Samuels to return? Looks that way

Will Lawrence Samuels (AKA Mr. Storm) return next year for a 16th AFL season?

It's starting to look like he will.

According to a report in the Mobile (Ala.) Press-Register, Samuels, a record-setting WR/LB, has told the Storm coaching staff he will return in 2009.

"I feel if I had left after this year, it would have left a bad taste in my mouth," Samuels told the paper. "I told the coaches I'm coming back to give it one more chance to try and win another championship. That's the way I want to end my career, with a championship."

The AFL's all-time leading receiver with 1,022 receptions, the 38-year-old Samuels has played all but one of his AFL seasons with the Storm (He played for New Jersey in 2001). This past season, he had 121 catches for 1,191 yards and 16 touchdowns. On defense, he intercepted four passes, giving him 32 for his career.

Storm re-signs WR Edwards

According the AFL's official Web site, the Storm has re-signed standout wide receiver Hank Edwards.

The move comes as no surprise.

Last week, Storm coach Tim Marcum told reporters from the Times and Tampa Tribune in a joint interview that giving Edwards a better deal was a top priority during the offseason. Edwards had one year left on his contract, but Marcum said he hoped to essentially rip that one up and give him a new one.

Apparently, that's what happened.

In his second year with the team and first full AFL season, the 6-foot-3, 180-pound Edwards caught 85 passes for 1,341 yards and 30 touchdowns.

Marshall, Samuels on AFL Ironman team

The AFL has named two Storm players -- RB/LB Torrance Marshall and WR/LB Lawrence Samuels -- to the 2008 All-Ironman team. Marshall is a first-time pick; Samuels was chosen for the second straight season.

Marshall (6-foot-3, 260 pounds) set a franchise record with 23 rushing touchdowns, which tied for the league lead. On defense, he had 24 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and one fumble recovery.

Samuels (6-2, 210) led the team with 121 receptions (for 1,197 yards and 16 touchdowns). He added 39 tackles and four interceptions on defense.

You can find the complete Ironman team HERE.

Will Samuels return? Marcum thinks so

At some point in the very near future, Storm WR/LB Lawrence Samuels, who without question is one of the greatest players ever to compete in the AFL, will make a decision. The 38-year-old will either play a 16th season or step down.

Samuels gave no hints at any point during the season, or after last week's season finale, what he might do. When asked, he simply said him and his wife would talk things over and decide what path to follow.

Storm coach Tim Marcum said he hasn't yet talked to Samuels about the future. But when asked what he thought Samuels, the AFL's all-time receptions leader, might do, he said his gut told him a return to the field is possible, if not likely.

"I think Lawrence still wants to play football," Marcum said.

If so, then the question becomes this: Would he play here?

"As always, he's going to play here if the numbers are right ... absolutely," Marcum said.

Marcum: Edwards "has earned" extension, raise

Think Storm WR Hank Edwards was outstanding this season?

You aren't alone.

Storm coach Tim Marcum feels the same way, and because of it he said this week "a priority is to re-sign and extend Hank Edwards."

Edwards, who in his second year with the team and first full AFL season caught 85 passes for 1,341 yards and 30 touchdowns, has a contract through the 2009 season. But Marcum thinks he deserves a bump in pay and would like to get that taken care of soon.

"He's earned it." Marcum said. "He's got another year left, but it's at a number that's low. It's too low and he needs to be rewarded. He needs to be taken up. And that being said, we need to tear (his current contract) up and add on to it. We want it to be right. Right for him and right for the team."

 

Samuels honored ... again

Even at 38, Storm WR/LB Lawrence Samuels remains one of the AFL's best players. Proof of that came today when Samuels was named AFL Ironman of the Month for June.

"What more can I say about Lawrence?" Storm coach Tim Marcum said in a release. "He really picked up his play and helped us out a lot this season. He has a knack for making plays."

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Samuels had five TD receptions, seven tackles, one pass broken up and one interception in three June games. In a Week-16 loss to San Jose, he recorded 11 catches for 94 yards and three scores, to go along with 2.5 tackles.

McGill receives All-Arena honor

Storm noseguard Tim McGill, a force on the line throughout the season, has been named to the All-Arena second-team squad. The 6-foot-3, 310-pound McGill, a former Illinois standout, finished with 15.5 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, four sacks and three forced fumbles.

