our defensive secondary. When you combine these guys' abilities, every offense in the SIFL will find out how hard it is to throw the ball against the Fayetteville Force."
"When I first came on board, I definitely wanted to get JeRome and DeLeon here too," said defensive coordinator Charles Gunnings, who coached both men with the Richmond Raiders in 2010. "They put up All-Star-caliber performances last year and came up with some big plays for us. They are already familiar with my defensive strategy, so there should be a seamless transition to the Force."
The Fayetteville Force will kick off the upcoming season in March 2011 and will play all of its home games at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, NC. Ticket packages for the 2011 season are now available with season tickets available for as low as $60.00. Tickets are available by visiting the Force on the web at www.fayettevilleforce.net or by calling the Force offices at (910)920-9200.
Southern Indoor Football League Stories from February 1, 2011
- Tarpons announce the signing of ALL SIFL Kicker - Mobile Bay Tarpons
- Fayetteville Force Signs DBs JeRome Mann and DeLeon Raynor - Fayetteville Force
- No Place Like Home for the "Nighthawk" Daniels - Columbus Lions
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