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Nashville Kats game notes

April 4, 2005 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Nashville Kats News Release


THE QUICK FACTS:
Game: Nashville Kats (2-7) at Dallas Desperados (6-3)
Date: Friday, April 8
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. (CT)
Site: American Airlines Arena (15,919)
Officials: R-Riley Johnson, U-Rick Podraza, HL-Julian Mapp, LJ-Paul Engelberts, BJ-Bud McCleskey
Television: 7:30 p.m. - Fox Sports Net South
Radio: Kats Radio Network. Flagship – 104.5 The Zone. Mike Keith (Play-by-Play), Larry Stone (Analyst).
Internet: Live statistics at www.arenafootball.com.
Series Record: First Meeting
Last Meeting: Have never met.
Series Streaks: N/A
Last Week: Nashville 40, Grand Rapids 27 (Apr. 3)
Dallas had a bye.
Coaches: Pat Sperduto, NAS (4th season; 34-25 overall)
Will McClay, DAL (2nd season, 12-13 overall)

OVERVIEW: After winning for the first time in more than two months, the Kats enter this week's matchup against the Dallas Desperados with renewed confidence. The team's second win of the season, which had eluded Nashville for eight weeks, finally became a reality in Sunday's 40-27 win over Grand Rapids. The Kats can't afford to enjoy the win for long, however, as a powerful Dallas team awaits them after getting a week of rest. Not only that, but Nashville will have a short week to prepare, getting only two days of full practice before heading off to Dallas. The Kats' defense, fresh off its second-half shutout of the Rampage, will need to come up with more big plays in order to stop Clint Stoerner, the Desperados' rookie quarterback phenom.
THE SCHEDULES:
2005 Nashville Kats (2-7)
Game Opponent Result Time/Score
Jan. 28 @ Columbus Won 47-38
Feb. 4 NEW ORLEANS Lost 34-59
Feb. 13 @ Philadelphia Lost 48-59
Feb. 19 @ New York Lost 49-62
Feb. 26 LAS VEGAS Lost 32-40
Mar. 6 @ Chicago Lost 38-45
Mar. 12 COLORADO Lost 35-42
Mar. 26 ARIZONA Lost 35-48
Apr. 3 @ Grand Rapids Won 40-27
Apr. 8 @ Dallas 7:30 p.m.
Apr. 17 LOS ANGELES 12 noon
Apr. 24 TAMPA BAY 12 noon
Apr. 29 @ San Jose 9:30 p.m.
May 7 GRAND RAPIDS 7:30 p.m.
May 13 @ Colorado 8:00 p.m.
May 22 CHICAGO 2:00 p.m.

2005 Dallas Desperados (6-3)
Game Opponent Result Time/Score
Jan. 30 CHICAGO Won 66-65
Feb. 6 @ New York Lost 45-55
Feb. 13 COLUMBUS Won 35-31
Feb. 17 ORLANDO Won 42-28
Feb. 27 @ Philadelphia Won 72-43
Mar. 5 NEW ORLEANS Lost 51-53
Mar. 13 @ Austin Won 52-28
Mar. 18 @ Los Angeles Won 72-50
Mar. 25 COLORADO Lost 58-66
Apr. 8 NASHVILLE 7:30 p.m.
Apr. 15 @ San Jose 9:30 p.m.
Apr. 22 @ Columbus 6:00 p.m.
Apr. 29 NEW YORK 7:30 p.m.
May 7 @ Las Vegas 9:00 p.m.
May 14 @ Georgia 6:00 p.m.
May 22 PHILADELPHIA 2:00 p.m.

THE SERIES: The two teams have never met. Dallas entered the league in 2002, and the original Kats franchise played its last season in 2001.

