He was traded to the New York CityHawks for Roosevelt Nix on June 18, 1997 but the trade was rescinded when Wells failed to pass his physical.
(meta data) TITLE: News Archive # News Archive Latest News 1998: Jan-Mar | Apr-Jun | July-Sept | Oct-Dec 1997: Apr-June | July-Sept | Oct-Dec 04/13/97 - Practice opens for the Storm at the fields of Tampa Preparatory School. Not even five minutes in, former Storm FB/LB/OL/DL Ivan Caesar attacks coach Tim Marcum, trying to pry his 1996 championship ring from his finger. Marcum's glasses are broken, but he holds on to the ring. Caesar was traded in March to Portland for future considerations 04/14/97 - Former New York Giants kicker Bjorn Nittmo, the only kicker in Storm camp, leaves to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 04/20/97 - Tampa Bay falls to Iowa at the Hall of Fame Classic in Des Moines 48-27. Iowa took a 28-20 halftime lead, but took control of the game by scoring off interception and fumble returns Box Score 04/21/97 - Tampa Bay places WR/DB Jason Phillips and OL/DL Willie Wyatt on the refused to report list. 04/23/97 - Lineman Sylvester Bembery breaks a hand in practice ; he will miss at least the first two games of the regular season. 04/25/97 - Tampa Bay loses its second preseason game, 51-34 to Orlando in front of 3,328 at the Lakeland Center. The Predators grab a 24-0 second quarter lead and cruise to the victory. The Storm score three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to make it close. This is the third straight year that Orlando has defeated Tampa Bay in preseason After the game, receiver Lonnie Turner announced his retirement from football. Turner, 36, caught 43 passes for 576 yards and nine touchdowns in 1996. 04/28/97 - Storm receive kicker Terry Belden as the "future considerations" in their March trade of Ivan Caesar to the Portland Forest Dragons....Storm place WR/DB Alvoid Mays on the refused to report list....Storm cuts down to 24 players, waiving WR J.R. Reed, OL/DL Henry Brown, QB Cole Cayce, WR/DB Earle Davis, kicker Reed Haley and FB Robert Jackson....WR Stacey Simmons placed on suspended list. 05/01/97 - Storm waive WR/DB Barry Dillard and OL/DL James Suiter; activate OL/DL Willie Wyatt...Kicker Terry Belden, acquired from Portland for future considerations, arrives in town. 05/02/97 - Claiming that he is still under contract with the Canadian Football League, the AFL suspends Johnnie Harris until further notice. Players are not allowed to be under contract to more than one league at a time; the league believes Harris to be under contract to the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL, in spite of the fact that the team voluntarily let him go. Harris joined the Storm on June 12 of last year and stayed with the team through the ArenaBowl before joining the Argos. He started on Toronto's Grey Cup-winning club. 05/03/97 - Defensive specialist Johnnie Harris clears waivers in the Canadian Football League and is cleared by the league to play in that night's game at Arizona Storm follows with a 42-30 win over the Rattlers. Game 05/07/97 - Storm fans are encouraged to arrive early for Saturday night's game against the Florida Bobcats at the Ice Palace. The game will be the first in the new building, and the Storm has a pyrotechnic pre-game show planned. The show will begin at around 7 p.m., over a half hour before the scheduled 7:40 p.m. kickoff. The show will be a celebration of the team's new home, as well as last year's championship. 05/08/97 - Even football players and coaches have heroes. The Storm announced a program honoring "champions in the local community," according to coach and general manager Tim Marcum. "We at the Tampa Bay Storm will recognize a local hero as honorary captain for each of our home games this year," Marcum said Justin Whaley was the first hero introduced by Marcum---he will be the honorary captain for the game against Orlando on May 17. A different person will be recognized by the Storm at halftime of each game Extended Story 05/10/97 - The Storm christened the Ice Palace with a less-than-resounding 38-19 win over the Florida Bobcats. Stevie Thomas was named game MVP thanks to his 11-catch, 145-yard performance. Tampa Bay never trailed in raising their record to 2-0 on the young season. Game Coverage 05/14/97 - The Storm claimed veteran WR/DB Anthony Howard off of waivers from the Florida Bobcats. Howard becomes the only player on the Tampa Bay roster to have played in the team's first-ever game, a 51-38 loss to Orlando on June 1, 1991. Howard caught 67 passes for 878 yards and 16 touchdowns before being traded to the Charlotte Rage for FB/LB Les Barley on June 1, 1993. "You're always looking for a two-way guy," coach Tim Marcum said, hoping that Howard will be the answer. 