Four Swamp Foxes Selected to All-af2 Teams
August 12, 2003 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Charleston Swamp Foxes News Release
NORTH CHARLESTON, SC â The All-arenafootball2 teams as voted on by the league's 27 coaches were released today by the af2 offices and for the first time in team history, Swamp Foxes graced the post-season honorary squads. Four Charleston players were selected to the 48-player first and second teams.
Fullback/linebacker Leroy McFadden became the first Charleston Swamp Foxes' player selected to the first team all-league team. Veterans Michael Brown and Ufuoma Pela were joined by rookie fullback/linebacker Marlon Moye-Moore on the af2's second team for the grand total of four selections, the second-most in the American Conference and fourth-most in the entire league.
For the first time in history, the League named an All-af2 First and Second Team for each conference using votes collected from af2 head coaches and members of the media. The four ALL-af2 teams each consist of 12 players.
For Leroy McFadden, his third season in Charleston was by far his most productive. The 6-3, 260-pounder from Michigan State entered the 2003 season having mostly played in the Foxes' backfield as a fullback. However, under the tutelage of new offensive coordinator Tony Wells, McFadden found himself split out as a receiver while on offense. That move propelled the back to the All-af2 first team as a fullback/linebacker.
Last season, McFadden saw action in 15 games, doubling his appearances from his first two seasons combined. He quickly made himself at home as a wide receiver, leading the team in both scoring and receiving yards. McFadden hauled in 67 passes for 788 yards and 22 touchdowns. He also rushed for 32 yards and another team-high of nine rushing scores.
Also, on the strength of a single-season touchdown and scoring record, McFadden moved into second on the Foxes' all-time scoring list behind teammate, and current leader, Mike Chandler. McFadden established the seasonal TD mark at 31 and his 196 points set a new measuring stick for points in a season. He finished the season with 208 career points.
Defensively, the punishing linebacker finished with 18 total tackles, including 11 solo stops and a quarterback hurry. McFadden also intercepted three passes from his slot, returning the trio of picks for 48 yards.
Three Swamp Foxes' were selected to the All-af2 second team, led by Charleston's all-time leading defender, Michael Brown. He earned that honor in 2003 by tallying 57 tackles for a career mark of 149, surpassing former record holder, Kenyatta Spruill. Brown also solidified his hold on the career interceptions list with nine picks, two shy of his single-season record of 11 set in 2002, increasing his career tally to 25, second all-time in the af2. He stands tied with the former leader, Tyrone Laster, who played with the Speed from 2000-02.
Brown led the defensive squad that sat atop the af2 rankings for nine-consecutive weeks during 2003, taking the top spot in Week Three and holding it through Week Eleven. The Foxes' defense finished ranked number one versus the rush, fifth versus the pass, and fourth overall. Charleston also led the league in turnover margin, creating 50 total turnovers, 34 of which were interceptions.
Offensively, Brown caught 13 passes for 270 yards (20.8 yards per catch) and five touchdowns, giving him 28 TD receptions in his career. He also led the team in kickoff returns in 2003, racking up 392 yards on 22 returns for an average of 17.8 yards per return.
Brown garnered the league's Ironman Award for the final week of the 2003 regular season, a 48-13 win over the rival Richmond Speed. Brown caught a pair of passes for 54 yards and a score on offense, adding an additional score on special teams in the form of a 56-yards missed field goal return. On defense, the two-way standout intercepted a pair of passes and finished with five and a half tackles.
Joining Brown on the All-af2 second team was another three-year veteran, offensive/defensive lineman Ufuoma Pela. The 6-3, 300-pound Nigerian born lineman finished with 17 total tackles, including 10 solo stops, 4.5 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks. The 17 tackles were the most by any lineman this season. Pela also led the team with 17 quarterback hurries. His efforts moved him into 11th on the Foxes' all-time leading defender list with 46.5 career stops, 11.5 tackles for loss, and seven sacks.
Rounding out the Foxes' four selections was rookie fullback/linebacker Marlon Moye-Moore. The 6-2, 255-pounder out of the University of Maryland led the Foxes' rushing attack during the 2003 season, finishing with 122 total yards on 33 carries. He averaged just over seven and a half yards per contest and rumbled for eight scores on the ground.
Through the air, the former Terp caught seven passes for 114 yards, an average of 16.3 yards per reception, and an additional two scores.
Moye-Moore finished fourth on the team in tackles, totaling 33 total stops, including 19 solo tackles, and both four and a half tackles for loss and sacks. He trailed Pela by four in quarterback hurries, tallying 13 through the 16 games. The frosh also forced three fumbles in addition to recovering a pair of loose footballs.
In arenafootball2 as a whole, players from 19 of the league's 27 teams were represented on the honorary teams. The Tulsa Talons led the league with eight overall selections, while the Tennessee Valley Vipers has the most American Conference picks with six. Quad City and Tulsa both lead the way with three First-Team selections, while the Richmond Speed and Birmingham Steeldogs lead the American Conference with two First-Team selections apiece.
Season tickets for the Charleston Swamp Foxes' 2004 season are currently on sale now. Fans can catch "Fox Fever" for the eight exciting home games by calling the Swamp Foxes' office at (843) 554-4321 or by visiting the Foxes' on-line at www.goswampfoxes.com.
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