Chiefs Sign Arena League’s Top Defender
The 5-foot-11, 185-pound Brown joins the Chiefs as a free agent after spending his first three professional campaigns in the Arena Football League with the Columbus Destroyers (2006), Arizona Rattlers (2005) and New York Dragons (2004). Brown has tallied 102 tackles (75 solo), 12 Iinterceptions (163 yards), 18 passes defensed, five fumble recoveries, a forced fumble and two defensive tsouchdown during his AFL career.
Named the AFL Defensive Player of the Year, Brown finished the 2006 season recording 65 tackles (53 solo), 11 INTs (133.0 yards), 25 passes defensed, two fumble recoveries, and a TD. Brown’s 11 INTs ranked him third in the AFL and set a Columbus franchise record.
The Washington, D.C., native played collegiately at NCAA Division II Glenville State (1998-2001), located in Glenville, W.V. A three-time All-West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference selection, Brown totaled 136 tackles, 19 INTs, eight TDs and over 2,000 all-purpose yards in his career. He ranked among the top ten nationally in passes defensed in consecutive seasons (2000-01). Brown was selected to play in the Cactus Bowl All-Star Game (2001).
SOUL TAP MAYNOR ON OFFENSE: The Philadelphia Soul have named Connell Maynor the team’s offensive coordinator and re-signed John Kirk as the fullback/linebacker and special teams coach. As per club policy, terms of their deals were not disclosed.
Maynor joined the Soul organization in Week 12 of this past season as a backup quarterback when Tony Graziani was sidelined with a torn hamstring. The 12-year AFL veteran has won four championships and has served as a backup QB, starting QB, starting wide receiver, linebacker and kick-return specialist during his career.
Maynor is also the only player in Arena League history who has boasted more than 5,000 passing yards, 500 receiving yards, 400 rushing yards and 400 yards in kickoff returns in his career.
He came to Philadelphia for one season (2006) after spending six seasons with the Orlando Predators (1998-2000, 2002-2004), three with the Tampa Bay Storm (1994-1996), one with each the New York Dragons (1997), New Jersey Gladiators (2001) and the now defunct Carolina Cobras (2002). This past season, hMaynor saw action in five games with the Soul and completed 13-of-21 for 118 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. He also caught three passes for 39 yards.
In his career, Maynor completed 727-of-1,246 passes for 9,332 yards with 160 toTDs.
“I have worked with Connell for the past five years and he is a professional that knows what I expect,” Philadelphia coach Bret Munsey said. “He knows what it takes to win a championship and we are very excited to have him on our staff.”
Kirk returns for his second season in Philadelphia with the Soul as the fullback/linebacker and special teams coach. Prior to joining the Soul, he spent four seasons as the offensive/defensive line coach for the Tennessee Valley Vipers of af2 from 2000-2003. In 2004, the Vipers entered the United Indoor Football League and changed their name to the Raptors. Kirk was the offensive/defensive line coach.
As part of the Soul, he had four players rush for more than 100 yards (Mike Brown, Chad Dukes, Wes Ours and Sean Scott) and helped set a team record with 461 yards rushing.
