AFL I Arena Football League (1987-2008)

Free agent signing period opens today

Published on October 1, 2004 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release


NEW YORK – The Arena Football League's free-agent signing period begins today, October 1. This year, 243 free agents are eligible to be signed by AFL teams, including the expansion Nashville Kats.

Some recent free-agent news and speculation:

· The Austin Wranglers have already announced the signing of three free agents. Returning to the team are 2004 All-Arena First Team OL/DL TOM BRIGGS and former University of Colorado QB BOBBY PESAVENTO. The Wranglers also signed OL/DL DAVID HURST, who played last season for the Wichita Stealth of arenafootball2 (af2), the AFL's developmental league.

· The Grand Rapids Rampage has also announced three free-agent signings. Four-year veteran FB/LB CHRIS AVERY has signed a two-year contract with the team. Avery, named to the AFL All-Ironman team in 2003, has spent his four-year career with Grand Rapids. The Rampage also signed former Grand Valley State QB and 2002 Harlon Hill winner CURT ANES and former Ferris State standout, OS CLARENCE COLEMAN.

· The Los Angeles Times reports that free agent QB TONY GRAZIANI, who threw 99 touchdown passes in 2004 for the L.A. Avengers, will sign with the Philadelphia Soul.

· Tampa Bay Storm head coach TIM MARCUM confirmed that free agent WR/DB OMAR LAURENCE will join the team. Laurence, who would be an AFL rookie, played at the University of Central Florida and prepped at Largo High School in the Tampa Bay area.

This year's list of free agents includes: three former Ironman of the Year (RANDY GATEWOOD, DAMEON PORTER and BARRY WAGNER), four former Offensive Player of the Year (MARK GRIEB, CHRIS JACKSON, CALVIN SCHEXNAYDER and Wagner), one former Lineman of the Year (ROBERT STEWART), two former Kicker of the Year (BRIAN GOWINS and CLAY RUSH), two former Rookie of the Year (Jackson and TRAVIS McGRIFF), three ArenaBowl MVP (Grieb, CONNELL MAYNOR and LAWRENCE SAMUELS) and two ArenaBowl Ironman (Samuels and Wagner) award winners.

A complete list of AFL free agents is listed below or you may visit the League's official Web sites, www.arenafootball.com or www.AFLMedia.com, for day-to-day transactions.

Team-By-Team Arena Football League Free Agents

ARIZONA RATTLERS: OL/DL Vince Amey (6-3, 300, Arizona State), OL/DL Jason Anderson (6-6, 320, BYU), OS Siaha Burley (5-10, 185, Central Florida), QB Travis Cole (6-3, 218, Minnesota), OS Terence Davis (6-0, 199, McNeese State), OL/DL Wendall Gaines (6-5, 290, Oklahoma State), K Nelson Garner (6-1, 180, James Madison), WR/DB Randy Gatewood (6-0, 185, UNLV), QB Joe Germaine (6-2, 220, Ohio State), OL/DL Lindsay Hassell (6-2, 275, Utah State), OL/DL Bryan Henderson (6-3, 290, NW Oklahoma), DS Kelvin Hunter (5-9, 175, Arizona), FB/LB Joe Jackson (6-3, 255, San Diego State), FB/LB Bo Kelly (6-1, 235, East Texas State), DS Clarence Lawson (5-8, 180, Utah), OL/DL Charlie Morris (6-2, 280, Temple), WR/LB Tom Pace (5-10, 199, Arizona State), DS Ricky Parker (6-1, 190, San Diego State), OL/DL Tony Plantin (6-3, 295, Clemson), OL/DL Pete Tramontanas (6-5, 295, UNLV), FB/LB James Williams (6-2, 250, Mississippi State).

AUSTIN WRANGLERS: OL/DL Tony Bowick (6-2, 268, Tennessee-Chattanooga), WR/DB Greg Brown (6-2, 200, Texas), WR/LB Darrin Chiaverini (6-3, 217, Colorado), WR/DB Aleric Clark (5-9, 165, Texas A&M-Kingsville), WR/DB Charlie Davidson (5-11, 195, Mississippi State), OL/DL Jorge Diaz (6-4, 300, Texas A&M-Kingsville), WR/LB Darryl Hammond (6-4, 219, Virginia), DS DeRon Jenkins (5-11, 190, Tennessee), WR/DB Dameon Porter (6-0, 190, Wayne State, NE), DS Cedric Walker (5-11, 205, Stephen F. Austin), OL/DL Lucas Yarnell (6-2, 305, SW Louisiana).

