Former Blizzard Player To Play In Aren Bowl XX
June 5, 2006 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Green Bay Blizzard News Release
When the Chicago Rush faces off against the Orlando Predators in Las Vegas this Sunday in Arena Bowl XX, one player is continuing a journey that brought him to the AFL by way of the Green Bay Blizzard.
OL/DL Joe Peters, who spent the 2005 season with the Blizzard, is now a member of the AFL's American Conference Champion Chicago Rush, and will be playing for the ultimate prize in all of Arena Football this weekend.
Peters (6-4, 275 Concordia St. Paul), who anchored an offensive line that surrendered only 11 sacks (good for second-best in the league), proved to be as valuable on defense as he was on offense. Peters recorded 3 sacks, second-best on the team. He also snagged on INT, at a crucial time in a big road win over Louisville that helped propel the Blizzard into the playoffs.
A DL in college, Peters has become a valuable asset to the Rush on both sides of the ball as well, an accomplishment lauded by Rush Head Coach Mike Hohensee. "Joe was one of those kids who, coming out of training camp, was really on the bubble," said Hohensee. "He had a great motor and we could see his potential, so he made the team and we used him mostly on Special Teams early on."
As the season wore on, Peters progressed in his offensive skills, which gave the coaches more confidence in him. "We always hoped Joe would improve in his pass protection, and he did," said Hohensee. "Down the stretch as he improved we came to rely on him more and more, and his playing time went up and up. He's a big part of why this team is playing for the Championship."
Peters sees his fast ascent to the pinnacle of his sport as both a validation of his effort and a goal to be continually strived for. "Some guys in this league have worked their entire lives to get to this point, and I'm lucky enough to be here as a rookie," said Peters. "I've worked hard to get here, we all have, and knowing how hard it is to get here really makes me appreciate all this. It would be easy to get caught up in all the excitement, but I've got to remember to slow down and soak it all in. Like I said, I'm fortunate to be here in my first year, but I know that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity."
The fact that Peters got his start in Arena Football by playing in the af2 is not lost on Hohensee, either. "We've always made it a priority to recruit the af2 hard," said Hohensee. "In the last 6 years we've seen a lot of players learn the game and develop in the af2, and then come to the AFL and play great. The experience Joe got in Green Bay is a big reason he made this team in the first place, and has the potential to have a great career."
Peters agrees. "Playing in Green Bay really helped me learn the Arena game," he said. "The talent level in the AFL is so high, and the atmosphere is so intense that the experience I got with the Blizzard really helped."
The intense atmosphere is not limited to the play on the field, either. "The games are just as crazy," said Peters, "but going from the af2 to the AFL, the scale is so much bigger, more fans, more noise. And then it's even 10 times crazier when you get to the playoffs. That's a lot to take in for anyone, especially a rookie like me. This whole playoff run has been great."
The Rush is finally playing for the Arena Football Championship after coming within one step each of the last two seasons. In 2004 the Rush fell in the American Conference Championship Game to the eventual AFL Champion San Jose SaberCats, and in 2005 they lost an overtime stunner to the Colorado Crush, who would also go on to win the AFL title.
Arena Bowl XX will be played this Sunday, June 11th in Las Vegas, the day after the Blizzard takes on the Stockton Lightning in Green Bay. It is Great Wolf Lodge/Blue Harbor Resort "Fanbana Night," and the first 1,000 fans will receive a Blizzard Fanbana as they enter the Resch Center.
Tickets are still available. For more information, contact the Blizzard office at (920) 405-1264.
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