DES MOINES - In the franchise's biggest acquisition, Iowa Barnstormers Head Coach John Gregory today announced that the team will have veteran signal-caller and All-Pro QB Ryan Vena under center as the Barnstormers prepare for the 2010 Arena Football One season.

Vena, a nine-year veteran of both the AFL and af2, most notably led the Wilkes Barre-Scranton Pioneers to the af2 championship in 2007 and was named not only the Arena Cup MVP, but also the league's Offensive Player of the Year after throwing for 92 touchdowns and only nine interceptions.

"Ryan is a winner and a key piece to bringing an arena championship to Des Moines," said Gregory. "We have a talented group of returning starters and free agents coming to training camp in March and I cannot wait for Barnstormers fans to see these players on the field."

Vena (6-0, 225) began his arena football career with the Albany Conquest in 2002 after a decorated collegiate career at Colgate University, where he was named Patriot Player of the Year a remarkable three times. Following two seasons with the af2's Conquest, Vena won the starting QB position with the AFL's Columbus Destroyers, where he threw for 57 touchdowns in 2004. In 2006, Vena returned to Albany, where he set an af2 league record throwing for 4,520 yards. The following season saw him begin a three-year stint with the af2 Pioneers in which he led the team to three consecutive division titles and was a three-time selection to the af2 All-Conference First Team.

' Stormer Nation has added another writer to the staff. Jacob Hall will add experience and a passion for the game that is necessary in order to keep things fresh.

Growing up in Des Moines, Jacob enjoyed going to Barnstormer games and grew to love the sport immediately after the first game he attended.

That first game was the 1995 semifinal against the Orlando Predators. With seats right behind the Orlando bench, he can still remember the annoying assistant coach for the Predators who didn’t seem to expand his vocabulary past “this is our house” stuff.

Iowa lost that game, 56-49. But the result did not deter the passion Jacob felt for Arena Football and, more importantly, the Iowa Barnstormers.

When he was 16, he began writing for the Iowa Sports Connection and was able to write stories about the Barnstormers. He was able to interview players, coaches and Jim Foster about different topics.

Since then he’s worked at a daily newspaper and a few weekly papers. He currently writes sports for the Sioux Center News. He has a wife, Amanda, and two boys, Austin and Tate.

Austin has been to a handful of games already and shares the love for the Barnstormers. He’s already decided he’ll play for the Minnesota Vikings and the Barnstormers. Quite the feat.