SERIES NOTABLES: The Kats have played twice in the state of Texas, losing a 1997 game to the Texas Terror, 48-44, then winning a 1999 matchup against the same franchise (which had been renamed the Houston ThunderBears), 78-74. Both games were played in Houston... Kats lineman Henry Taylor played for the Desperados in 2003 and 2004, registering 6.5 sacks in that time... Kats players Travis McGriff and Rupert Grant have already faced the Desperados this season, while still with the Orlando Predators. Dallas won that game, 42-28. McGriff had eight receptions for 78 yards and a TD in the loss... Dallas head coach Will McClay has faced the Kats twice as an assistant coach, losing 68-62 as defensive coordinator of the Anaheim Piranhas in 1997, and losing 48-47 as defensive coordinator of Grand Rapids in 1999.

LAST WEEK:
Nashville 40, G. Rapids 27 (@ G. Rapids – Apr. 3)
The Kats rallied from 13 points down at halftime and rolled off 26 unanswered points to claim a 40-27 win over the Grand Rapids Rampage, ending a franchise-worst seven-game losing streak. Leon Murray was 17-of-30 for 258 yards and five TD's, with two INTs in helping lead the Kats to their first win since the season's opening week. Three of his scores went to Offensive MVP Travis McGriff who had four catches for 138 yards. His TD receptions were of 34, 45 and 47 yards. The Rampage stormed out to a 13-point halftime lead on a 3-yard TD run by quarterback Michael Bishop and a pair of TD passes by the rookie signal caller.

Dallas had a bye last week.
Colorado 66, Dallas 58 (@ Dallas – Mar. 25)
Colorado capitalized on a sputtering Dallas offense in the second half, intercepting quarterback Clint Stoerner and holding the Desperados to 21 points over the final two quarters in a 66-58 victory at American Airlines Center. The Desperados' top-ranked defense, which entered the game allowing only 232.1 total yards per game, gave up 349 to Colorado's high-powered offense. Wide receiver/defensive back Willis Marshall led the Crush with 190 all-purpose yards and four touchdown receptions. The Desperados also abandoned their second-ranked running game without FB/LB Ja'Mar Toombs (stomach) and center Jeff Chase (knee). Stoerner was the team's leading rusher with three carries for seven yards.

THE COACHES:
Dallas – Will McClay, 2nd Season
12-13 (.480) overall
Will McClay has found the 2005 AFL season to be a more stable one after being thrust into the role of head coach just three days before the kickoff of the 2004 season. McClay was named Desperados head coach on Feb. 5, 2004 after former head coach Joe Avezzano announced his resignation to return to the NFL. In McClay's second season at the helm of the Desperados, he has helped the team rebound from last year's 6-10 finish to post a 6-3 start. He served as the team's defensive coordinator in 2002 and 2003. McClay has also worked on the staffs of the AFL's Detroit Drive, Milwaukee Mustangs, Florida Bobcats, Anaheim Piranhas and Grand Rapids Rampage, in addition to working in the personnel departments of the XFL's Orlando Rage and NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars and Dallas Cowboys. The former college star from Rice won three ArenaBowls as a player with the Drive.

Nashville – Pat Sperduto, 4th season
34-25 (.576) overall
After a three-season absence, Pat Sperduto returns as a head coach in the Arena Football League. He has spent the last four seasons as an assistant on the staff of the Tennessee Titans. He joined the NFL club after spending five seasons with the old Nashville Kats. He compiled a 32-18 record as head coach the last three seasons and led his team to back-to-back appearances in the ArenaBowl in 2000 and 2001. Sperduto replaced Eddie Khayat as head coach in 1999 and posted the best record of seven AFL coaches who took over new teams in 2000. Sperduto spent his first two years as defensive coordinator for the Kats and was elevated to assistant head coach in 1998. He is a three-time ArenaBowl World Champion, winning twice as a player for the Tampa Bay Storm (1991 and '93) and once as an assistant coach with the Storm (1994). Sperduto began his professional career as a player with the Canadian Football League's British Columbia Lions before joining the Tampa Bay Storm in the AFL from 1991-93.

