Daily League News & Notes

Arena Football League
Final Week of Storm Training Camp Begins
The Storm began its final week of training camp today. With final roster cuts coming up, it is imperative for the players to take what they learned last week and apply it on the field.
"Last week we taught them what to do," said Storm defensive backs coach Doug Kay. "Now we'll see if they know how to use it."
With that said, the Storm took the field and immediately went to work. With the 28-man roster finalized, the staff began to treat the training camp session like a regular season practice. The coaches put the team into game situations for the purpose of seeing how each player will react during the game.
"We're just showing that we can be counted on," said Storm wide receiver Jason Chery. "I want to show that I know what I am doing, and that I can be versatile."
In the game of arena football versatility is extremely important. While it is no longer required, being able to play both sides of the ball is important. This is a trait that can go a long way when the coaches make their decisions on the final roster.
"The coaches tell us to get better at everything," said Chery. "If we continue to improve, we'll have a better shot at making this team at the end of the week."
Coaches' Perspective: On entering the final week of training camp, Storm head coach Dave Ewart said, "At the end of the week we're going to keep the best 24 guys. Look at yourself in the mirror and ask, 'Am I ready?'"
Quote of the Day: On what it will take to make the final team roster, Storm defensive back De'Audra Dix said, "We need to lock in, stay focused and improve on communication. Coach always says communicate with each other, which will help everyone get better."
Player Spotlight: Today's "Player Spotlight" goes to first-year Storm quarterback Shane Boyd. Boyd was a two-sport athlete for the University of Kentucky, playing both baseball and football. The former Wildcat was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the 12th round of the 2004 Major League Baseball draft. He was a pitcher for the Wildcats, pitching at a speed of close to 97 mph. During camp, his velocity and quick release showed as he was able to find many of his receivers and place the ball where only they could find it.
Sharks Training Camp Report - March 11
The 2012 South Division Champion Jacksonville Sharks returned to the practice field at Plantation Park on Monday morning. After Sunday's day of rest, the team kicked off the second week of training camp with a full-contact workout.
This past weekend was the Sharks' first significant break of the season, as players had a day and a half off after eight straight days of practice and meetings. On Monday, the team shook off a little bit of rust as the practice progressed from individual drills to one-on-ones, three-on-threes and the final team session. Following Monday's workout, head coach Les Moss shared his thoughts on the day's work and the week ahead.
"After a couple days off or the weekend after a game, the first practice is normally kind of sluggish, and then they get back into it" Moss said. "Tomorrow will be crisp, they'll be ready to go. We've really only got two more days of practice and then we've got Orlando coming to town, so we're excited about that."
Monday's practice marked the first time that the Sharks took the field with a 28-man roster, as teams could carry 35 players for the first week of camp but must now work with a smaller roster. The Sharks will work this entire week - including Friday's preseason scrimmage - with 28 active players, then must reduce that number to the regular-season limit of 24.
Like any team, the Sharks have dealt with bumps, bruises and fatigue during camp. On Monday, Moss also discussed how his players are dealing with training camp's physical challenges.
"It's really less than 28 because we've got some guys that are nicked up," Moss said. "They're fighting through it. It's training camp still so they've got to keep fighting for their jobs, but we're doing alright."
Player Spotlight
Of all the players who have suited up for the Sharks during training camp, not one has more AFL experience than defensive lineman Jerry Turner, who is entering his seventh year in the league. After two years with the Georgia Force, Turner heads south to play for the team that ended his season in both 2011 and 2012. After Monday's workout, Turner spoke about his early impressions of the Jacksonville organization.
"I think everybody handles themselves like a professional [here]," Turner said. "I'm excited to be here. When I'm out [around town] a lot of people seem to respect the Sharks, which is a good thing for this league and on this level. So far, everything is great."
Turner is one of four members of the 2012 Force to don a Shark uniform this year, joining fellow defensive lineman Matt Marcorelle, quarterback R.J. Archer and defensive back Tracy Belton. With Georgia last year, Turner led his team with five tackles for loss and added four sacks and three fumble recoveries.
Like all of his Shark teammates, Turner is looking forward to lining up against the Orlando Predators during Friday's preseason scrimmage.
"It's not just seeing another jersey, but getting to hit the quarterback instead of just running him down," Turner said. "That's what we're here to do, rush the passer, so it's tough to stay intense when you can't really get to what you want. We're looking forward to it, very much so."
