Columbus Destroyers Announce Team’s First Signing
Monday March 4, 2019
Destroyers assigned former All-Arena Defensive Back Varmah Sonie
COLUMBUS – The Columbus Destroyers announced their first acquisition on Monday, as the team has been assigned defensive back Varmah Sonie on the first day of the Arena Football League’s free agency period. Sonie, a veteran of five AFL seasons is a two-time first-team all-arena selection as a defensive back and last season finished in the top five in tackles while with the Albany Empire.
“I’m very excited to make Varmah our first signing here in Columbus,” said head coach Matthew Sauk. “I was fortunate enough to sign him in 2014 when he was a rookie in Portland, and he’s been a star in the AFL ever since. He plays the middle as a corner as good as anyone in this league and for him to sign with us shows the amount of trust he has in us as an organization to put a winning product on the field from day one.”
“I couldn’t be happier to join the Destroyers organization,” added Sonie. “Columbus is a football town and the fan base is as good as any in the league. I’m also thrilled to get to play for coach [Sauk] again. Coach Sauk was the first guy to give me a shot as a professional [football player] and I am excited play for him once again.”
Sonie, 28, received first-team all-arena honors as a rookie after making 86 tackles and logging nine interceptions in 17 games for the Portland Thunder in 2014. His efforts landed him contracts with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) before returning to Portland for the 2015 season. Sonie finished second in the league in tackles in both 2016 and 2017, registering 97 stops for the Orlando Predators in 2016 and then 74 more with the Baltimore Brigade the following season where he earned second-team all-arena, before latching on with the Empire in 2018.
The 5’8”, 175 lb. defensive back is a native of Burnsville, Minnesota and played his collegiate ball at the University of Northern Iowa where he was named second-team All-Missouri Valley following his senior season in 2012.
The Columbus Destroyers are members of the Arena Football League (AFL) and make their return to Nationwide Arena this spring! Interested in season tickets? Visit ColumbusDestroyers.com for more information and place your $25 deposit today! For partnership opportunities, please click HERE. Be sure to follow the Destroyers on Twitter @AFLDestroyers, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AFLDestroyers, and on Instagram @AFLDestroyers.