Washington Valor announces roster - Everett Dawkins leads free agents added to team

Thursday January 12, 2017

 WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Washington Valor announced today their current roster for their inaugural season presented by MedStar Health. Florida State University standout Everett Dawkins recently signed as a free agent and highlights a roster consisting of young and experienced arena football players. During his collegiate career, Dawkins won an ACC title and received Second Team All-ACC honors. He has been part of the rosters of the Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

14-year AFL veteran WR TT Toliver will also be on the Valor roster. He has earned First-Team All-Arena honors and is one of four players in league history to have over 1,000 career receptions. Veterans DB Cameron McGlenn who earned Second Team All-Arena honors as a member of the New Orleans VooDoo and DL James McClinton, who has recorded 35.5 tackles and 12.5 sacks in three seasons in the Arena Football League, recently signed with the Valor as free agents. Rounding out the free agents are second year players DB Nick Addison, WR Julius Gregory and DL David Washington. All spent last season with the Tampa Bay Storm. The Valor also signed rookie WR Justin Wilson from Delaware State. Wilson was a two-time First Team All-MEAC selection and ranks second on the school’s career list with 189 receptions and is fourth in team history with 2,416 receiving yards. He is the first player in the history of the MEAC to lead the conference in receptions (59), receiving yards (937) and touchdown catches (11) in the same season.

“Player personnel is vital as we identify and acquire players that we believe will be a good fit for the Valor and the AFL model,” said head coach Dean Cokinos. “Building our roster is an ongoing process, we have identified and accumulated some good football players through the dispersal draft, at our open tryouts at Verizon Center and currently through free agency. As we get closer to training camp, our goal will be to improve our roster on a daily basis.”

Players acquired in the dispersal draft that took place on Oct. 14, 2016 include: first round picks were OL Moqut Ruffins who is also a seven-year AFL veteran named to the 2015 All-AFL OL team; WR Greg Carr who was named the league’s Rookie of the Year in 2014 and has earned All-AFL WR; DL James Gordon, who was acquired in a draft day trade with Tampa Bay, is in his sophomore season with the arena football league and is expected to build on his successful rookie season.

OL John Collins, who has been in the league for the last two-years, was chosen in the second round. OL Adam Shead was a third round pick while Alexandria, VA, native DL Laith Wallschleger was chosen in the fourth round. In his three years in the arena league, fifth round pick WR Fred Williams has 1900 receiving yards and 33 touchdowns. Rookie OL Visesio Salt Jr from Utah was a sixth round pick while rookies WR Jeremy Gallon and DL Reggie Wilson were drafted in the eighth and ninth rounds, respectively.

Full season-ticket memberships are currently on sale for the inaugural season by joining our Valor Gridiron 365 Club. Full season tickets start at just $15 per game and include year-round, all-encompassing benefits as a part of your membership. Fans can secure their season tickets for the Valor by calling 202-661-5005 or visiting http://www.washingtonvalor.com/365. For more information on joining the Gridiron 365 Club e-mail our membership team at ticketsales@washvalor.com.

Single game tickets for the 2017 season will go on sale to the general public in the coming weeks. The full promotional schedule, including giveaways, theme nights and food and beverage specials, plus the entire broadcast schedule release is forthcoming.

The Washington Valor are owned and operated by Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), which is one of the largest integrated sports and entertainment companies in the country with one of the most diverse partnership groups in all of sports. The company also owns and operates the AFL’s soon to be named Baltimore team, NBA’s Washington Wizards, NHL’s Washington Capitals, WNBA’s Washington Mystics and Verizon Center, the premier sports and entertainment venue in Washington, D.C. MSE also oversees the management of Kettler Capitals Iceplex– the training facility for the Washington Capitals and EagleBank Arena at George Mason University. Monumental Sports Network, a digital platform that covers the region’s sports and entertainment news, is also owned by MSE. Visit www.washingtonvalor.com for more information.