New York Dragons Sign Josh White
November 6, 2003 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Hawaiian Islanders News Release
HONOLULU â The New York Dragons announced today that they have signed former Hawaiian Islanders fullback/linebacker Josh "Zeus" White to a three-year contract with the Arena Football League team. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.
"They said they needed to upgrade that (fullback/linebacker) position and they gave me the chance," said White. "I'm ready to show them what I'm made of.
White played in 13 regular season games and was the af2's second leading rusher with 302 yards averaging 23.2 yards per game and 14 touchdowns. He tied an arenafootball2 record on May 10, 2003 when he rushed for five touchdowns in a 50-48 win over the Bakersfield Blitz.
"Zeus is such a load when he's carrying the ball," said Islanders Head Coach Cal Lee after the Bakersfield game. "At 265-pounds, he's a handful to take down, but he's also a great pass rusher on defense too.
White's new coach will be Todd Shell who turned the Dragon's season around in 2003. Shell was named head coach last season following week four and took an 0-4 team at the time to an 8-8 regular-season finish, claiming the Eastern Division title and a 48-45 playoff victory over Chicago in the Wild Card Round. It was the second time in Shell's career he has led a team to a division title in his first year at the helm. The first head coach in the San Jose SaberCats team history, Shell led his 1995 squad to an 8-4 record and a Western Division Championship, making them the first expansion franchise in AFL history to win a division title. In both cases, Shell was named AFL's Coach of the Year.
White graduated in 1995 from Farrington High School where he was an all-state performer in football. He played at the University of California from 1997-99.
White becomes the second former Islander player to jump from af2 to the AFL. Offensive/Defensive lineman Olen Rosehill was a member of the Arizona Rattlers during the 2003 season.
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