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Nashville Kats game notes

January 24, 2005 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Nashville Kats News Release


THE QUICK FACTS:
Game: Kats (0-0) at Columbus Destroyers (0-0).
Date: Friday, January 28
Kickoff: 6:00 p.m. (CT)
Site: Nationwide Arena
Officials: R-Tom McCabe, U-Matt Jordan, HL-Neil Brunner, LJ-Bob McElwee, BJ-Keith Washington
Television: None
Radio: Kats Radio Network. Flagship Station – 104.5 The Zone. Mike Keith (Play-by-Play), Larry Stone (Analyst).
Internet: Live stats online at www.arenafootball.com.
Series Record: Nashville leads 1-0
Last Meeting: KATS 87, Destroyers 48 (6/22/01)
Series Streaks: Nashville has won only meeting.
Coaches: Pat Sperduto, NAS (4th season; 32-18 overall). Chris Spielman, CLB (1st season; 0-0 overall).
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Nashville, Ryan Altizer (wk: 615.565.4282; cell: 615.330.6969; email: raltizer@titans.nfl.com).
Columbus, Curt Hunter (wk:614.246.3533; cell: 614.332.1284;email:chunter@columbusdestroyers.com).


OVERVIEW: The Nashville Kats take the field for the first time in more than three seasons at Columbus on Friday, as the 2005 Arena Football League season gets underway. The Kats are technically an expansion franchise, having been purchased by Tennessee Titans owner K.S. "Bud" Adams, Jr. The team will keep the identity and history of the original Kats franchise, which played in the AFL from 1997 to 2001 before being sold and moved to Atlanta, where they became the Georgia Force. Nashville head coach Pat Sperduto also led the previous Kats organization for three years (1999-2001), advancing to the ArenaBowl after the 2000 and 2001 seasons. He will have three of his former players (James Baron, Darryl Hammond and Jarrick Hillery) with him when the squad takes the field in Columbus. Otherwise, it will be a completely new cast of characters for Nashville, which hopes to continue the organization's streak of five consecutive trips to the playoffs. The team will begin its new era with new uniforms, new helmets and a new quarterback, as former Tennessee State and Georgia Force signal-caller Leon Murray will start for the Kats under center. While Sperduto, who served as an assistant for the NFL's Titans for the last four seasons, returns to the AFL sidelines for the first time since 2001, Destroyers head coach Chris Spielman will be making his coaching debut in arena football. Spielman, who played 11 years in the NFL, served as Columbus' director of football operations last season, while Earl Bruce served as the team's head coach. This season, their roles are reversed, and the team looks to improve on their 6-10 mark from 2004. The Destroyers, who relocated to Columbus from Buffalo last year, will also have a new look this season, as the team turns to AFL veteran Chad Salisbury at quarterback after releasing last year's starter, Ryan Vena, last week.

THE SCHEDULES:
2005 Nashville Kats (0-0)
Game Opponent Result Time/Score
Jan. 28 @ Columbus 6:00 p.m.
Feb. 4 NEW ORLEANS 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 13 @ Philadelphia 2:00 p.m.
Feb. 19 @ New York 6:00 p.m.
Feb. 26 LAS VEGAS 7:30 p.m.
Mar. 6 @ Chicago 2:00 p.m.
Mar. 13 COLORADO 5:30 p.m.
Mar. 28 ARIZONA 7:30 p.m.
Apr. 3 @ Grand Rapids 2:00 p.m.
Apr. 8 @ Dallas 7:30 p.m.
Apr. 17 LOS ANGELES 12 noon
Apr. 24 TAMPA BAY 12 noon
Apr. 29 @ San Jose 9:30 p.m.
May 7 GRAND RAPIDS 7:30 p.m.
May 13 @ Colorado 8:00 p.m.
May 22 CHICAGO 2:00 p.m.

2005 Columbus Destroyers (0-0)
Game Opponent Result Time/Score
Jan. 28 NASHVILLE 6:00 p.m.
Feb. 13 @ Dallas 2:00 p.m.
Feb. 19 CHICAGO 6:00 p.m.
Feb. 27 @ Grand Rapids 2:00 p.m.
Mar. 6 @ Georgia 11:00 a.m.
Mar. 12 LAS VEGAS 6:00 p.m.
Mar. 20 @ Colorado 2:00 p.m.
Mar. 26 NEW YORK 6:00 p.m.
Apr. 3 PHILADELPHIA 11:00 a.m.
Apr. 8 @ Arizona 9:00 p.m.
Apr. 16 @ New Orleans 7:00 p.m.
Apr. 22 DALLAS 6:00 p.m.
Apr. 30 AUSTIN 6:00 p.m.
May 7 @ New York 6:00 p.m.
May 15 @ Philadelphia 12:00 p.m.
May 22 TAMPA BAY 2:00 p.m.

