Three SaberCats rank in top 20
January 19, 2006 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
San Jose SaberCats News Release
SAN JOSE, Calif. (Jan. 19, 2006) - Three players with ties to the San Jose SaberCats were named to the Arena Football League's list of top 20 Greatest Players, the AFL's 20th season historical committee announced.
Current SaberCat Barry Wagner placed a close second in the voting to former Albany/Indianapolis Firebird OS Eddie Brown, while OL/DL Sam Hernandez finished 13th and former SaberCat and current Chicago Rush FB/LB Bob McMillen placed 20th.
Also receiving votes were current San Jose players QB Mark Grieb, OL/DL Joe Jacobs and DS Clevan Thomas along with former SaberCats OS Steve Papin and Calvin Schexnayder.
Brown, who edged Wagner by one point, played all 10 of his seasons with the Firebirds franchise and is the AFL's career leader with 303 receiving touchdowns. Brown also ranks second all-time to Wagner in scoring, receptions, and total touchdowns.
Wagner, who received three first place votes to Brown's none, is a six-time Ironman of the Year, seven-time first-team all-league selection and two-time league MVP.
"I have nothing to say," said Wagner, when asked about the committee's list.
The 20th season historical committee consists of journalist Howard Balzer, Utah assistant coach Hunkie Cooper, player Darryl Hammond, Chicago head coach Mike Hohensee, ArenaFan President Joe Kaufman, former player George LaFrance, an AFL founder Bill Niro, and Arizona head coach Gene Nudo.
AFL fans were also given the opportunity to express their opinions on the top players in AFL history. Barry Wagner was the top player selected by the fans, with nearly one-quarter of the votes. Brown finished a distant sixth in the fan voting with just over seven-percent of the vote.
AFL HISTORICAL COMMITTEE TOP 20
Rk Player Pos Pts (1st)
1. Eddie Brown OS 136
2. Barry Wagner* WR/DB 135 (3)
3. George LaFrance OS 126 (1)
4. Jay Gruden QB 122 (2)
5. Hunkie Cooper WR/LB 113 (1)
6. James Baron* OL/DL 83
7. Sylvester Bembery OL/DL 64
8. Sherdrick Bonner* QB 61
9. Stevie Thomas WR/LB 59
10. Dwayne Dixon WR/LB 56
11. Aaron Garcia* QB 50
12. Kurt Warner QB 49
13. Sam Hernandez OL/DL 41
14t. Cory Fleming* WR/LB 39
14t. Greg Hopkins* WR/LB 39
16. Alvin Rettig FB/LB 35
17t. Randy Gatewood* WR/DB 33
17t. Gary Mullen WR/DB 33
19. John Corker OL/DL 29
20. Bob McMillen* FB/LB 24
*Active; first-place votes in parenthesis; a player received 20 points for one first-place vote, 19 points for one second-place vote, etc.
Fans TOP 10
Rk Player Percent
1. Barry Wagner 23.6%
2. Hunkie Cooper 13.7%
3. Kurt Warner 9.1%
4. Andy Kelly 8.4%
5. Jay Gruden 7.6%
6. Eddie Brown 7.4%
7. Aaron Garcia 4.2%
8. George LaFrance 3.0%
9. Pete Porcelli 2.7%
10. Darryl Hammond 1.1%
The SaberCats open their 12th season in the Arena Football League on Saturday, January 28 when they host the expansion Utah Blaze. Season and group tickets for the 2006 season are available by contacting a sales representative at (408) 573-5577. Individual game tickets 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 at http://www.sanjosesabercats.com.
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from January 19, 2006
- Three SaberCats rank in top 20 - San Jose SaberCats
- Roster trimmed by five as training camp moves to final day - Columbus Destroyers
- Kats Waive Seven - Nashville Kats
- Destroyers announce 2006 game night promotions - Columbus Destroyers
- Wrong call made on "Greatest Player" - OSC Original by David Harwood
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