Simonton Honored Again
May 6, 2003 - National Football League Europa (NFLE) News Release
SCOTTISH Claymores running back KEN SIMONTON has grabbed his second NFL Europe League Offensive Player of the Week award of the 2003 season following his outstanding efforts against the F.C. Barcelona Dragons in Week 5.
Also winning weekly prizes were Rhein Fire linebacker CHARLES BURTON, F.C. Barcelona Dragons punter NICK MURPHY and German wide receiver JÃERG HECKENBACH.
Buffalo Bills-allocated rusher Simonton - who was named Offensive Player of Week 1 - came within 3 yards of becoming the first player in league history to have 100 yards rushing and receiving in the same game as the Claymores fell to a 17-10 defeat at the hands of the Dragons. It was Simonton's second consecutive 100-yard rushing day - one shy of the league record he could tie with another big show in Frankfurt in Week 6.
Simonton gained 108 rushing yards on 20 carries and also caught 8 passes for 97 yards. By adding 66 yards on 5 punt returns, Simonton racked up 271 all-purpose yards - second in the NFLEL record books to Frankfurt Galaxy running back Curtis Alexander, who gained 279 all-purpose yards against the Dragons in 2002.
By winning the Offensive Player of the Week prize, Simonton ensured that a running back has won the weekly honour four out of five times this season. Others to win the prize were Rhein's Autry Denson and Frankfurt's Jonas Lewis.
Burton - allocated by the Arizona Cardinals - was named Defensive Player of Week 5 after his role in leading the Fire to a 14-7 victory over Frankfurt in a hard-hitting Deutschland Derby. He led the Fire with 10 tackles and added 3 sacks for 25 yards. Through the opening five weeks of the season, Burton leads the league with 33 tackles.
In atrocious conditions at a rainy Hampden Park, Dragons punter Murphy played a vital role in helping Barcelona advance to 4-1 as he averaged 45.5 yards on 6 punts and was named Special Teams Player of the Week.
Murphy - allocated by the Minnesota Vikings - produced a longest kick of 57 yards in a low-scoring game where field position and special teams play proved vital.
Heckenbach was voted National Player of Week 5 after he caught 3 passes for 57 yards in helping the Berlin Thunder to a 34-30 victory over the Amsterdam Admirals. The veteran German wide receiver also added 1 special teams tackle as the Thunder recorded their first victory of the 2003 season.
In the first half of the season, Heckenbach has caught 9 passes for 129 yards (14.3 average) and 2 touchdowns with a longest gain of 37 yards. He has also registered 3 special teams tackles.
NFL EUROPE LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARDS - WEEK 5
OFFENSIVE KEN SIMONTON RB Scottish Claymores
DEFENSIVE CHARLES BURTON LB Rhein Fire
SPECIAL TEAMS NICK MURPHY P F.C. Barcelona Dragons
NATIONAL JOERG HECKENBACH WR Berlin Thunder
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National Football League Europa Stories from May 6, 2003
- F.C. Barcelona Dragons Game Notes - F.C. Barcelona Dragons
- Fire start two-game road swing with visit to Amsterdam - Rhein Fire
- Dragons Aim to Stay in Front of Pack - NFLE
- Simonton Honored Again - NFLE
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