05/17/97 - Orlando held the Storm to a franchise low 17 points as they gave Tampa Bay its worst home defeat ever The Preds took a 27-3 second quarter lead and cruised to a 43-17 win. Game Coverage 05/23/97 - The Storm defeated the Nashville Kats 42-26 on Friday night to move to 3-1 on the season. Peter Tom Willis threw for 246 yards and four touchdowns as the Storm outscored the Kats 21-3 in the second quarter to take a commanding 21-10 lead into halftime The Kats could draw no closer than eight points afterward as Tampa Bay's defense took control, holding Andy Kelly, the league's most proficient passer, to 207 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. The Kats also scored belo w 42 points for the first time in team history. Game Coverage 05/28/97 - The Storm signs WR/DB Demasio Green to the roster To make room, OL/DL Lynn Rowland is placed on injured reserve. He will miss four to six weeks with an ankle injury suffered at Nashville. 05/30/97 - Tampa Bay loses its second straight home game, 52-41 to the Milwaukee Mustangs in front of in front of a franchise low crowd of 9,888 at the Ice Palace. Game Coverage 06/02/97 - OL/DL Wilky Bazile is activated from the exempt list as he joins the storm roster after a stint with the Scottish Claymores in the World League. To make room, Tampa Bay waives WR/DB Anthony Howard. 06/06/97 - The Tampa Bay Storm announced a schedule change reguarding two Friday night games in July The games against Anaheim (July 11) and Iowa (July 18) have each been pushed back a day to Saturday nights, July 12 and July 19, respectively. The Storm also signed OL/DL Michael Thornton. 06/07/97 - Albany blitzed past the Storm, 53-31, in front of 9,384 at Pepsi Arena in Albany tonight. The Storm never led, but the main story was the loss of Peter Tom Willis, who left the game on the last play of the first quarter with bruised ribs. Dan White took his first professional snaps and threw for three touchdowns but he also tossed an interception and was a party in two bungled center snap exchanges Eddie Brown caught ten passes for 161 yards and three touchdowns to pace the Firebirds. Game 06/11/97 - A source within the team said that the Storm waived kicker Terry Belden today and signed free agent Rich Fall. Fall, who flew in from his New Jersey home last night, was with the Amsterdam Admirals of the World League in their training camp three months ago and also spent time in the CFL Toronto Argonauts' preseason camp last summer. Fall had an impressive workout at Storm practice today, with booming kickoffs and goal-line place kicks that consistently cleared the length of the Tampa Prep practice field...QB Peter Tom Willis did not practice for the third straight day. However, he should be able to at least throw passes by Thursday's practice and may play in Saturday's game against New Jersey , coach Tim Marcum said. In Willis' stead, Tony Squitieri worked out for Tampa Bay at quarterback in Wednesday's practice...DS Tracy Sanders returned to practice after missing the last two weeks due to job conflicts; he works as the executive director of a community recreation center in Bradenton...WR/DB Wayne Williams missed the last half of Wednesday's practice after injuring his knee. 06/14/97 - Tampa Bay was shut out in the second half for what is believed to be the first time in team history as the New Jersey Red Dogs scored 17 unanswered points to put the Storm away 44-28 in front of an announced crowd of 11,488 at the Ice Palace Larry Ray Willis caught nine passes for 99 yards and two touchdowns to pace the Red Dogs. Game Coverage 06/16/97 - Looking to shake the Storm into success, head coach/general manager Tim Marcum overhauled the line on Monday. Gone are lineman Kent Wells, Flint Fleming and Michael Kerr. Fleming, a nine-year Arena Football veteran, was traded to Arizona for OL/DL Jim Hoffman, a second-year AFL player who hasn't played in 1997 due to knee surgery but is now ready to go. Kerr was shipped off to Milwaukee for lineman David Wilkens. Wilkens has yet to play in 1997. Wells, who reported to camp around 60 pounds above his 290 pound playing weight, was placed on recallable waivers for the purpose of being traded. Wells, the AFL Lineman of the Year in 1996 and a two-time All-AFL first team selection, made very few plays this season, aside from repeated false start calls He will be replaced on the roster by lineman Tony Woods, a three-year CFL veteran. 