Arena League announces All-Arena Teams

by AFL Press Release
August 19, 2000 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)

AFL Press Release

ORLANDO (August 18, 2000) – The Arena Football League announced the members of the 2000 All-Arena first and second teams today. The squad includes five players from the Iowa Barnstormers and two from the ArenaBowl XIV hosting Orlando Predators. The Nashville Kats, Orlando's championship game opponent, placed one player on the second team.

The first team is led by Iowa Barnstormers QB Aaron Garcia. Garcia set an AFL record for touchdown passes in a season with 92, shattering the previous mark of 84 set by Mike Perez for the 1996 Albany Firebirds. Garcia ranked second in the AFL with a passer rating of 123.1, the highest of his career by over eight points. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Sacramento State product threw for more than 4,000 yards for the first time in his career and one of only two QBs to accomplish that feat in 2000, finishing second in the league with 4,026 yards.

Arizona Rattlers' FB/LB Bob McMillen came up short in his attempt to repeat as the league's rushing leader. The 6-foot-2, 250-pound, six-year veteran finished the season as the AFL's ninth leading rusher with 143 yards. The epitome of the Ironman ideal, McMillen also led the Rattlers with five sacks, four fumble recoveries and five QB hurries and added 24 tackles. This is McMillen's second All-Arena honor, having been named second team following the 1999 season.

WR/DB Bret Cooper of the Orlando Predators is a veteran of seven AFL seasons and four different teams, but this is his first appearance on the league's All-Arena team. The 6-foot, 190-pound Central Florida alum has flourished since returning to Orlando, becoming a valuable leader on a team that has had a surprising amount of turnover since 1997. This season Cooper led the team in receiving yards with 881 yards and 14 touchdowns. Defensively he tallied a career high 45 tackles and added two interceptions, both of which were returned for touchdowns.

Los Angeles Avengers OL/DL Victor Hall is another AFL veteran, seven seasons, getting some long overdue recognition. The 6-foot-4, 265-pound former Auburn Tiger was named second team All-Arena as an Orlando Predator in 1997, but this is his first appearance on the first team. Hall, serving in the capacity of the expansion Avengers' "old hand", had the best season of his career. He was tied for second in the league with a career-high eight sacks, along with his 26 tackles. On the offensive side of the ball Hall, who had never totaled more than 55 yards receiving in a single season, caught 10 balls for 141 yards and three TDs.

Arguably the best cover man in the AFL, Iowa Barnstormers DS Kevin Kaesviharn, was named to the All-Arena team for the first time in his two-season career. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Augustana (SD) product became only the third player in league history to record more than 100 tackles in a season, ranking second in the league with 107 tackles. One of the premier ball hawks in the league, Kaesviharn has intercepted 15 passes in 23 regular season games over the past two seasons. In the playoffs he has stepped up with four pilfers in only three games.

All-Arena First Team
QB Aaron Garica, Iowa Barnstormers
FB/LB Bob McMillen, Arizona Rattlers
WR/DB Carlos James, Iowa Barnstormers
WR/DB Bret Cooper, Orlando Predators
WR/LB Hunkie Cooper, Arizona Rattlers
OS Mike Horacek, Iowa Barnstormers
OL/DL Sam Hernandez, San Jose SaberCats
OL/DL Victor Hall, Los Angeles Avengers
OL/DL Joe Jacobs, Albany Firebirds
DS Kenny McEntyre, Orlando Predators
DS Kevin Kaesviharn, Iowa Barnstormers
K Clay Rush, Iowa Barnstormers

All-Arena Second Team
Sherdrick Bonner, Arizona Rattlers
Rick Hamilton, Orlando Predators
Randy Gatewood, Arizona Rattlers
Sean Riley, Milwaukee Mustangs
Greg Hopkins, Albany Firebirds
Steve Papin, San Jose SaberCats
James Baron, Nashville Kats
B.J. Cohen, Orlando Predators
Tom Briggs, Oklahoma Wranglers
Damon Mason, Orlando Predators
Tommy Henry, Tampa Bay Storm
Steve Videtich, Milwaukee Mustangs

• Discuss this story on the Arena Football League (1987-2008) message board...

Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from August 19, 2000

• Dallas awarded Arena Football team - OSC Original by AFL Press Release
• Arena League announces All-Arena Teams - OSC Original by AFL Press Release

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.