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Baker Returns, Cooks Up Ironman Honor

July 2, 2002 - arenafootball2 (af2) News Release


CHICAGO - Welcome back, Baker. After missing four games due to a serious injury to his head and spinal cord, Rochester Brigade WR/DB DEREK BAKER made the most of his return to the lineup, earning af2 Ironman of the Week honors, the league office announced today.

Baker registered four receptions for 61 yards and two touchdowns, helping his Brigade to a 55-38 win over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers, the team he originally suffered the injury against. He also rushed twice for eight yards and a score and ran back four kickoffs for 95 yards, including a 47-yard return. Defensively, Baker notched three solo tackles. The win snapped a four-game losing skid for the Brigade (which coincided with Baker' s injury) and put Rochester a step closer to a playoff berth.

Richmond QB BOB BEES was named af2 Offensive Player of the Week for his hand in the Speed's dramatic 66-59 win over Northeast Division champion Albany. For the night, Bees completed 27-of-36 passes for 314 yards and five TDs with no interceptions. While Bees is credited for his hand in the win, it was actually his feet that sealed the victory. His one-yard plunge with nine seconds left in the game provided the winning points. He added one other rushing score to go with his game-winning charge.

Hawaii WR/DB NIAN TAYLOR began the year with Richmond, appearing in eight games for the Speed. He was assigned to Hawaii on June 20, and earns Built Ford Tough Man honors for his efforts in his second game as an Islander. Taylor contributed in virtually every way as Hawaii upset Bakersfield 49-35. He intercepted a pass and forced a fumble on defense, totaled 74 yards in the return game, including a runback of 48 yards on a missed field goal, and caught five passes for 77 yards and three touchdowns on offense.

Augusta DS ADRIAN JONES is the ADT Defensive Player of the Week. In addition to two tackles and one pass breakup, Jones intercepted three passes during the Stallions' rally from a 20-point second-half deficit at Roanoke. Augusta won 54-44 to improve to a league-best 11-1.

Every team's coaching staff selects up to five players who display a "get it done" attitude after each game. At season's end, the league will honor the "Built Ford Tough Man of the Year," a player who will win a Ford truck. Other candidates for the league's Offensive, Defensive and Ironman players of the week - chosen by the working media at each af2 game - follow in the Week 14 Results section.

QUOTES FROM AROUND af2

"I WAS KIND OF WORRIED, BUT ALL YOU CAN DO IS PRAY ABOUT IT. IF THEY HAD TOLD ME TO LEAVE FOOTBALL, I WAS READY FOR THAT. SO IT'S A BONUS TO BE OUT HERE. IT FEELS GOOD TO BE BACK." - Rochester WR/DB DEREK BAKER on returning from a spine injury he sustained June 1 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

"IT FEELS GOOD TO BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE. I WANT TO TAKE MY HAT OFF TO MY TEAMMATES. THEY PLAYED PHENOMENAL AS WELL. WITHOUT THEM, THERE IS NO ME." - Tallahassee FB/LB MESIAH PORTER thanks his team after earning Built Ford Tough Man of the Week honors for his four-touchdown performance against Florida in Week 13.

"IT FEELS GREAT. I HAVE TO THANK MY GREAT TEAMMATES AND GREAT COACHES FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SET IT. IT DIDN'T SEEM THAT SIMPLE, BUT I'M TRYING TO MAKE THE (RECORD) UNTOUCHABLE." -Cape Fear OL/DL E.J. BURT on breaking the af2 single-season sack record after taking down Mohegan's CABLE DAVIS in the fourth quarter of Saturday's 63-32 win over the Wolves. Burt now has 20.5 sacks on the season.

"TEAMS HAVE BEEN TEAMING UP ON HIM BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT HIM HAVING THE SACK RECORD AGAINST THEM. BUT IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME." - Cape Fear Head Coach CHRIS SIEGFRIED comments on E.J. BURT's achievement.

"COMING INTO THE GAME I FELT LIKE WE WERE THE BETTER 2-9 TEAM. I GUESS I WAS RIGHT." - Columbus DS SHEDRICK HARRIS on the Wardogs' 56-28 win over Carolina.

"FOR KICKERS, IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE VERY FORGETFUL." - Norfolk K MATT McNEW on rebounding from two missed extra points to kick the game-winning field goal in the Nighthawks' 50-48 win over New Haven.

"I FELT GOOD ON THAT FINAL KICK BECAUSE I'D BEEN KICKING WELL ALL NIGHT. THIS WAS EASILY MY BEST GAME EVER AND I'M JUST GLAD I WAS ABLE TO PUT THE TEAM IN A POSITION TO WIN." - Bossier City K SCOTT TYNER after kicking the game-winning field goal against Quad City. Tyner was 7-for-7 on point-after attempts before hitting the decisive field goal.