6/17/97 - Lineman Kent Wells was recalled from waivers as the Storm tried to work out a trade. New acquisition David Wilkins was placed on the exempt list; he's on the Indianapolis Colts of the NFL. Fellow lineman Jim Hoffman was placed on the Refused to Report list as he remained in Arizona, saying that his knee had not yet healed from preseason surgery 6/18/97 - The trading deadline passed at 5 p.m., and Tampa Bay was one of the teams making late moves. The Storm traded lineman Kent Wells to New York for OL/DL Roosevelt Nix. Also, the Storm acquired lineman Gary Reid for past consideration. 6/19/97 - Looking to bolster quarterback depth, the Storm signed former Detroit Drive QB Ron Adams. He last played in the AFL with the Drive in 1993 and has spent the last three years playing for a team in Milan, Italy. 6/21/97 - The Storm defeated the New York CityHawks 27-9 thanks to a stifling defensive effort that saw Tampa Bay hold New York to 34 points below their average. George LaFrance caught nine passes for 119 yards to pace the Storm attack as they snapped a three-game losing streak. Game 06/26/97 - After suffering with nagging injuries throughout the season, the Storm placed WR/DB Walter Sutton on injured reserve. His roster spot was filled by WR/DB Grantis Bell, who played for the Storm in 1995 but missed last season. He would have joined the team earlier this season but was delayed due to job commitments. 06/27/97 - It was a disastrous night in Orlando as Predator OS Mac Cody singlehandedly blitzed the Storm, scoring on a missed field goal return, kickoff return, run and a reception in leading the Preds to a resounding 54-30 win in front of a Predators-record crowd of 16,529 at the Orlando Arena. Cody's performance, along with a fierce pass rush and some questionable calls from the officiating team, saved Predator owner Will Meris from shelling out $50,000 worth of free pizzas to the fans that he offered to buy if his team lost. Copyright © 1996 - 1999 by Gale Force Design. All rights reserved. (meta data) TITLE: CityHawks at Storm - Preview 1998 Results | Game Coverage (2-3) (4-1) Who: New York CityHawks at Tampa Bay Storm When: Saturday, June 6, 1998, 7:40 p.m. EDT Where: Ice Palace, Tampa, Fla. TV Coverage: MSG Network (New York, live), Time Warner Communications (Tampa Bay, tape delay, 9:00 p.m. Sunday, 9:00 p.m. Wednesday, 10:00 p.m. Friday). Radio Coverage: WDAE-AM 1250 (Tampa-St. Petersburg), One-on- One Sports AM 620 (New York). ### One to Watch... K Bjorn Nittmo has made a Storm record 30 extra points in a row and scored 51 points in just four games. Photo by Chris Arnold. ## Kicking Off... Looking to spread some bad news on the Ice Palace carpet, the resurgent New York CityHawks come to town tonight for their second-all time encounter with the Storm The Storm comes home to the Ice Palace after a two-game road trip that saw the Storm win both games decisively. Tampa Bay defeated the tough Florida Bobcats 44-29 on May 23, bolstered by a 38-15 first half margin, and delivered a haymaker to the New Jersey Red Dogs last Saturday night, walloping them 81-42. It was the Storm's biggest win since a 54-7 harassment of the Miami Hooters on June 10, 1995. The 81 points against the Dogs were the most ever scored by the Storm, eclipsing the 69-point standard posted in wins over Arizona on July 27, 1996 and Las Vegas on June 2, 1995. Tampa Bay had 43 points by halftime, and with the score 57-21 midway through the third quarter, the only question that remained was whether the Storm would set a new standard. Across the river, the CityHawks did not have as pleasant a Week Five experience New York saw its own two-game winning streak go the way of Gotham in Independence Day in a