Soul Re-sign Slew Of Players; Tony Graziani Returns For Another Season
Published on August 16, 2007 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Philadelphia Soul News Release
PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia Soul have re-signed QB Tony Graziani, FB Wes Ours, WR Scottie Vines, OL's Martin Bibla, Phil Bogle and DL's Gabe Nyenhuis and Bryan Save. As per club policy, terms of their deals were not disclosed.
"We feel like we are getting closer every year and we feel Tony (Graziani) is a major reason why," head coach Bret Munsey said. "We have a good nucleus and with Tony's leadership combined with a few more weapons, we can take the next step to winning a championship."
Bibla (6'3", 310, Miami) returns to the Soul after being named to the All-Rookie team in his first year. He started all 16 regular season games for the Soul and was part of a front line that only allowed nine sacks all season that ranked seventh in the League. He was a big acquisition to the Blue and Grey in an effort to build a solid offensive line. Bibla spent five years in the NFL with the Denver Broncos and the Atlanta Falcons before coming to the Soul.
Bogle (6'3", 322, New Haven), who was elected to the first-team All-Arena as well as All-Rookie team, started all 16 regular season games for the Soul. He was recognized as an intricate part of the offensive line and was miked up by ESPN for two of the six televised games in his first year in the AFL. As part of the offensive line, he protected for four different quarterbacks. Before being acquired by the Soul, he spent four seasons in the NFL and NFL Europe. Bogle was drafted in 2003 by the San Diego Chargers.
Graziani (6'3", 215, Oregon) re-signed with the Soul for one year after leading Philadelphia to the postseason the past two seasons. In 2007, he completed 225-of-362 passes for 2,841 yards with 64 touchdowns despite eight interceptions with a 116.9 QB rating. He suffered a dislocated left shoulder during Week 7 at Dallas in the first quarter when Desperados DL Rickie Simpkins took him to the turf and forced him to miss the next four games. In his three seasons in Philadelphia, Graziani has passed for 10,092 yards on 784-of-1,305 completions with 195 touchdowns and 34 interceptions for a QB rating of 110.9.
Nyenhuis (6'3", 269, Colorado) started 10 regular season games for the Soul and saw steady action after Week 7. He came on strong at the end of the season as a defensive end tallying 14 total tackles, four tackles for losses, three sacks, two pass breakups and two forced fumbles. He joined the Soul after spending time on the Indianapolis Colts practice squad.
Ours (6'0", 300, West Virginia) will return to the Soul for his fourth consecutive season and look to surpass 100 yards rushing for the third straight year. In the past two seasons, he has amassed 100 yards on the ground (2007 - 129 yards and 2006 - 130 yards) and has compiled 19 rumbling touchdowns. In 2007, he recorded career highs in receptions (12) and receiving yards (114). Other than his offensive numbers, Ours joined with the offensive line to become one of the most stable front four in the League.
Save (6'1", 313, Colorado State) had an exceptional rookie campaign after being named to the All-Rookie team and finished the season ranking first among all rookies in tackles for loss (5), second among rookies in sacks (4) and ranked fourth among rookies in forced fumbles (3). He also ranked near the top of the charts in stats among all nose guards in the League. Prior to joining the Soul, Save spent two seasons with NFL Europe's Cologne Centurions where he recorded 65 total tackles, nine sacks and one forced fumble. He also spent time in the NFL.
Vines (6'1", 201, Wyoming) will return to Philadelphia for the 2008 season after battling a hamstring injury the majority of the 2007 season. He appeared in one game and had one reception for 12 yards in limited action. Prior to joining the Soul, he spent the previous three seasons in the NFL with the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers. Vines played 19 games with the Lions between the 2004-05 seasons with 11 starts. He tallied 43 receptions for 468 yards after being signed as a free agent out of the University of Wyoming by the Lions. He was later signed to the Packers practice squad before returning to Detroit and being signed to the active roster on November 20, 2004.
"All four guys (Bibla, Bogle, Nyenhuis and Save) had great rookie seasons with the Soul and we feel like they will only get better with time, Coach Munsey stated. "We are happy to have them back; this gives us a great starting point for the 2008 season."
Season tickets for the Soul's 2008 season are on sale now. Tickets start as low as $90 for a nine game plan including a postseason home game. For more information call (888) PHIL-AFL or log on to www.philadelphiasoul.com. The Soul are entering their fifth season in the AFL and have drawn a League best 514,226 fans combined during the past four years. Following last season, the Soul were recognized with the Commissioner's Award as the Organization of the Year.
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from August 16, 2007
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- Soul Re-sign Slew Of Players; Tony Graziani Returns For Another Season - Philadelphia Soul
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- Destroyers Re-sign Defensive Back Rober' Freeman And Offensive Lineman Will Rabatin - Columbus Destroyers
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