Soul re-signs Bogle, Brackins

PHILADELPHIA (Monday, August 11) – The ArenaBowl champion Philadelphia Soul have announced the re-singing of wide receiver Larry Brackins, offensive lineman Phil Bogle, linebacker Rod Davis, fullback Wes Ours, linebacker/fullback Clifton Smith and kicker Connor Hughes. Terms of the deals were not disclosed.

Brackins emerged as one of the top receivers in the AFL this season, ending the year with career highs of 107 catches for 1,395 yards and 29 touchdowns. The second-year veteran from Pearl River Community College also had 20 catches for 249 yards and six touchdowns in three postseason games.

Bogle played in all 16 regular-season games and all three postseason contests for the Soul, starting each game on the right side. He ended the regular season with seven catches for 60 yards with six touchdowns and earned his second straight honor on First Team All-Arena. The 6-foot-3, 310-pound University of New Haven product was also a finalist for AFL lineman of the year in just his second season in the league. He also had one touchdown on two catches in the playoffs.

Ours was also part of the stellar group that protected quarterbacks Tony Graziani and Matt D’Orazio this season. The 305-pound West Virginia graduate also started all 16 games regular season games for the Soul recording 80 yards and three scores on 23 carries and 96 yards and two TDs on 13 catches.

Davis was the Soul’s starting JAC linebacker for most of the season. A first-year AFL player, he missed five games in the middle of the season due to an elbow injury, but managed to record 38 tackles and three interceptions, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two TDs in 11 regular-season games. The 6-2, 250-pounder from Southern Mississippi also tallied 11.5 tackles in three postseason games, and probably made the biggest play of the game in Virgin Mobile ArenaBowl XXII when he recovered San Jose’s final on-side kick attempt with 15 seconds left to preserve Philadelphia’s three-point win.

Smith was a vital part to both the offense and defense for the Soul this season, earning First-Team All-Ironman honors after posting 45 tackles, a forced fumble and one fumble recovery on defense and 10 touchdowns on offense. The 6-3, 253-pound Syracuse product ended the season with 50 carries for 133 yards in his rookie campaign. In the playoffs, he had a team-leading 12 carries for 23 yards and a score, and had 3 ½ tackles and two forced fumbles on defense.

Hughes was an All-Rookie selection after connecting on 123-of-136 PATs and 5-of-14 field goal attempts this season. The University of Virginia product hit 21-of-24 PATs in the playoffs and also connected on his lone field goal attempt.

The signings bring the total number of players under contract to 14, as OL Martin Bibla, Bogle, Brackins, DB/KR/WR Mike Brown, Davis, WR Kenny Henderson, Hughes, WR Chris Jackson, DB /KR Rob Keefe, C Mike Mabry, DL Gabe Nyenhuis, Ours, DL Bryan Save and Smith are all under contract.

The Soul celebrated their fifth anniversary this season with a 59-56 win over the San Jose SaberCats in Virgin Mobile ArenaBowl XXII. The Soul drew a total of 131,817 fans this season, their largest number since their inaugural season of 2004. The Soul sold out four games in the 2008 season and averaged 16,477 fans per game. Season tickets for the 2009 campaign are currently on sale starting at just $59. Call 888-PHIL-AFL to order your tickets and get more information on the defending ArenaBowl Champion Philadelphia Soul.

Since their inception, the Soul have drawn a total of 646,043 fans, the most in the AFL over that time frame. Following the 2007 season, the Soul were recognized with the Commissioner's Award as the Organization of the Year and were an honorable mention for the PRISM Award in the category of fan appreciation.