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Arena Football League

AFL Capsules Week 1

March 6, 2012 - Arena Football League (AFL) News Release


WEEK 1 - SATURDAY, MARCH 10, 2012

UTAH BLAZE (0-0) AT SAN ANTONIO TALONS (0-0) 4:00 PM ET

BLAZE: The Blaze finished the 2011 ranked first in passing offense with 301.2 yards per game and ranked third in scoring offense (60.1 points per game), total offense (318.2 yards per game) and pass efficiency (117.3) but finished the season 9-9 without seeing any playoff action ...QB TOMMY GRADY enters his second season with the Blaze and his third in the AFL...Grady had 381 completions for 4,357 yards and 107 touchdowns in his 2011 season...He only saw 15 games due to an injury but was on pace to break multiple League passing records ... FB BEN STALLINGS returns for his second season with the Blaze...In his rookie season he rushed 48 times for 208 yards and 16 TDs...K KYLE BROTZMAN returns for his second season with the Blaze...In the 2011 season he was 41 for 48 extra points... WR AARON LESUE returns for his second season with the Blaze..He had 77 receptions for 912 yards and 27 TDs in his rookie debut... DB CAESAR RAYFORD enters his third season with the Blaze...In his 2011 season he had 31 tackles and 10 sacks...WR ALVANCE ROBINSON enters his second season with the Blaze and his fourth in the AFL...Las season he was the teams leading receiver with 110 receptions for 1,325 yards and 31 TDs. TALONS: The Talons will enter their first season in the AFL as a franchise but have a roster packed with League experience... QB AARON GARCIA will enter his 17th season of Arena Football as one of the most decorated QBs of his time he comes to the Talons from the Jacksonville Sharks...In 2011 was named the Russell Athletic Offensive Player of the year after a career-high 402 completions for 4,933 yards and 116 touchdowns...He is still the all-time leader in passing touchdowns in the League with 1078... QB STEVEN SHEFFIELD spent last season with the Spokane Shock...In his rookie season he recorded 15 completions for 231 yards and 5 TDs...WR SALE KEY comes to the Talons from Jacksonville he will be entering his fifth season in the AFL...In 2011 he had 69 receptions fro 798 yards and 14 TDs with quarterback Aaron Garcia...He also had 10 tackles... WR ROBERT QUIROGA comes from the Orlando Predators and will spend his sixth season with Talons..He was the leading receiver in the 2011 season with 126 receptions for 1,553 yards and 26 TDs ... LB JAMAR RANSOM enters his third season in the AFL he spent the 2011 season with the Tulsa Talons where he recorded 68 tackles and 2 interceptions... DB FRED SHAW enters his third season in the AFL and spent the 2011 season in Tulsa...Last season he tallied 60 tackles and 6 interceptions...WR JASON WILLIS returns for his 5th season in the AFL...He spent the 2011 season with the Pittsburgh Power..Last season he recorded 107 receptions for 1,199 yards and 18 TDs...He also had 28 returns for 330 yards. WR JOMO WILSON will return for his third season in the AFL and comes to the Talons from the Jacksonville Sharks...In 2011 he was the Sharks and Garcia's leading receiver with 130 receptions for 1,693 yards for 48 TDs...He also had 20 returns for 319 yards.

WEEK 1 - SATURDAY, MARCH 10, 2012

TAMPA BAY STORM (0-0) AT CHICAGO RUSH (0-0) 8:00 PM ET

STORM: The Storm finished the 2011 season 7-11, without seeing any action in the postseason... The Storm will be returning QB MATT GROTHE who passed for 440 yards and 10 TDs last season... QB STEPHEN WASIL was acquired by the Storm in a trade from Kansas City in 2011 he passed for BLANK... WR/KR MICHAEL LINDSEY returns for his second season with the storm...In 2011 had 44 receptions for 440 yards...He set the franchise single-season record for kickoff returns with 1745 return yards passing up AFL Hall of Famer George LaFrance... ... FB ERIC ORTIZ will be returning for his third season with the storm...Scored three touchdowns on the ground in ArenaBowl XXIII...He is a versatile player who contributes as both a FB and LB...Spent the 2011 season dealing with an injury...DB ERICK MCINTOSH returns for his third season with the Storm in his last season had 4 interceptions for 101 yards...He started and played in all 18 games in 2011 season... K JUAN BONGARRA comes to the Storm from the Tulsa Talons...In his rookie season he ranked third in the AFL in FG conversions with 55 and second in the League in made FGs with 11...He was also 97 for 115 in extra points...RUSH: The Rush finished the 2011 season with a 13-5 record and went on two win their quarterfinal playoff game against Dallas 54-51 but lost to Arizona in the semifinal playoff game 48-54... QB RUSS MICHNA enters his fourth season with the Rush...In 2011 season he led the AFL in completion percentage with 69 and was second in the League for QB rating at 126...Played in 14 games and was out iwth injury for the end of the season and playoffs...In the 14 games he played he made 290 passes for 3,860 yards and 70 TDs... ... WR REGGIE GRAY returns for his third season with the Rush...played in all 18 games in 2011 season and had 130 receptions for 1969 yards and 49 TDs setting a franchise record...He held the second most points in the League with 322 and had the third most all-purpose yards with 2,678...DB VIC HALL will return for his second season with the Rush...In his rookie season Hall landed 15 interceptions in only 13 games...He led the League in tackles per game with 8.4 and had 104 tackles overall...LB KELVIN MORRIS enters his second season with the Rush and his fourth in the AFL...In 2010 he played in 14 games for the Arizona Rattlers leading the team in interceptions with 5 and finished the season with 34.5 tackles...DB KELVIN RODGERS comes to the Rush from Milwaukee where he had 6 interceptions and led the Mustangs with 71 tackles in his rookie season.

