L.A. Avengers sign Tim Hicks and Richard McCleskey
October 19, 2006 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Los Angeles Avengers News Release
LOS ANGELES -- Quarterback Tim Hicks and fullback/linebacker Richard McCleskey have signed free agent contracts with the Los Angeles Avengers, head coach Ed Hodgkiss announced today.
Hicks, who passed for 4,496 yards last season with the Quad City Steamwheelers of arenafootball2, signed a two-year deal, while McCleskey, who has four seasons in the Arena Football League under his belt, inked a one-year deal.
"Hicks is very experienced in af2 and has had great success there, especially with his touchdown-to-interception ratio," said Hodgkiss, who has guided the Avengers into the playoffs in four of his five seasons at the helm. "We feel that he was the best af2 quarterback available and are very happy to sign him. We definitely wanted to have a quarterback with arena experience in camp other than Sonny Cumbie."
Hicks (6-foot-4, 240 pounds) completed 62.7 percent of his passes last season (357-of-569) and tossed 79 touchdown passes (with 15 interceptions). His best performance of the 2006 season came at Albany on April 29, when he was 29-of-46 for 365 yards and eight touchdowns, with no interceptions.
In 2005, Hicks played for af2's Bossier-Shreveport BattleWings and threw 36 touchdown passes and ran for 11 more scores. After beginning his af2 career with the Charleston Swamp Foxes in 2003, he had his breakout season in 2004 with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers, tossing 82 touchdown passes on his way to first-team All-af2 honors.
Hicks set several passing records at West Liberty (W.V.) State College, including career marks for total offense (7,059 yards), yards passing (7,254), completions (508), attempts (882) and touchdown passes (60). As a senior in 2002, he was a first-team All-West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference selection after completing 175-of-311 for 2,500 yards for the Hilltoppers.
Born on Oct. 20, 1979, Hicks attended Lake Wehr Vista High School (Ocala, Fla.), where he participated on the football, baseball, basketball and track & field teams.
McCleskey (6-1, 300) led the New York Dragons in rushing last season, carrying the football 26 times for 71 yards and four touchdowns. He also caught a career-high eight passes for 44 yards. Those statistics surpassed the numbers McCleskey posted in his first three seasons in the AFL.
Playing for the Las Vegas Gladiators (2003), Buffalo Destroyers (2003), Columbus Destroyers (2004) and Austin Wranglers (2005), he combined to compete in 28 games and finished with 32.5 tackles (including one quarterback sack), 16 rushes for 45 yards and five receptions for 36 yards.
"McCleskey is a guy that we played against in the past few years and he's played well against us," Hodgkiss said. "With the new substitution rules, we are looking at him primarily as a fullback who can protect the quarterback well. With his experience, we feel that he will be a good fit at that position for us."
Prior to making his AFL debut, McCleskey played two seasons (2000-01) with the Tulsa Talons of af2. He saw action in 30 games during those two seasons and finished with 44 tackles, 11 sacks, seven receptions for 40 yards and five touchdowns.
McCleskey was a defensive lineman for the University of Nebraska at Omaha and was named to the All-Region Midwest team. He majored in family science while playing for the Mavericks.
Born on Dec. 17, 1976, McCleskey attended Claremore (Okla.) High School, where he was an all-star running back. His brother DeMarco set the University of Cincinnati's single-season rushing record with 1,361 yards in 2002. McCleskey has a daughter named Jerzi.
The Avengers' eighth season of play in the AFL will kick off this winter.
Fifty dollar deposits for 2007 Avenger season tickets, which include nine games played at STAPLES Center, are now being accepted at 1-888-AVENGERS or online at www.laavengers.com.
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