CAROLINA COBRAS: DS Henry Baker (6-3, 205, Maryland), K Rob Bironas (6-0, 200, Auburn), DS Glenn Davis (6-0, 185, South Florida), WR/DB Todd Doxzon (6-0, 190, Iowa State), OL/DL Emil Ekiyor (6-4, 265, Central Florida), QB Rickey Foggie (6-2, 210, Minnesota), OL/DL Kendrick Gholston (6-3, 275, Louisville), WR/DB Damien Groce (5-10, 182, Iowa State), WR/DB Jarrick Hillery (6-0, 200, Tennessee State), WR/DB Bernard Holmes (5-11, 180, Texas A&I), WR/LB D.J. Humphries (6-4, 205, Presbyterian College), WR/DB Lenzie Jackson (6-0, 190, Arizona State), OL/DL DeAngelo Lloyd (6-5, 280, Tennessee), OL/DL Otis Moore (6-4, 280, Clemson), QB Matt Nagy (6-1, 210, Delaware), OL/DL Troy Pelshak (6-3, 265, North Carolina A&T), QB Charlie Peterson (6-2, 220, BYU), FB/LB Chris Pope (6-2, 240, Central Arkansas), OL/DL Bryan Ray (6-3, 275, Wake Forest), FB/LB Travis Reece (6-3, 255, Michigan State), OL/DL Yusuf Scott (6-3, 320, Arizona), OL/DL Wes Stephens (6-4, 265, Middle Tennessee State), OL/DL Robert Stewart (6-0, 300, Alabama), OL/DL Cory Stone (6-3, 310, Tennessee), OL/DL Sean Tremblay (6-3, 300, Connecticut), DS Fred Vinson (5-10, 185, Vanderbilt), WR/LB Sir Mawn Wilson (6-2, 220, Syracuse).

CHICAGO RUSH: DS Aundrae Harris (5-10, 183, California), OL/DL Riley Kleinhesselink (6-5, 265, Northwestern College, IA), WR/LB Anthony Ladd (6-1, 195, Cincinnati), OS Jermey McDaniel (6-1, 205, Arizona), FB/LB Jamie McGourty (6-2, 250, Springfield), DS Hamin Milligan (6-2, 186, Houston), QB Chad Salisbury (6-6, 235, Buffalo), DS Corey Sawyer (5-11, 188, Florida State), OL/DL John Thomas (6-2, 315, Nevada).

COLORADO CRUSH: None

COLUMBUS DESTROYERS: OL/DL Matt Anderle (6-6, 325, Minnesota), OL/DL Wilky Bazile (6-3, 280, Syracuse), QB Matt D'Orazio (6-3, 210, Otterbein), DS LaVar Glover (6-0, 175, Cincinnati), WR/LB Corey Hill (5-11, 180, Colgate), DS Del Lee (5-11, 190, McNeese State), OL/DL Curt Lessman (6-3, 300, NW Missouri State), OL/DL Richard McCleskey (6-2, 275, NE-Omaha), QB Jay McDonagh (6-2, 200, Western Michigan), OL/DL Marcus McKenzie (6-3, 300, North Dakota), FB/LB John Motton (6-1, 245, Akron), WR/DB Ryan Sloth (5-8, 175, Iowa State), OS Gunnard Twyner (5-11, 180, Western Illinois), FB/LB Ricky Wood (6-0, 245, Norfolk State).

DALLAS DESPERADOS: FB/LB Kevin Aldridge (6-1, 285, SMU), OL/DL Shante Carver (6-5, 265, Arizona State), OL/DL Jeff Chase (6-4, 290, Texas A&M-Kingsville), OL/DL Ben Huff (6-3, 285, Michigan), OL/DL Jamie Lovern (6-3, 300, Appalachian State), K Carlos Martinez (5-8, 180, Buena Vista), OL/DL Chad Pegues (6-1, 285, Eastern Illinois), DS Derek Stingley (5-11, 185, Triton College).

