Defending His Home Turf
Published on May 1, 2002 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Los Angeles Avengers News Release
By Marc Doche
Los Angeles Avengers
Communications Assistant
His journey as a football player has taken him to many different cities and even another country, but Mark Ricks is finally back home. In his second year as a defensive specialist for the Los Angeles Avengers, Ricks is grateful for the chance to play in front of family and friends in the city where he grew up.
"There's nothing better than getting to play in your hometown, with family and friends in the stands," he says. "The only headache comes with the ticket situation. Man, everyone wants their tickets."
The last time Ricks got to play in his hometown was in 1990 while at Santa Monica College, when he was a relative newcomer to the sport of football. He didn't start playing the game until his senior year at Fairfax High School.
"I was ineligible during my sophomore and junior years in high school because of grades," Ricks says. "As a senior, I really set my mind to playing football because I saw so many people around me doing nothing with their lives and I didn't want to do that. My grandmother also talked to me a lot back then, as she has done throughout my life, and taught me what it takes to be a good person."
With only one year of high school ball under his belt, Ricks didn't get any attention from college scouts. It wasn't until his days at Santa Monica College that the Division I schools began to take notice.
"I really didn't think anyone was watching when I was playing at Santa Monica," Ricks says. "But, I started to get some calls, with even Nebraska expressing some interest. When I visited Western Michigan, I really liked it there and they wanted me, so it worked out well."
As a senior at Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, Mich.), Ricks had five interceptions and was named first-team All-Mid-American Conference as a defensive back.
After a tryout with the Oakland Raiders didn't produce a contract, Ricks began his professional career north of the boarder in 1993, playing for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. He played in Canada for three years, including stints with Toronto and Ottawa.
"It was alright playing up there," he says. "The weather was pretty nasty a lot of time and I was so far from my family and friends. But, it was my job, so I had to do it. They wanted me to go back in 1996, but with talk of the league folding, I decided to take a shot at the Arena Football League."
After stops with the St. Louis Stampede, Nashville Kats, Portland Forest Dragons and Oklahoma Wranglers, the Avengers became Ricks' fifth AFL team. Ironically, the first four organizations he played for are no longer competing (although the Kats will return soon courtesy of Bud Adams, the owner of the NFL's Tennessee Titans).
No matter what city you are in, keeping your sanity isn't easy if you're a defensive specialist in the AFL. With scoreboards around the league getting lit up consistently with a flurry of points, players on the defensive side of the football need to approach the game with a different mindset than they would if they were playing outdoors.
"The key to having success and keeping things together mentally is to have a short memory," Ricks says. "You can't get down if the other team scores because they're going to score in this league. The forward motion really puts defenders at a disadvantage. You just need to keep focused on every down until you get your chance to make a play."
And Ricks has made a lot of plays in his seven seasons in the AFL. He is the league's all-time leader in interceptions returned for touchdowns with seven. And his 33 career interceptions rank him at No. 5 in AFL history.
"All the personal numbers mean nothing to me," he says. "The only thing that matters is winning ballgames."
The best game of Ricks' professional career came as a member of the Oklahoma Wranglers in 2000. Ironically, it was against the Avengers. He finished that contest with 207 all-purpose yards, including a pair of 55-yard kickoff returns for touchdowns. Additionally, Ricks made 10 tackles and deflected six passes.
"I had to show those guys a little something when I played against them," he says. "I knew I would be an Avenger eventually, so I had to show them what I could do."
Ricks has not only done damage returning interceptions, he has been just as dangerous returning kicks. In his first year with the Avengers, Ricks racked up 842 yards on 51 kickoff returns and added another 109 yards and a touchdown on six missed field goal returns.
With the addition of new head coach Ed Hodgkiss, the Avengers are not the same team they have been in their previous two seasons.
"Coach brought in a new system and is known for his work on the offensive side of the ball," Ricks says. "That's big for us because that's where we needed the most help. And he brought in some key guys to complete the puzzle and make us a championship team."
Being a native Angelino, Ricks knows better than anyone else the importance of putting a winning product on the field.
"If we don't win, no one is going to come out and watch us or care about us," he says. "The fans here in L.A. are like that. So, if we don't want to play in front of an empty house, we have to win. And for me, playing for a winner in my hometown would be sweet."
When his playing days are over, Ricks plans on furthering his career in professional football.
"I definitely want to remain in football in some capacity," he says. "Whether it's as a coach or on the business side. I really would like to learn more about the business of football."
Right now Mark Ricks' business in football is helping the Avengers win ... and he's doing a great job.
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from May 1, 2002
- This week in the AFL - OSC Original by Mark Sargent
- Defending His Home Turf - Los Angeles Avengers
- Desperados Game Notes - Dallas Desperados
- AFL Hot Questions - AFL I
- Arena Football League Transactions - AFL I
- Georgia Force Makes Four Roster Moves - Georgia Force
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