2005 TEAM STATISTICAL RANKINGS
Category Desperados Kats
Scoring Offense (Rank) 54.8 (3rd) 39.8 (17th)
Scoring Defense 46.6 (3rd) 46.7 (4th)
Total Offense 264.6 (14th) 261.1 (15th)
Total Defense 244.8 (1st) 266.0 (5th)
Pass Offense 229.1 (17th) 231.8 (16th)
Pass Defense 223.8 (1st) 247.7 (7th)
Rushing Offense 35.4 (2nd) 29.3 (4th)
Rushing Defense 21.0 (10th) 18.3 (9th)
Interceptions 9 (13th) 10 (t-6th)
Turnover Margin +7 (4th) +3 (t-6th)
Kickoff Return Avg. 16.0 (15th) 16.2 (14th)
Kickoffs–OppAvg. Start 13.7 (12th) 14.8 (12th)
Penalty Yard Avg. 46.5 (2nd) 59.2 (10th)
Sacks By 9 (9th) 11 (5th)
Sacks Against 7 (8th) 10 (10th)

NOTES:
PUTTING THE BRAKES ON THE SKID – Nashville ended its franchise-record seven-game losing streak by beating Grand Rapids, 40-27, last week. The win was the Kats' first since the season opener at Columbus on Jan. 28, marking 64 days between victories. The seven-game skid had been the longest current losing streak in the AFL.

GOING FOR TWO – The Kats will attempt to win two in a row this weekend for the first time this season. If Nashville wins at Dallas it will mark the first back-to-back wins for the franchise since winning AFL quarterfinal and semifinal playoff games over Toronto and San Jose, respectively, in the 2001 playoffs. The Kats are 26-18, all time, after a win.

THE GOOSE EGG – The Kats held Grand Rapids to no points in the second half of Sunday's game, resulting in a rare defensive 30-minute shutout. It marked only the second time in team history that the Kats had held an opponent scoreless for an entire half. Nashville blanked Carolina in the second half of a 60-28 win on May 26, 2000.

THE AWAKENING – After struggling mightily in the second half during their long losing streak, Nashville roared to life by outscoring Grand Rapids, 26-0, in the second half of their win last week. During the Kats' seven-game losing streak, they were forced to play comeback nearly the entire time. Only three times in the seven-game skid did the Kats hold a lead in the second half. And during a total of 210 second-half minutes during those seven losses, Nashville only led for 17:14 of that time. Until last week, the Kats did not hold a lead past the six-minute mark of the third quarter since their week one win over Columbus. The Kats were outscored, 182-143, in the second half of their first eight games this year, and Nashville outscored the Rampage 19-0 in the fourth period after having been blanked themselves in the final quarter of a game against Arizona the week before. Even in the team's two wins this season, they have had to play catch up after trailing in the second half.

MURRAY BACK ON TRACK – After struggling or missing time due to injury for much of the season, Nashville Kats quarterback Leon Murray put together an outstanding game, particularly in the second half, of his team's win at Grand Rapids. He was 17-of-30 for 258 yards, five TD's and two INT's in the win, shrugging off a a bruised sternum that had forced him to spend the night in the hospital after the previous week's loss to Arizona. In that game against the Rattlers, he third-year quarterback was coming back from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee that had forced him to miss three consecutive games. He struggled on the night, completing 17-of-34 passes for 217 yards, three TD's and an interception. For the year, Murray has completed 57.9 percent of his throws for 1,320 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight INT's. He has thrown for 113 touchdowns and 6,704 yards in his third year in the league. Backup QB Tony Zimmerman, who made three starts while Murray was recovering from his injury, was released last week. Bill Whittemore, who has not taken an AFL snap, is now serving as the backup. Whittemore, who played collegiately at Kansas, has spent most of the season on the practice squad.

