Nashville Kats game notes
February 27, 2006 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Nashville Kats News Release
THE QUICK FACTS:
Game: Nashville Kats (4-1) at Arizona Rattlers (1-4)
Date: Saturday, March 4, 2006
Kickoff: 8:00 p.m. (CT)
Site: America West Arena (16,321)
Officials: R- Dennis Lipski, U- Rick Nelson, HL- Kavin McGrath, LJ- Darrel Leftwich, BJ - Rich Wilborn
Television: None
Radio: Kats Radio Network. Flagship - 104.5 The Zone. Mike Keith (Play-by-Play), Larry Stone (Analyst).
Internet: Game carried live on AFL Net. Live stats available at www.arenafootball.com.
Series Record: Arizona leads 4-2
Last Meeting: Arizona 48, NASHVILLE 35 (3/26/05)
Series Streaks: Arizona won the last meeting
Last Week: Nashville 47, Grand Rapids 31
Arizona 42, Columbus 26
Coaches: Pat Sperduto, NAS (5th season; 42-28-1 overall). Gene Nudo, ARI (1st season, 1-4)
OVERVIEW: The Kats look to move to 5-1 for the first time in team history with a win this week at Arizona. Nashville, which currently sits at 4-1, is tied with Colorado for the lead in the Central Division and is one of only four teams in the AFL with just one loss. The Kats hit the road this week for the first of two consecutive games out west. First up is Arizona, which has struggled out of the gates to a 1-4 start. The Rattlers currently rank 15th out of 18 AFL teams in total offense, and they have a -5 turnover margin through the first five weeks. However, Arizona is not the only team in the AFL's Western Division off to a slow start. In fact, they are just one game behind division-leading Utah (2-3) in a four-way tie for second place.
THE SCHEDULES:
2006 Nashville Kats (4-1)
Game Opponent Result Time/Score
Jan. 28 @ New York Won 57-28
Feb. 3 COLUMBUS Won 53-27
Feb. 12 @Chicago Lost 56-55
Feb. 18 COLORADO Won 58-36
Feb. 25 GRAND RAPIDS Won 47-31
Mar. 4 @ Arizona 8:00 p.m.
Mar. 10 @ Utah 8:00 p.m.
Mar. 17 CHICAGO 7:00 p.m.
Mar. 25 SAN JOSE 7:00 p.m.
Apr. 1 @ Colorado 8:00 p.m.
Apr. 8 @ Las Vegas 9:30 p.m.
Apr. 14 PHILADELPHIA 7:00 p.m.
Apr. 21 KANSAS CITY 7:00 p.m.
Apr. 29 @ Grand Rapids 7:00 p.m.
May 6 @ Los Angeles 9:30 p.m.
May 13 TAMPA BAY 7:00 p.m.
2006 Arizona Rattlers (1-4)
Game Opponent Result Time/Score
Jan. 29 @ Los Angeles Lost 30-31
Feb. 3 AUSTIN Lost 34-53
Feb. 12 SAN JOSE Lost 55-50
Feb. 18 UTAH Won 45-38
Feb. 24 @ Colomubs Lost 26-42
Mar. 6 NASHVILLE 8:00 p.m.
Mar. 10 ORLANDO 8:00 p.m.
Mar. 17 @ Las Vegas 9:30 p.m.
Mar. 24 Los Angeles 8:00 p.m.
Apr. 2 @ San Jose 4:00 p.m.
Apr. 8 @ Utah 8:00 p.m.
Apr. 15 CHICAGO 8:00 p.m.
Apr. 23 @ Grand Rapids 12:00 p.m.
Apr. 29 @ Dallas 6:00 p.m.
May 6 LAS VEGAS 8:00 p.m.
May 12 @ Colorado 7:00 p.m.
