Silas DeMary (born December 12, 1971) is an American former

offensive lineman In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numb ...

defensive lineman In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numbe ...

for in the

Arena Football League The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 season, making it the third longest-running professional football league in ...

. He played for the

Carolina Cobras The Carolina Cobras were an expansion franchise in the Arena Football League. The team was formed prior to the 2000 season, which endured a player strike. The team was originally based in Raleigh, North Carolina, but moved to Charlotte followin ...

, Buffalo Destroyers,

Los Angeles Avengers The Los Angeles Avengers were an Arena Football League team based in Los Angeles, California, from 2000 through 2008. They folded on April 19, 2009. History The Los Angeles Avengers played their home games at the Staples Center, which is also th ...

and the

Cleveland Gladiators The Cleveland Gladiators were an arena football team based in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, and members of the Arena Football League (AFL). The Gladiators played their home games at Quicken Loans Arena, which they shared with the Cleveland Cav ...

. He is most notable for winning the Arena Football League Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2005, while a member of the Avengers.

High school career

While attending Bishopville High School in

Bishopville, South Carolina Bishopville is a town in Lee County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 3,471 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Lee County. Geography Bishopville is located at (34.219027, -80.248877) near Lee State Park. According ...

, DeMary lettered in football,

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

College career

Silas DeMary attended

Virginia State University Virginia State University (VSU or Virginia State) is a public historically Black land-grant university in Ettrick, Virginia. Founded on , Virginia State developed as the United States's first fully state-supported four-year institution of hi ...

, where, as a senior, he led the team with 21 sacks, won

NCAA Division II NCAA Division II (D-II) is an intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environmen ...

Defensive Lineman of the Year honors, and won NCAA Division II

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

honors.

Professional career

Carolina Cobras

DeMary signed with the

in 2001. He was named to the All-Rookie Team following the season.

Buffalo Destroyers

In 2002 and 2003, DeMary played for the Buffalo Destroyers. Playing mostly offensive line, DeMary recorded very few stats with the Destroyers.

Los Angeles Avengers

In 2004 through 2007, DeMary played with the

. While an Avenger, DeMary had the best seasons of his professional career, twice being named to the All Arena Teams, and winning the Arena Football League Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2005. Also in 2005, DeMary set the AFL record for sacks in a season with 13.5. The previous record had been 13, held by Craig Walls.

Cleveland Gladiators

DeMary finished his AFL career while playing with the

in 2008.

References

External links

Cleveland Gladiators bio pageAFL stats from arenafan.com
1971 births Living people People from Bishopville, South Carolina American football defensive linemen American football offensive linemen Virginia State Trojans football players Carolina Cobras players Buffalo Destroyers players Los Angeles Avengers players Cleveland Gladiators players {{ArenaFootballLeague-stub