Arizona Rattlers to hold Ring of Honor ceremony

Thursday March 7, 2013

 Bonner, Cooper and Gatewood inducted

Phoenix, Ariz. – To pay homage to their history, the Arizona Rattlers will introduce a Ring of Honor at the start of the 2013 season. The inaugural group of inductees will be Sherdrick Bonner, Hunkie Cooper and Randy Gatewood.

The names of the three great past players will be displayed on the façade of the upper deck at US Airways Center.

The Ring of Honor induction ceremony will take place prior to kickoff of the home opener, against the Philadelphia Soul, on March 23, 2013, followed by the 2012 Championship banner drop.

The three retired numbers, 13, 14 and 17, will go back into circulation so that a new generation of players can bring the same honor to the team as the three who previously donned the jerseys.

“The Rattlers organization is honored to have had such talented players come through our program and we couldn’t think of a better way to show that than with a Ring of Honor Induction,” said Rattlers President, Joe Windham. “As a team we felt this is a great way to pay respect to some of the history of the organization while also looking ahead to the future. We have a lot more to come and cannot wait for another successful season.”

By creating the Ring of Honor, it also enables the team to honor other team members, both on and off the field, who made outstanding contributions to the team with an induction in the future.

The Rattlers are also creating a perennial Division and Conference Championship banner allowing the team to consolidate the storied history of the franchise into a singular celebration of the team and all that it has accomplished.

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About the Arizona Rattlers
The Arizona Rattlers are the 2012 ArenaBowl XXV World Champions and are proud members of the Arena Football League (AFL). ArenaBowl XXV marked the Rattlers seventh appearance in the AFL Championship Game where they have earned Arena Bowl titles in 1994, 1997 and 2012.
For 2013 season ticket information please call (602) 514-TDTD (8383) or visit www.azrattlers.com.