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AFL Arena Football League

Top 25 WRs in AFL History: No. 16-25

May 30, 2012 - Arena Football League (AFL) News Release


CHICAGO - During the 2012 Arena Football League season, the Silver Anniversary Committee has been tasked with voting on a number of "Top 25" lists to celebrate 25 seasons of Arena Football. The Committee has voted on categories ranging from the Best Uniforms of the last 25 years to the 25 Greatest Players in AFL History.

The latest Top 25 list announced by the Silver Anniversary Committee ranks the 25 Greatest Receivers in AFL History. The Committee, which consists of longtime League executives, coaches, media members and former players, was asked to weigh in on which receivers best displayed excellence on the field, showcased the highest level of talent and meant the most to their teams.

The results of the Silver Anniversary Committee's votes will be unveiled in three segments, beginning with the announcement of receivers 16-25.

16. Kevin Swayne

An All-Rookie selection in 1998 with the Iowa Barnstormers, Swayne spent all eight years of his AFL career with one franchise and catching passes from one quarterback. Swayne burst onto the scene in 1998, hauling in 76 receptions for 1,086 yards and 16 touchdowns from quarterback Aaron Garcia. His best season came in 2001 when the Barnstormers moved east and were rebranded as the New York Dragons. Swayne caught a League-high 131 balls for 1,890 yards and 43 touchdowns. Both he and his quarterback earned First-Team All-Arena honors for their performances.

17. Dwayne Dixon

Dixon was an "AFL Original," joining the League with the Washington Commandos in the League's inaugural season in 1987. On July 16 of that year, Dixon collected 20 receptions in a game against the Chicago Bruisers, a single-game AFL record that has yet to be broken. In 1988, he joined the expansion Detroit Drive and helped build the first dynasty in Arena Football. Dixon was named Ironman of the Game in ArenaBowl II and won three championships with the Drive. He was a member of the first AFL Hall of Fame class in 1998 and was named the 15th Greatest Player in AFL History by the Silver Anniversary Committee in 2012.

18. Gary Compton

Gary Compton wore seven different jerseys over the course of his 13-year AFL career, but he spent the majority of his time in the League starring in purple and teal for the Milwaukee Mustangs. He was a First-Team All-Arena selection as a rookie WR/DB with the Dallas Texans in 1992, but moved from his native state of Texas to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1995. For seven years, Compton patrolled both sides of the ball as a receiver and linebacker for the team, earning two more First-Team All-Arena honors along the way. He set the single-game franchise records for receiving yards with 220 in a game against St. Louis in 1995 and receiving touchdowns with six in a 1999 game against Houston. He still owns both marks. His best statistical season came in 1998, when he hauled in 101 balls for 1,484 yards and 33 touchdowns. In 2001, he was honored with the "Built Ford Tough" Man of the Year award and named to the Second-Team 15th Anniversary Team.

19. Marcus Nash

A first round draft pick by the Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos in 1998, Nash made the transition to Arena Football in 2003 with the Detroit Fury. While catching passes from another former Tennessee Volunteer, Fury quarterback Andy Kelly, Nash led the team in every receiving category during his rookie season. His best season came the following year with the Las Vegas Gladiators, when he tallied 154 receptions for 1,771 yards and 46 touchdowns en route to being named the League's Offensive Player of the Year.

20. Darryl Hammond

One of the game's great Ironmen, Hammond made his Arena Football debut with the Albany Firebirds in 1991. He caught 27 passes for 254 yards and seven touchdowns in his rookie season, but really made a name for himself in 1995 as a member of the St. Louis Stampede, when he earned All-Arena honors for the first time in his career. As a member of the Nashville Kats in 2001, Hammond recorded 60 catches for 708 yards and 10 touchdowns. He retired in 2006 after 16 years of service and 186 games played and is one of only two players to have played for the Kats in all six seasons of the franchise's existence.

21. Will Pettis

Pettis was one of the original af2 success stories, making his Arena Football debut with the Pensacola Barracudas in 2002. The following year, he made the jump to the AFL and spent all seven years of his career in Dallas. He was named to the All-Rookie Team in 2003 and was selected Second-Team All-Arena in three consecutive seasons from 2003 to 2005. By 2006, Pettis owned every major receiving record in Desperados franchise history, but his best statistical season came in 2007, when he totaled 128 catches for 1,441 yards and 39 touchdowns while catching passing from Clint Dolezel. Pettis was named Ironman of the Year in 2007 and 2008, starring for the team as both a receiver and defensive back.

22. Herkie Walls

A member of the very first Orlando Predators team in 1991, Herkie Walls spent all six seasons of his AFL career in "The Jungle." His best season came in 1992, when he teamed up with a rookie Barry Wagner to form one of the AFL's most impressive passing attacks. For 61 consecutive games from 1991 to 1995, Walls recorded at least one catch in every game for the Preds. He finished his career in 1996 with 207 receptions for 2,910 yards and 45 touchdowns and was inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame with his quarterback, Ben Bennett, in 2000.

23. Gary Mullen

Mullen won four ArenaBowl championships during his eight-year AFL career, including the very first in League history as a member of the Denver Dynamite in 1987. Though no MVP award was officially awarded by the League in the first ArenaBowl, ESPN selected Mullen as its "MVP of the Game," following his nine-catch, three-touchdown performance. He was named First-Team All-Arena with the Dynamite in 1987 and the Los Angeles Cobras in 1988 before joining the Detroit Drive in 1989, a franchise he helped to three ArenaBowl championships in four seasons. He led the League in scoring in 1990 and still holds the record for most career ArenaBowl receiving yards with 465. He was a member of the inaugural AFL Hall of Fame class in 1998 and was named the 25th Greatest Player in AFL History by the Silver Anniversary Committee in 2012.

24. TT Toliver

A 12-year veteran of Arena Football, Toliver got his start in 2002 with the Tampa Bay Storm. He spent three and half seasons in Tampa before being traded to the Nashville Kats during the 2005 season. Toliver joined the Orlando Predators in 2007, where he has been ever since. In 2008, Toliver set the single-season franchise record for receiving yards with 1,647 and in 2010, set individual AFL postseason records for receiving touchdowns and points in a single game, with seven scores for 42 points against his former team, the Tampa Bay Storm. Toliver is one of three active players on the Silver Anniversary Committee's list of the 25 Greatest Receivers in AFL History.

25. Jesse Schmidt

One of the most talented receivers in the game today, Jesse Schmidt got his Arena Football start with the Quad City Steamwheelers of the af2 in 2007. In 2010, he made the jump to the Iowa Barnstormers of the AFL and quickly became the team's leading receiver with 116 catches for 1,621 yards and 28 touchdowns as a rookie. In 2011, Schmidt shattered the franchise's single-season records for points, receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, finishing his First-Team All-Arena season with 334 points, 168 catches, 2,171 yards and 55 touchdowns. In a 2011 game against Chicago, he also became the team's single-game record holder for receiving scores and touchdowns, hauling in seven touchdown grabs for 42 points. Against Chicago in 2012, Schmidt put together another impressive showing by tying the franchise record for receptions in a game with 15 in the March 30th matchup. Schmidt is one of three active players on the Silver Anniversary Committee's list of the 25 Greatest Receivers in AFL History.

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