The Philadelphia Soul will have a mix of new and old faces as they try to repeat as ArenaBowl champions in 2017.
Wide receiver Ryan McDaniel will return for his fifth year with the Soul while former Arizona Rattlers fullback Mykel Benson joins the roster for the 2017 season.
McDaniel played his college ball at Samford and then spent one year in the Professional Indoor Football League before coming to the Arena Football League (AFL) in 2013 and joining the Soul. The 28-year-old receiver has 345 receptions for 4,159 yards and 88 touchdowns over the course of his tenure in Philadelphia. He had 19 touchdowns and eclipsed 1,000 yards as the team's third-leading receiver in 2016.
“Ryan has been a constant in our receiving core for four seasons now,” head coach Clint Dolezel said in a press release. “He has developed into a very skilled athlete who can help lead this team to another winning season.”
Benson, a 29-year-old fullback who attended Florida A&M, has been on five different arena football teams since 2011, spending the last two seasons with the Arizona Rattlers, who lost in the 2016 ArenaBowl to the Soul. Benson was First Team All-Arena last season and had 171 rushes for 507 yards and 37 touchdowns during his time with the Rattlers.
“We have a tradition of running the football and bringing in a guy like Mykel Benson keeps that tradition going,” Dolezel said. “His All-Arena talent will strengthen our offense and help keep our back-to-back ArenaBowl dreams alive.”
The Soul retained the centerpiece of their offense earlier this week, coming to terms with quarterback Dan Raudabaugh.