Arena Football League

Posted: August 1, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: MB 2014 | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment »

With the Arena Football League playoffs opening tonight, here is a “preview”, in our typical MB-style.

Arizona Rattlers

Seed: #1 in the National Conference

Record: 15-3, first place in the National West

Head Coach: Kevin Guy

Bio Highlights: Played collegiately at West Alabama; Played four seasons in the AFL, including a season with the Minnesota Fighting Pike; won ArenaBowl XXI as defensive coordinator of the San Jose SaberCats; is an arenafootball2 Hall of Fame inductee; led the Rattlers to an Arena League record 18 wins in 2011

Mascot: Stryker D. Rattler

Players I’ve Heard Of: Maurice Purify – WR, Nebraska (aka “Bobby Purify’s Uncle”); Anttaj Hawthorne – DL, Wisconsin

Best Names: Tysson Poots – WR, Southern Utah; Odie Armstrong – FB, Northwest Oklahoma State

Chicago Rush

Seed: #2 in the National Conference

Record: 10-8, first place in the National Central

Head Coach: Bob McMillen

Bio Highlights: 3-time All-American at Illinois-Benedictine; played 13 season in the AFL, winning Arena Bowl XI with Arizona, Arena Bowl XVI with San Jose, and Arena Bowl XX with Chicago; retired after 2007 as the 2nd-leading rusher in Arena League history; Was featured on the cover of EA Sports’ Arena Football: Road to Glory after the 2006 season

Players I’ve Heard Of: None

Best Names: Brian Brikowski – DL, Monmouth; Semaj Moody – DB, South Caroline State; Luke Drone – QB, Illinois State

Spokane Shock

Seed: #3 in the National Conference

Record: 14-4, second place in the National West

Head Coach: Andy Olson

Bio Highlights: Played collegiately at Western Washington, setting records for career receptions and receiving TDs; Played in 29 regular season games for Spokane and helped them win the 2009 ArenaCup in afl2

Mascot: Shox the Fox

Players I’ve Heard Of: Arvell Nelson – QB, Texas Southern; Nelson was at Iowa for two seasons before being arrested for drug possession and then dismissed from the team. He also gained fame while in Iowa City when shown with a few teammates holding large amounts of money  and alcohol on a social networking site.

Arvell Nelson

Best Names: Palauni Ma Sun – OL, Oregon; Tyrone Novikoff – OL, Idaho

San Jose SaberCats

Seed: #4 in the National Conference

Record: 13-5, third place in the National West

Head Coach: Darren Arbet

Bio Highlights: Played collegiately at Sacramento State; played 2 seasons in the AFL, one for the Los Angeles Cobras and the other for the Maryland Commandos; was named San Jose’s head coach in 1999, became general manager in 2006, and part-owner in 2011; has won 3 Arena Bowl titles, the latest in 2007; inducted into Stockton, CA’s Black Sport Hall of Fame alongside fellow football great Webster Slaughter; also an inductee in the Arena Football League Hall of Fame

Players I’ve Heard Of: Clevan Thomas – DB, Florida Sate; Mitch Mustain – QB, USC; Steve Octavien – LB, Nebraska; Ollie Ogbu – DL, Penn State; Duke Pettijohn – DL, Syracuse

Best Names: Ollie Ogbu, Duke Pettijohn, Jamarko Simmons – WR, Western Michigan

Jacksonville Sharks

Seed: #1 in the American Conference

Record: 12-6, first place in the American South

Head Coach: Les Moss

Bio Highlights: Began his AFL coaching career in 1988 with the Chicago Bruisers; Served on the staff of the ArenaBowl champion Detroit Drive in 1990; Has been in the AFL or afl2 postseason every season since 1992; won four Arena championships – 1990, 1998, 2000 & 2011; served as Tight Ends Coach and Training Camp Coordinator of the XFL’s Orlando Rage, helping them capture the XFL Eastern Division Championship in 2001 (has it really been that long since the XFL? Lots of excellent information in that article.)

Players I’ve Heard Of: None

Best Names: Dusty Bear – DL, Western Kentucky; Ayanga Okpokowuruk – DL, North Carolina; Jamaal Fudge – DB, Clemson; Marco Capozzoli – K, Montclair State

Philadelphia Soul

Seed: #2 in the American Conference

Record: 12-6, first place in the American East

Head Coach: Clint Dolezel

Bio Highlights: Played collegiately for Cisco Junior College and East Texas State, where he lettered in football and golf; played 14 seasons in the AFL including 3 seasons for the Texas Terror/Houston Thunderbears franchise; began the first professional QB to throw 800 touchdown passes in 2007; in 2008, threw his 900th TD pass; won ArenaBowl XV with the Grand Rapids Rampage

Mascot: SoulMan (the one on the left, not Ron Jaworski)

Players I’ve Heard Of: Dustin Almond – QB, Southern Miss, Carlos Martinez – K, Buena Vista (alma mater of yours truly and several other MegaBracketeers)

Best Names: LaRico Stevenson – DB, West Georgia; Ko Quaye – DL, South Dakota

Orlando Predators

Seed: #3 in the American Conference

Record: 7-11, second place in the American South

Head Coach: Doug Plank

Bio Highlights: Played collegiately for Ohio State, winning 3 Big Ten titles and participating in 3 consecutive Rose Bowls in the early 1970s; played 8 seasons in the NFL, all for the Chicago Bears; began his coaching career as defensive coordinator of the Georgia Force in the AFL in 2001; two-time AFL Coach of the Year;

Players I’ve Heard Of: Quinn Pitcock – DL, Ohio State; Aaron Garcia – QB, Sacamento State (17 year veteran of the AFL); Tim Cheatwood – LB, Ohio Sate; Jason Geather – WR, Miami (FL)

Best Names: Prechae Rodriguez – WR, Auburn; T.T. Toliver – WR, Bethune-Cookman

Tampa Bay Storm

Seed: #4 in the American Conference

Record: 7-11, third place in the American South

Head Coach: Dave Ewart (aka Tommy Boy)

Bio Highlights: Played collegiately for Salem College and East Tennessee State, where he was named Division I-AA All-American; coached with Rich Rodriguez at Glenville State; began his AFL coaching career in 1994 with the Cleveland Thunderbolts; has been head coach for the St. Louis Stampede, the Texas Terror, the Florida Bobcats and the Tampa Bay Storm;

Players I’ve Heard Of: James Hardy – WR, Indiana; Adrian McPherson – QB, Florida State; Jeff Tow-Arnett – OL, Minnesota

Best Names: Juan Bongarra – K, Albany State; DeAngelo Woodie – WR, No college; De’Audra Dix – DB, Johnson C. Smith