hard-fought 43-41 loss to the Orlando Predators The CityHawks battled back from a 37-20 third quarter deficit with three consecutive touchdowns, but saw their lone lead of the night---a 41-37 edge---vanish as the Preds struck back with their first offensive touchdown of the second half on a pass from Pat O'Hara to Bret Cooper. New York, though, has already equaled their win total from 1997 and is positioned to contend for a playoff berth this time around. ## The Coaches... New York - Chuck Shelton, 2-3 in his first season with the CityHawks, 2-3 in one AFL season. Tampa Bay - Tim Marcum, 41-12 in his fourth season with the Storm, 96-24 in ten AFL seasons. ## In 1998... New York (2-3) - Lost to New Jersey 53-34, lost to Portland 47-38, defeated Florida 42-38, defeated Albany 57-46, lost to Orlando 43-41. Tampa Bay (4-1) - Defeated San Jose, 45-23, lost to Nashville 54-52, defeated Houston 56-25, defeated Florida 44-29, defeated New Jersey 81-42. ## CityHawks to Watch... QB Mike Perez - While Milwaukee's Todd Hammel is within seven yards of breaking the league's all time passing yardage record held by former Storm quarterback Jay Gruden,. Perez is not far behind. He heads into Saturday's game with 15,008 yards through the air, just 506 yards behind Gruden and third in the league all-time. Perez tossed most of those yards with the Albany Firebirds, where he signed the club's record book with a league record in touchdown passes in one season (84, 1996), and franchise records in completions (667), yardage (9.597) and touchdowns (197). While he has continued to post solid numbers with the CityHawks, he has led the team to just four wins in 19 starts. OS Khevin Pratt - Acquired in a trade prior to New York's game against Orlando , Pratt has a history of success against the Storm. Last year, while with the Nashville Kats, he caught six passes for 64 yards and a first quarter touchdown. While with Charlotte in 1994, he hauled in eight passes for 96 yards and a 19-yard score from Tony Kimbrough as the Rage handed the defending champion Storm a stunning opening-night defeat, 44-39 at the then-ThunderDome. ## 'Hawk Squawks Taking Flight - By winning two of their first five games this year, the CityHawks have managed to equal their win total for the entire 1997 season New York finished the disastrous campaign 2-12 and on a seven- game losing streak. The skein reached nine with two losses to open this season, but prior to their loss to Orlando on Monday night, they won two in a row, pushing their record to the .500 mark for the first time The streak ended in a heartbreaking 43-41 loss to the Predators on Monday night, but New York has shown that unlike last year, they are not a pushover. Jet Flies for Hawks - Prior to the Orlando loss, the CityHawks made a bold move, trading offensive specialist James Bowden to Milwaukee for fellow OS Khevin "The Jet" Pratt. Pratt, who was the league's leading receiver when with the Charlotte Rage in 1994, has bounced around the Arena Football League due to his pursuit of an NFL career and franchise volatility in the Arena League. He has stints with the Charlotte Rage, Anaheim Piranhas, Nashville Kats and the Mustangs on his fuselage. Pratt left the Kats after the first month of the season last year in a failed attempt to make the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL. ## Noting the Storm... From the Home Office in Wahoo, Nebraska - Once again, the man whose name David Letterman used to love uttering, kicker Bjorn Nittmo, scrawled his name in the Storm record book, this time with two single-game marks---most extra points in a game (10) and most points by a kicker in a game (19). The old records were held by Jorge Cimadevilla, who nailed nine extra points and 15 total points at Las Vegas on June 2, 1995. Nittmo made three of four field goals, as well, tying the Storm record set by...who else?...Nittmo The 19 points also were the second-best in league history; only Milwaukee's Kenny Stucker, with 21 in a game against Las Vegas in 1994, can top Nittmo's mark. Tampa Bay-New York Connections - New York kicker Mike Black resides in Clearwater.. CityHawk WR/DB Eddie Brown played with the Storm from 1992 until 1996, when he was traded to the Connecticut Coyotes...New York trainer Chuck Reda served in the same position with the