THE SERIES: The Kats have a 2-4 series record against the Rattlers. Arizona defeated Nashville, 56-49, last season. The last win against the Rattlers was a 66-46 verdict on May 6, 2000. Prior to that, the Rattlers beat Nashville in three straight meetings, including once in the 1999 AFL Playoffs.
Date Result
7/6/97 NASHVILLE 56, Arizona 49
8/2/98 ARIZONA 59, Nashville 55
7/25/99 Arizona 65, NASHVILLE 64 (OT)
8/7/99 ARIZONA 34, Nashville 30 (playoff game)
5/6/00 Nashville 66, ARIZONA 46
2/26/05 Arizona 48, NASHVILLE 35
KATS INJURY REPORT
Player Injury Status
Jarrick Hillery Elbow Doubtful
Tyrone Hopson Knee Questionable
Ronald Jones Elbow Questionable
Reggie Stephens Knee Doubtful
LAST MEETING:
Arizona 48, Nashville 35 (3/26/05 @ Nashville)
Joe Germaine threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to OS Siaha Burley with 57 seconds remaining to seal Arizona's 48-35 victory over the Kats. Germaine threw six touchdown passes on the night, including two to Burley, who led all receivers with 11 catches for 107 yards. Germaine completed 27-of-37 passes for 314 yards on the night, eclipsing the 217 passing yards of Kats QB Leon Murray who was returning after missing the past three games recovering from knee surgery. The Kats had the lead midway through the third quarter, but could not manage another score.
KATS-RATTLERS TIES: Kats OL/DL Charlie Morris played five seasons with the Rattlers and helped lead Arizona to three consecutive ArenaBowl appearances from 2002-2004... Kats line coach Darrin Kenney played four seasons with the Arizona Rattlers from 1997-2000... Arizona kicker Gary Kral spent the first half of the 2005 season as the kicker for Nashville. He was released by the Kats on April 5, 2005... Rattlers WR/LB Cosmo Dematteo spent the 2005 season on the Kats' practice squad.
LAST WEEK:
Nashville 47, Gr. Rapids 31 (Feb. 27 @ Nashville)
Nashville stopped a two-game Grand Rapids winning streak in a game riddled with penalties and scuffles. Both teams combined for 18 penalites with an ejection by Grand Rapids' Winfield Garnett. Despite failing to score 50 points for the first time this season, the Kats held their opponent below 40 points for the fourth time. Quarterback Clint Stoerner had possibly his most difficult game with the Kats. He completed 12 of 22 passes for 156 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions. Kats WR/DB Jarrick Hillery returned after being sidelined from injury since game one and had 25 rushing yards with a TD and 122 return yards. Hillery also added two tackles earning Ironman honors.
Columbus 42, Arizona 26 (Feb. 24 @ Columbus)
The Rattlers scored only six points in the second half in a 42-26 loss to Columbus. The Rattlers put themselves in a hole early, turning it over on downs on each of their first two possessions while Columbus scored touchdowns on their first two offensive series to jump ahead, 14-0. The Destroyers scored touchdowns on three-straight possessions to start the second half, while Arizona scored just one fourth-quarter touchdown. Arizona's QB Sherdrick Bonner finished 15-of-37 for 206 yards and three touchdowns - all to offensive specialist Damian Groce, who led the team with 5 catches for 84 yards.
SERIES NOTABLES:
Arizona quarterback Shedrick Bonner was hurt and did not play in last year's game against the Kats.