Up Next
The Sharks return to the practice field for another full-contact workout on Tuesday morning. Practice is set to begin at 8:30 a.m. and will be open to the public.
Action Audio Apps Partners with the Orlando Predators
The live sporting event experience as we know it is about to change! Action Audio Apps is pleased to announce a partnership with the Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League for the home opener April 6, 2013. The Orlando Predators will be the first ever professional football team to give fans exclusive live access to on-the-field audio via Action Audio Apps at all home games.
This new partnership will revolutionize the way fans experience live sports by doing something no other professional football team has ever done before. During the game, select players and coaches will be wired with the most technologically advanced microphones on the market. Fans will be able to hear every grunt, snap and cheer live as the action unfolds through an app downloaded to their Android smartphone, iPhone or other Apple device, mp3 player or tablet.
So how will Action Audio Apps transform the arena experience? Through the use of cutting-edge technology, everyone in the arena will feel like they're on the field along with the players. On opening night, which is sponsored by People's Power & Gas, Predators fans can tune in to Action Audio Apps' produced show to hear exactly what the players and coaches are saying. Either pre-install the free app at home or download it once you arrive at the stadium in a few simple clicks. Once downloaded, fans can access the interactive app's multi-channel keypad and select their stream for continuous action - whether it's their favorite player, coach or even an interview. The app can also be accessed outside the live event so fans can listen to the library of archived audio content.
"We are excited to offer our fans a chance to experience a professional football game in a way no one ever has before," said Darrell Harbin Chief Operating Officer of the Orlando Predators. "It will also give our fans a chance to feel like they are more a part of the game."
Day 12 of Soul Camp: Players Push On
The 2012 American Conference Champion Philadelphia Soul, presented by Parx Casino, continue on their journey to finalize their 2013 team roster. Both defense and offense are learning how one another plays, and who they have to beat to make the final roster.
Quarterbacks Steven Gachette (6'1, 195, Southwest Baptist) and AFL rookie Ryan Porter (6'4, 217, Missouri State) are battling it out to gain a spot alongside veteran Dan Raudabaugh (6'3, 230, Miami (OH)). Drills with the wide receivers and running plays continue to show who will be the dominant competitor and reader on the field.
Fighting for an official spot as an offensive lineman with the Soul are returnee Brennen Carvalho (6'1, 310, Portland State), rookie Sioeli Fakalata (6'3, 340, New Mexico State), returnee Christian Johnson (6'4, 330, Kentucky), former Pittsburgh Power Jason Jones (6'4, 340, Idaho), and rookie Jason Townson (6'4, 315, Tennessee State). The drills continue to get tough as they now know one another's strengths and weaknesses.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: LB/DL CALVIN FANCE (6'1, 245, ANGELO STATE): LB/DL Calvin Fance enters Soul training camp as a rookie in the AFL. In 2012 he played in the LSLF with the New Mexico Stars. During 2010-2011 he was in the CFL with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and previously in 2010, he played in the IFL for the San Angelo Stampede. At Angelo State Fance earned Division II All-American honors after leading the nation with 14 sacks as a senior (2009).
QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Coach Bogle has been a great coach so far this camp," said veteran OL Brennen Carvalho. "He's worked us players hard and it's resulted in great competition with us offensive lineman. The toughest guy for us to guard, hands down, is always Dustin Barno because he has the best hands. For the 2013 season the offensive line has set high goals, we have to run the best plays but can't expect anything because we're always up against great players. Things will fall together as the game is played; we just have to put our best foot forward."
NFL EXPERIENCE COMMON ON SOUL: Out of the current roster of 28 men, about 14 of them have had previous NFL experience whether it was training camps, practice squad or active. No matter what status, any level of NFL training will contribute to how they play at camp.
