FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sunday, March 2, 2008           
  
Seventeen (17) former af2 standouts and three (3) coaches to be showcased on Monday night’s ESPN2 live HD broadcast

CHICAGO – Monday night (March 3) the defending ArenaBowl XXI Champion San Jose SaberCats travel to Chicago to take on the Chicago Rush at Allstate Arena in the season’s first installment of Russell Athletic ESPN Arena Football Monday. The game, which will be broadcast live in high definition at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2, will provide a national showcase for a number of notable arenafootball2 (af2) alumni on both sides.

The SaberCats will take the field with seven players with af2 experience. Among the seven, two to keep a close eye on are K A.J. HAGLUND and LB STEVE WATSON. Both enjoyed impressive rookie campaigns in 2007 for the ArenaBowl XXI Champions and should only improve in their second AFL seasons. Haglund played in all 16 games last year in earning AFL All-Rookie Team and Second Team All-Arena recognition. The former All-af2 performer with Oklahoma City also set AFL records for most PATs made (128) and attempted (138) in a season. Haglund also led the League with a team-record 158 kick points. Watson played in 12 games in 2007 with nine starts at linebacker and one at defensive end. He earned All-Rookie Team honors for an impressive first season which included a team season record 33 assisted tackles with 59.5 overall, a team record for non-defensive backs. Watson also tied a team game record for solo and total tackles and became the first SaberCat to block 2 PAT attempts in the same season. Before beginning his AFL career with San Jose, Watson was an af2 standout with the Arkansas Twisters, leading the league in sacks in 2006 with 16.0.

The Rush feature ten players on their roster with af2 experience. The athlete to watch among them is DB DENNISON ROBINSON. Robinson, a six-year AFL veteran, enjoyed a career year for Chicago in 2007, leading the team with a career-high and team-record 102 tackles and seven interceptions. He also added 22 passes broken up, three fumble recoveries and one forced fumble while starting all 16 games at defensive back. Before becoming a household name in the AFL, Robinson began his Arena Football experience in 2001 with the Quad City Steamwheelers, helping the team to its second straight ArenaCup title. Another player who could make an immediate impact for the Rush is rookie WR DONOVAN MORGAN. Morgan is an explosive receiver who will benefit greatly from playing alongside DAMIAN HARRELL, one of the AFL’s all-time great pass catchers. Morgan has two years of af2 experience with the Tulsa Talons and also boasts NFL experience as well. Last year in just six games with the Talons, Morgan caught 48 passes for 512 yards and 13 TDs before leaving to play with the Buffalo Bills. In 2005, the New Orleans, La. native earned 2005 af2 Rookie of the Year honors after catching 121 passes for 1,687 yards and 54 touchdowns with Tulsa before signing with the Houston Texans and seeing action in three games.

A full list of the 17 af2 alumni playing in Monday’s contest between San Jose and Chicago is located below:

San Jose       
Frank Carter – Quad City 2000-01     
Marquis Floyd – Tenn. Valley 2004, Rio Gra. Valley 2005   
Gene Frederic – Memphis 2006, Oklahoma City 2007   
Julius Gant – Rio Grande Valley 2005
A.J. Haglund – Oklahoma City 2005-06
Scott Rislov – Central Valley 2006
Steve Watson – Arkansas 2005-06
Dennison Robinson – Quad City 2001 
James Sadler – Tulsa 2005-06
Nick Zeck – Louisville 2007

Chicago
Robert Boss – Green Bay 2006
Ryan Dennard – Macon 2005
Beau Elliott – W-B/Scranton 2006-07
Matt Kinsinger – Augusta 2000
Ben McCombs – Bakersfield 2004/06-07, RG Valley 2005
Donovan Morgan – Tulsa 2005, 2007
Joe Peters – Peoria 2004, Green Bay 2005

San Jose’s coaching staff has also benefited from the af2 pipeline. Current Defensive Coordinator and Special Teams Coach JEFF JARNIGAN returns for his second year with the club. Jarnigan led the af2’s Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz to 21 regular season victories and two straight playoff appearances in his two seasons as head coach. SaberCats Offensive Line Coach and Director of Player Personnel DAVE WITTHUN is in his seventh season as an AFL assistant (third with San Jose) after serving two years as an af2 assistant (Macon 2001, Pensacola 2000).

The Rush also have a coach on staff with af2 pedigree in BRIAN SCHWARTZE, who serves as Vice President of Player Personnel and Football Operations and as Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Backs Coach. Schwartze was the assistant head coach of the Quad City Steamwheelers in af2 for two seasons (2000-2001), helping guide the club to a pair of ArenaCup championships.

About af2

With its ninth season set to kick off on March 28 with a 29-team membership, af2 serves as a vehicle to bring Arena Football to small-to-midsize cities and as a developmental league with an unmatched history of sending players, coaches and officials to major professional football leagues each year. af2 operates under the same Mission Statement and Fans’ Bill of Rights as the Arena Football League, which begins its 22nd season on February 29. Log on to www.af2.com for more information.

- A PROUD MEMBER OF THE ARENA FOOTBALL FAMILY -