SaberCats' Nelson tabbed AFL's Rookie of the Year
May 24, 2006 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
San Jose SaberCats News Release
SAN JOSE, Calif. (May 24, 2006) - After setting SaberCats' rookie records for receptions, receiving yards and touchdown receptions in a season and averaging over 127 yards a game in his 11 starts, offensive specialist BEN NELSON was today named the Arena Football League's Rookie of the Year in a vote of the AFL head coaches, players, fans and the Arena Football League Writers Associations (AFLWA).
"This is quite an honor," said the 26-year-old native of Coon Rapids, Minn., who was also named to the league's All-Rookie Team last week.
Nelson (6-3, 191), who became the team's starting OS in Week 6, had 94 receptions for a team-high 1,405 yards, the second-highest total by a rookie in AFL history and the fifth-highest total in franchise history. He also topped all AFL rookies with 26 touchdown catches.
"Ben was a difference-maker for us," said SaberCats' head coach Darren Arbet of the St. Cloud (Minn.) State product. "He came in and did more than we ever expected."
The former Minnesota Viking tied a team season record with seven 100-yard receiving games and had six or more catches in all 11 starts. He fell six yards shy of breaking the AFL record for receiving yards by a rookie, which was set this season by Austin's Derrick Lewis, who played in all 16 games for the Wranglers.
In a win over Arizona on April 2, Nelson became just the third San Jose receiver to amass over 200 receiving yards in a game when he totaled 203, the second-most in franchise history, on 11 catches. It was also the fourth-highest game total in the AFL this season.
Nelson joins defensive specialist Clevan Thomas (2002) as the only SaberCats to be named the AFL's Rookie of the Year.
The SaberCats begin their drive to ArenaBowl XX Las Vegas on Saturday, May 27 when they host Western Division rival Arizona in an American Conference semifinal playoff game at 12:30 p.m. (PT) in HP Pavilion at San Jose.
Tickets for that game, which will be priced the same as a regular season game, are available and can be purchased through any Northern California Ticketmaster outlet, online at ticketmaster.com or at the HP Pavilion box office. More information is also available on the team's official website www.sanjosesabercats.com.
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from May 24, 2006
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