Predators turn to old friend to add quarterback depth
April 20, 2005 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Orlando Predators News Release
ORLANDO, Fla. (April 20, 2005) -- After placing starting quarterback Joe Hamilton on the injured reserve list on Wednesday, Orlando Predators Head Coach Jay Gruden turned to an old friend to alleviate the team's depth problem at quarterback â signing 11-year AFL veteran Connell Maynor to a one-year contract.
Maynor will back-up Chris Sanders, who was elevated to the starting quarterback position. Sanders replaced Hamilton last week and completed 13 of 17 passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns and ran for two in leading the Predators to a 72-60 win over the New York Dragons. He will be making his first career start for the Predators (8-4-0) against the Georgia Force (9-3-0) on Friday night.
Gruden's time with Maynor goes back to 1994, when Maynor served as back-up quarterback to Gruden with the Tampa Bay Storm for three seasons. He later played three seasons (1998-2000) with the Predators under Gruden, helping the Predators to three consecutive ArenaBowl appearances. In 2000, he became the team's starting quarterback â throwing for 3,167 yards and 54 touchdowns and also ran for six more in leading Orlando to a second Arena Football League world championship.
After stints in New Jersey (2001) and Carolina (2002), he rejoined the Predators toward the end of the 2002 season. He backed up Gruden in both the 2002 and 2003 seasons, throwing for 1,400 yards and 27 touchdowns in six games when Gruden was injured. In 2004, he replaced Hamilton for two games as a starter and backed up in several others, throwing for 650 yards and 10 touchdowns. Together, Gruden and Maynor have won four AFL championship rings.
"I am extremely comfortable bringing Connell in as a back-up for Chris," Gruden said. "Connell has a lot of playing time under his belt, knows our system and knows what it takes to win. He's the first player I thought of when we knew we were going to lose Joe for a couple of weeks." Gruden added that Maynor is a versatile athlete, having been used at defensive back, kick returner, wide receiver and "jack" linebacker in his career. He has more than 700 career receiving yards, 500 career rushing yards and close to 500 career kickoff return yards. "We're bringing him in as a back-up quarterback, but it substitution rules require it, we're not afraid to play him at wide receiver."
After a slow start, Hamilton was having an outstanding season for the Predators. In his last six games, he had recorded close to a 71.2% pass completion percentage (117-163) for 1,571 yards, 33 touchdowns and four interceptions. Against New York, he completed 82.4% of his passes in the first half (14 of 17) with five touchdown passes. Hamilton, who suffered a grade 3 separation of the AC joint (left shoulder), will be eligible to come off the injured reserve list on May 7 against Austin.
In addition to placing Hamilton on IR and signing Maynor, the Predators placed WR/LB Justin Skaggs on the injured reserve list on Wednesday. Skaggs left the New York game after a blow to the head in the first half and has been suffering bouts of vertigo and neck spasms.
PREDATORS NOTES: WHTQ will join Orlando Predators Budweiser FanFest this Friday night prior to Friday night game against Georgia...the Classic Rock station will do a live remote from 5-7 p.m. and quarterback Joe Hamilton and defensive specialist Kenny McEntyre will meet and greet fans during that time...Budweiser FanFest is the official pre-game party of the Predators and features live music, the Predators inflatables, food, and beverage outside the TD Waterhouse Centre...admission to Budweiser FanFest is free...The Predators are offering a Jay Gruden 4-Pack for Friday's game...4 game tickets and 4 sodas or beers for $44...call 407-44-PREDS to order the 4-Pack.
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