Destroyers Game Notes
January 28, 2003 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Buffalo Destroyers News Release
QUICK FACTS:
Buffalo Destroyers (0-0) Vs. Grand Rapids Rampage (0-0)
Date: Saturday, February 1, 2003
Kickoff: 7:00 PM
Site: HSBC Arena (18, 457)
Officials: Darrel Leftwich (Referee), Jeff Carr (Umpire), Bill Ward (Head Linesman), Thomas Symonette (Line Judge), Tony Lombardo (Back Judge)
Radio: WNSA 107.7 FM (Jim Brinson, Bob Trimble)
TV: None
Series Record: Grand Rapids leads 3-0
Last Meeting: Grand Rapids 47 Buffalo 45 Van Andel Arena, May 25, 2002
Coaches: Buffalo: Ron Selesky (0-0, 1st Year) Grand Rapids: Mike Trigg (65-63, 10th Year)
THE SERIES: Rampage lead 3-0
@Grand Rapids 47 Buffalo 45, May 25, 2002
Grand Rapids 44 @ Buffalo 40, July 20, 2001
Grand Rapids 40 @Buffalo 38, May 28, 1999
HEAD COACH: Buffalos Ron Selesky earned 2002 af2 Coach of the Year honors guiding the expansion Albany Conquest to a regular season mark of 13-3 and the Northeast Division championship. The Conquest also advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2002 Arena Cup playoffs. Selesky compiled an overall record of 19-13 in two seasons in the af2 during the regular season with a 1-1 playoff mark.
Selesky joined the Conquest after leading the expansion Louisville Fire to a 6-10 mark in 2001. Prior to his stint in Louisville, Selesky spent one season as the director of player personnel and assistant coach for the Carolina Cobras. He was the director of player personnel and assistant coach for the Tampa Bay Storm from 1997 to 1999. While Selesky was in Tampa Bay, the Storm compiled a 31-11 regular-season record and earned a berth in ArenaBowl XII in 1998.
Selesky played college football at North Central College (Division III) in Naperville, Illinois, where he was a four-year starter at left offensive tackle. Following his college career, he played in the National Football League for the Minnesota Vikings in 1987 and attended NFL camps in San Diego (1988), Miami (1990) and Detroit (1992).
GAME PREVIEW: Todays game will be the AFL head coaching debut for Ron Selesky. Buffalo is 2-2 all-time in home openers. They have won the last two home openers, both times beating the New Jersey Gladiators. Tonights game is spirit night and is sponsored by WGRZ NBC 2, 106.5 WYRK, 92.9 WBUF, 93.7 WBLK and 96.1 WJYE. The North Tonawanda Marching Band will also perform at halftime.
DESTROYERS RADIO NETWORK: The Buffalo Destroyers will have 13 of 16 games broadcast on radio this season. WNSA 107.7 FM will serve as the flagship station for the second consecutive season. WJTN 1240 AM in Jamestown, NY and WSPQ 1330 AM in Springville, NY will pick up all 13 games this season as well.
DESTROYERS NEXT WEEK: Buffalo battles the Carolina Cobras next Sunday, February 9 at 3:00 p.m. at the HSBC Arena. This will be only the second time in the teams history that they have played a home game on a Sunday. The last Sunday home game was ironically against the Cobras on June 17, 2001. Carolina won that game 53-44.
LAST WEEK: Orlando 32 Buffalo 27 AFL Playoffs First Round, July 27, 2002, Orlando, Florida
The Orlando Predators eliminated the Buffalo Destroyers from the 2002 Arena Football League playoffs with a 32-27 win in front of 9,137 fans July 27, 2002 at the TD Waterhouse Centre.
Orlando led 20-17 at halftime. Orlando went three plays and out to start the second half and Lamont Cooper returned the missed field goal 57 yards for a touchdown as Buffalo led 24-20. Coops 57 yard missed field goal return ties an AFL playoff record. Jay Gruden hit Junior Lord and for the second time in the game as Orlando led heading into the fourth 32-27. Neither team scored on their last five possessions of the game.
Lamont Cooper had a game high 200 all-purpose yards (72 receiving, 54 kick return, 74 missed FG return) and two touchdowns. Loots was 16 of 30 for 215 yards, one touchdown and one interception. FB/LB John Motton had a game high 21 rushing yards and a touchdown. DS Carlos James had a team high six tackles one pass defense and a sack.
Buffalo finishes the season 6-8 and 0-1 in the playoffs.
LAST SERIES MEETING: Grand Rapids 47 Buffalo 45 Van Andel Arena, May 25, 2002, Grand Rapids, Michigan
The Rampage spoiled the homecoming for then Destroyers head coach and GM Ray Bentley as the defending ArenaBowl champs edged the Destroyers 47-45 front of 9,782 fans in Van Andel Arena. Both teams traded touchdowns in the first half, neither team leading by more than seven points. McNairs three yard touchdown run on the first possession of the second half lifted Buffalo to a 28-21 lead.
In the fourth quarter, after a Lamont Cooper three yard run that pulled Buffalo within two at 38-40, Willis Marshall fumbled the kickoff and Buffalo recovered the ball on their own 13 yard line. With 4:43 remaining, K Steve McLaughlin missed a 46 yard field goal, his third miss of the game, the score remained 38-40. Buffalo pulled within two again with 41 seconds left on a McNair to Eddie Brown score, but the Destroyers couldnt recover the onside kick and the Rampage ran out the clock.
