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Meet the Richmond Bandits – Part 3

March 25, 2005 - American Indoor Football Association (AIFA)
Richmond Bandits News Release


Richmond, Virginia is only a mere 23 days away from the return of indoor football to the Coliseum. Under the leadership of head coach Rik Richards, the Richmond Bandits of the newly-formed Atlantic Indoor Football League (AIFL) are busy preparing for the upcoming 12-game inaugural season. Included in those preparations is the filling of the team's roster.

Richards has announced the signing of four additional players, three of which have substantial arena football playing experience. The Bandits have inked quarterback Will Burch (East Stroudsburg), and backs Miacah Cooper (Morris Brown), Marcel Willis (Auburn), and Andre LeTren (Troy State).

Football at all levels begins with the quarterback. One of the men vying for to ride at the front of the column for the Bandits is the 6-3, 220-lbs., Will Burch. A five-year arena football journeyman, Burch served as the field general for seven different arenafootball2 teams. The Centreville, Va., native's quest began with the Roanoke Steam in 2000, for whom he suited up the most out of any of his other teams. In 15 games, Burch completed 248 passes for 3,124 yards and 65 touchdowns with only 19 interceptions.

During the 2001 season, Burch played for both the Macon Knights and Columbus Wardogs in the state of Georgia, in addition to a two-game cameo with the Quad City Steamwheelers. Through his 14 appearances under center, he combined to complete 159-of-305 passes for just over 2,000 yards and 30 scores. The following year, Burch only saw the field twice with the Norfolk Nighthawks, posting modest numbers in his limited exposure. He parted ways with the tidewater's af2 team to join the Memphis Xplorers in western Tennessee in 2003 only to see a similar situation. Burch did bark out signals in three games, completing 57-percent of his passes (37-of-65) for 399 yards and seven touchdowns.

A new team in the desert of Texas offered Burch a new beginning. As the starter for the Rio Grande Valley Desperados, threw for nearly 1,000 yards in six games, tossing 21 TDs. But a change was blowing in the Texas wind and Burch again packed his bags and headed east – practically back to where it all started. He landed back with the Macon Knights and had an immediate impact. Through the final seven games, Burch completed 122-of-208 passes (58.7-percent) for 1,207 yards and 22 touchdowns, while only being picked six times and adding a rushing touchdown, as well, before a knee injury ended his season.

Through his five seasons in af2, Burch had a completion percentage of 55.4-percent, hitting receivers on 653 of his 1,179 attempts. He amassed 7,768 yards and 145 touchdowns with only 50 interceptions, which is a ration of one INT per every three touchdowns. He also averaged 243 yards through the air in his 32 total games.

As a senior at the Division II-member East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania, Burch threw for over 1,600 yards and nearly 20 touchdowns.

Head coach Rik Richards was extremely excited to land the arena football veteran on his squad.

"We stole him away from a lot of af2 teams. Will's been up and down in the arena league. He's a guy that we can count on and won't have to go through the growing pains with a guy trying to learn the speed of the indoor game because he already knows it."

One of Burch's favorite targets during his final season in Macon will also be available to him in Richmond. Miacah Cooper, who played collegiate ball at Morris Brown College in Atlanta, has joined the Bandits squad.

Cooper is a three-year arenafootball2 veteran with the Knights. In 2002, he saw limited action in only three games. A year later, he had worked his way into the starting rotation, catching 40 passes for 388 yards and four touchdowns in 14 appearances. Defensively, he recorded 21.5 tackles with an interception, a forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries.

Last season, however, was by far his best in the indoor game. In 13 games, Cooper hauled in 68 passes for 819 yards and 10 touchdowns. The three aforementioned marks all ranked second on the Knights' team. He tallied two 100+ yard receiving games, going for 110 versus the Tulsa Talons and 106 at Memphis. On the flip side, Cooper made 25.5 tackles, including 20 solo stops, broke up a pair of passes in addition to an interception, and forced two fumbles, recovering one.

"Miacah is a phenomenal athlete with game-breaker written all over him," said Richards. "He has great ability to get away from defenders and get open, but has great hands to catch balls in traffic. I'm also excited with his familiarity with Will (Burch) as that chemistry is hard to find at least early in seasons."

Another target for Burch this season will be former Auburn University wide receiver, Marcel Willis, who played all for seasons with the Tigers. As a freshman, Willis caught nine passes for 111 yards. A year later, he finished second on the team with 27 catches for 352 yards and his first collegiate touchdown. In Auburn's match-up with Michigan in the Citrus Bowl, Willis caught five passes for 69 yards.

During his junior year, Willis only played in seven games, catching 14 passes for 142 yards, three of which came in the Tigers' loss to North Carolina in the Peach Bowl. Yet, he saved the best for last, leading the run-happy Auburn Tigers in receiving during his senior year with 31 receptions for 417 yards, an average of 13.5 yards per catch, with a touchdown.

"Willis is another one of those kids who kind of fell through the cracks with the bigger leagues. He was a great receiver at a school that loves to run the football, but still managed to put up good numbers. He, and Andre LeTren, were two guys I really wanted to have on this team and we got them," said Richards.

Speaking of Andre LeTren, the 5-10, 195-lbs., defensive back has signed on to play with Richards in Richmond. LeTren was a two-sport standout at Troy State in Alabama, playing football and running track & field.

LeTren's professional football experience includes a variety of fields. He played for the Houma (La.) Bayou Bucks of the National Indoor Football League (NIFL). He also signed on to play with the Central Alabama Renegades of the North American Football League (NAFL). In 2003, as a Renegade, LeTren helped his team to the NAFL Championship game. Less than a year later, he decided to try his luck north of the border. His experience also includes a stint with the Calgary Stampeders, as he signed as a free agent in May of 2004.

"Andre (LeTren) really impressed me and the other coaches at our first try-out. He has great quickness and football smarts in the secondary," said Richards. "I'm very excited to have Andre on this team."

The Bandits will open the inaugural 2005 season at the Richmond Coliseum on Saturday, April 16 at 7:05 pm versus the Carolina (Charlotte) Sharks. For more ticket information, including season and single-game tickets, fans can call the Bandits' front office at (804) 780-0383.

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