WR Jamarko Simmons and OL Matt Spanos Join SaberCats
January 25, 2013 - Arena Football League (AFL)
San Jose SaberCats News Release
SAN JOSE, Calif. - The SaberCats announced today that they have been assigned former Jacksonville Sharks wide receiver Jamarko Simmons on a two-year contract and former USC Trojan offensive lineman Matt Spanos on a one-year deal.
"We are excited about bringing both Jamarko and Matt into the fold this season," said Owner/Head Coach Darren Arbet. "Jamarko's familiarity with Aaron (Garcia) and Matt's high level of experience should prove to be very significant as we head into camp."
Simmons (6-3, 245, Western Michigan) spent his last two seasons with the Jacksonville Sharks. In 2012 he hauled in 72 passes for 751 yards and 16 touchdowns and also carried the ball for 31 yards and six scores for the Sharks. The Flint, Michigan native also caught eight passes for 78 yards and a touchdown in the postseason last year as well. Simmons was part of the 2011 ArenaBowl Champion Sharks and caught 27 passes for 265 yards and ten scores from current SaberCats quarterback Aaron Garcia. In addition, he also scored on seven occasions on the ground. In the postseason, he accounted for eight total touchdowns (four receiving and four rushing), including three in the ArenaBowl. Prior to joining the Sharks, Simmons spent time in 2011 with the New York Jets on their practice squad and signed as an undrafted free agent by the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League. Simmons was also a part of the United Football League's (UFL) Virginia Destroyers, who won the championship in 2011. He attended Western Michigan University and in 47 appearances posted 260 career catches for 3,019 yards and 17 touchdowns, including a team-leading 104 receptions for 1276 yards and seven scores as a senior for the Broncos.
Spanos (6-5, 305, USC) most recently spent time with the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the UFL. Previously, he was also a member of the Canadian Football League's Hamilton Tiger-Cats (2010), the UFL's Omaha Nighthawks (2010), was in camp with the San Francisco 49ers (2009), signed a futures contract with the Dallas Cowboys (2009) and signed as an undrafted free agent by the Miami Dolphins (2008). Prior to his professional experience, the Corona, Calif. native attended the University of Southern California. He spent time at every offensive line position for the Trojans throughout his collegiate career, appearing in 32 games.
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