THE SERIES: Nashville and Columbus have never met, though the Kats did play the Destroyers in 2001, when that franchise was located in Buffalo. Nashville defeated Buffalo, 87-48, on June 22, 2001, at the Gaylord Entertainment Center.

SERIES NOTABLES: The 87 points Nashville scored in the 2001 win over the Destroyers was the most in team history... The Kats found the end zone a team-record 12 times in that contest.

LAST SERIES MEETING: KATS 87, Destroyers 48 (6/22/01) – The Kats jumped out to a quick 21-0 lead in the first quarter and never looked back en route to scoring a franchise-record 87 points in an 87-48 defeat of the Destroyers.

Kats all-time leading receiver Cory Fleming returned to the lineup for the first time since breaking his ankle in the preseason, and contributed in a big way, catching a TD pass and picking off a pair of throws on defense, including one which he returned for a 49-yard TD. The performance earned Fleming the game's Ironman award.

ALL-TIME SERIES SCORES
Date Score
June 22, 2001 NASHVILLE 87, Buffalo 48


THE COACHES:
Nashville – Pat Sperduto, 4th season
32-18 (.640) overall
After a three-season absence, Pat Sperduto returns as a head coach in the Arena Football League. He has spent the last four seasons as an assistant on the staff of the Tennessee Titans. He joined the NFL club after spending five seasons with the old Nashville Kats. He compiled a 32-18 record as head coach the last three seasons and led his team to back-to-back appearances in the ArenaBowl in 2000 and 2001. Sperduto replaced Eddie Khayat as head coach in 1999 and posted the best record of seven AFL coaches who took over new teams in 2000. Sperduto spent his first two years as defensive coordinator for the Kats and was elevated to assistant head coach in 1998. He is a three-time ArenaBowl World Champion, winning twice as a player for the Tampa Bay Storm (1991 and '93) and once as an assistant coach with the Storm (1994). Sperduto began his professional career as a player with the Canadian Football League's British Columbia Lions before joining the Tampa Bay Storm in the AFL from 1991-93.


Columbus – Chris Spielman, 1st season
0-0 (.000) overall
Spielman begins his second season with the Destroyers and first as the club's Head Coach & General Manager. Spielman was named Columbus' second head coach in team history on August 4, 2004, succeeding legendary coach and current Destroyers VP of Football Operations, Earle Bruce. A Columbus, Ohio, legend, Spielman joined the Destroyers as the team's Director of Football Operations last season prior to being named head coach this offseason. Spielman was a standout on the football field, starring at Ohio State University before enjoying a successful professional football career. Spielman was a two-time All-American and three-time All-Big Ten selection at linebacker for the Buckeyes. At Ohio State he played under Hall of Fame head coach Earle Bruce, who will serve as a mentor as Spielman enters his first season as head coach of the Destroyers. Spielman was the 29th overall selection in the 1988 NFL draft. His 11-year NFL career included stints with the Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills, and Cleveland Browns. Spielman was elected to the Pro Bowl on four different occasions.


RECENT RESULTS: First game of the 2005 season for each team.

2004 FINAL LEAGUE TEAM RANKINGS
Category Kats Destroyers
Scoring Offense (Rank) NA 49.4 (10th)
Scoring Defense NA 53.9 (17th)
Total Offense NA 252.4 (14th)
Total Defense NA 271.6 (15th)
Pass Offense NA 226.6 (15th)
Pass Defense NA 241.5 (11th)
Rushing Offense NA 25.8 (6th)
Rushing Defense NA 30.1 (18th)
Pass Rating NA 109.9 (11th)
Pass Defense Rating NA 119.9 (17th)
Interceptions NA 12 (11th)
Turnover Margin NA -6 (14th)
Kickoff Return Avg. NA 19.0 (6th)
Field Goal Return Avg. NA 29.5 (1st)
Sacks By NA 8 (19th)
Sacks Against NA 21 (15th)

NOTES:
MURRAY'S THE MAN – The Kats will start veteran quarterback Leon Murray under center in the season opener. He has thrown for 93 touchdowns and more than 5,300 yards in two years in the league. The former Tennessee State star played his first two seasons with Georgia, then signed as a free agent with Nashville in the offseason. Murray had great success in his one previous game against Columbus, throwing for a career-high eight touchdowns and 334 yards in leading the Force to a win over the Destroyers last season.

