2014 Professional Indoor Football League American Conference Finals

Official Nashville Venom Media Guide

Columbus Lions 7-4 vs.

Nashville Venom 10-2

Venom Players of the Game and PIFL Players of the Week

Week 14 PIFL Defensive Player of the Week Nashville Venom Defensive Back Corry Stewart

Venom Players of the Game voted

on by the coaches:

Week 1: WR Jordan Jolly

Week 2: WR George Murray

Week 4: DB Will Johnson

Week 6: WR Phillip Barnett

Week 7: Barnett

Week 8: Team

Week 9: DB Jaime Graham

Week 10: Center Chris Thompson

Week 11: OL B.J. Taylor

Week 12: DL Walter Thomas

Week 13: LB Cobran’i Mixon

Week 14: QB A.J. McKenna

Venom PIFL Players of the Week

voted on by the league:

Week 2:DB Corry Stewart

Week 4: QB Alex Carder

Kicker Garrett Morgan

Week 8: WR Jordan Jolly

LB Anthony Kelly

Week 10:QB Charles McCullum

Week 11:Kicker Christian Reed

Week 12:WR Jordan Jolly

DB Kenny Veal

Week 13:LB Cobran’i Mixon

Week 14: Corry Stewart

Week 14 Player of the Game

QB A.J. McKenna

Venom Defensive Line Prides Themselves on Pressure NASHVILLE- One of Nashville Venom Head Coach Billy Back favorite phrases is ‘pressure busts pipes’.

That saying holds true for his defensive line. In arena football there is not much of a running game. The game is

predicated on having a good quarterback that have fast receivers and to get points on the board. The Venom have

made it tough on the QBs around the Professional Indoor Football League because of a group of guys, led by James

Frazier, Wayne Daniels and Walter Thomas that bring havoc to every snap. If the three need a rest then Brian Ellis,

Kenny Davis, B.J. Taylor and Stanlee Bradley have stepped in and the team doesn’t miss a beat. The group takes on the

aggressive demeanor of Head Coach Billy Back and Defensive Coordinator Chris Taylor, yet still use a pay attention to detail

approach that their Line Coach Robert Brockley, who is a retired United States Army Green Beret, has.

“Those guys are some of the some of the hardest workers we have here,” said Coach Back. “Their toughness and ability to get pressure on the quarterback has been a key to our success on

defense. What I like is their consistency. It is a testament to how Coach Taylor and Coach Brockley work them in practice.”

Frazier, Daniels and Thomas, who have started most of the year, are familiar with each other. The trio played together last year for Coach Back

for the Indoor Football League’s Texas Revolution. The three also played for major collegiate programs. Frazier starred for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, Daniels for the Texas Christian

University Horned Frogs and Thomas at Oklahoma State. Playing at this level of football has is tough because most guys live in other cities so is seemingly difficult to get needed continuity. The

three Venom players have dispelled that assumption.

We are like brothers to be honest,” said Frazier. “We have made each other accountable when we are away from each other. When we get on the field we click. We give each other a look and

we know it’s time to get going. The coaches make it easy. They are intense and we try to match their intensity. Once Coach Back told me that he was coming to Nashville I knew I wanted to

come too. It has been great.”

Ellis and Davis also played for major programs. Ellis, out of the University of Texas, signed with the team on May 28. Since then he has contributed 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble

recovery in only five games played. Davis, who starred on the offensive line at the University of South Carolina, has been injured of late. He along with Taylor and Bradley are still learning the

position. Taylor and Bradley are also converted offensive linemen. The group is close knit and has known one another in some way over the years.

“Seeing all of these guys when I first got to Nashville was a plus for me,” said Daniels. It makes it easy for us because we played together in Texas. We have been here before and know how to

win. We ultimately want to win a championship. It is cool being 10-2 but we have more work to do.”

The line has made life easy for the back line of the defense. The Venom defense leads the PIFL with 26 interceptions. Their first job is to

keep keep the offensive line off of the linebackers . LB Cabran’i Mixon has been outspoken about how his success is contributed to the defensive line’s

play play.DBs Scooter Rogers and Corry Stewart are tied for the team lead in interceptions with eight. In a league that the rules are tilted towards

scoring, scoring this group has shutout teams in seven quarters so far this season. Throughout the league there are great QBs that have fallen short

because of because of the group’s ability to dominate offensive lines all season. They are not satisfied as of yet.