"Tim is definitely deserving of this award," Storm coach Tim Marcum said. "He was a beast on the defensive line this season and will help anchor our line next season."

McGill is signed through 2010.

To see the complete All-Arena squad, go HERE. Former storm WR T.T. Toliver was a first-team selection.

Samuels wins weekly award

Veteran Storm WR/LB Lawrence Samuels was named AFL Ironman of the Week following his performance in Saturday's rout over Los Angeles. He recorded a game-high 11 catches for 99 yards and two touchdowns -- and had a first-quarter interception. "Lawrence just keeps going and going," Storm coach Tim Marcum said in a release. "He is a legitimate candidate for Ironman of the Year." Samuels finished the season with 121 catches for 1,191 yards and 16 touchdowns. With 1,022 receptions, he's the AFL's career leader.

Advice ... from the players

Who should the Storm go after during free agency? To answer that question what he believes is the best way possible, Tampa Bay coach Tim Marcum will seek advice from a unique source.

His current players.

"We'll ask our guys, 'Give me your three best receivers in the league, or five best receivers ... or five best centers. Who's the toughest center you played against?" Marcum said. "We'll get that list from our players because nobody knows players better than when you've played against them. So we'll get that list to go along with our list."

And?

"Then we'll go to work on it," Marcum said. "We'll try to make some judgments based on that."

Storm signs ex-Gator Lewis

Storm coach Tim Marcum already has an eye on the future. DB Reggie Lewis, who has spent the past few weeks with the practice squad, has been signed by the team through 2009. He also got moved up to the active roster this week. Whether Lewis, a former Florida Gator, will play tonight against Los Angeles remains to be seen. But the Storm saw enough of him in practice to want him back next spring. "He's got potential," Marcum said. "He's got speed and I think he's going to be tough enough. He's got a good sense of what's going on." The 5-foot-10, 195-pound Lewis started his Gator career at WR before moving to cornerback. He played for Florida's 1996 national championship squad. In fact, in Florida's win in the title game against Ohio State, he had a first-quarter interception.

Robinson looking for more history

A week ago, Sedrick Robinson became the AFL's all-time leader in career kickoff return yards. Now, he has a chance to reach another milestone. With 21 return yards Saturday against Los Angeles, Robinson will pass the 10,000-yard mark for his career. Only three other professional football players have done that. They are:

1. Brian Mitchell, NFL: 14,014
2. Allen Rossum, NFL: 10,520
3. Mel Gray, NFL: 10,250

For the mathematically challenged, Robinson has 9,979 career return yards.

Briggs done for season

Defensive end Tom Briggs, who played a key role when the Storm got hot in the second half of the season, will miss Saturday's season finale at home against Los Angeles, Tampa Bay coach Tim Marcum said. Briggs hurt his ribs last week against San Jose and missed the entire second half. Subsequent X-rays revealed the ribs had been broken. Briggs, a 12-season AFL veteran, had 19.5 tackles with four sacks this season.

Briggs status not known

Defensive end Tom Briggs missed the second half of Saturday night's game with a rib injury, the extent of which isn't known. Briggs, a longtime AFL star who played at West Virginia, had played a big role in the team's recent surge. He was expected to have the injured area X-rayed soon. When I talk to Storm coach Tim Marcum later today I'll be sure to get an update.

Robinson becomes all-time leader in kickoff returns

When the Storm's Sedrick Robinson returned a kickoff 18 yards in the second quarter, he became the Arena Football League’s all-time kickoff return leader with 9,821 yards. He needed 41 yards entering the game to surpass former Arizona great Hunkie Cooper (9,810 yards). Here all the all-time leaders:

CAREER KICKOFF RETURN YARDAGE
Player                                  Yards
Sedrick Robinson                   9,821         
Hunkie Cooper                       9,771
George LaFrance                  9,077
Steve Papin                           8,511
Ron Carpenter                      7,127

Samuels makes 1,000th career catch

At San Jose on Saturday night, wide receiver Lawrence Samuels caught a 6-yard pass from Brett Dietz with 5:02 left in the first quarter to become the first player in Arena Football League history to record 1,000 career career catches. He joined some pretty elite company.

