By Spokane Shock
The Shock have been assigned Oliver "Tre" Young, Julian Talley and Kenny Spencer to the 2013 roster.
Young, a wide receiver out of South Carolina State, joins the Shock for his rookie season in the Arena Football League after spending the past two seasons (2011,2012) with the IFL's Tri-City Fever. For the Fever, Young recorded 118 receptions for 1,463 yards and 34 touchdowns in two seasons (regular season). Prior to joining the Fever, Young spent time with the NFL's Carolina Panthers. As a Bulldog at South Carolina State, Young played in a total of 45 games and is the all-time leader in receptions (134) and receiving yards (2,149).
"Young is a guy with great hands and someone you can always count on to go up and catch the ball at its highest point. We're excited to see what he can bring to the table during camp with his experience, having played two seasons in the IFL," said Shock Head Coach Andy Olson.
Talley, a wide receiver out of the University of Massachusetts, joins the Shock for his AFL debut after spending time with the New York Giants in 2012. While at UMASS, Talley played in 45 games on his way to registering 162 receptions for 2,090 yards and 11 touchdowns.
"Talley is a great route running receiver that doesn't have a problem going over the middle and catching the ball. We expect him to make a strong transition to the AFL and be a guy that can really take advantage of the one-on-one matchups on the smaller field," said Shock Head Coach Andy Olson.
Spencer, the 2012 AFL Kicker of the Year, signed a two year contract that will run through the 2014 season. Spencer joined the Shock in 2012 for his rookie AFL season and set a new league single-season record with 138 converted PATs on the season (94.5 conversion percentage). In field goal situations, Spencer converted 4 of 7 attempts with all three misses coming on field goals over 50 yards. For his outstanding performance in the 2012 season, Spencer received all-league honors and was named the AFL Kicker of the Year. After the 2012 season, Spencer spent time with the UFL's Virginia Destroyers.
Prior to joining the Shock, Spencer spent a season with the PIFL's Alabama Hammers where he converted on 9 of 18 field goals (long of 54 yards) and was 55 of 65 on extra point attempts.
"What more can you say about a kicker like Kenny other than that he is automatic. After setting a record in 2012, we are excited to get him back on our roster and are really looking forward to his continued success as one of the top kickers in the AFL," said Shock Head Coach Andy Olson.