Storm from 1991 to 1993...Lineman Roosevelt Nix had his rights traded to the Storm last year, then had them sent back to the CityHawks when lineman Kent Wells failed to pass his New York physical. Why, We Didn't Expect You Back So Soon - Saturday's game marks the return to the Ice Palace of CityHawk lineman Wilky Bazile. On May 22, the Syracuse product and Spring Valley, N.Y. resident was given the chance to play closer to home, as he was traded by the Storm to New York on May 22 for the ever-popular Future Considerations. Reportedly, Future Considerations, who seems to be traded from one Arena Football team to another on a semi-weekly basis, can play any position, from kicker to quarterback to lineman to receiver to safety and anywhere else the coach asks him to go. Turning Over a New Leaf - Perpetually a pestering problem for the Storm in the last two seasons has been turnover ratio. Tampa Bay finished the 1997 season with a minus-seven imbalance, and carried the same figure through four games of 1998. However, against the Red Dogs, it almost completely turned around. The Storm forced six turnovers---four fumbles and two interceptions. Tampa Bay, with its minus-one ratio now has a chance of breaking back on the happy side of even for the first time in two seasons. Countdowns - FB/LB Andre Bowden, who gained nine yards on six carries and scored last week, needs 38 yards to move into fourth place in league history in rushing; he currently has 655 yards on 198 carries...Lineman Sylvester Bembery, the league's all-time leading sacker, needs one to get to 40 for his career...Storm coach Tim Marcum is just four wins away from becoming the first Arena Football League coach to reach the century mark in victories Jive Talkin' - Late in the third quarter of last week's whipping of the Dogs, Storm coach Tim Marcum was whistled for four penalties in the space of two minutes. Marcum and the officials were in discord about where the coach should be on the field of play. Fortunately for the Storm, those penalties cost the club only six yards, since the dispute began when the Dogs had a first-and-goal from the Storm seven-yard-line. Three of the penalties were unsportsmanlike conduct fouls on Marcum, but they were merely assessed at half the distance to the goal line. Love Is(n't) a Wonderful Thing - Tuesday morning's early 9 a.m. practice on the Ice Palace carpet was their last home field work the Storm will get before Saturday's game. Concerts have given the team the boot yet again, with this week's attractions being one-time-wanna-be-headbanger Michael Bolton (with any apologies going out to those who might happen to be fans of his mid-80s "hair metal"-era body of work) and country singer Clint Black. Originally, the Storm planned to practice at Blake High School. However, a combination of oppressive heat and humidity sent the Storm to an indoor soccer facility in Brandon. Tampa Bay practiced there, on a field shorter than AFL regulation, on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Injury Front - WR/DB Cornell Parker remains on injured reserve with a hamstring injury So too, does WR/DB Kevin Jackson, with a broken index finger...OS Wayne Walker is doubtful with a pulled groin and was deactivated on Friday. Deactivated Players - Tampa Bay deactivated Walker, lineman Keo Coleman, WR/DB Antoine Worthman and FB/LB Cedric McKinnon...Worthman's deactivation is his first of the season, while Coleman sits out a second straight game and McKinnon rests for the fifth time in six games ...Deactive for the CityHawks are OL/DL Avo Avetisyan, WR/DB Ray Stukes, OL/DL Patrick Jackson and OL/DL Bret Kwarta. ## Series History... The teams have met once, with the Storm holding a 1-0 edge. 06/21/97 - Tampa Bay 27, New York 9 - Highlights: Storm wins, holding CityHawks to franchise record low in points ...Game was, at the time, the third-lowest scoring encounter in Arena Football history. Game Coverage Copyright © 1996 - 1999 by Gale Force Design. All rights reserved.
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Kent Wells
Professional career.:Tampa Bay Storm.
Wells played for the Tampa Bay Storm of the AFL from 1995 to 1997. He earned First Team All-Arena honors in 1995 and 1996. He was also named Lineman of the Year in 1996. Wells won ArenaBowl IX and X with the Storm.