KAT BURGLARS – The Kats are tied for sixth in the AFL in turnover ratio with a +3 mark. Nashville forced four turnovers in last week's win at Grand Rapids – two interceptions and two fumbles. DS Kahlil Carter picked off his third pass of the year, tying him with DS DeRon Jenkins for the team lead. Four other players – Darryl Hammond, Levelle Brown, Jarrick Hillery and the now-departed Angel Estrada have recorded interceptions this season. Offensively, the Kats have only turned the ball over 12 times – the fourth lowest number of any team in the league.

SACK ATTACK – Despite only getting two QB sacks in the first five weeks of the season, Nashville has exploded for nine in the last four games and they currently rank fifth in the AFL with 11 sacks overall. Three players (James Baron, Levelle Brown and Rupert Grant) rank among the league's top 13 in sacks with three a piece. Nashville is the only team to have three players among the top 13.

THIRD AND SHORT – Nashville quarterbacks are a perfect six-for-six in running for first downs on third-down attempts. Leon Murray leads the league in that category by moving the chains all four times he has run the ball on third down, while Tony Zimmerman also picked up the first in both of his third down rushing attempts.

T.T. IN THE MIX – 2004 All-Ironman selection T.T. Toliver was acquired by the Kats last week in a trade with Tampa Bay for DS Fred Booker, who was on the team's exempt list. Toliver, a WR/DB, is in his fourth season in the AFL and has been one of the league's best all-around players in the last two seasons. He was named to the AFL's All-Ironman Team after last season, when he led the Storm with 2,095 all-purpose yards. He returned four kickoffs for scores, tied for the team lead in interceptions with three and finished second on the squad with 14 touchdown receptions. Toliver also ranked third on the team in receptions (64), receiving yards (749) and tackles (54.5) in 2004. The Bethune-Cookman product was a member of Tampa Bay's 2003 ArenaBowl championship squad, and he has spent time on NFL practice squads with the San Francisco 49ers, Tampa Bay Bucaneers and St. Louis Rams. Toliver got a late start to this season after suffering a knee injury in training camp that kept him sidelined for the first four weeks of the year. Since returning on March 6, he has started four games and caught 17 passes for 169 yards and five TD's. He also has returned a missed field goal for a 53 yard score and averaged 17.0 yards on 12 kickoff returns. Defensively, he has 4.5 tackles and an interception.

DOGHEAD HAS BITE - FB/LB Rupert "Doghead" Grant has made a triumphant return to Nashville after being acquired in a trade from Orlando two weeks ago. He needs just two more rushing yards to become the team's all-time leading rusher, surpassing Jason Bratton's record of 328. Grant has been a factor on both sides of the ball for the Kats since joining the team, scoring on a one-yard run against Arizona and earning Defensive MVP honors against Grand Rapids after notching a sack and helping make a key fourth-down stop in the win. He is in his seventh season in the AFL and returns to Nashville, where he accumulated 318 rushing yards – the second highest total in franchise history – in his three-year tenure with the Kats. Since the Kats were sold and moved following the 2001 season, Grant has played for three different teams. He missed the entire 2002 season as a member of the Georgia Force after suffering an Achilles injury in training camp. In 2003, he played for the Detroit Fury and had a team-high five rushing TD's. Grant moved on to Orlando in 2004, where he had perhaps the best season of his career, tying a Predators record with 9.5 sacks – one of the highest sack totals for a "Mac" linebacker in AFL history. He earned second-team All-Arena honors and had 121 rushing yards and six touchdowns in addition to three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries on defense. This season, Grant has 15.5 tackles with three quarterback sacks in seven games for the Predators and two for the Kats. The veteran from Howard University also has four touchdowns rushing, and he has continued to add to his reputation as one of the best blocking fullbacks in all of arena football.