CAREER RECEPTIONS
Player                                  REC
Jerry Rice – NFL                     1,549
Cris Carter – NFL                    1,101
Tim Brown – NFL                    1,094
Marvin Harrison – NFL            1,042
Terry Vaughn – CFL                1,006
Lawrence Samuels – AFL       1,000

AFL milestone in reach for TBT grad

How well has Tampa Bay Tech grad Tyrone Timmons performed since being signed to the Tampa Bay Storm's active roster a few weeks ago?

Well, consider this:

In three games with the team, Timmons has three TD caches in each. If he does it again Saturday night at San Jose, he can join Eddie Brown and Troy Bergeron as the only players in Arena Football League history to catch three touchdowns in each of their first four games.

You can find Timmons' stats HERE.

--KEITH NIEBUHR

Robinson a special player

The Storm acquired Sedrick Robinson during the offseason to make big plays, and he hasn't disappointed. A week ago, Robinson's electrifying kickoff return for a touchdown as the clock struck 0:00 to end the first half, probably was the difference in the game (a 71-61 Storm win).

This week, Robinson can make history.

He needs only 40 kickoff return yards to surpass Hunkie Cooper and become the AFL’s all-time kick return leader. He currently has 9,771 return yards.

For the record, Robinson already ranks first in return TDs with 29.

Regarding last week's memorable return, Storm coach Tim Marcum said, "It couldn't have happened at a better time. We had to have a play and he came through. We blocked a few people, but most of it was on him."

A perfect 10 for Marshall?

Torrance Marshall already owns the franchise record for rushing touchdowns in a season (he has 23), but now he could be about to join an elite club. The Storm RB/LB needs one rushing touchdown on Saturday at San Jose to become the fifth player in AFL history to have one rushing TD in 10 consecutive games. With 100 yards on 72 carries (he typically only carries the ball on goalline situations), Marshall ranks just 14th in the league in rushing. However, he's first in rushing TDs. How's that for efficient?

Jones in, Reed out

The Storm has activated defensive back Byron Jones off Injured Reserve (hamstring) and likely will start him Saturday night against San Jose in the secondary along with Daryon Brutley. Rayshun Reed is the odd man out, but not because he was performing poorly. Reed "tweaked" a hamstring Wednesday at practice, Storm coach Tim Marcum said. Repeatedly criticized earlier in the season, the secondary has come up big in recent weeks. It will be interesting to see how this switch affects things.

Meet Seth Marler

10 things to know about Storm kicker Seth Marler ...

1. In 2007, he ranked first in the AFL in field-goal percentage.

2. He was a second-team All-Conference USA player at Tulane as a senior.

3. He attended the same high school (Parkview High in Lilburn, Ga.) as Atlanta Braves star Jeff Francoeur. When Francoeur was a freshman, Marler was a senior.

4. As a junior at Tulane, Marler won college football's Lou Groza Award, which goes to the country's most outstanding kicker.

5. Marler is the sideline reporter for Tulane football broadcasts.

6. He's a member of both the North American Fishing Club and National Wild Turkey Federation.

7. Marler was a business major in college.

8. He spent three years with the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars (2003-05). In 2003, he kicked a 53-yard field goal against San Diego.

9. Marler made 48 straight PATs during one stretch last year; that ranks as the second-longest streak in AFL history.

10. Among AFL kickers, he currently is third in scoring (123 points).

Rachal named AFL Defensive Player of the Week

How well did Storm defensive back Traco Rachal play in last week's win over Orlando?

On Tuesday, he was named AFL Defensive Player of the Week.

Rachal (6-foot-2, 200) registered 10.5 tackles, one fumble recovery and one interception in the win. On the first play of the second half, he recovered a fumble that led to a Tampa Bay score. Later, with Orlando threatening, he intercepted a Shane Stafford pass in the endzone with 48 seconds left to seal the victory.

Record watch: Tracking Mr. Samuels

With four catches in Saturday's win over Orlando, Lawrence Samuels now has 998 for his career. Here's a list of the top receivers in football (all leagues) history:

CAREER RECEPTIONS
Player                                    REC
Jerry Rice – NFL                      1,549
Cris Carter – NFL                     1,101
Tim Brown – NFL                     1,094
Marvin Harrison – NFL          1,042
Terry Vaughn – CFL                 1,006
Lawrence Samuels – AFL        998
Barry Wagner – AFL                 991
Damian Harrell – AFL             981
Darren Flutie – CFL                  972
Allen Pitts – CFL                      966

BOLD- active

Storm: Shaw loss is significant

When the Storm lost WR Terrill Shaw for the season in the past week with a broken right wrist (he's out at least six weeks), it might not have seemed too significant. After all, the team's other receivers --
Lawrence Samuels, Tampa Bay Tech grad Tyrone Timmons and Sedrick Robinson -- are all capable players. Samuels, as many of you know, is the AFL's all-time leading pass catcher.

