SaberCats Stewart, Maka Earn All-Arena Defensive Honors
August 13, 2014 - Arena Football League (AFL)
San Jose SaberCats News Release
SAN JOSE, Calif. - The Arena Football League and San Jose SaberCats announced today that two players have earned All-Arena Defensive honors. Nose tackle Jason Stewart was named First-Team All-Arena, and linebacker Francis Maka was named Second-Team All-Arena. In tandem, the duo provided the most lethal combination of pressure up the middle in the AFL, racking up a combined 22.0 sacks.
"Our defense played a huge role in the success of our team this season," said Owner and Head Coach Darren Arbet regarding today's announcement. "A great pass rush is always crucial, and Stewart and Maka are two of the best at getting to opposing quarterbacks."
Stewart (6-0, 315, Fresno State) earned All-Arena Defense recognition for the second straight year, after being named Second-Team All-Arena in 2013. As the most dominant nose tackle in the AFL, Stewart racked up a career-high 12.5 sacks, tied for second most behind Spokane's James Ruffin, and 13.5 tackles for loss, good for third most in the league. Appearing in all 18 regular season games, he also forced two fumbles, recovered three fumbles and broke up four passes. In addition to picking up double digit sacks by himself, he was integral to the defensive front that racked up 39 sacks, second most in the league, creating opportunities for teammates and creating mayhem for opposing quarterbacks. Stewart is also up for consideration for the league's Riddell Defensive Player of the Year, Krossover Defensive Lineman of the Year, and AFL MVP of the Year awards.
Maka (6-2, 250, Hawaii) earned All-Arena Defense honors for the third consecutive season, after notching First-Team All-Arena in 2013 and Second-Team in 2012. Maka finished his 2014 season with 27.5 tackles while appearing in all 18 contests, and finished second on the team with nine-and-a-half sacks. In addition, he led the SaberCats defense with five quarterback hits, and added two fumble recoveries, including one he returned for a score.
• Discuss this story on the Arena Football League message board...
Arena Football League Stories from August 13, 2014
- SaberCats Announce 2014 Team Awards - San Jose SaberCats
- SaberCats Stewart, Maka Earn All-Arena Defensive Honors - San Jose SaberCats
- Reynolds Nominated AFL Small Playmaker of the Year - Iowa Barnstormers
- Beavers and McGlenn Earn 2014 Second Team All-Arena Defense Honors - New Orleans VooDoo
- Thunder Duo Named to All-Arena Defensive Squad - Portland Thunder
- Jennings, Kizer Named to All-Arena Team - Philadelphia Soul
- Lewis Selected Second Team All-Arena Defense - Iowa Barnstormers
- AFL Announces All-Arena Defensive Teams - AFL
- Hills Headed to the Canadian Football League - Tampa Bay Storm
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