STATISTICALLY CHALLENGED – The Kats' offense simply can't be found on the league leaders list. Nashville quarterback Leon Murray ranks 19th in the AFL in passer rating, and the Kats do not have a player among the league's top 20 in receptions, receiving yards or kickoff returns. Nashville got only its second 100-yard receiving game out of a player all season on Sunday when McGriff had 138 yards. Darryl Hammond had previously posted the team's only 100-yard receiving performance this year. The Kats still have not had a QB throw for more than 300 yards in a game so far this season.

HAMMOND REACHES MILESTONE – Kats WR/LB Darryl Hammond, who is in his 15th year in the AFL (the longest tenure in Arena Football League history), became just the second player in league history to have 8,000 receiving yards and 30 interceptions in a career when he intercepted a Michael Bishop pass against Grand Rapids last week. San Jose WR/LB Barry Wagner is the only other player to have accomplished the feat. Hammond now has 8,164 receiving yards and 30 INT's. Earlier this season, he became the third player in AFL history to surpass 600 stops (Wagner and Grand Rapids' Damon Mason are the other two). He is fifth in AFL history with 759 career receptions and ranks ninth on the league's all-time receiving-yards gained in a career with 8,164 yards. Hammond has returned six interceptions for touchdowns in his career, tied for third-most in the AFL, and he ranks third in the league for career tackles with 614.5. He has played with five different organizations, including Austin last season. However, he posted some of the best years of his career with the old Kats, with whom he played from 1997-2001. Hammond has 34 receptions for 337 yards, four TD's and 23 tackles in eight games played this season.

BUMPS & BRUISES –WR/DB Jarrick Hillery is still out with a hamstring injury. Quarterback Leon Murray is probable with various injuries. DS Tony Scott is also out with a quadriceps injury, while OL/DL Wes Stephens and WR/DB Jermaine Lewis are both eligible to come off of IR this week and will be evaluated in the next few days. Stephens has been out with a shoulder injury, while Lewis has been battling tonsillitis.

NEW THREATS – Since joining the team just a few weeks ago, offensive specialist Travis McGriff and wide receiver/linebacker Lindsay Fleshman have been the main targets for Kats quarterbacks. In fact, since taking the field together for the first time three games ago, the two newcomers have combined for more than half of the team's total offense, teaming up for 30 catches for 443 yards and seven TD's. All other Nashville receivers have combined for just 28 receptions, 264 yards and three TD's. McGriff, who started the first four games of the year with Orlando, had a huge game last week, hauling in four passes – three of which went for scores – for 138 yards. It was the biggest receiving game for a Kats player this season. He currently has 16 receptions for 289 yards and four scores in three games played for the Kats since coming over from Orlando. He also has returned 12 kickoffs for 203 yards, averaging 17 yards per return. McGriff was named 2003 AFL Rookie of the Year. Fleshman has 17 receptions for 183 yards and three TD's in four games with the Kats. He played three seasons with the Chicago Rush and was named the team's Ironman of the Year the last two years, has 4.5 tackles on defense and has returned four kickoffs for 46 yards since joining the team three weeks ago.

LORDY, LORDY LOOK WHO'S 40 – The Kats finally reached the 40-point mark in last week's win at Grand Rapids after having been held in the 30s in five of their first eight games this season – the most in franchise history. In fact, Nashville had not gotten out of the 30s in their previous four games. The Kats are last in the AFL in scoring offense, averaging a mere 39.77 points per game. Nashville has scored in the 30s or lower 16 times in franchise history, winning only three of those games. They are 45-18, all time, when scoring 40 or more points.

RUNNING GAME SLOWED – After starting the season with a bang, Nashville's ground game has been slowed significantly in recent weeks. The Kats ran for a whopping 82 yards on 22 carries in the team's opening week win over Columbus, and Nashville averaged 46 yards per game on the ground through the season's first four weeks. Since that time, however, the Kats have run the ball much less. In fact, after carrying the ball 10 or more times in each of the first four games, the Kats have stayed on the ground more than 10 times in only one of the five games since, and they have gained an average of only 16 yards per game during that span. Nevertheless, Nashville's ground game, when it gets rolling, can be formidable to deal with. Overall, the Kats are still ranked fourth in the league with an average of 29.3 yards rushing per game. FB/LB Dan Alexander is still ranked eighth in the league in rushing with 105 yards, despite missing the last three games. Leon Murray, Rupert Grant and Levelle Brown are also listed among the AFL's top 30 rushers.