Still ...

"It's a big deal," Storm coach Tim Marcum said.

Shaw has 42 receptions for 655 yards and 10 touchdowns this season. And he's probably the Storm's most dangerous playmaker. More than that, though, is this: Shaw and Tampa Bay QB Brett Dietz have developed a good deal of chemistry in the past 13 months. When Shaw was out earlier this season with another injury, the team struggled. It probably wasn't a coincidence.

"He's a go-to guy," Dietz said. "This year, we put him in motion a lot and put a lot on his shoulders. Not having him, other guys are going to have to step up."

And the No. 3 QB is ???

In case you hadn't noticed, the Storm currently has only two quarterbacks on the squad -- starter Brett Dietz and backup Stoney Case. Playing the role of devil's advocate (which apparently I do well), I asked Tampa Bay coach Tim Marcum this week who would be the team's emergency quarterback should Dietz and Case both be either injured or ejected from a game.

"We might go with (WR) Hank Edwards," Marcum said. "He was a high school quarterback."

And how would the Storm fare with Edwards under center? Well, let's put it this way: According to Marcum, you better hope it never comes to that.

"We'd be up s--- creek," Marcum said.

LB Glover listed as questionable

Linebacker Phil Glover, whom the Storm acquired from San Jose via trade in April, is questionable for Saturday's game at home against Orlando because of an ankle injury sustained last week at Georgia.

"It," Storm coach Tim Marcum said Friday, "will be a gametime decision."

Glover has 8.5 tackles, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. If he can't go, Marcum said Ernest Certain (back), a longtime Storm player, would take his place in the lineup. Certain has been on IR most of the season, but was activated Friday.

Jones still out

When the Storm plays Orlando on Saturday at the St. Pete Times Forum, it will be without OL Kenyatta Jones.

Again.

Jones (right calf), who has missed four straight games, appeared to be on his way to returning to the field, but it apparently won't happen Saturday. The one-time USF standout who later started for the New England Patriots has practiced all week but Storm coach Tim Marcum said Thursday that "he still isn't ready."

The good news?

Jones' replacement, Tom Kaleita, has performed well and the team is 3-1.

Samuels to reach milestone ... ANOTHER milestone

Storm WR/LB Lawrence Samuels is about to make history. Stop us if you've heard this before.

A week ago, he became the AFL's career receptions leader. Now, Samuels enters Saturday night's home game against Orlando needing only six catches to become the first player in AFL history with 1,000 career catches.

Here's a list of the top receivers in football (all leagues) history:

CAREER RECEPTIONS
Player                                    REC
Jerry Rice – NFL                      1,549
Cris Carter – NFL                     1,101
Tim Brown – NFL                     1,094
Marvin Harrison – NFL          1,042
Terry Vaughn – CFL                 1,006
Lawrence Samuels – AFL     994
Barry Wagner – AFL                991
Damian Harrell – AFL            976
Darren Flutie – CFL                  972
Allen Pitts – CFL                      966

BOLD- active

AFL award-voting open to fans

For the fifth straight season, fans can contribute toward selecting the AFL's year-end award-winners by voting online at www.arenafootball.com. Here are the categories:

-Kicker of the Year
-Lineman of the Year
-Rookie of the Year
-Coach of the Year
-ADT Defensive Player of the Year
-Offensive Player of the Year
-Ironman of the Year
-Champs Sports Quarterback of the Year

The collective fan vote in each category will be calculated into the final count, which includes voting from players, coaches and media. The AFL is the only professional league to allow voting from all four groups to determine its awards. Voters will be limited to one choice per category with voting ending on Sunday, June 22.

Shaw out ... probably for the season

The season of Storm WR Terrill Shaw is probably over, coach Tim Marcum said Tuesday. Shaw fractured his right wrist in Saturday's loss to Georgia and was seen at practice Tuesday with a bandage over the injured area. He had an appointment to see a doctor late Tuesday afternoon, but the prognosis wasn't good. Shaw has 42 receptions for 655 yards and 10 touchdowns, and an argument could be made that he is the Storm's most dangerous playmaker.

