AFL Tabs Week's Top Players

Published on July 23, 2002 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release

Indiana Firebirds FB/LB LEROY THOMPSON, Tampa Bay Storm DS JOHN WILLIAMS and Grand Rapids Rampage WR/DB WILLIS MARSHALL have been named the Arena Football League's Offensive Player, "ADT" Defensive Player, and Ironman of the Week, respectively, for their performances during Week 14 of the 2002 season.

Thompson (6-0, 259, Delaware State), a six-year AFL veteran, led the Firebirds (7-7) to a playoff position with six rushes for 24 yards and five touchdowns in Indiana's 51-41 win at Chicago. Thompson's five rushing touchdowns tied the AFL single-game record for most rushing scores (Barry Wagner 1995, Bernard Hall 1996). He also added one solo tackle in the contest. Thompson currently leads the Firebirds in rushing with 37 attempts for 117 yards, including 10 touchdowns. He finished the regular season at No. 6 in the league in the same category. Thompson ranks as the Firebirds' all-time leader in rushing attempts with 154.

Williams (5-9, 180, Southern University), in his second year in the AFL recorded five solo tackles, 11 assists (10.5 total), two forced fumbles and two pass break ups in the Storm's 67-61 overtime victory against division rival Georgia. He ranks second on the Tampa Bay squad in tackles with 49.0 and has the most pass break ups with seven. Williams played his rookie season with the Nashville Kats in 2001.

Marshall (5-9, 188, Youngstown State), also in his second AFL season, led the Rampage with seven receptions for 116 yards and 3 touchdowns in his team 's home-playoff game clincher at Detroit, a 63-60 Grand Rapids win. He added six returns for 118 yards, as well as six tackles and one fumble recovery. Marshall finished the regular season No. 10 in the league in receptions with 80 for 973 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Other candidates for Offensive Player of the Week included: Arizona's Sherdrick Bonner, Buffalo's Lamont Cooper, Chicago's Antonio Chatman, Dallas ' Andy Kelly, Detroit's Nick Browder, Georgia's Donnie Davis, Los Angeles' Tony Graziani, New Jersey's Sedrick Robinson, New York's Aaron Garcia, Orlando's Siaha Burley and Jay Gruden, Tampa Bay's John Dutton and Shane Stafford, and Toronto's Damian Harrell

Other candidates for ‘ADT' Defensive Player of the Week included: Arizona's Kelvin Hunter, Buffalo's Corey Johnson, Chicago's Cedric Walker, Dallas' Kareem Larrimore, Detroit's Kenny Wheaton, Georgia's Cliff Green, Indiana's Dejuan Alfonso, Los Angeles' Mark Ricks New Jersey's Damon Mason, and Orlando's Kenny McEntyre.

Other candidates for Ironman of the Week included: Arizona's Chris Horn, Carolina's Cory Fleming, Chicago's Dameon Porter Detroit's Jeremy Dutcher, Georgia's Scott Thomas and Tyronne Jones, Indiana's Jay Jones, Los Angeles' Kevin Ingram and Chad Dukes, New York's Mike Furrey, San Jose's Shalon Baker, Clevan Thomas, and Barry Wagner, Tampa Bay's Antoine Toliver, and Toronto's Kerry Brown.

PREVIOUS WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS
Week, Offensive, "ADT" Defensive, Ironman
Week 1, Chris Jackson (Los Angeles), Ron Carpenter (Georgia), Gary Compton (Indiana)
Week 2, Sherdrick Bonner (Arizona), Bob McMillen (San Jose), Mike Furrey (New York)
Week 3, Lamont Cooper (Buffalo), Andre Bowden (Carolina), Greg Hopkins (Los Angeles)
Week 4, Chris Horn (Arizona), Sam Hernandez (San Jose), Lawrence Samuels (Tampa Bay)
Week 5, Sedrick Robinson (New Jersey), Chris Snyder (Indiana), Mike Furrey (New York)
Week 6, Chris Jackson (Los Angeles), Donvetis Franklin (New York), Chad Dukes (Los Angeles)
Week 7, Clint Dolezel (Grand Rapids), Hassan Shamsid-Deen (Dallas), Greg Hopkins (Los Angeles)
Week 8, Andy Kelly (Dallas), Hassan Shamsid-Deen (Dallas), Barry Wagner (San Jose)
Week 9, Greg Hopkins (Los Angeles), Dwaine Carpenter (Buffalo), Darryl Hammond (Georgia)
Week 10, Fred McNair (Buffalo), Joe Jacobs (San Jose), Greg Hopkins (Los Angeles)
Week 11, Sherdrick Bonner (Arizona), Evan Hlavacek (Indiana), Dameon Porter (Chicago)
Week 12, Sherdrick Bonner (Arizona), Ron Carpenter (Georgia), Barry Wagner (San Jose)
Week 13, Sedrick Robinson (New Jersey), Cecil Doggette (Arizona), Dameon Porter (Chicago)

--------------------------- "BUILT FORD TOUGH" WINNERS --------------------------- The "Built Ford Tough" Award is a national recognition award given after every game to the player or players on each team best demonstrating determination and toughness in that game. The award honors the players who made a game-saving tackle or score-saving tackle, threw a key block on the big play or exhibited physical sacrifice or consistent tough blocking and tackling on either side of the ball. In a season filled with injuries, Toronto lineman JASON WALTERS was the one true constant for the Phantoms. Walters was one of only four Toronto team members to have played in every game this year and the only Phantoms player to start all 14 games. Up to five players who display the "get-it-done" kind of attitude are honored by each team every week. A point system is maintained on the league's official site, www.arenafootball.com, throughout the season that will culminate in the "Built Ford Tough" Man of the Year, a player who will win a Ford Truck at the end of the season. This week's winners, by team:

WEEK 14 TEAM-BY-TEAM WINNERS
Arizona: Chris Horn, Kelvin Hunter, Derek Stingley, Stacy Evans, John Peaua
Buffalo: Corey Johnson, Jarrail Jackson
Carolina: Cory Fleming, Brian Schmitz, Clarence Lawson, Carl Bond
Chicago: John Moyer, Cedric Walker, Dameon Porter, Lindsay Fleshman
Dallas: Danny Thomas
Detroit: Not reported
Georgia: Cliff Green, Tyronne Jones, Jermaine Smith
Grand Rapids: Willis Marshall, Chris Ryan, Corey Mayfield, Rod Manuel, Joe Wylie
Indiana: Jay Jones, Greg Williams, Lerowy Thompson, Kyel Moore-Brown, Raymond Philyaw
Los Angeles: Chris Butterfield, Chad Dukes, Carlos Fowler, Greg Hopkins
New Jersey: Not reported
New York: Aaron Garcia, Mike Furrey, Steve Papin, Donvetis Franklin, Chin Achebe
Orlando: Not reported
San Jose: Not reported
Tampa Bay: Not reported
Toronto: Charlie Davidson, Kerry Brown, Anthony Hicks, Doug Lytle, Jason Walters

Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from July 23, 2002

• SaberCats Set Practice Schedule - San Jose SaberCats
• Rampage's Marshall Named AFL's Ironman of Week - Grand Rapids Rampage
• AFL Tabs Week's Top Players - AFL I
• AFL Season in Review - AFL I
• League Attendance Up - AFL I
• Fury Makes Coaching Change - Detroit Fury
• McDaniel Added to All-Star Team - Portland Forest Dragons
• Destroyers Head South For Playoffs - Buffalo Destroyers
• James Back, Mason Waived - Buffalo Destroyers

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