SaberCats set opening day roster
February 24, 2008 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
San Jose SaberCats News Release
SAN JOSE, Calif. (Feb. 24, 2008) - Head coach and general manager Darren Arbet had to make the biggest decision of the season over the weekend as the defending ArenaBowl champion San Jose SaberCats cut down its pre-season roster to the Arena Football League mandated 24-man regular season limit.
Despite having to waive 10 players, coach Arbet and his staff have added veteran AFL performer Frank Carter and a pair of rookie offensive linemen.
Offensive lineman Patrick Afif, who started six games last season, was the biggest name waived. The team also waived defensive backs Tyrone Sanders, Nashville Dyer and Greg Lovely, defensive linemen Demoine Adams and Larnell Ransom, and offensive lineman Nick Mihlhauser.
Waived injured were receiver Samora Goodson, who sustained a knee injury in the team's scrimmage with Kansas City on Feb. 19, fullback Shawn Willis and receiver Ryan Hoag.
"This is always a difficult time, probably the toughest part of the job," stated San Jose head coach and general manager Darren Arbet. "We had to let some good football players and quality people go, but I believe the players on the roster now give us the best chance of repeating as ArenaBowl champions this season."
The SaberCats also placed QB Brett Elliott, WRs Josh Richey and Darrell Jones, DLs Andrew Browning and Jeff Littlejohn, OL Rod Olds and FB Daimon Shelton on injured reserve.
Added to the regular season roster were veterans James Roe and Omarr Smith, both were activated from the team's physically unable to perform list, and Steve Watson, who was brought off injured reserve.
2008 SABERCATS ROSTER
No. Name Pos Ht Wt DOB College Exp
3 Jason Geathers WR/LB 6.04 225 09/08/80 Miami 2
4 Trestin George DB 5.09 190 08/24/83 San Jose State 1
7 Scott Rislov QB 6.01 222 06/29/80 San Jose State 1
8 Clevan Thomas DB 5.10 199 04/06/79 Florida State 6
9 James Roe WR 6.01 197 08/23/73 Norfolk State 8
11 A.J. Haglund K 5.08 175 07/24/83 Central Oklahoma 1
14 Omarr Smith DB 5.09 186 04/07/77 San Jose State 8
15 Cleannord Saintil WR 6.01 190 02/11/84 Middle Tennessee State 1
16 Mark Grieb QB 6.02 215 05/23/74 UC Davis 10
17 Rodney Wright WR 5.09 181 11/28/79 Fresno State 3
19 Marquis Floyd DB 6.02 192 03/17/80 West Georgia 2
23 Ron Jones DL 6.04 283 09/17/81 Southern Mississippi 2
27 Brian Johnson FB/LB 6.02 280 04/06/79 New Mexico 4
31 Phil Glover LB 6.00 265 12/17/75 Utah 5
34 Steve Watson LB 6.03 250 04/09/82 Missouri State 1
40 Frank Carter FB/LB 6.01 260 10/17/77 MacMurray College 6
67 Gene Frederic OL 6.03 300 02/05/83 Memphis R
87 William Obeng OL 6.07 335 04/14/83 San Jose State 1
89 Chris Pino OL 6.05 315 08/18/82 San Diego State R
90 Garrett McIntyre DL 6.03 270 11/26/84 Fresno State 1
91 Dan Loney OL 6.01 292 12/07/77 Cal Poly SLO 6
93 Julius Gant OL 6.03 305 01/14/82 Middle Tennessee State 2
97 George Williams DL 6.04 314 12/08/75 North Carolina State 6
99 Alan Harper DL 6.02 291 09/06/79 Fresno State 2
POSITION BREAKDOWN
Quarterback (2): Mark Grieb, Scott Rislov.
Fullback (3): Brian Johnson, Frank Carter^, Phil Glover^
Receiver (4): James Roe, Rodney Wright, Jason Geathers^, Cleannord Saintil
Offensive linemen (5): Gene Frederic, Dan Loney, William Obeng, Chris Pino, Julius Gant
Defensive Back (4): Clevan Thomas, Omarr Smith, Marquis Floyd, Trestin George
Linebacker (6): Steve Watson, Phil Glover^, Jason Geathers^, Frank Carter^, Brian Johnson^
Defensive Linemen (4): Ron Jones, George Williams, Alan Harper, Garrett McIntyre
Kicker (1): A.J. Haglund
^Players saw significant time at both positions last season
ROSTER NOTES
*Seven players (Mark Grieb, Dan Loney, James Roe, Clevan Thomas, Omarr Smith, Marquis Floyd, George Williams) started all 16 regular season games and three playoff games, while two players (A.J. Haglund, Julius Gant) played in all 19 games last season.
*Four players (Trestin George, Scott Rislov, Omarr Smith, William Obeng) played collegiately at San Jose State. George, Rislov and Obeng were Spartan teammates in 2003.
*Dan Loney was born on Pearl Harbor Day (December 7, 1977), but 36 years after the historic event.
*Clevan Thomas and Brian Johnson were born on the same day (April 6, 1979).
*Garrett McIntyre is the youngest player at 23 years, 9 months.
*James Roe is the oldest player at 34 years, 6 months.
ABOUT THE SABERCATS
A premiere franchise in the Arena Football League, San Jose has won three ArenaBowl championships and captured seven Western Division titles, eight consecutive playoff appearances and owns the league's best regular season record this decade. The SaberCats begin defense of their AFL title in Chicago on Monday, March 3 in a nationally televised ESPN2 game.
2008 TICKET INFORMATION
Season and group tickets for the 2008 season are now on sale. Contact a SaberCats' account executive at (408) 573-5577 to reserve your seats today. Individual game tickets can be purchased at the HP Pavilion ticket office, all Northern California Ticketmaster locations and on line at ticketmaster.com. More information is also available on the team's official website www.sanjosesabercats.com.
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from February 24, 2008
- 2008 Season kicks off this weekend - Tampa Bay Storm
- Destroyers Trim Opening Day Roster To 23 - Columbus Destroyers
- SaberCats set opening day roster - San Jose SaberCats
- Sign Linebacker Leroy Thompson, Quarterback Perry Patterson And Defensive Back E. J. Underwood - Columbus Destroyers
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