FRESH FACES – Of the 24 players on the Kats' active roster, 10 are AFL rookies. However, that stat may be misleading. Three of those "rookies" are FB/LB Dan Alexander, OL/DL Tim Morabito and WR/DB Reggie Stephens, who have a combined 13 years of experience in the National Football League. Four more – OL/DL Noah Drucker, OL/DL Joe Minucci, FB/LB Kevin Nagle and FB/LB Casey Urlacher – have all played in the af2 ranks.

TITANS CONNECTIONS – Five of the 24 players on Nashville's active roster have spent time with the Tennessee Titans organization. FB/LB Dan Alexander and DS DeRon Jenkins saw extensive playing time with the NFL club, while DS Rober' Freeman, OL/DL Aaron McConnell and WR/DB Rich Musinski were all in camp with the Titans at some point. Head coach Pat Sperduto has been on the Titans' staff the last four seasons, and FB/LB Levelle Brown is the brother of Titans' starting tailback Chris Brown.

BARON OF DEFENSE – Nashville lineman James Baron is widely known as one of the top players at his position in AFL history. He has been named the league's defensive player of the year once and lineman of the year twice. The former Virginia Tech standout earned all-Arena honors six times (1997-2002), including the first-team five times. He is a two-time member of the all-Ironman team (1999, 2001), and he has 36.5 career sacks — the fifth-highest total in league history. His 20.5 career tackles for loss is the second-highest total in AFL history, and he was named to the AFL's 15th Anniversary all-time team at the 2001 ArenaBowl. Baron, who played the last three seasons with Chicago, was one of only two players to play in all 80 games with the previous Kats franchise, including 10 postseason contests (joining quarterback Andy Kelly). He is Nashville's franchise leader in sacks (26.5), and he also holds team records for sacks in one season (7.0) and sacks in one game (2.5). He has been slowed during the second part of training camp with an injury, but is expected to play this week.

EXPERIENCE UP FRONT – The Kats have a wealth of experience in the trenches. Their usual starting offensive front – Baron, Charlie Morris and Henry Taylor – have 17 years of AFL experience between them. In addition to Baron's eight years in the league, Morris has played five seasons (all with the Arizona Rattlers) and Taylor has played two. Morris, who has played in the last three ArenaBowls with the Rattlers, has developed into one of the top blockers in the AFL, while Taylor has made a name for himself in two seasons with Dallas and New Orleans as a fearsome pass rusher, racking up 6.5 sacks in the last two years.

THE VETERAN – Speaking of experience, no one in Arena Football League history has more of it than Kats WR/LB Darryl Hammond, who is set to begin his 15th year in the sport. He is tenth on the AFL's all-time receiving-yards gained in a career with 7,782 yards. Hammond has returned six interceptions for touchdowns in his career, tied for third-most in the AFL, and he ranks third in the league for career tackles with 588. The University of Virginia product has played with five different organizations, including Austin last season. However, he posted some of the best years of his career with the old Kats, with whom he played from 1997-2001. If age has slowed him down, no one has noticed. In 2004 with the Wranglers, he was on his way to having one of his finest seasons, catching 21 passes and scoring seven TD's in the first three games, before missing four weeks with an injury.

FULLY STOCKED – The Kats have four fullbacks/linebackers on their active roster, which is more than the average team carries. Nashville kept a spot for all but one of the five players it brought to camp at the position (Dan Alexander, Levelle Brown, Kevin Nagle and Casey Urlacher). Despite their impressive showing in camp, the group is relatively unproven, with just 12 AFL carries and 63 yards between them. Of the four, only Brown has previous AFL experience, having played the last two seasons with the Chicago Rush. Alexander played three years in the NFL, while Nagle and Urlacher have each been standouts in the af2 ranks.

LORD OF THE RINGS – Kats offensive specialist Fred Coleman knows a thing or two about winning a championship. In fact, he is one of the few players to have won championships in both the NFL and the AFL. As a member of the New England Patriots in 2001, he won a Super Bowl ring in the team's win over the St. Louis Rams. Last season, he was an integral part of San Jose's ArenaBowl championship season, catching 55 passes for 719 yards and 17 TD's, despite playing in the shadow of some of the likes of the SaberCats' Barry Wagner. He signed a free agent deal with the Kats in the offseason and is looking to emerge as one of the top receivers in the sport this season.