The player with most NFL experience is kicker Carlos Martinez (5'8, 180, Buena Vista). He was with the Kansas City Chiefs (2009), Dallas Cowboys practice squad (2006-07), Atlanta Falcons pre-season (2006), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2004), and the Philadelphia Eagles preseason (2003). Veterans consisting of NFL experience are: DL Dustin Barno (6'3, 285, East Stroudsburg) who attended the Tennessee Titans camp in 2003; WR Larry Brackins (6'5, 225, Pearl River C.C.) who was with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2005 at training camp and preseason; OL Brennen Carvalho (6'1, 310, Portland State) who was with the Green Bay Packers practice squad in 2008; WR Tiger Jones (5'11, 195, Louisville) was with the Washington Redskins in 2005 and attended the Philadelphia Eagles training camp in 2012; DB Rayshaun Kizer (5'10, 190, Walsh) was with the New York Jets during 2007 preseason; DL Bryan Robinson (6'3, 290, Wesley) was picked up by the Arizona Cardinals in 2008 as a free agent; and FB Derrick Ross (6'0, 250, Tarleton State) was with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2006.
Other players with NFL experience include: rookie DL Morkeith Brown (6'5, 255, Temple) who attended the Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp, Cleveland Browns training camp and two workouts with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2012; WR Jackie Chambers (5'10, 188, Lane College) attended the New Orleans Saints rookie camp in 2009; DB David Richardson (6'2, 210, Cal Poly State) played for the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2004-07; WR/KR Alvance Robinson (5'9, 170, Alabama State) had workouts with the Atlanta Falcons, Cincinnati Bengals, and Minnesota Vikings in 2006; DL Lawon Scott (6'2, 305, Mississippi) was picked up as a free agent from the Dallas Cowboys in 2011; WR Andrae Thurman (6'0, 185, Arizona) played for the Green Bay Packers from 2004-05.
Shock Enter Final Week Of 2013 Camp
The Shock will enter the final week of their 2013 Training Camp with additional opportunities for open practices. Practice start and end times are subject to change pending team meetings, please allow for a thirty (30) minute buffer on start and end times. Note: all practices this week will take place at the Shock Facility located at 3212 N Eden Rd in the Spokane Valley.
Tuesday, March 12th 11:00 am - 1:00 pm MEDIA DAY
Wednesday, March 13th 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Closed Practice
Thursday, March 14th 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Closed Practice
Friday, March 15th 11:00 am - 12:00 pm OPEN Practice to Public
Saturday, March 16th 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm OPEN Practice to Public
Sunday, March 17th Final Roster Cuts - No Practice
Shock Announce First Round of Training Camp Cuts
The Shock have announced roster cuts as the first week of their 2013 Training Camp has come to a close. After Sunday's "Orange and White Game" at Spokane Arena, the Shock made their first roster cuts from the 35-man roster down to 28 as they prepare to enter the final week of Training Camp. Final roster cuts will take place Sunday, March 17th.
See below the 28-man roster:
NAME POS. HT. WT. SCHOOL
Paul Stephens DB 5-9 170 Central Missouri State
Josh Pleasant DB 5-10 190 Kent State
Ruschard Dodd-Masters DB 6-0 190 UNLV
Terrance Sanders DB 5-11 195 Eastern Illinois
Cameron McGlenn DB 6-0 200 Elon University
Patrick Stoudamire DB 5-11 205 Western Illinois
Chase Vaughn DL 6-2 240 SMU
James Ruffin DL 6-4 265 Northern Iowa
Terrance Taylor DL 6-0 320 Michigan
Chris Tucker DL 6-2 300 South Carolina
William Green DL 6-4 255 Florida
Beau Bell LB 6-1 245 UNLV
Terence Moore LB 6-2 225 Troy
Marc Schiechl LB 6-3 270 Col. School of Mines
Samuel Tupua OL 6-2 315 Idaho
Will Falakiseni OL 6-2 320 Norfolk State
Tyrone Novikoff OL 6-7 320 Idaho
Ryan Cave OL 6-5 320 Hampton
Erik Meyer QB 6-2 210 Eastern Washington
Arvell Nelson QB 6-5 230 Texas Southern
Julian Talley WR 6-1 195 UMASS
Larry Shipp WR 5-10 200 Tennessee Tech
Duane Brooks WR 6-0 190 Stephen F. Austin
Oliver "Tre" Young WR 6-4 210 South Carolina State
Jeffrey Solomon WR 6-0 200 Washington State
Steven Black WR 6-3 210 Memphis
Kamar Jorden WR 6-3 205 Bowling Green
Placed on Physically Unable to Perform: B.J. Cabbell (Virginia), Rennie Moore (Clemson), Adron Tennell (Oklahoma), Chris Pino (San Diego State), Andrew Nierman (Tulane)
Placed on Refuse to Report: Andrew Roxas (Washington State), Kenny Spencer (North Alabama)
Note: Roster reflects up-to-date transactions as processed by the Net 10 Wireless Arena Football League. Roster is subject to change until final cuts on Sunday, March 17th, 2013.