McNair moved in sixth place all-time on the Arena Football Leagues career passing yards list on the Destroyers first offensive play when he hit WR/DB Carlos James with a 13 yard reception. McNair finished 22 of 36 for 280 yards and 4 touchdowns. He also rushed for a touchdown. McNair now has 18,116 career passing yards. He also moved into sixth place on the leagues career passes attempted list with 2,409, passing Mike Perez (2,405).
WR/DB Eddie Brown passed Chris Barber for sixth place all-time in the AFLs career tackles list with 1.5 tackles tonight. Brown now has 386 career tackles.
TEAM NOTES:
Winter Chill: WR/DB Bret Cooper, born and raised in Florida, never saw snow before he signed with Buffalo last season. In fact, Cooper got here after a harsh winter so when he came back this year, he had to go out and buy a winter coat.
Familiar Faces: Destroyers DS JoJo Polk played two season with Grand Rapids (2001, 2002) earning an ArenaBowl ring in 2001 as he led the Rampage in tackles. OL/DL Terry Grooms spent part of last season with the Rampage. FB/LB Juan Long played his rookie season in 1999 with Grand Rapids. FB/LB Dwayne Woods was part of the ArenaBowl XV champs in 2001.
Welcome Back: WR/LB Terrill Shaw and OS Steve Smith both spent time in a Destroyers uniform. Shaw played for Buffalo in 2000 and Smith in 2001.
Opposite Ends: Destroyers OL/DL coach Jerome Brown played for the Rampage in 1998 and Rampage assistant coach Tony Kimbrough played and coached for the Destroyers (1999-2001). Kimbrough threw the first touchdown in Destroyers history on April 30, 1999.
Coaches Connection: Four Destroyers WR/LB Mike Guazzo, WR/LB Anthony Payton, K Mike Moser and OL/DL Alex Houston played for Ron Selesky in af2. Guazzo and Houston played for the Northeast Division champion Albany Conquest last season. Moser and Payton played under Selesky in 2001 with the Louisville Fire.
Dont Call It a Comeback: On July 15, 2000, DS JoJo Polk, playing cornerback for the af2 Tulsa Talons against the Charleston SwampFoxes, deflected a pass and crashed headfirst into the padded wall that surrounded the 50-yard field. He blacked out. When he came to, doctors told him he would never walk again. Polk had a broken bone in his neck, and doctors said he would probably be paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of his life. Polk returned to the field the very next season and led the Grand Rapids Rampage in tackles helping them win the ArenaBowl Championship.
Super Coop: WR/DB Bret Cooper became the 17th player in AFL history to pass the 5,000 career receiving yards mark with 44 yards June 13, 2002 vs. Toronto.
Cha-Ching: QB Jeff Loots will take over the signal calling duties after serving primarily as the backup to Fred McNair last season. Loots started three games last season including the season finale in LA passing for a season high five touchdowns. Loots set a Destroyers season and career record with a 61.4% completion percentage. That a Boy, Rook: DS Dwaine Carpenter emerged as one of the AFLs top defensive players as a rookie in 2002. Carp broke seven Destroyers team records including pass defenses in a game with five June 13, 2002 at Toronto and interception return yards by a rookie as well as a season and career with 65. He was named Game MVP week nine vs. Toronto with a league high 10.5 tackles (10 solo), 4 pass defenses and an interception. He was also named the AFLs ADT Defensive Player of the Week for week nine.
JJ, Dy-no-mite: OS Jarrail Jackson looks to earn a starting role after spending last season as AFL legend Lamont Coopers under study. On May 11, 2002 vs. Detroit while Cooper recovered from a bleeding ulcer, Jackson led the team with 83 all-purpose yards. His first career reception was also his first career touchdown. He had a career high three touchdown catches week 14 at LA. He played defense for the first time in his career in LA recording four tackles.
Career Year: OL/DL Hardy Mitchell had a career year in 2002. He tied a career high with one fumble recovery week six vs. Grand Rapids. He blocked his first career FG attempt week eight vs. New York. Mitchell also set a career highs with 12 tackles and two sacks. Paytons Place: WR/LB Anthony Payton, a Leesville, Louisiana native played high school football in Germany and was named best high school player in the country as well as being named to the All-Europe team in 1990 at Stuttgart High School.
A, OK: OL/DL Alex Houston was a first team All-af2 selection last season finishing 2nd in the league with ten tackles for a loss and ranked 3rd with four forced fumbles. His 11.5 sacks also ranked 8th in the af2.
The Replacements: Head Coach Ron Selesky achieved his dream of playing professional football in 1987 when he played part of the season with the NFLs Minnesota Vikings as a replacement player.
Hoops Anyone: Special Teams Coordinator Ryan Gallo is the only coach in the AFL who played college basketball. Gallo played Division I basketball at nearby St. Bonaventure University and was roommates with former Washington Wizards guard David Vanterpool.
Destroyers Diversity: Three of the four assistant coaches for the Destroyers are minorities. The Destroyers have the most minorities on staff than any other team in the AFL.
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