"WE WERE REALLY FORTUNATE TO WIN THIS GAME BECAUSE WE MADE A LOT OF INDIVIDUAL MISTAKES. IT SEEMED LIKE WE DID EVERYTHING WE COULD TO THROW THE GAME, BUT THE GUYS HUNG IN THERE AND FOUND A WAY TO WIN." - Bossier City Head Coach PAT TILLEY after his team's 54-52 win over Quad City.

"THE D-LINE PLAYED GREAT. THEY RUSHED THE PASSER. THEY FINISHED THE GAME REALLY STRONG, AND THAT'S THE WAY WE SHOULD ALWAYS FINISH THINGS." - Hawaii defensive coordinator AL NOGA on his defensive line's effort in the Islanders' 49-35 win over Bakersfield.

"THIS WAS A BIG WIN FOR US. WE HAD TO COME BACK FROM ADVERSITY, AND THIS WAS A LONG TRIP FOR US TO GET HERE. WE PLAYED WELL AND REAL HARD." - Wichita Head Coach LAND JACOBSEN after his team defeated Louisville 48-28 to put them one win away from clinching a playoff spot.

"YOU HAVE TO SIT BACK AND LOVE IT. WE ONLY ASK FOR ONE OR TWO STOPS A HALF, BUT TO GET TWO IN ONE QUARTER, IT'S GREAT. IT MAKES ME FEEL GREAT, KNOWING THAT OUR DEFENSE WILL LOCK IT DOWN." - Rochester OS MARTINO THEUS praising the Brigade defensive unit for its performance against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

"IT'S AN OFFENSIVE LEAGUE, BUT DEFENSE WON IT TONIGHT. WHEN THE DEFENSE DID WELL, WE FED OFF OF THAT. THEY GAVE US GOOD FIELD POSITION AND TURNOVERS. IT REALLY FIRED US UP TONIGHT." - Rochester QB MATT D'ORAZIO on the Brigade's defense in the 55-38 victory Saturday.

"WE PUT THE BALL ON THE CARPET A COUPLE OF TIMES THERE IN THE SECOND QUARTER, BUT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE INSTANCES LIKE THAT IN af2. WE WERE ABLE TO RESPOND TO THOSE ADVERSITIES AND WE CAME OUT IN THE SECOND HALF AND TOOK THE GAME AWAY FROM THEM." - San Diego QB KANE CLAUNCH on the Riptide's ability to rebound from its first-half miscues to defeat Fresno 67-33.

"THE GUYS WERE TELLING ME BEFORE THE GAME, `D-WASH, YOU'RE GOING TO GET ONE TODAY.' I WAS OVERDUE." - Norfolk DS DESMOND WASHINGTON on recording his first interception of the season, despite being second in the league in passes defended. His interception with 32 seconds left against New Haven helped preserve Norfolk' s 50-48 win.

"WE HAVE TO STOP LOOKING FOR BREAKS AND GO OUT AND PLAY DOWN BY DOWN, AND I INCLUDE MYSELF IN THAT. THE RED ZONE IS PERSONAL. WE NEED TO TAKE IT PERSONAL AND NOT BE BEAT AND GET IN THE END ZONE EVERY TIME." - Florida WR/DB ANTHONY DIXON on his team's inability to convert inside the red zone.

"WE'RE TIRED OF LOSING CLOSE GAMES - YOU GET TIRED AND LOSE SOME STEAM. IT HURTS FOR US TO GET BEAT LIKE THAT WHEN WE KNOW WE'RE BETTER." - Roanoke WR/DB CHARVIN CLARK on the Steam's 54-44 loss to 11-1 Augusta.

"YOU'VE BEEN UP ALL GAME AND YOU'RE WINNING AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE GOING TO BE FRUSTRATED. YOU'VE GOT TO LEARN HOW TO CONTROL YOUR EMOTIONS." - Roanoke OL/DL TOBY CHAMPION on the Steam losing a 20-point lead in the Augusta defeat.

"COACH (ALAN) RISHER HAS DONE A GOOD JOB WITH THIS TEAM. THEY'RE DEFINITELY A BETTER TEAM. THERE ARE BETTER DAYS AHEAD FOR MOBILE." - Tennessee Valley Head Coach KEVIN GUY on an improved Mobile Wizards team. The Vipers defeated Mobile 53-40 Friday.

"I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY QUESTION EVERYONE GETS EXCITED TO PLAY AGAINST HIS TEAMS. YOU APPROACH A GAME AGAINST BRUCE COWDREY WITH GREAT RESPECT, AND THERE ARE A FEW OTHERS IN THE AF2 IN THAT CATEGORY, LIKE RICHARD DAVIS (RICHMOND) AND A GUY I SEE AS A RISING STAR, JAMES FULLER (BAKERSFIELD)." - Tulsa Head Coach SKIP FOSTER on his respect for fellow coaches in af2.

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