Storm acquires center, receiver before deadline

By JOHN C. COTEY

© St. Petersburg Times, published June 8, 2000

The Tampa Bay Storm acquired former Tampa Catholic and Syracuse receiver Sir Mawn Wilson on Wednesday for future considerations and signed free agent center Curtis Whitley as the trade deadline passed.

The Storm hoped to trade one of its offensive specialists for a lineman, but a proposed deal with Grand Rapids fell through at the 5 p.m. deadline.

Wilson (6 feet 2, 210 pounds) was a second-team all-state football selection at Tampa Catholic and lettered in basketball and track, finishing second in the state finals in the triple jump.

He spent time in the NFL with Miami, Denver and New England, which cut him before the 1999 season.

Wilson, 27, caught five passes for 51 yards in 1997 and earned a Super Bowl ring with the Broncos.

Though he was still property of the Arizona Rattlers, Wilson only played briefly in '97, catching 10 passes for 93 yards in his only AFL experience.

Whitley (6-2, 295) is a Clemson product who was a fifth-round pick of the San Diego Chargers in 1992. He was taken by Carolina in the 1995 expansion draft and started all 16 games for the Panthers, and has started 27 games in six seasons. He was on Oakland's roster in 1999, but hasn't played in a game since 1997.

Storm coach Tim Marcum said Buffalo Bills offensive line coach Carl Mauck highly recommended Whitley.

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.

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