Kats add several SEC, local players to roster
October 28, 2005 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Nashville Kats News Release
NASHVILLE (Oct. 28, 2005) - The Nashville Kats continued to fill their 37-man offseason roster by announcing the addition of 10 free agents on Friday, many of whom have played high school, college or professional football in Middle Tennessee. The announcement was made by Kats head coach Pat Sperduto.
Among the new additions are former Tennessee Titans receivers O.J. Small and Detronn Harris, as well as former Vanderbilt defensive back Bill Alford, former Middle Tennessee State receiver Kerry Wright and former Whites Creek High School and Alabama defensive lineman Ahmad Childress.
Small (6-1, 223) was in camp with the Titans this year, and he caught the game-winning touchdown pass in a preseason contest against the Atlanta Falcons in August. He was a second-team All-SEC choice as a senior at Florida, where he caught 117 passes for 1,358 yards in his career. Small is joined by former Gator teammate Kelvin Kight (6-0, 219), who caught 90 balls for 1,282 yards in his college career. He has spent time with the NFL's St. Louis Rams, Green Bay Packers and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Harris (6-1, 195) was in camp with the Titans in 2003. He played last season with the arenafootball2 Birmingham Steeldogs, where he led the team with 100 receptions and 21 TD's. Harris joins three more signees from the af2 ranks, including second-team All-af2 quarterback Juston Wood (6-1, 203), who led the league in total offense with 282.4 yards per game and finished second in passing yards per game with 272.6 in 2005. The Portland State alum is one of four quarterbacks currently on Nashville's roster. The Kats also inked a pair of linemen from 2005 af2 runner-up Louisville in Andrew Tippins (6-2, 275) and Paul White (6-2, 200). Tippins, who played collegiately at Minnesota State-Mankato, had 4.5 sacks, 5 forced fumbles and a blocked kick with Louisville last season, despite only playing in seven games. White played college ball at Hampton and had 10 tackles and five pass breakups.
Alford (5-9, 180) returns to Nashville, where he played two years at Vanderbilt, and finished with 77 tackles, four interceptions and three tackles for loss. The lightning-fast cover man was in camp with the Baltimore Ravens this year.
Alford is not the only local product who is returning to the area to compete for a roster spot with the Kats. He is joined by Wright (5-9, 170), who set MTSU single-season records in receiving yards (1,280), receptions (76) and touchdown catches (11) in 2003 and 2004. He also holds the school touchdown receptions record with 22. Wright played briefly with the Indianapolis Colts after finishing at MTSU.
Childress, who was a two-time all-state defensive lineman at Whites Creek High and played two years at Alabama, becomes the largest player on the Kats' roster at 6-5, 331 pounds. He has spent time with the Detroit Lions and New York Giants, and played last season with the Frankfurt Galaxy in NFL Europe.
The Kats also signed Travis Wilson, a fullback/linebacker. Wilson (6-3, 257) played at Kansas State, where he was an honorable mention Big 12 fullback as a senior. He also played in the NFL with the San Diego Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers.
The transactions take the team's active roster to 34 players. Each AFL squad can bring as many as 37 players to training camp, which begins on January 2. The 2006 season kicks off with a game at New York on Jan. 28, and the home opener is Fri., Feb. 3, against Columbus. Season tickets are on sale by calling (615) 565-4700. A complete updated roster is attached.
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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from October 28, 2005
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- Kats add several SEC, local players to roster - Nashville Kats
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