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AFL Cleveland Gladiators

Gladiators QB John Dutton Named One of 25 Greatest Quarterbacks in AFL History

April 19, 2012 - Arena Football League (AFL)
Cleveland Gladiators News Release


CLEVELAND - The Cleveland Gladiators are pleased to announce that John Dutton has been named one of the Greatest 25 Quarterbacks in AFL History, as named by the Silver Anniversary Committee. Dutton comes in at No. 12.

The Committee, which consists of longtime League executives, coaches, media members and former players, was asked to weigh in on which quarterbacks best displayed excellence on the field, showcased the highest level of talent and meant the most to their teams.

"We are extremely proud of John," Gladiators head coach Steve Thonn said. "He has meant so much to our team and organization over the last three years. This is a great honor and we can now officially say we have one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time here in Cleveland."

The cover athlete for EA Sports first AFL video game, Dutton began his career as Mark Grieb's backup in San Jose. When Grieb went down with an injury in 2002, Dutton stepped in and led the SaberCats to a 52-14 victory over the Arizona Rattlers in ArenaBowl XVI, earning Offensive Player of the Game honors for his efforts. The performance caught the attention of the Colorado Crush, who made Dutton the team's starting quarterback the next year. In 2005, Dutton provided the Crush an adequate return on their investment, leading the team to an ArenaBowl XIX title. In 2010, Dutton joined the Cleveland Gladiators and quickly set franchise records for passing yards in a season (5,104) and passing touchdowns in a season (100).

Former Gladiators quarterback Raymond Philyaw (2008) also appeared on the list, ranking No. 16.

The Cleveland Gladiators are part of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Quicken Loans Arena organization and also owned by a group led by Cavaliers Majority Owner and Quicken Loans Founder and Chairman Dan Gilbert. The group also owns and operates the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League playing at Quicken Loans Arena and the Canton Charge of the NBA Development League playing in nearby Canton, Ohio at the Canton Civic Center.

Gladiators tickets are on sale now and start as low as just $13 per seat! For tickets, call 216.420.2222, visit www.clevelandgladiators.com or any Northeast Ohio Discount Drug Mart location.

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