Lions Set Roster
February 24, 2007 - World Indoor Football League 2 (WIFL 2)
Columbus Lions News Release
COLUMBUS, GA -- The Columbus Lions finished the preseason with a solid, spirited last workout at A.J. McClung Memorial Stadium this morning. The roster has been finalized and an excited group of players is ready to board the bus tomorrow for the team's first-ever World Indoor Football League game Monday evening against the Daytona Beach Thunder (0-1).
Lions Head Coach Jason Gibson and assistants Norbert Sullivan, David Daniels and Fred Williams put in a long day full of last-minute details, as they prepared to become the last WIFL team to start its season. The Osceola Ghostriders (1-0) defeated the Augusta Spartans (1-1) tonight, 52-37.
Gibson has until three hours before gametime to announce which 20 players will be active for each game, and he intends to use it Monday. The Lions' 27-man roster includes five inactive players comprising the practice squad, which can change week-to-week, and two on injured reserve. Those two players on IR for the time being are kicker Gene Davis, formerly of Harris County High School, and defensive lineman Vander Himmons. Linebacker Justin Rivers and Himmons made the team as late additions to training camp.
Five Lions played their college football at Tuskegee: Himmons, Ramone Nickerson, Chinedu Okoro, Schuyler Weaver and Juval Winston. Fort Valley State provided four Lions (Joe Kegler, Musa Nash, Michael Stewart and Cedric Ware, while Auburn University supplied three (Monreko Crittenden, Roshard Gilyard and Brandon Williams).
Other schools with multiple players on the Lions roster are North Carolina (Mahlon Carey and Jarwarski Pollock), Liberty University (Eugene Goodman and Andrew McKay, who also played for the University of Georgia), Florida A & M (Jauron Dailey and Tirone Morris) and West Georgia (Damian Daniels and Wes Wilson).
Players with prior professional experience include former Dailey (Washington Redskins), Crittenden (Baltimore Ravens); returnees from Gibson's Chattahoochee Valley Vipers (Troy Bennett, Daniels, Gene Davis, Steve Davis, Gilyard and Williams); indoor / arena football veterans Nash (Daytona Beach), Eddie Ravanell (Raleigh Rebels) and Wilson (Columbus Wardogs, Macon Knights). Several other Lions have made appearances at Arena Football League combines or camps.
Fans can listen to the Lions road opener by logging onto www.wifl.us and clicking in "Internetwork" at 6:45 p.m. EST on Monday, the audio streaming network on which all WIFL games will be aired live. The Lions' home opener will be Saturday, March 10 against Osceola, with gametime 7:00 p.m. at the Columbus Civic Center. Visit www.columbuslions.net for ticket information and, sometime Tuesday, a photo gallery from the Daytona game should be Lions' available on the Lions website.
• Discuss this story on the World Indoor Football League 2 message board...
World Indoor Football League 2 Stories from February 24, 2007
- Lions Set Roster - Columbus Lions
- Ghostriders defeat Spartans - Osceola Ghostriders
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