Rattlers OS Damien Groce spent last season with the Columbus Destroyers, and had a nice game against Nashville in the two teams' 2005 meeting. Here are his numbers from that contest:
Groce Vs. Kats
Date Result Rec Yds TD
1/28/05 NAS 47, CLB 38 7 113 2
Totals 7 113 2
Kats receivers have had some success against Arizona in recent years. Here's a look at how Kats wideouts have performed against the Rattlers:
Bonner vs. Rattlers
Date Result Rec Yds TD
5/11/03 ARR 56, CHI 44 1 33 0
3/14/04 LVG 65, ARR 64 1 5 1
4/10/04 ARR 80, LVG 63 8 81 1
3/19/05 LVG 66, ARR 63 3 25 0
5/22/05 ARR 49, LVG 42 1 5 0
Totals 14 149 2
Fleming vs. Rattlers
Date Result Rec Yds TD
3/6/03 ARR 62, ORL 36 7 76 1
2/3/05 ORL 51, ARR 40 6 92 3
Totals 13 168 4
Hammond Vs. Rattlers
Date Result Rec Yds TD
3/26/05 ARR 48, NAS 35 3 36 0
Totals 3 36 0
Hillery Vs. Rattlers
Date Result Rec Yds TD
2/21/04 ARR 45, CAR 38 2 36 0
Totals 2 36 0
Toliver vs. Rattlers
Date Result Rec Yds TD
6/22/03 TBS 43, ARR 29 2 39 0
3/13/05 TBS 59, ARR 56 4 25 2
Totals 6 64 2
THE COACHES:
Nashville - Pat Sperduto, 5th season
42-28-1 (.599) overall
Pat Sperduto is in his fifth season as head coach of the Nashville Kats. After struggling to a 1-7 start in 2005, the Kats first year back in Nashville after moving to Atlanta in 2001, Sperduto pushed the Kats to win five of their last eight games to finish 6-9-1. He was at the helm of the original Kats team from 1999-2001. Prior to last year, he 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.
Grand Rapids - Gene Nudo, 1st season
1-4 (.200) overall
Gene Nudo enters his first season as head coach to become the third head coach in franchise history. Nudo joined the Rattlers coaching staff in 1995 as an assistant head coach before becoming a part of the team's front office in 1996. A true pioneer in the AFL, Nudo coached the first-ever Arena Football games in Rockford, Ill. (1986) as well as its "Showcase Game" in Rosemont, Ill. (1987). He would later serve as the Director of Player Personnel and assistant coach for the Chicago Bruisers (1987-88), helping guide them to a berth in ArenaBowl II.
2006 TEAM STATISTICAL RANKINGS
Category Kats Rattlers
Scoring Offense 54.0 (t-6th) 37.2 (16th)
Scoring Defense 35.6 (1st) 46.2 (7th)
Total Offense 262.6 (13th) 257.6 (15th)
Total Defense 239.8 (2nd) 253.4 (4th)
Pass Offense 235.8 (14th) 248.6 (12th)
Pass Defense 223.2 (3rd) 219.4 (2nd)
Rushing Offense 26.8 (5th) 9.0 (t-16th)
Rushing Defense 16.6 (7th) 34.0 (18th)
Interceptions 8 (t-1st) 2 (t-6th)
Turnover Margin +10 (1ST) -5 (t-16th)
Kickoff Return Avg. 17.5 (7th) 18.6 (4th)
Sacks By 13 (1st) 4 (t-6th)
Sacks Against 6 (t-6th) 4 (t-5th)
NOTES:
BEST START - At 4-1, the Kats have tied the franchise record for the best start in their history, originally set in 1998 and 2000. A win this week would give Nashville its best six-game start ever. In '98, the Kats started 4-0, then lost their next two and wound up 9-5 overall, losing in the first round of the playoffs. In 2000, Nashville dropped its opener and went on a four-game winning streak before losing in week six. That season, the Kats once again finished 9-5, but advanced all the way to ArenaBowl XIV, where they lost to Orlando.
