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Rampage Shake Up Roster during Bye Week

April 2, 2007 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Grand Rapids Rampage News Release


GRAND RAPIDS - With multiple key defensive injuries suffered over the first quarter of the season, the Grand Rapids Rampage made several roster moves during their bye week, signing three new players while releasing or waiving three others.

Highlighting the Rampage's newest acquisitions is defensive lineman Bryan Henderson (Cincinnati, Ohio). The four-year Arena Football League veteran made an immediate with the Arizona Rattlers in 2003, earning a spot on the AFL All-Rookie Team. The following year Henderson emerged as a dominant force, becoming an All-AFL First Team member after recording eight sacks, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Last season, the 6-5, 285-pound Henderson split time with the Utah Blaze and Kansas City Brigade, recording 10 tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in 15 total games.

Also hoping to give the Rampage a new spark will be defensive lineman Buck Gurley (Tallahassee, Fla.) and defensive back Trey Bell (Racine, Wis.).

Gurley boasts a history of winning. He spent four seasons (1997-2000) at the University of Florida, helping the Gators to a 39-11 record and three Bowl victories. He eventually made his way to the NFL where he earned a Super Bowl ring with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002. The following year he collected yet another championship, winning NFL Europa's World Bowl with the Frankfurt Galaxy. The 6-2, 300-pound Gurley has spent the last three seasons (2004-06) in the AFL with the Orlando Predators and the Tampa Bay Storm, totaling 21 tackles, three sacks and a fumble recovery for a touchdown in 36 games.

Gurley and Henderson will help solidify a Grand Rapids defensive line that lost Greg Scott (Courtland, Va.) to a severe knee injury in the team's March 23 loss to the Utah Blaze. The Rampage placed the second-year AFL veteran on the injured reserve list this weekend, and are awaiting news from team doctors regarding his return date.

Bell, a 5-9, 205-pound University of Wisconsin-Whitewater product, was selected to play in the 2005 Hula Bowl and was projected as a mid-round 2005 NFL draft selection before suffering an Achilles tendon tear during workouts that spring. The AFL rookie spent training camp with the Chicago Rush this February before signing with the Rampage.

Additionally, Grand Rapids released defensive back Reggie Doster (Pampano Beach, Fla.), and waived defensive lineman LaWaylon Brown (Birmingham, Ala.) and fullback/linebacker Bruce Blue (Rochester, N.Y.).

Grand Rapids expects to activate quarterback Chad Salisbury (Perryopolis, Pa.) from its injured reserve list later this week. The Rampage's Week 1 starter suffered a concussion in the team's 44-42 victory over the Colorado Crush on March 4 and missed three games on IR. He will be eligible to play Saturday (April 7) when West Michigan's very own AFL team welcomes the New York Dragons to Van Andel Arena at 7 p.m. EDT.

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