Talons Pick up QB John Dutton - One of AFL's All-Time Best
The San Antonio Talons have been assigned one of the league's all-time great quarterbacks, who will be competing to run the offense in the Talon's second season. John Dutton, 37, comes in time for the 2013 season.
"We are excited to get a veteran player of John's caliber to come in and help us maintain the momentum we had during our inaugural season," owner David Lynd said. "We did not take the first quarterback that came along as we wanted to find a leader for the team that exemplifies our organizations' goals and values along with that of the culture here in San Antonio. John is a devout Christian with a family of 6 (who is looking to take up roots in San Antonio and become the face of your San Antonio Talons. His statistics on the field speak for themselves but I think the people of San Antonio will be equally as impressed with the kind of human being that John is."
Dutton, formerly with the Cleveland Gladiators, was named one of the "Greatest 25 Quarterbacks in AFL History" last year by the Arena Football League's Silver Anniversary Committee. Dutton came in No. 12.
"John's leadership and proven success on the field is exactly what we want and need as we head into the 2013 season," head coach Lee Johnson said. "The addition of John to our roster only raises our expectations for an exciting and successful season."
The two-time ArenaBowl champion led the San Jose SaberCats to a title in ArenaBowl XVI. Three years later he led the Colorado Crush to victory in ArenaBowl XIX. Dutton joined the Cleveland Gladiators in 2010 and set franchise records for passing yards in a season with 5,104 and passing touchdowns with 100.
Dutton was a backup quarterback at the University of Texas before transferring to Nevada where he helped the Wolf Pack win two Big West titles.

Legends Football League
Legends Football League Wants You To Name The Pittsburgh Team
Last week, Legends Football League, formerly known as the Lingerie Football League, announced plans to launch an expansion franchise in Pittsburgh in 2014. League officials are now announcing that Pittsburgh fans will have the opportunity to name the newly announced franchise. Please submit team name submissions to LFLinPitt@LFLUS.com.
Click to see Pittsburgh uniform unveil video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQbYhxwVNwQ&feature=youtu.be
The team name with the most number of submissions will be chosen and the person who first submitted the team name, will be part of the historic Opening Night coin-toss in 2014.
League officials will soon announce the host stadium/arena as well as the winning team name submission.
Pittsburgh will be part of the LFL’s Eastern Conference which also includes soon-to-be rival Philadelphia Passion, Jacksonville Breeze, Omaha Heart, Atlanta Steam, Cleveland Crush and Baltimore Charm.

Ultimate Indoor Football League
Martino Theus Named Director of Player Personnel for Monsters
The Missouri Monsters have hired Martino Theus as director of player personnel for the remainder of the 2013 season.
Theus played college football at Lambuth University and was 1st team all mid south conference in 1997, and 1st team honorable mention in 1998.
"After Friday nights game, it was clear we needed to improve our roster before our next game. Having worked with Martino in the past, I know his great ability in recruiting players. I look forward to working with him in building a strong roster that will compete for an UIFL Championship THIS season." Said Missouri Monsters Owner Andrew Haines.
After college Theus played indoor and arena football from 2000 to 2006. After playing he joined the Bossier -Shreveport Battle Wings in the af2 as their defensive backs coach. In 2010 Theus was the defensive coordinator of the Battle Wings in the Arena Football League.
"I'm Glad to be back with an owner like Andrew Haines. It's a blessing to be apart of a great organization and city. Andrew has a great product in the Missouri Monsters, and I'm looking to come in and be the best at my job. I know what Andrew wants, and that is to WIN." Said Monsters Director of Player Personnel Martino Theus.
He served as Head Coach of the Mississipi Hound Dogs, and Marion Blue Racers as well. He has started his position already, and will be in Missouri by mid week.
The Monsters have a bye week, then travel to Dalton, GA to take on the Georgia Rampage on Monday March 25th. After the road trip, the team returns home to the Family Arena on Monday April 1st to face the Windy City Hitmen.