Rampage set two AFL rushing records in 71-65 win

Published on May 21, 2005 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Grand Rapids Rampage News Release


At 8:26 in the second quarter of the Grand Rapids Rampage's 71-65 win over the Los Angeles Avengers, Rampage quarterback Michael Bishop broke the Arena Football League's record for most rushing yards in a single-season on a seven-yard run and finished the season with 459 yards. The Rampage as a team also set a new AFL rushing standard with 766 yards on the ground, which surpassed the previous mark of 747 by the 1991 Columbus Thunderbolts. Grand Rapids finished the season winning three of their last four games, including victories over the top two seeded teams in the AFL's American Conference (Colorado and Los Angeles).

When Bishop broke the 14-year old record previously set by Major Harris (429 in 1991 with the Columbus Thunderbolts), head referee Perry Havener stopped the game and presented Bishop with the football in which he set the new league rushing standard. Bishop was named the Offensive Player of the Game for the fourth time this season in the win over the Western Division champions after finishing 21-of-29 passing for 199 yards and five touchdowns. On the ground, he had four rushes for 36 yards and a touchdown.

In week two at Colorado, Bishop, the 1998 Heisman Trophy runner up, set the AFL single-game rushing mark and became the first player in league history to record a 100-yard rushing game (six rushes for 100 yards with 2 TDs). He finished the season with the fifth-most rushing careers in league history (81) and eighth most rushing TDs (17) to go along with his record-breaking 459 rushing yards. Bishop also finished the year with 3,355 yards passing and 57 TDs through the air.

Damon Mason continued his defensive dominance with a career-best 17.0 stops and eight pass breakups as he earned ADT Defensive Player of the Game honors for the seventh time this season. He recovered an onside kick and returned it seven yards for a touchdown in the game. His 133.5 tackles on the season are the most in a single-season in AFL history and his 34 pass breakups are third most. Currently, they both are tops in the AFL.

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from May 21, 2005


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