DETROIT FURY: OL/DL Karl Bates (6-3, 285, Kentucky Wesleyan), WR/DB Herman Bell (5-9, 185, Jacksonville State), WR/DB Carl Bond (5-10, 190, Connecticut), DS Ron Carpenter (6-1, 195, Miami, OH), WR/LB Andre Cooper (6-3, 215, Florida State), OL/DL Jerry Crafts (6-6, 325, Louisville), WR/LB Thabiti Davis (6-3, 215, Wake Forest), QB Billy Dicken (6-2, 215, Purdue), WR/DB Reggie Doster (5-8, 160, Central Florida), OL/DL Curtis Eason (6-2, 290, East Tennessee State), FB/LB Errick Herrin (6-1, 250, USC), FB/LB Anthony Hicks (6-2, 260, Middle Tennessee State), WR/LB David Hill (6-2, 210, Troy State), OL/DL Gaylon Hyder (6-5, 313, TCU), OS Khori Ivy (6-2, 210, West Virginia), OL/DL Curtis Jeter (5-10, 290, UAB), OL/DL Dustin Keith (6-3, 300, Virginia), QB Andy Kelly (6-3, 220, Tennessee), QB Jim Kubiak (6-3, 220, Navy), K Mark Lewis (5-9, 180, Florida International), FB/LB Juan Long (6-2, 255, Mississippi State), WR/LB Junior Lord (6-2, 200, Guilford), DS Adrian Lunsford (5-10, 185, Iowa Wesleyan), FB/LB Dawan Moss (5-11, 255, Michigan State), OL/DL Matt Norwood (6-2, 300, Middle Tennessee State), WR/DB Jeff Russell (5-11, 190, Pacific), QB Johnny Turman (6-4, 220, Pittsburgh), DS Reggie Waddell (5-11, 190, Western Illinois), DS John Williams (5-9, 185, Southern).

GEORGIA FORCE: WR/LB Morris Anderson (6-2, 205, Baylor), QB James Brown (6-1, 200, Texas), OL/DL William Carr (6-0, 295, Michigan), OL/DL Stacy Evans (6-2, 285, South Carolina), DS Cliff Green (5-9, 185, Tennessee State), K Steve McLaughlin (6-1, 190, Arizona), QB Leon Murray (6-3, 210, Tennessee State), OL/DL Oscar Sturgis (6-5, 285, North Carolina), WR/DB Nick Ward (5-11, 180, Miami, FL).

GRAND RAPIDS RAMPAGE: WR/LB Thomas Bailey (6-0, 210, Auburn), DS Raphael Ball (5-11, 170, Ball State), FB/LB Michael Blair (6-0, 255, Ball State), OS Travis Burns (5-10, 190, Liberty), DS Barry Dillard (5-11, 185, Memphis), DS Cecil Doggette (5-8, 180, West Virginia), OL/DL Tim Engelhardt (6-2, 290, New Mexico State), OL/DL Jason Gamble (6-3, 285, Clemson), QB Jeff Loots (6-3, 205, Southwest State-MN), OL/DL Ramon Luster (6-2, 302, Auburn), OL/DL Rod Manuel (6-6, 295, Oklahoma), FB/LB Ron Perry (6-3, 245, Grambling), OL/DL Israel Raybon (6-6, 327, North Alabama), DS Mark Ricks (5-10, 175, Western Michigan), K Stephen Scaldaferri (5-10, 200, Kentucky), OL/DL Rickie Simpkins (6-4, 314, Syracuse), OS Steve Smith (5-9, 174, Utah State), WR/DB Jason Waters (5-11, 185, Tennessee), DS Antonio Watson (6-1, 195, Indiana), QB Jeff Welsh (6-2, 212, Western Michigan), OL/DL Tyshaun Whitson (6-6, 301, Baylor), OL/DL Adrian Wilson (6-2, 315, Miami-FL).

INDIANA FIREBIRDS: WR/LB Bret Bech (6-1, 200, LSU), OL/DL Jonathan Brown (6-4, 280, Tennessee), WR/LB Kerry Brown (6-5, 210, Pacific), QB Kevin Daft (6-2, 210, Davis-CA), DS Anthony Derricks (6-0, 185, Mississippi State), OL/DL Ricky Hall (6-1, 290, Marshall), OL/DL Anthony Herron (6-3, 280, Iowa), DS Evan Hlavacek (5-11, 185, San Diego), OL/DL Chris Janek (6-4, 295, Wisconsin), OL/DL Doug Lytle (6-3, 300, Chadron State-NE), K Clay Rush (6-3, 220, Missouri Western), OL/DL Chris Snyder (6-3, 270, Penn State), FB/LB Leroy Thompson (6-2, 270, Delaware State).

LAS VEGAS GLADIATORS: OL/DL John DeWitt (6-4, 275, Vanderbilt), K Brian Gowins (5-8, 175, Northwestern), OL/DL Cedric Pittman (6-3, 275, Nevada), WR/LB Jeremy Wilkinson (6-2, 215, Northern Michigan).