RETURN TO COLUMBUS – Though the Kats have never played Columbus, they have played IN Columbus. Nashville squared off against the New Jersey Red Dogs in a preseason game in Columbus in April 1999, winning the contest played at the Schottenstein Center (home to Ohio State basketball).

FIVE-WAY THREAT – WR/DB Jarrick Hillery is one of the Arena Football League's top Ironmen, having excelled in all facets of the game in his first five years in the league. The former Tennessee State star was selected to the All-Ironman team in 2001 and was an All-Rookie selection in 2000, while with the old Kats. He played with the Georgia Force in 2002 and 2003, and played last season with the Carolina Cobras. In his five-year career, Hillery has made 186.5 tackles, caught 231 passes for 2,483 yards and 36 TD's, rushed for 311 yards and 24 more TD's on the ground and accumulated more than 1,900 yards and scored four times on kickoff and missed field goal returns.

LOOKING SPECIAL – After a spirited competition throughout training camp, DeRon Jenkins and Rober' Freeman have captured the starting defensive specialist spots heading into week one. Jenkins, who played six years in the NFL, was an AFL All-Rookie selection last season with Austin, making 64.5 tackles, breaking up a team-high 15 passes and picking off two more. Freeman is a talented rookie who has spent time in the NFL with the Titans and Houston Texans. AFL veteran Kahlil Carter is slotted as a reserve DS.

SCOUTING COLUMBUS
The Destroyers have a new look from last year's squad that went 6-10 and finished in a three-team tie for second place in the AFL's Eastern Division. Columbus named former NFL and Ohio State star Chris Spielman its head coach, and has brought in several new faces, particularly on offense, where they ranked 15th out of 19 AFL teams in passing offense in 2004. Last week, the team waived Ryan Vena, their starting quarterback last season, and named Chad Salisbury, a five-year AFL veteran. In addition to having last year's primary receiving threats – Cornelius White and Sedrick Robinson – back in the arsenal this year, Salisbury will also have Damien Groce, who was Carolina's leading receiver last year. Bobby Olive, who served as the team's receivers coach last season, returns to the field in 2005 to serve as another target for Salisbury. Defensively, Columbus hopes to improve from last season, when they finished 17th in the league in scoring defense, allowing 53.9 points per game.

WR/LB CORNELIUS WHITE - A seven-year veteran of the AFL, White completed his second season with the Destroyers in 2004 as the team's leading receiver...was on pace to double his offensive output from the 2003 season, however suffered an injury in week 11 which kept him out of action for two weeks...still posted career-highs with 78 catches for 1,152 yards and 23 touchdowns...originally joined the Destroyers as a Free Agent prior to the 2003 season after stints with Albany, Carolina and Chicago from 1998-2002...in 2003, White led the Buffalo Destroyers with 63 receptions and was second on the team with 760 yards and 14 touchdowns...played two seasons in Carolina (2000-01) and left as the franchise leader in points (182), touchdowns (30), receptions (95), receiving yards (1,342), receiving touchdowns (27) and tackles (75.5)...was named Carolina's Ironman of the Year in 2000 after leading the team with 16 touchdowns, 45.5 tackles and two interceptions

QB CHAD SALISBURY - Salisbury takes over the starting QB spot for the Destroyers after spending the past two seasons as a member of the Chicago Rush where he completed 106 of 161 pass attempts for 1,115 yards and 21 touchdowns in 27 games played...in 2004, Salisbury completed 62.7 percent of his pass attempts and did not throw an interception all year...he began his AFL career with the New England Sea Wolves in 2000 before spending two years with the Toronto Phantoms (2001-2002)...despite missing nearly half of the 2002 season to injury, Salisbury threw for 3,372 yards and 51 touchdowns in only 16 total games with Toronto.

DS JOJO POLK - A four-year AFL veteran who was the Destroyers' leading tackler for the second consecutive season in 2004 with a total of 69...also led the team with 11 pass deflections, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries...shared the team-lead with three interceptions...set a franchise record for tackles in a single season with 86.5 in 2003...currently the franchise's all-time leading tackler (155.5)...signed with the Destroyers as a Free Agent after spending two seasons with the Grand Rapids Rampage (‘01-‘02)... was on the Rampage team that defeated Nashville in ArenaBowl XV.



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from January 24, 2005


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