Rush Announces 2007 Team Award Winners
July 18, 2007 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Chicago Rush News Release
July 18, 2007 - Chicago Rush wide receiver Bobby Sippio, linebacker DeJuan Alfonzo, lineman E.J Burt, lineman Robert Boss, wide receiver Rob Mager and wide receiver Woody Dantzler were named winners of the 2007 Rush awards, the team announced today.
Sippio was voted by his teammates as the team's Offensive Player of the Year; Alfonzo was voted Defensive Player of the Year; Burt was voted Lineman of the Year; and Boss and Mager were voted the team's co-Rookies of the Year. In addition, Dantzler was named the winner of the team's Walter Payton Award for community service.
Sippio posted one of the best seasons in AFL history, setting Rush records by catching 125 passes for 1,739 yards and an amazing 53 touchdowns - even though he missed nearly four games with a sprained ankle. Before his injury, Sippio was on pace to shatter the AFL season records for receptions, receiving yards, touchdowns and scoring. Despite the injury, Sippio still finished the season as the AFL leader in touchdowns and scoring (318 points), and was ranked fourth in receiving yards and eighth in receptions.
Alfonzo set an AFL record by scoring five defensive touchdowns this season - three via interceptions and two via fumble recoveries. In addition, he tied an AFL record by recovering six fumbles. For the year, Alfonzo recorded a career-high 93 tackles, six interceptions, six fumbles recovered and four fumbles forced. He led the league in fumbles recovered, and finished the season ranked in the top 10 in the AFL in both tackles and fumbles forced.
In addition to his great play on defense, Alfonzo also was a weapon on offense - especially when Rush receiver Bobby Sippio was out with an injury - catching 27 passes for 245 yards and seven touchdowns, and rushing for 57 yards and seven TDs on the year.
In his first year with the Rush, Burt recorded 21.5 tackles and led the team with six sacks. He also broke up five passes and forced four fumbles while starting all 16 games.
Mager joined the Rush prior to the team's seventh game and quickly developed a rapport with QB Matt D'Orazio, finishing the season as one of the league's top rookie receivers, catching 75 passes for 811 yards and 13 touchdowns in 10 games.
Boss started all 16 games for the Rush on the offensive line and even caught a pair of TD passes.
Dantlzer was named the winner of the Walter Payton Award for his outstanding work in the Chicagoland community. From visiting patients at Children's Memorial Hospital and Rush University Medical Center, to reading to Chicagoland students as part of the team's "Rush to Read" program, Dantzler embodies the team's community relations' efforts and the spirit of Walter Payton.
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