SaberCats award winners announced
June 15, 2006 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
San Jose SaberCats News Release
SAN JOSE, Calif. (June 15, 2006) - San Jose SaberCats receiver/linebacker James Roe, who led the club in receptions during the regular season, was named the team's Most Valuable Player and Ironman of the Year in a vote of his teammates. The awards were presented at the franchise's annual banquet.
After sustaining a concussion on San Jose's first offensive series of the season and missing nearly three full games, Roe returned to the lineup and led the club with 113 catches and 31 touchdowns while posting 27.0 tackles, four pass breakups, two forced fumbles and an interception on defense.
"I can't take the credit myself for these awards," said Roe, his voice swelling with emotion. "These guys have more confidence in me than I have in myself at times. I appreciate these guys and how they feel about me."
"He is truly one of the best players in the league today," said head coach Darren Arbet about Roe.
DS Clevan Thomas was named the team's Most Inspirational and also shared the Defensive Player of the Year with fellow DS Omarr Smith and the Player's Player with OL/DL Chuck Reed. Record-setting quarterback Mark Grieb earned the Offensive Player of the Year, Dan Loney was named Lineman of the Year and Ben Nelson was tabbed Rookie of the Year.
A two-time AFL Defensive Player of the Year, Thomas topped the SaberCats with seven interceptions and 13 pass breakups while playing every defensive down of the year. He also led the squad with three recovered fumbles and tallied a team season record with 85.0 tackles.
Smith, a former San Jose State University standout, returned to the lineup after recovering from a serious knee injury sustained during the 2005 season. He started the final 10 regular season games and returned two of his three interceptions on the year for scores.
Grieb threw for 4,841 yards on the year breaking his 2005 league record of 4,796. An eight-year veteran of the SaberCats, the UC Davis product and San Jose native has the most passing yards of any AFL quarterback over the last four seasons.
The 28-year-old Loney has been a mainstay on the SaberCats line for several seasons and has been the team's starting center for the last two.
Voted the AFL's 2006 Rookie of the Year, Nelson also took the club award after setting team rookie records for receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches in just 11 starts.
Deposits on 2007 season tickets can be made by contacting a sales representative at (408) 573-5577. More information is available on the team official website www.sanjosesabercats.com.
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