Purify Garners Rookie, Breakout Player Honors
August 9, 2011 - Arena Football League (AFL)
Georgia Force News Release
Duluth, GA (August 9, 2011) - Maurice Purify stood tall all season long as one of the league's preeminent offensive weapons. On Tuesday, the rest of the league recognized this fact by putting his name on a pair of awards: Aaron's Rookie of the Year and The Big Game Breakout Player of the Year.
"I couldn't have done it without my teammates I had. Along with the coaches, they helped me so much," said Purify. "You run routes a lot different here than you do in the outdoor game. They helped me with things like that and picking up defensive coverages."
Purify, who joined the Force this season after a stint with the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals, posted robust offensive totals in helping the Force to a 12-8 record, a spot in the postseason, and a first round playoff victory over Cleveland in their first season back in Georgia. The University of Nebraska product made 130 catches for 1,653 yards and 46 touchdowns.
He finished one shy of the Force franchise record for touchdowns in a season despite missing two weeks late in the season after signing a contract with the Omaha Nighthawks of the UFL. Purify saved one of his best performance for last, catching 13 passes for 153 yards and three touchdowns in the Force's 64-55 loss to Jacksonville in the American Conference Championship Game.
Purify joins C.J. Johnson on the list of Force who have garnered season accolades to this point. Johnson was one of six players named to the league's All-Ironman Team after setting a franchise record with 3,295 all-purpose yards. He scored 22 total touchdowns - 17 receiving and five on kick returns. A host of other league honors, including MVP, Coach of the Year, and the All-AFL Teams, will be announced later in the week.
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