LOS ANGELES AVENGERS: WR/DB Henry Douglas (6-0, 175, North Carolina A&T), WR/LB Joe Douglass (5-11, 185, Montana), QB Tony Graziani (6-3, 210, Oregon), K Remy Hamilton (6-1, 193, Michigan), OS Chris Jackson (6-2, 210, Washington State), DS Jeroid Johnson (5-9, 185, Oklahoma State), DS Ben Kelly (5-9, 185, Colorado), DS Jason Moore (5-11, 185, San Diego State), OL/DL Jeremy Staat (6-6, 305, Arizona State).

NEW ORLEANS VOODOO: QB Jermaine Alfred (6-1, 230, Baylor), FB/LB Jason Bratton (6-0, 242, Grambling), DS Calvin Coleman (5-10, 185, Montana), WR/LB Anthony Collins (6-2, 205, Morgan State), OS Ira Gooch (6-0, 190, Central Michigan), WR/DB Kerry Hayes (5-9, 180, Western Carolina), OL/DL Adam Metts (6-2, 285, North Carolina), WR/DB Lamont Moore (6-1, 190, Baylor), WR/LB Tremaine Neal (6-3, 215, Valdosta State), OL/DL Sean Powell (6-2, 298, New Mexico State), QB John Rayborn (6-2, 240, UTEP), OL/DL Henry Taylor (6-2, 300, South Carolina).

NEW YORK DRAGONS: FB/LB Chin Achebe (6-1, 245, Iowa State), FB/LB Joey Dozier (6-2, 240, New Mexico State), FB/LB Rodney Filer (6-3, 249, Iowa), WR/LB Richmond Flowers (5-11, 205 Duke), DS Donvetis Franklin (5-11, 190, Michigan State), OL/DL Anthony Hutch (6-3, 290, Murray State), OL/DL Kelvin Ingram (6-5, 285, Oklahoma State), DS Corey Johnson (5-9, 190, Georgia), DS Terrance Joseph (6-1, 200, Tulsa), K Gary Kral (6-0, 175, Pittsburg State, KS), OL/DL Jerry Sharp (6-3, 325, Syracuse), OL/DL Matt Steeple (6-3, 325, Morgan State), OL/DL Ken Talanoa (6-4, 305, Arizona State), FB/LB Kerry Taylor (6-4, 260, Massachusetts), WR/DB Chuck Wesley (6-1, 190, Rhode Island).

ORLANDO PREDATORS: OS Anthony Bright (6-1, 170, Valencia CC), WR/LB James Bowden (5-10, 185, North Carolina A&T), WR/DB Bret Cooper (6-0, 205, Central Florida), FB/LB Rupert Grant (6-1, 250, Howard), OL/DL Buck Gurley (6-2, 295, Florida), QB Joe Hamilton (5-10, 190, Georgia Tech), QB Connell Maynor (6-0, 180, North Carolina A&T), OS Travis McGriff (5-8, 185, Florida), OL/DL Fred Ray (6-3, 280, Howard), WR/DB Sean Riley (5-9, 166, Western Michigan), OL/DL Jermaine Smith (6-3, 290, Georgia), DS Arkee Thompson (6-1, 205, Georgia Southern), K Jason Wells (6-2, 210, Furman), QB Craig Whelihan (6-5, 220, Pacific).

PHILADELPHIA SOUL: OL/DL Patrick Scott (6-5, 273, South Carolina State).

SAN JOSE SABERCATS: WR/LB Shalon Baker (5-7, 185, Montana), OL/DL Sebastian Barrie (6-3, 265, Liberty), WR/DB Fred Coleman (6-1, 194, Washington), DS Wendell Davis (5-11, 200, Oklahoma), QB Mark Grieb (6-3, 205, Davis), WR/LB Jerry Reese (5-11, 200, San Jose State), WR/LB Calvin Schexnayder (6-0, 185, Washington State), WR/DB Barry Wagner (6-3, 218, Alabama A&M).

TAMPA BAY STORM: OL/DL D.J. Bleisath (6-3, 285, Tennessee Tech), FB/LB Andre Bowden (6-3, 255, Fayetteville State) K Ignacio Brache (5-11, 180, California), QB Stoney Case (6-2, 200, New Mexico), OL/DL D.J. Cooper (6-4, 275, Arkansas), K Matt George (6-0, 210, Chapman College), WR/DB Carlos James (5-11, 190, Iowa), OL/DL Mike Lawson (6-3, 280, Miami-FL), FB/LB Umar Muhammad (5-11, 250, North Texas State), QB Pat O'Hara (6-3, 200, USC), OL/DL Evan Pilgram (6-3, 290, BYU), FB/LB Basil Proctor (6-4, 285, West Virginia), WR/LB Lawrence Samuels (6-2, 200, Livingston), WR/DB Shea Showers (5-10, 185, Florida).

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from October 1, 2004


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