With Shaw out, the Storm will turn to Hank Edwards. And that's not a bad thing.

Edwards missed the past two games with a minor foot injury but should be 100 percent by Saturday, when the Storm plays host to Orlando. He leads the team in receiving yardage (979) and TD receptions (11). AFL career receiving leader Lawrence Samuels, Tampa Bay Tech grad Tyrone Timmons and Sedrick Robinson are the Storm's other receivers.

Bad news, good news on injury front

The bad: OL Kenyatta Jones (right calf) and WR Hank Edwards (heel) are both out again this week. That's four straight missed games for Jones, who was a starter. For Edwards, it's two straight.

The good: The Storm isn't worried. In Jones' place, Tom Kaleita has played rather well and the team hasn't lost. At WR, Tampa Bay Tech grad Tyrone Timmons did a great job in Edwards' place last week, catching seven passes for 69 yards and three touchdowns.

Players to appear at Shriners Hospital for Children

This is the kind of stuff we like to read ...

Storm players Cliff Dukes, Terrance Royal, Tyrone Timmons and Nyle Wiren will stop by the Shriners Hospital for Children on Thursday from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. and go room-to-room to visit the children. If you want to learn more about the Shriners, go HERE.

Marshall breaks team record ... his own

It has to be a nice feeling when you can enter the team record book by passing yourself. That's precisely what Storm FB/LB Torrance Marshall did Friday night. With two rushing TDs, Marshall now has 18 this season, an all-time franchise mark.

He set the old record (17) in 2007.

Marshall currently is second in the AFL in rushing TDs. He trails only Marlion Jackson of Cleveland, who has 19 on 22 more carries than Marshall. Here's a link to a page that lists the AFL's rushing leaders.

Giving props to Mr. Dietz

It has been an interesting season for the Storm, to say the least. First, it looked sharp. Then, it stunk up the joint. Now, the team is winning again. The coverage this spring by yours truly has focused on the defensive backs, defensive line, offensive line and receivers. Somehow, I've managed to overlook the play of second-year quarterback Brett Dietz.

My mistake.

Through 12 games, Dietz has 58 touchdown passes and only eight interceptions. After a few hiccups early in the season (something everyone on the team suffered through during a five-game losing streak), he has picked up where he left off in 2007, when he was the AFL's co-Rookie of the year. In Friday night's crucial win over Cleveland, which the team desperately needed in its quest to earn a playoff berth, Dietz was 28 of 43 for 297 yards and six touchdowns.

Dietz's QB rating (112.4) is down from last year (119.3) largely because his completion percentage is a bit lower. But that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Dietz is averaging less picks per attempt, which might mean he's playing smarter/safer and throwing balls away instead of throwing them into coverage.

Just as was the case in 2007, Dietz seems to be playing his best in crunch time. If that trend continues, the Storm (6-6) just might find itself back in the playoffs.

TBT grad dazzles in first Storm start

An injury to another player got Tyrone Timmons into the Tampa Bay Storm lineup for the first time Friday night. But now, it looks like it will be hard to take him out of it.

Making his Arena Football League debut, Timmons electrified the crowd with seven catches for 69 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Cleveland. His final score, which came on an 8-yard pass from quarterback Brett Dietz, gave the Storm what proved to be an insurmountable 14-point lead with 4:21 to play.

When asked what he was most pleased with following the game, Storm coach Tim Marcum mentioned Timmons' name first. "How about No. 3?" he said. "Let's start there. He is a force." Later, Marcum said, "We've got to find a place for him."

-- KEITH NIEBUHR

Kenyatta Jones to return?

Storm offensive lineman Kenyatta Jones, a former USF standout and one-time member of the NFL's New England Patriots, has missed three straight games with a calf injury. But following Friday night's win over Cleveland, which improved the team to 6-6 and kept its playoff hopes alive, Jones said in the hallway outside the team's dressing room that he planned to play this Saturday at Georgia. Tom Kaleita has gotten the nod with Jones out. To his credit, he has played well and the team has won three straight.

Storm WR out this week

Second-year WR Hank Edwards, who is having a fantastic season (and continues to improve every week), won't play Friday night at home against Cleveland. Edwards is second on the team in receptions (65), but leads in receiving yardage (979) and touchdown receptions (19).

He sustained a heel injury in last week's win at Grand Rapids.