THE LONGEST YARDS: Nashville's defense is one of the stingiest in the league when it comes to giving up first downs, ranking third in first downs allowed. The Kats are averaging only 18.6 first downs allowed per game. Overall, Nashville's defense ranks fifth in the AFL in total defense, allowing only 266 yards per game. However, the Kats have been giving up the yards when it matters most. On third down, Nashville ranks 16th out of 17 AFL teams in the league in opponents' third-down conversions, giving up a first down 54.5 percent of the time. However, the Kats were able to keep Grand Rapids out of the end zone on the Rampage's last eight offensive possessions last week.

A NEW ROLE – Kats receiver Fred Coleman, who started at offensive specialist for the Kats in the first six games, has made the switch to a two-way player with the addition of OS Travis McGriff. He caught five passes for 52 yards and had half a stop on defense in the win at Grand Rapids. Since moving to the two-way spot two games ago, Coleman has caught seven balls for 75 yards and a TD, and he has 1.5 tackles on defense. It is not an entirely new responsibility for Coleman, who helped lead San Jose to a championship as a two-way star last season, making 18 tackles and an interception on the defensive side of the ball. He currently leads the team with 46 catches for 483 yards and five scores by air. He is 22nd in the league in receptions, and he is 13th in the AFL with 861 all-purpose yards. He also found the end zone on a thrilling 56-yard kickoff return against New Orleans in week two. Coleman knows a thing or two about winning a championship. In fact, he is one of the few players to have won championships in both the NFL and the AFL. As a member of the New England Patriots in 2001, he won a Super Bowl ring in the team's win over the St. Louis Rams. Last season, he was an integral part of San Jose's ArenaBowl championship season, catching 55 passes for 719 yards and 17 TD's, despite playing in the shadow of some of the likes of the SaberCats' Barry Wagner. He signed a free agent deal with the Kats in the offseason and is looking to emerge as one of the top receivers in the sport this season.

RETURN OF THE BIG PLAY? – After seeing only five offensive plays go for more than 30 yards all season, the Kats got three on Sunday at Grand Rapids (all passes from Murray to McGriff), including a season-long 47-yard strike. Prior to that game, the team's longest play from scrimmage was 36 yards. Currently, the Kats still rank last in the AFL in yards per play, averaging only 5.2 yards per offensive play. They also rank last in yards per pass play, averaging only 6.2 yards per attempt.

TITANS CONNECTIONS – Five players on Nashville's roster have spent time with the Tennessee Titans organization. FB/LB Dan Alexander and DS DeRon Jenkins saw extensive playing time with the NFL club, while DS Rober' Freeman, OL/DL Aaron McConnell and WR/DB Rich Musinski were all in camp with the Titans at some point. Head coach Pat Sperduto has been on the Titans' staff the last four seasons, and FB/LB Levelle Brown is the brother of Titans' starting tailback Chris Brown.

BARON OF DEFENSE – OL/DL James Baron is widely known as one of the AFL's all-time greatest lineman, and he is showing why in his return to the Kats this season. After sitting out the first two games of the year with an ankle injury and having his streak of 131 consecutive games played come to an end, Baron has returned, registering eight tackles, four stops for loss, three sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a safety in his seven games this season. Baron has been named the league's defensive player of the year once and lineman of the year twice. The former Virginia Tech standout earned all-Arena honors six times (1997-2002), including the first-team five times. He is a two-time member of the all-Ironman team (1999, 2001), and he has 39.5 career sacks — the fifth-highest total in league history. His 24.5 career tackles for loss is the second-highest total in AFL history, and he was named to the AFL's 15th Anniversary all-time team at the 2001 ArenaBowl. Baron, who played the last three seasons with Chicago, was one of only two players to play in all 80 games with the previous Kats franchise, including 10 postseason contests (joining quarterback Andy Kelly). He is Nashville's franchise leader in sacks (26.5), and he also holds team records for sacks in one season (7.0) and sacks in one game (2.5).