“I am ready to get after it again,” said Thomas. “I love playing with these because we have the same fire. We are also interchangeable. We

switch up some so the offense can’t get used to us. Our technique is sound and we challenge each other good. It is like a competition to see who can

get to the quarterback first. We are all hungry. This isn’t a joke to us; we want to win the championship.”

#19 Wayne Daniels

#77 Walter Thomas #33 Brian Ellis

Defensive linemen Wayne Daniels, Walter Thomas and

James Frazier

#19 Wayne Daniels #7 James Frazier

#42 Kenny Davis

#14 Jaime Graham

Whites Creek High School

#38 Christian Reed

Station Camp High School

#20 Corry Stewart

Father Ryan High School

#99 Stanlee Bradley

Antioch High School

Nashville Venom Players From Local High Schools

#18 Kenny Walton

Lebanon High School

#16 Will Johnson

Pearl-Cohn High School

#3 Ernest Ramsey

Maplewood High School

Preview of Columbus Lions at Nashville Venom

WHAT: The Professional Indoor Football League American Conference Finals Game between the Columbus Lions (8-5) and the

Nashville Venom (10-2).

WHERE: Nashville Municipal Auditorium 417 4th Avenue North Nashville, Tennessee 37201

WHEN: Saturday, July 5, 2014 7 p.m. CST

HISTORY: Nashville is 2-0 against Columbus winning 58-44 on May 25th in Nashville and 60-56 on June 14th in Columbus

TALE OF THE TAPE

When Columbus has the ball:

Columbus is third in the league in total offense and second in scoring offense. Nashville is second in the league in total defense and is

only giving up 42.1 points per game which is tops in the league.

Rushing: Columbus RB Kendrick Perry leads the league in rushing yards and is tied for second in rushing TDs (15). In the second

game against Nashville in Columbus, Perry scored three TDs. The Venom defense held him to nine yards in Nashville. Nashville’s

defense is the stingiest against the run in the PIFL. The final two games they played against three out of the top six rushers in the

PIFL so they should be prepared.

Passing: Columbus QB Luke Halpin has a record of 2-1 this season with his lone loss coming against Nashville. He earned the PIFL

Offensive Player of the Week in Week 14. In all three games, he has led his team to 60 points or more. Halpin has thrown 11 TDs

and one interception. WR James Fortson leads his team with 66 receptions and 921 yards. His 22 TDs ranks him third in the league

among WRs. Perry has been lethal catching passes out of the backfield. His 10 TDs give him a combined 25 TDs. Former

Tennessee Titan Chris Davis has made 14 catches in three games this season. Nashville’s passing defense has grabbed a league

leading 26 INTs. The team credits a relentless pass rush that has been in the faces of QBs all season. DBs Scooter Rogers and Corry

Stewart are tied for second with eight picks. Stewart is the Week 14 PIFL Defensive Player of the Week. He also was honored in

Week 2.

When Nashville has the ball:

Nashville is leading the league total offense and in scoring offense. Columbus is last in total defense and sixth in scoring defense.

Rushing: Nashville running game is lethal around the goal line. They are third in the league with 25 TDs and boast three players in

the top 10 in rushing TDs. Mack Ogletree leads the team with nine. QB Charles McCullum has scored six times and FB Stanlee

“Dump Truck” Bradley is a 315 pound wrecking ball that has also scored six TDs. Columbus has the third best defense against the

run in the league.

Passing: McCullum leads the PIFL in total offense. In six games he has thrown for 30 TDs and only four INTs. McCullum has a

plethora of receivers to throw to. WRs Jordan Jolly (1,107) and Phillip Barnett (1,047) both eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark. Barnett

leads the league with 28 TDs receiving. His 79 receptions place him tied for third in the PIFL. Jolly is leading the league in yards per

catch at a 14.4 clip. WR George Murray (51 receptions 554 yards and 11 TDs) has been steady all season. He has also stepped to

play QB when needed. Ogletree has stepped in and caught 34 passes for 358 yards and four TDs. Columbus DBs Roshawn Marshall

and Damien Daniels have combined for 18 interceptions on the season. Daniels leads the league with 14 pass breakups. They have

both scored returned two interceptions for TDs.

Special Teams: Two of the PIFL’s best kickers will be on the field. Columbus Kicker leads all kickers with 113 points. He has 21 Unos with six

coming in one game. Nashville Kicker Christian Reed is money on extra points. The rookie out of Wofford University is kicking at 91% and he has

11 Unos in only seven games. Columbus kick returner Leroy Vann leads the PIFL will 299 kickoff return yards. For Nashville Mack Ogletree has

come close to taking one the distance for Nashville on a couple of occasions.

