Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Soul's Ross becomes AFL's all-time rushing leader

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia Soul fullback Derrick Ross became the Arena Football League's all-time leading rusher this past week,after a 54-yard performance against the Pittsburgh Power.

Ross, who was eight yards shy of Bo Kelly's record of 1,571 heading into the matchup, finished the night with 1,618 career-rushing yards.

The 6-foot, 240-pound Ross has broken multiple records since he came into the league three seasons ago. In 2011, his rookie season with the Dallas Vigilantes, Ross set the AFL record for most rushing yards in a season, with 622 yards. In 2012, his first year with Philadelphia, Ross would shatter his own record by rushing for 645 yards.

"It's a blessing to make this accomplishment in my career," explained the new rushing leader. "I put a lot of time and effort into this game and I always made sure my work reflected that. All my life I wanted to be the best and thatdrives me. However, I know this award has come to me because I've been blessed to be in the right situations. I've had the right teammates and Coach Dolezel with me, I have to thank them for helping me along the way."

The record-breaking night earned Ross the AFL Highlight of the Week. In 2013, Ross has 351 rushing yards for 26 touchdowns. He is currently No. 2 in AFL history for most career-rushing touchdowns at 97 touchdowns, 30 shy of Dan Alexander's record of 127 touchdowns.

This week, the Soul (7-5) host the Iowa Barnstormers (6-7) for Military Appreciation Night at the Wells Fargo Center at 6:05 p.m. on Saturday, June 22.


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