Xplorers assigned two more players with NFL experience
March 1, 2006 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Memphis Xplorers News Release
SOUTHAVEN, MS --- The Memphis Xplorers of af2 announced today that the team has been assigned FB/LB Joshua Rue and WR/DB Brett Fischer by the league office. Both players have NFL ties. Rue was with the Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals while Fischer went to training camp with the Kansas City Chiefs.
The six-foot-four 248 pound Rue was originally signed by the Miami Dolphins in April of 2003 following the completion of the NFL draft. He was waived by the Dolphins in July that year and signed a week later by Arizona. He spent the first 15 weeks of the 2003 season on the Cardinals' practice squad before being activated and signed to their 53-man roster for the final two games of the season. The former All MAAC selection at Duquesne was resigned to the Cardinals practice squad to start the 2004 season, but was waived in November 2004.
"We are very excited to get a player of Joshua's capabilities," Head Coach Danton Barto said. "Joshua is a player who has game experience in the NFL and we believe that Joshua should be a force in arena football. We were amazed that nobody in the AFL brought him in this year."
"Every year we are surprised by the quality of players available to us and this off-season has been no exception," Director of Player Personnel Chris Bauer said. "Rue was one of the premier FB/LB prospects in the entire nation for both the AFL and af2. This is a big time assignment that more than solidifies our last position of need."
Fischer, six-foot-195 pounds, signed with Kansas City as a free agent in July of 2005 and went to camp with the Chiefs. He finished a stellar four year career at Division II Missouri Rolla with 155 receptions, 1,976 yards and 14 touchdowns. During his senior season in 2004, he set school marks for receptions for a season (72), single season receiving yards (1,040) and career receiving yards.
"Brett is a guy who went to camp with the Chiefs last year and was doing very well until a slight injury," Barto said. "We believe that he has the opportunity to be an impact player for us."
"Fischer is an interesting prospect from a small school with NFL camp experience in an NFL program that has had a knack of finding players that are suitable for the arena game," Bauer said. "Perhaps he can develop like the Chiefs' own Chris Horn."
The Xplorers open training camp on March 13 at the Pyramid in Memphis.
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