GETTING DEFENSIVE -Nashville's defense has clearly been the class of the league through the first five weeks of 2006, ranking first in four statistical categories and second in another. The Kats rank as the stingiest team in the league, allowing just 35.6 points per game, and they also lead the AFL in yards per play (4.6), yards per pass play (5.1) and sacks (13). Nashville ranks second in total defense (239.8) and third in pass defense (223.2). They also are tied for the league lead in interceptions with eight. In week one, the Kats held the high-flying New York Dragons and legendary quarterback Aaron Garcia to just 28 points and 241 yards of total offense in a 57-28 win. In week two, Nashville continued to turn up the heat, holding a Columbus team that had scored 53 points in a week one win over Grand Rapids to just 27 in a 53-27 blowout. The Kats held the Destroyers to only 175 yards of total offense. In Chicago in week three, the Kats held Chicago to under 200 yards passing. Two weeks ago, Nashville held a Crush team that had led the AFL in scoring through the first three weeks to just 36 points and forced five turnovers. Last week, Nashville forced four more turnovers and held a Grand Rapids squad that had scored more than 60 points in its two previous contests to just 31. Through the first five games, Nashville leads the league with a +10 turnover margin and has given up a league-low 178 points.
MANY HAPPY RETURNS - The Kats welcomed back WR/DB Jarrick Hillery from injured reserve last week, and the veteran's impact was felt right away. After averaging 30.0 yards per kickoff return in the week one win over New York, Nashville's return game suffered significantly during Hillery's absence with a dislocated elbow. His week one performance included three returns for a grand total of 90 yards, including a team-record 58-yarder for a TD. During his absence, the Kats averaged just 12.3 yards per return and did not have a runback longer than 23 yards. In his first game back from the injury against Grand Rapids, Hillery averaged 24.4 yards on five returns, including on that he took back 44 yards. His 26.5 yards per return average is tops in the league, but his presence was felt at more places than just the return game. After piling up 42 rushing yards in the season opener, the Kats had only managed 49 total yards on the ground during Hillery's four-game stint on IR. In his return against the Rampage, Hillery ran the ball four times for 25 yards, including a 12-yard TD, and Nashville accumulated a season-high 43 yards on the ground. The seven-year AFL veteran has now been named Ironman of the Game in both contests he has played in this year. He is averaging 146.0 all-purpose yards per game this season. Hillery is one of the Arena Football League's top Ironmen, having excelled in all facets of the game in his first six 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 first six years in the league, Hillery made 214 tackles, caught 268 passes for 2,840 yards and 45 TD's, rushed for 393 yards and 28 more TD's on the ground and accumulated more than 2,000 yards and scored six times on kickoff and missed field goal returns.
STOERNER SHRUGS OFF UGLY GAME- Quarterback Clint Stoerner had been on a tear to start the 2006 season - his first with the Kats. The second-year player, who finished second in last season's Rookie of the Year voting as the starter for the Dallas Desperados, hit his first snag of the season last week when he struggled to complete 12-of-22 passes for 156 yards, four TD's and three INT's. Going into that game, Stoerner had only been intercepted once in the first four contests of the season. is currently the seventh highest-rated passer in the AFL. He has completed 96-of-158 passes (60.8%) for 1,209 yards, 22 TD's and four INT's in the first five games. Stoerner played three seasons in the NFL before bursting onto the AFL scene with Dallas last year and being named to the league's all-rookie squad. He set a Kats franchise record for passing yards in a game with 368 at Chicago earlier this season. The previous record was 362 by Andy Kelly in 1998 overtime win at Milwaukee. In addition, the 54 passes he attempted in that game tied Kelly's mark originally set in a 1999 loss to Albany.
BLOWOUTS - Other than the one-point overtime loss at Chicago, the Kats have been fortunate to win each of their four games in a cakewalk. In fact, Nashville leads the league in average point differential at +18.4.
LEGENDARY PAIR - In Cory Fleming and Darryl Hammond, Nashville features two of the top receivers in AFL history, and they are about to give the Kats a historic first. Cory Fleming became just the third player in league history to catch 800 passes in his career at New York in week one. With 797 career receptions, Hammond is just three catches shy of becoming the fourth player on that list. When he does, the Kats will become the first team ever to have two 800-catch receivers on the same roster.