WEEK 1 - SATURDAY, MARCH 10, 2012

ARIZONA RATTLERS (0-0) AT SAN JOSE SABERCATS (0-0) 10:30 PM ET

RATTLERS: The Rattlers finished the season with 16 wins and only 2 losses...They clinched the National Conference Title and appeared in ArenaBowl BLANK but lost to blank SCORE... QB NICK DAVILA returns to the Rattlers for his third season...In 2011 Davila was named the AFL National Guard MVP after he led the League in pass efficiency with 12.7 and ranked second in the League in completion percentage with 70.7 and pass completions with 427...Last season he passed for 4,916 yards and 117 TDs...FB ODIE ARMSTRONG enters his second season with the Rattlers and fourth season in the AFL...Last season he had 77 rushes and broke the single-season franchise records with 295 yards rushing and 17 rushing touchdowns...DL CLIFF DUKES comes to the Rattlers from Tampa Bay where he spent three seasons...Last season he was named the Game Tape Exchange Defensive Lineman of the Year...He set a franchise record with 16 tackles for a loss in a season...In 2011 he recorded 29 tackles and led the team with 13 sacks...DB MARQUIS FLOYD enters his second season with the Rattlers and his fourth in the AFL..In 2011 he recorded 101.5 tackles 9 interceptions and 18 pass break ups...K CHRIS GOULD comes to the Rattlers after spending the 2010 and 2011 seasons with the Chicago Rush...In 2010 Gould was named Kicker of the Year after leading the League in Field Goal percentage with 73...In 2011 he was 81-96 extra points. ... LB KEVIN MCCULLOUGH enters his second season with the Rattlers and his third with the League...In 2011 he tallied 65.5 tackles and 5 interceptions... MAURICE PURIFY WR comes to the Rattlers from the Georgia Force..In 2011 he was named AFL Rookie of the Year after recording 130 receptions for 1,653 yards and 46 TDs...SABERCATS: Iowa committed a season-high 12 penalties against Milwaukee last week... QB MARK GRIEB enters his twelfth season with the SaberCats...He holds the AFL record for highest QB rating for players with a minimum of 100 games with 123.2 and holds the record for completion percentage with 67.3...He is the only QB in the AFL to throw 70+ TDs in seven consecutive seasons...In 2011 he had 455 completions for 95 touchdowns and a career-high 5,310 yards... WR BEN NELSON will enter his second year with the SaberCats...In 2011 he was the teams leading receiver with 76 receptions for 1,019 yards and 24 TDs in only 11 games...DL TIM MCGILL will enter his second season with the SaberCats...In 2011 tallied 17.5 tackles and 10 sacks...In 2010 he led the Tampa Bay Storm in quarterback pressures...FB THOMAS TAGGART comes to the SaberCats from the New Orleans VooDooo...He led the VooDoo in 2011 in rushing with 44 rushes for 193 yards and 9 TDs...He also had 7 receptions for 33 yards.

WEEK 1 - MONDAY, MARCH 12, 2011

IOWA BARNSTORMERS (0-0) AT SPOKANE SHOCK (0-0) 10:00 PM ET

BARNSTORMERS: The Barnstormers finished the season with BLANK QB JJ RATERINK enters his fourth season of Arena Football after spending the 2011 season with both the Chicago Rush and Kansas City Command...With the Rush he tallied 64 completions for 888 yards and 16 TDs before being traded to Knasas City where he completed 311 passes for 3,723 yards and 65 TDs... WR JESSE SCHMIDT returns for his third season with the Barnstormers...In 2011 he was named the teams MVP after 168 catches for 2,171 yards and 55 TDs... His 286 rushing yards and 17 rushing TDs are single-season franchise records... FB RODNEY FILER returns for his fifth season with the Barnstorms and will begin his thirteenth year in the AFL...In 2011 he started 17 games and rushed for 146 yards and 4 TDs... DB CAMERON MCGLENN returns for his second season with the Barnstormers...In 2011 was voted the teams Defensive Player of the Year after leading Iowa in tackles with 89.5 and interceptions with 9...His 9 interceptions last season are a franchise single-single record...DB JASON SIMPSON returns to the Barnstormers after spending the 2011 season with the Chicago Rush...In 2011 he compiled 107.5 tackles, 8 interceptions and averaged 18.1 yards per kick off...SPOKANE: The Shock finished the season with a 9-10 record...They made it to the quarterfinal playoff but lost to Arizona 56-75..QB ERICK MEYER enters his third season with the Shock...Last season he had a completion rate of 75% and threw for 967 yards and 22 TDs in only three games...DL JONATHAN WILLIAMS will enter his second season with the Shock...In his rookie season he tallied 5.5 tackles including 2.5 for a loss and had 1.5 sacks...He also had two fumble recoveries one for a TD...DL TERRANCE SANDERS will enter his second season with the Shock...In 2011 he recorded 81 tackles with 5 interceptions, 12 pass breakups and two fumble recoveries...WR BRANDON THOMPKINS will enter his second season with the Shock...Having been been acquired late in the 2011 season he had 17 receptions for 200 yards and 3 TDs in only 4 games.

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