Coaching: Columbus Head Coach Jason Gibson is entering his eighth season and is the only head coach in franchise history. The Lions are 64-34

under Gibson and have made the playoffs in seven out of eight years. Venom Head Coach Billy Back has a career 51-13 record as a Head Coach

and a perfect 6-0 record in the playoffs.

Intangibles: One of the most difficult tasks in football is to defeat an opponent three times in one season. Both games have gone down to the wire,

with Nashville WR Phillip Barnett making the game saving play in both contests. Columbus is winless in the playoffs in the PIFL so they have a lot to

play for. They are on a two game road winning streak. Nashville is on a seven game winning streak and is the top team in the PIFL. No PIFL team

has lost a home playoff game.

Defensive Coordinator Chris Taylor

Venom Head Coach Billy Back

Get the scoop on

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Columbus

Lions

Nashville

Venom

# LAST , FIRST NAME HT WT COLLEGE # LAST , FIRST NAME HT WT COLLEGE

1 Gales, Gerald WR 5'11 190 West Alabama 2 Ogletree, Mack WR 5’11 200 St. Joe’S College

2 Marshall, Roshawn DB 5'11 205 Central Missouri 3 Ramsey, Ernest DB 6’2 200 Cumberland

3 Pearcy, Cody WR 5'10 170 Huntingdon 4 Jolly, Jordan WR 6’2 185 Navarro

4 Daniels, Damian DB 5'9 185 West Georgia 5 Murray, George WR 6’2 205 Cincinnati

5 Morris, Tirone WR 6'1 195 Florida A&M 6 Rogers, Scooter DB 6’2 196 UL-Lafayette

6 Fortson, Jarmon WR 6'3 225 North Alabama 7 Frazier, James DL 6’4 280 Minnesota

7 Camay, Craig K 6'0 185 UT-Chattanooga 8 Kelly, Anthony LB 6’4 240 Florida St.

8 Babb, Ryan LB 6'1 215 Troy 10 Barnett, Phillip WR 6’2 210 Toledo

9 Alexander, Earl WR 6'4 215 Alabama 11 Mixon, Cobran'i LB 6’1 250 Kent St.

11 Hannah, Tito DL 6'4 285 S. Carolina St. 12 McCullum, Charles QB 6’3 215 Stillman

13 Willis, Jerry DL 6'4 288 Florida A&M 14 Graham, Jamie DB 6’0 190 Vanderbilt

15 Halpin, Luke QB 6'0 180 Arkansas Tech 16 Johnson, Will DB 6’2 215 Tennessee Tech

20 Davis, Chris WR 5'11 185 Florida St. 18 McKenna, AJ QB 6’4 235 Albany St.

21 Vann, Leroy DB 5'9 185 Florida A&M 19 Daniels, Wayne LB 6’3 260 TCU

22 Ross, Marvin DB 5'11 190 Florida A&M 20 Stewart, Corry DB 5’9 180 Hanover

24 Perry, Kendrick FB 6'2 245 SE Louisiana 21 Walton, Kenny DB 6’2 190 Itawamba CC

34 Washington, Kendrick DL 6'4 285 Florida A&M 24 Veal, Kenny DB 5’10 185 Toledo

42 Gnat, Rodney DL 6'3 250 Louisville 33 Ellis, Brian DL 6’6 310 Texas

50 Moore, Timothy OL 6'2 300 Alabama A&M 38 Reed, Christian K 5’9 170 Wofford

51 Rivers, Justen LB 6'1 265 E. Kentucky 42 Davis, Kenny DL 6’4 315 South Carolina

58 Small, Dion OL 6'3 300 Troy 72 Jackson, Anthony OL 6’5 350 Arkansas St.

72 Durham, Adam OL 6'5 310 Jacksonville St. 77 Thomas, Walter DL 6’7 345 Oklahoma St.

75 Thomas, Brandon OL 6'5 300 Tulsa 85 Taylor, B.J. DL 6’3 300 UT-

Chattanooga

92 Scott, Lawon DL 6'3 300 Ole Miss 90 Thompson, Chris OL 6’3 305 Houston

Albert, Justin WR 5'9 175 Troy 99 Bradley, Stanlee OL 6’2 315 Cumberland

Brunetti, Barry QB 6'0 225 Ole Miss Duckery, Zach QB 6’1 200 Cumberland

Zene, Jeremiah DL 6'5 340 Concordia Turnbow, Santino LB 6'1 250 Cincinnati