OFFENSIVE U-TURN - Lost in the jaw-dropping performances by the Kats' defense is the fact that Nashville's offensive production has made a 180-degree turnaround from what it was at this point last season. Through the first five games in 2006, the Kats are averaging 54.0 points per game. That compares to a 42.0 points-per-game average through the first five weeks of 2005. The Kats ranked dead last in the AFL in scoring offense in 2005 (41.8 ppg) and dead last in total offense (262.1 ypg). Nashville is currently tied for sixth in scoring offense, and the 47 points they put up against Grand Rapids last week was the fewest they have scored all year. In 2005, the Kats scored 47 or fewer points 10 times.
SACK ATTACK - The Kats lead the AFL with a whopping 13 sacks on the season, through week five. The team boosted its total with another sack in Saturday's game against Grand Rapids. Nashville, which finished tied for the league lead in sacks last season with 24, nearly tied the AFL record for sacks in a game in its week one win at New York. The seven QB takedowns that the Kats registered against the Dragons were the most in team history and just one shy of the league record of eight. Six players have had sacks so far this season - Frank Carter (4), Anthony Herron (3), James Baron (2), Joe Minucci (2), Darryl Hammond (1) and Aaron McConnell (1). Carter's four in a game was the most in team history and ties him for third in AFL history. He and Herron, Baron and Minucci make up four of the 18 AFL players who have posted more than one sack so far this year. No other team has more than two players on that list. Last year, the Kats had six players who had at least three sacks on the year, while no other team had more than three players reach that mark. Of those six players, the Kats return four (James Baron, Rupert Grant, Aaron McConnell, Joe Minucci), plus they have added FB/LB Frank Carter, who tied for second in the league with nine sacks a year ago.
FORCING TURNOVERS - The Kats lead the Arena Football League in turnover margin with a +10 mark through five weeks. Nashville has forced 16 turnovers (eight fumbles and eight INT's) in the first five games, while committing only six (three INT's and a pair of fumbles). The Kats forced a season-high five turnovers two weeks ago in the win over Colorado, then followed that up with four more in the victory over Grand Rapids last week. Nashville boosted its turnover margin by one despite committing three turnovers of their own on Saturday.
NO TIME AT ALL - The Kats are scoring plenty of points and getting great defensive play despite the fact that they have controlled the ball less than any team in the league through the first five weeks of the season. Nashville is averaging only 27:11 of possession time per game so far in 2006.
FULL MONTY - Kats DS Monty Montgomery has been a force in the secondary in the first five weeks, leading the AFL with 39 tackles, picking off four passes (tied for 2nd in the AFL), batting away eight passes (tied for 7th in AFL) and posting 5.5 stops on special teams (tied for 7th in AFL). Montgomery, who was a coveted free agent signee from New Orleans in the offseason, also forced and recovered a fumble at Chicago in week three. Last week, Montgomery had 10.5 total tackles and broke up two passes in the win over Grand Rapids.
T.T. MEANS TD - OS T.T. Toliver found the end zone once again on Saturday, making his only catch of the day good for a 44-yard TD reception. Toliver had an off night by his standards against the Rampage, but he has been a TD-producing machine so far in 2006. He is tied for eighth in the AFL with 10 total touchdowns this season, and he has scored seven on receptions, two on rushes and another on a net recovery. He has 430 receiving yards receiving on 28 catches so far this year. He had a game-high 12 catches for 144 yards and a TD at Chicago in week three, also scoring on a three-yard run. His 132 receiving yards at New York was the most of any player in the league in week one. He continues to show the "true meaning" of his initials by scoring two or more touchdowns in nearly every game he plays with the Kats. He has at least two TD's in nine of the 12 contests he has played in with the Kats since being acquired in a midseason trade with Tampa Bay last season, and he has found the end zone in all 12 of those games. Toliver has proven to be an excellent pickup for Nashville. In fact, he was named Offensive MVP in each of his first three games he played with the team, and he got the same honor last week and in this year's season opener. Toliver, who was named to the league's All-Ironman squad as a WR/DB in 2004, had 55 receptions for 768 yards and 17 TD's with Tampa Bay and Nashville last season. He also had 14 rushes for 57 yards and three TD's, and he ran in a pair of key two-point conversions as well. The Bethune-Cookman product was a member of Tampa Bay's 2003 ArenaBowl championship squad, and he has spent time on NFL practice squads with the San Francisco 49ers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and St. Louis Rams. Toliver has moved to offensive specialist this season after being a two-way player for his first four seasons.