This might be a crucial injury. One could argue that Edwards has been the offense's MVP.

With Edwards out, look for kick returner Sedrick Robinson to be the team's third starter at WR. He has 22 catches for 233 yards this season.

--KEITH NIEBUHR

Marshall gets ESPN love ... a little anyway

In an ESPN piece highlighting the Top 10 BCS bowl performances of all time, the Oklahoma defense's throttling of FSU in a 13-2 win at the 2001 Orange Bowl ranked No. 2. Writer Ted Miller mentioned Storm FB/LB Torrance Marshall, a Sooner standout that night, in the article but said "this was really about a brilliant scheme enacted flawlessly by an entire unit." Marshall earned game MVP honors after recording six tackles and an interception.

--KEITH NIEBUHR

Brutley okay to play

Storm coach Tim Marcum said today that DB Daryon Brutley has been cleared by doctors to play Friday at Grand Rapids. He sustained a concussion last Monday against Chicago and did not play in the Storm's win four days later over New Orleans. Brutley is likely to start at cornerback. He has nine tackles this season.

--KEITH NIEBUHR

Samuels earned Ironman Award

Lawrence Samuels has always been a great two-way player so this latest announcement will come as no surprise to anyone who follows the game. After a solid performance in Saturday's win at Orlando, Samuels, who plays receiver and linebacker, was named the AFL's Ironman of the Week.

What did he do to deserve it?

Well, here's what it says in the AFL's official press release: "Samuels (6-3, 220, Livingston) recorded a team-high five receptions for 45 yards and accounted for touchdowns on both offense and defense as the Tampa Bay Storm (3-5) defeated the Orlando Predators (6-3), 48-41, on Saturday at Amway Arena. Samuels registered the Storm’s first offensive score on a six-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter to tie the game at seven. On the second play of the fourth quarter, Samuels intercepted Orlando QB Shane Stafford and returned the interception eight yards for the game’s second defensive touchdown, giving Tampa Bay a 17-point lead it would not relinquish."

The league forgot to mention this: Samuels recorded his 950th career catch in the game.

--KEITH NIEBUHR

Former Storm player Ivan Caesar murdered

Ivan Caesar, a former Storm player best known for getting into a scuffle with Tampa Bay coach Tim Marcum in 1997, was the victim of a deadly shooting Monday, the Orlando Sentinel reported. According to the Sentinel, Caesar "was found dead inside his home at the Tuscany Village Apartments in the 4800 block of South Orange Blossom Trail at about 12:40 a.m." (To see video from the crime scene, go here.)   

He was 41.

When reached by the Sentinel, Caesar's former wife, Robyn Caesar, said, "I know he had a lot of demons. I know most people do. And he's taking them to his grave."

The Storm became aware of Caesar's death Monday, when investigators from Orlando called the team in an effort to locate his next of kin, said team public relations coordinator Jim Robinson. Marcum could not immediately be reached for comment.

Caesar was a member of the Storm during the 1995 and '96 seasons, playing fullback and linebacker during his stint with the team. Both teams he played for here won AFL championships.

Caesar was traded during the offseason after the 1996 season, but returned to Tampa in April 1997 because he had not received his ArenaBowl championship ring. In a bizarre incident that occurred at the team's first preseason practice, Caesar wrestled Marcum to the ground and the two were broken up by coaches and players. Marcum's glasses were damaged and he sustained slight bruises to his mouth and nose. "He came up behind me and tried to grab my ring," Marcum told the Times after the incident. "No punches were thrown. It wasn't as physical as it looked."

Caesar gave his side the following day, telling reporters, "Marcum has my ring, and he just doesn't want to give it to me. I've seen coaches with their rings, I've seen administrators with their rings and I don't have my ring? The jeweler is here in Tampa. How long does it take to make one more ring?" Following the altercation, Marcum said Caesar would get his ring.

Caesar was arrested two days after the incident and was charged with attempted strong-arm robbery with injury. According to a Times story dated Jul 23, 1998, he was given a one-year suspension by the league. Robinson said Monday that Caesar called Marcum some time later and apologized.

Caesar had 11 rushing touchdowns for the Storm on 56 carries. According to Arenafan.com, Caesar last played in the AFL with Milwaukee in 1999. The Sentinel reported that Caesar, who attended Boston College, also played for the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles.

-- KEITH NIEBUHR