COMING THROUGH IN THE CLUTCH – The Kats are tied for third in the league in fourth-down efficiency and seventh in third-down efficiency. Nashville has converted 39-of-82 third down plays (47.6 percent) and 11-of-20 fourth down plays (55 percent). Only Las Vegas has gone for it on fourth down more often than the Kats this season.

ON THE WRONG FOOT – Kats kicker Gary Kral has struggled so far this season. He is only 3-for-17 on field goal tries in 2005, ranking him last in the AFL in FG percentage at 17.6 percent. He is 39-for-49 on PAT tries so far this season.

IN THE RED ZONE – The Kats have been good in the red zone, scoring touchdowns on 27 of 36 trips (75 percent) inside the 10-yard line this season, ranking them eighth in the AFL in that category. Defensively, Nashville ranks fifth in keeping opponents out of the end zone, allowing TD's on 30 of 46 trips inside the red zone this season.

SCOUTING DALLAS
The Destroyers host the Kats fresh off their bye week while sitting atop the Eastern Division along with New York sporting a 6-3 record. The Destroyers have lost two winnable games, including its last game where they were beaten by the Colorado Crush 66-58. The Destroyers are 2-0 after losses during 2005. Dallas' features the league's stingiest defense, only giving up 244.8 yards per game. In addition, Dallas ranks third in scoring defense and first in pass defense. The Destroyers offense is extremely productive considering it ranks 14th in total yards with 264.6, yet third in the league in total scoring with 54.8 points a game. Quarterback Clint Stoerner has settled into the starting role with the fourth best QB rating in the league, although Dallas is last in the league in passing yards with 229.1.

QB CLINT STOERNER – The former Dallas Cowboys backup has the AFL's third-best quarterback rating, with 43 touchdowns and six interceptions. The rookie has gone through some growing pains adjusting to the AFL's unique rules and dimensions, but he's added stability to the Desperados offense and meshed well with arguably the league's most talented receiving trio of Will Pettis, Jason Shelley and Bobby Sippio. He's also learning to trust the perfect supporting cast for a rookie quarterback: A solid offensive line, an explosive two-pronged running game (Ja'Mar Toombs and Duke Pettijohn) and the stingiest defense in the league.

DS JERMAINE JONES – A former fifth-round draft pick by then New York Jets head coach Bill Parcells, Jones is the anchor to a Desperados pass defense which allows a league-low 223.8 yards per game. Jones leads the team in pass breakups and is tied with Pettis for the team lead in interceptions (three). Despite his small stature (5-9, 187), Jones' instincts and speed always get him in position to make a play on the ball. He won his first career ADT Defensive Player of the Week award with nine tackles, three pass breakups and an interception against Austin

WR/DB WILL PETTIS – A member of last year's AFL All-Ironman Team, Pettis seems to become a more versatile threat each year. Last year's sole member of the 3,000-Yard Club currently ranks fourth in the league with 1,378 all-purpose yards and is among the top 15 in receptions (53), kickoff return average (18.7 yards) and interceptions (three). Pettis, who was named U.S. Army Ironman of the Week earlier in the season, gave his best performance yet in a losing effort last Friday against Colorado. He dazzled the home crowd with 260 all-purpose yards and three total touchdowns, including a 56-yard return for a score on the opening kickoff to give Dallas an early 7-0 lead. A career-first U.S. Army Ironman of the Year award certainly is within reach.



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from April 4, 2005


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