NEWCOMERS MAKING BIG SPLASH - Nashville made a few well-publicized acquisitions in the offseason, and several of those have made key impacts in the first two weeks. FB/LB Frank Carter, who was signed as a free agent from Las Vegas, currently is second in the league in sacks (4) and leads the AFL in tackles for loss (5.5). Meanwhile, free agent pickup Monty Montgomery, whom Nashville signed away from New Orleans, has four interceptions, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and six pass breakups to go with a league-leading 39 tackles in the first five weeks. Quarterback Clint Stoerner, who was landed in a trade with Dallas, has thrown for 1,209 yards and 22 TD's this year. Lineman Anthony Herron, who was activated from the Kats' exempt list after playing last season in the NFL, has three sacks so far and is second in the league only to Carter with 4.5 tackles for loss. Wide receiver/defensive back Cornelius Bonner, who was also a free agent pickup in the offseason, has 21 catches for 289 yards and eight TD's. Plus, he had a team-record 56-yard INT return for a score against Colorado, and has 18 tackles on the year. Nashville WR/LB Cory Fleming came over in a trade with Orlando, and he has three TD catches so far on the season.
SGT. CARTER - FB/LB Frank Carter has been a major addition for the Kats in 2006, after signing a free agent deal in the offseason. He is currently second in the AFL in sacks with 4.0 and leads the league in tackles for loss with 5.5. He also has 11.5 tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery so far this season. Offensively, he has gained 25 yards on 13 carries and scored two TD's.
SECOND-AND-LONG - The Kats have been the best defensive team in the AFL to this point on first down, holding opponents to 3.59 yards per play on first down. The league average is 6.24 yards.
3rd DOWN INEFFICIENCY - Despite excelling in nearly all phases of the game, the Kats have been weak on third down, converting on just 40.0 percent of their third down plays. Nashville ranks 12th out of 18 AFL teams in third down efficiency.
BONNER IS TRUE IRONMAN - WR/DB Cornelius Bonner has been a true example of an Ironman for the Kats so far this season, even winning AFL Ironman of the Week honors after Nashville's week two win over Columbus. For the year, he has 21 catches for 289 yards and eight TD's. Plus, he had a team-record 56-yard INT return for a score against Colorado two weeks ago, and has 18 tackles on the season. Like Frank Carter, Bonner signed with the Kats as a free agent in the offseason after spending the last few years with the Las Vegas Gladiators.
OLD SCHOOL - This Kats team has a familiar look to it, as five players on this year's roster were also with the team in its previous version (1997-2001). OL/DL James Baron, WR/LB Cory Fleming, FB/LB Rupert Grant, WR/LB Darryl Hammond and WR/DB Jarrick Hillery all played with the old Kats, and all were on Nashville's back-to-back ArenaBowl squads in 2000 and 2001.
ARE YOU EXPERIENCED? - Nashville began the 2006 season with a much different look than when it began the 2005 season. The biggest change is reflected in the years of AFL experience this year's roster has compared to last year's. When the Kats played their season opener at Columbus on Jan. 28, 2005, the active roster featured 24 players with a combined 46 years of AFL experience. When Nashville opened the year at New York exactly one year later, they featured 23 players with a combined 80 years of experience. That is an improvement of 34 combined years, and that does not include the nine years of AFL experience between injured reserve players Rupert Grant and Chris Angel. The 2005 opening week roster had 11 rookies, where this year's opening roster had only one - lineman Tyrone Hopson. The Kats have not activated a rookie for a game so far this season.
