L.A. Avengers sign free agent offensive specialist Khori Ivy
October 22, 2004 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Los Angeles Avengers News Release
LOS ANGELES -- Khori Ivy, an offensive specialist with great potential to excel in the Arena Football League, has signed a free agent contract with the Los Angeles Avengers, head coach Ed Hodgkiss announced today.
Ivy (6-foot-2, 200 pounds), who entered the AFL last season with the Detroit Fury, agreed to a three-year deal with the Avengers.
Brought in to upgrade the Furys receiving corps in 2004, Ivy tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in training camp on Jan. 17, 2004. He was placed on the injured reserve list a few days later and has yet to make his AFL debut.
Khori is a guy we feel can be a very good receiver in the AFL, said Hodgkiss, who has led the Avengers to the playoffs in each of his three years at the helm. Hes got size, speed and is a physical player who blocks real well. With regard to his injury, we anticipate that he will be fully recovered by the time training camp rolls around. Our team doctor, Luga Podesta, examined him and feels that hell be ready to go.
Prior to joining the Fury, Ivy bounced around the NFL for three years. He spent the 2001 season on the practice squads of the New England Patriots and Cincinnati Bengals, who allocated him to the Barcelona Dragons for the 2002 NFL Europe season. After catching 27 passes for 350 yards and two touchdowns for the Dragons, he signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 3, 2002. Ivy returned to training camp with the Steelers in 2003, but was one of the final cuts prior to the start of the season.
A three-year starter at West Virginia University, Ivy finished second in Mountaineer history in career receiving yards (2,412) and third in career receptions (160). He also set a Big East Conference and West Virginia school record with at least one reception in 40 consecutive games, which was the third longest streak in college football history at the time. As a senior in 2000, Ivys teammates voted him to be the squads Most Valuable Player. He also earned mention as a Big East Academic All-Star before completing his degree in physical education, with a specialization in athletic coaching.
In the 2000 Music City Bowl, his final game as a Mountaineer, Ivy caught a pair of touchdown passes in a 49-38 victory over Mississippi. In that same game, current Avenger fullback/linebacker Wes Ours opened the scoring with a 40-yard touchdown reception and added another score for West Virginia on a one-yard run.
Born on March 16, 1978, Ivy is a native of Boca Raton, Fla. He was a two-way star at Boca Raton Community High School, playing cornerback and wide receiver.
The Avengers went 9-7 this past season and qualified for the ArenaBowl Playoffs for the third consecutive year. Los Angeles led the AFL in scoring (56.5 points per game) and averaged 12,590 fans at STAPLES Center for eight home games.
Fifty dollar deposits for 2005 Avenger season tickets are now being accepted at 1-888-AVENGERS or online at www.laavengers.com.
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