Vipers Continue To Build For 2009 Season
January 8, 2009 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Alabama Vipers News Release
Huntsville, AL- The 2008 af2 ArenaCup Champion Tennessee Valley Vipers continue to build and make additions for the upcoming 2009 season. The Vipers have been assigned three key contributors from last season's championship team. Receiver Maurice Brown, offensive lineman Calvin Ousby, and ironman Travis Blanchard will all return to the Vipers next season. "Getting these veteran players back is huge," said Vipers head coach Dean Cokinos. "They mean so much to our team in regard to on field performance and leadership, and they were very instrumental in the success we had in 2008."
Brown, who finished the 2008 season as the Vipers leading receiver, will once again wear the green and black next year. The University of Iowa product finished the regular season with 109 catches for 1,305 yards, and 27 touchdowns despite missing the final three regular season games due to injury. Brown also had five games in which he caught at least three touchdown passes.
Ousby, who will be back for his third season with the Vipers, missed the first three games of the season with an injury, but returned to make seven consecutive starts on the Vipers offensive line to end the regular season. The Jackson State University product, was part of an offensive line that allowed only 15 sacks and allowed quarterback Kevin Eakin to throw for 51 touchdowns.
Blanchard, who will return for his fourth season with the Vipers, finished the 2008 regular season with 72 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns, six catches for 77 yards and a score, 37.5 tackles, three interceptions, and averaged 18.7 yards per kick return. The University of Mississippi alum is the third leading receiver in Vipers history with 156 catches and 1,897 receiving yards, and is second all-time in all-purpose yards with 5,090.
VIPERS ASSIGNED FORMER OLE MISS STAR
The Vipers have also announced they have been assigned former Ole Miss defensive lineman Brandon Jenkins. Jenkins played for the Rebels from 2004-2007 and saw action in all twelve games in 2007, with six starts coming at nose tackle. He finished his collegiate career with 51 total tackles, with a game high of six coming vs. Wake Forest on 9/23/06. He has NFL experience as he was in camp with the Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots in 2008.
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