SUPER SOPHS - The Kats feature four of last year's AFL All-Rookie selections, easily the most of any other team. Nashville FB/LB Dan Alexander and linemen Aaron McConnell and Joe Minucci were honored for their outstanding rookie seasons in 2005, and the Kats got the All-Rookie quarterback (Clint Stoerner) in a trade with Dallas in the offseason.
STEPHENS RETURN GETTING CLOSER - Kats DS Reggie Stephens is likely to remain on injured reserve for at least another week after injuring his knee in the win over Columbus three weeks ago. Khalil Carter, who led the Kats with 11 tackles and an INT versus Grand Rapids is once again expected to start in his place.
SECOND(ARY) TO NONE - The Kats have put together one of the most formidable secondaries in the league, having picked off six passes and given up a league-low 5.1 yards per pass play through five weeks. They are also tied with the AFL lead in interceptions with eight.
NEW FACES - Nashville made some significant roster additions over the offseason, resulting in several new faces on this year's squad. One of the most notable is WR/LB Cory Fleming, who rejoins the Kats after a year in Carolina and three seasons with Orlando. He was the AFL Ironman of the Year in 2004. Nashville also signed first-team All-Arena FB/LB Frank Carter, as well as veteran WR/DB Cornelius Bonner, both of whom played for Las Vegas last season. The Kats also traded for QB Clint Stoerner, who started all 16 games for Dallas in 2005, and they signed defensive specialist Monty Montgomery, who was an AFL All-Rookie choice in 2004. A list of the new faces to the 2006 Kats:
Player Pos. Exp. Spent 2005...
Chris Angel DS 2 New York
Cornelius Bonner WR/DB 6 Las Vegas
Frank Carter FB/LB 4 Las Vegas
Cory Fleming WR/LB 9 Orlando
Anthony Herron OL/DL 1 NFL-Atlanta
Tyrone Hopson OL/DL R ----
Ronald Jones OL/DL R ----
Monty Montgomery DS 2 New Orleans
Clint Stoerner QB 1 Dallas
TITANS CONNECTIONS - Five of the 23 players on Nashville's active roster have spent time with the Tennessee Titans organization. FB/LB Dan Alexander and saw extensive playing time with the NFL club, while DS Rober' Freeman, WR/LB Jermaine Lewis, OL/DL Aaron McConnell and OL/DL Joe Minucci were all in camp with the Titans at some point. Head coach Pat Sperduto also served on the Titans' staff the four seasons between his stints with the Kats.
AMONG THE GREATEST - The Kats had two players on the recently-announced AFL's 20 Greatest Players of All-Time list. Lineman James Baron, who is widely considered the most dominant lineman to ever play the game, was ranked sixth. That is higher than any other non-quarterback or receiver. WR/LB Cory Fleming was tied for 14th on the list. Darryl Hammond, who was on the voting committee, also received votes. Nashville and Arizona were the only two teams to have two active players on the list.
FLEMING GETTING WARMED UP -After a relatively slow start to the 2006 season, WR/LB Cory Fleming is getting into a groove after catching nine passes in the last two games and forcing a key fumble in Saturday's win over Grand Rapids. One of the AFL's all-time greats, Fleming returns to the Kats in 2006 after spending the last three years with the Orlando Predators. He has posted 39 games with 100 or more receiving yards and 23 games with 10 or more catches in his nine-year career. He now has 819 career receptions, ranking him third all-time in that category. Fleming has earned first unit All-AFL honors four times, including 1997, 1998, 2004 and 2005, and he was named AFL Ironman of the Year, signifying the Arena Football League's best two-way player in 2004. He was tabbed AFL Rookie of the Year in 1997. His 815 career receptions ranks him third, all-time, behind Barry Wagner and Eddie Brown. He ranks third on the all-time list for career touchdowns (237) and fourth in receiving yards (9,912). Fleming has averaged 89 receptions, 1,073 receiving yards and 25 receiving touchdowns in his previous nine seasons in the AFL, despite missing all but five games in 2001 and the final four games of the 2000 season with injuries. Last season, he was named to the first-team All-Arena squad, catching 96 passes for 1,089 yards and 33 touchdowns for the Orlando Predators, and helping to lead the team to the AFL semifinals.
BARON OF DEFENSE - OL/DL James Baron is widely known as one of the AFL's all-time greatest linemen. He has 41.5 career sacks, placing him third on the AFL's all-time list. He will move into second with two more full sacks. So far this season, he has two sacks and a tackle for loss. Last year, Baron sat out the first two games of the season with an ankle injury, ending his streak of 131 consecutive games played. He returned, registering 11 tackles, four stops for loss, three sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a safety in his 14 games. Baron was recently named no. 6 on the list of the league's 20 greatest players, and 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). His 26.5 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 three seasons with Chicago between stints in Nashville, 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 (28.5), and he also holds team records for sacks in one season (7.0).
SWEET 16 - Kats WR/LB Darryl Hammond is in the midst of his 16th year in the AFL (the longest tenure in Arena Football League history). He was inactive for last week's game against Grand Rapids, but he had 4.5 tackles and a 44-yard fumble return in the win over Colorado two weeks ago, continuing his string of game-changing defensive performances so far this season. His nine tackles at Chicago in week three led the team, and he also registered his first sack since 2002 in the game. He had a 49-yard interception return for a TD against Columbus three weeks ago, marking the seventh pick in which he has run back for a TD in his career. Hammond continued to defy Father Time in 2005, earning a selection to the league's All-Ironman team. He had 66 receptions for 632 yards, eight TD's and 42.5 tackles in 14 games played last season. In 2005, he became just the second player in league history to have 8,000 receiving yards and 30 interceptions in a career. San Jose WR/LB Barry Wagner is the only other player to have accomplished the feat. Hammond now has 8,521 receiving yards and 30 INT's. He is one of only three players in AFL history to surpass 600 stops (Wagner and Grand Rapids' Damon Mason are the other two). He is fourth in AFL history with 797 career receptions and ranks eighth on the league's all-time receiving-yards gained in a career with 8,521 yards. Hammond has returned seven interceptions for touchdowns in his career, tied for third-most in the AFL, and he ranks third in the league for career tackles with 647.0. He will join teammate Cory Fleming on the prestigious 800 career reception list with just three more catches.
SCOUTING ARIZONA
The Rattlers enter Saturday night's game badly needing a win, after starting the season 1-4. Their struggles have mostly come on the offensive side of the ball, where they are averaging just 257.6 yards per game (15th in the AFL) and 37.2 points per contest (16th in the AFL). Veteran QB Shedrick Bonner is always one of the league's best, but he has struggled so far in 2006, ranking 15th among AFL passers. Defensively, Arizona is tough, allowing a respectable 46.2 points per game and 253.4 yards per game. The Rattlers are looking to find more breaks, however, as they have only forced a league-low four turnovers so far this season.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
OS DAMIEN GROCE - An electric receiver who came over from Columbus as a free agent in the offseason, Groce leads Arizona with 28 catches for 450 yards and eight touchdowns. He scored all three of the Rattlers' TD's in last week's loss at Columbus.
QB SHEDRICK BONNER - One of the best quarterbacks in AFL history, Bonner is a two-time ArenaBowl champion who is in his 14th season as QB of the Rattlers. He is third among the AFL's all-time passers. Bonner has struggled some this season, completing 56.1 percent of his passes for 1,027 yards, 15 TD's and five INT's.
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