AFL Arena Football League

Top 25 WRs in AFL History: No. 6-15

Published on May 31, 2012 under Arena Football League (AFL) News Release


CHICAGO - Continuing its countdown of the 25 Greatest Receivers in AFL History, the Silver Anniversary Committee has announced WRs No. 6-15.

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.

6. James Roe

Roe has spent all 11 seasons of his AFL career in a SaberCats uniform. As a rookie in 2000, Roe caught 22 passes for 282 yards and 10 touchdowns. Three years later, he enjoyed a breakout year, collecting 114 balls for 1,423 yards and 30 touchdowns, earning All-Ironman Team honors for the first of what would be three consecutive seasons. His best season came in 2007, when he set the single-season franchise records for receiving yards and receptions, catching 40 passes for 1,560 yards and helping the SaberCats claim victory in ArenaBowl XXI. Roe ranks eighth in AFL history in career yards (10,675), seventh in career receptions (872) and fourth in career receiving touchdowns (267).

7. Hunkie Cooper

There may not be a player in AFL history more synonymous with a single franchise than Hunkie Cooper is with the Arizona Rattlers. Cooper made an immediate impact in the League, earning MVP honors as a rookie in 1993. A six-time All-Arena selection, Cooper was a fan favorite in Arizona for more than a decade. He still holds the franchise record for receptions in a single game with 19 against Tampa Bay in 1993. Cooper finished his career in 2005 with nearly 9,000 receiving yards and was inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame in 2011.

8. Calvin Schexnayder

"Shakes" became a key contributor for the Arizona Rattlers from the moment he stepped onto the field in 1994. He finished his rookie season with 42 receptions for 495 yards and 13 touchdowns and helped guide the Rattlers to an appearance in ArenaBowl VIII. He was named First-Team All-Arena as an offensive specialist in 1997 and set an Arizona franchise record with 244 receiving yards in a game against Albany that year, but his best season came in 1998 when he caught 136 balls for 1,982 yards and 44 touchdowns. His Rattlers career ended in 2001, but Schexnayder played four more seasons in the League, spending time with the Tampa Bay Storm and San Jose SaberCats before hanging it up in 2006.

9. Stevie Thomas

A five-time ArenaBowl champion and two-time ArenaBowl MVP, Stevie Thomas was, above all else, a winner. Though a contributor as a rookie in 1991, Thomas enjoyed his best season as a receiver in 1992, leading the League in scoring after catching 67 passes for 1,203 yards and 26 touchdowns and was named First-Team All-Arena. His 446 receiving yards, 66 points and 11 touchdowns all rank as the second-most in ArenaBowl history. Thomas was inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame in 2011.

10. Mike Horacek

Horacek did not put up gaudy numbers in his first three seasons with the Barnstormers, but his production nearly doubled with the team in 2000. That year, he caught 119 balls for 1,880 yards and 46 touchdowns, earning him First-Team All-Arena recognition and Offensive Player of the Year honors. It was the first of five triple-digit reception seasons and six 1,000-yard receiving years in his 11-year career. He also enjoyed a record-breaking performance against Albany that season, hauling in 15 passes for 285 yards in the game, setting new single-game receiving marks for the franchise. Upon retiring in 2006, Horacek finished his career with 877 receptions for 11,645 yards and 252 receiving touchdowns, ranking sixth in League history for each respective category.

11. Randy Gatewood

The third piece of quarterback Sherdrick Bonner's arsenal in Arizona made the Rattlers offensive attack nearly impossible to defend. Gatewood spent all 12 of his AFL seasons in the Snake Pit, racking up six All-Arena honors along the way. One of the great two-way players in AFL history, Gatewood was twice named Ironman of the Year. He first earned the honor in 2003, but his 2006 campaign may have been the best of his career, as he registered career-highs in every major receiving category with 89 catches for 1,175 yards and 35 touchdowns.

12. Lawrence Samuels

Samuels spent 15 seasons in a Storm uniform and played in an AFL-record 206. From 2003 to 2007, Samuels earned five straight Second-Team All-Arena selections as a receiver and linebacker. In the mid-2000s, Samuels strung together four consecutive seasons with triple-digit receptions, double-digit touchdowns and at least 1,110 receiving yards. He retired following the 2010 season with 11,820 career receiving yards and 1,035 career receptions, good for the fifth- and second-most totals in AFL history for categories, respectively. His number 22 jersey was retired by the Storm in 2012.

13. Siaha Burley

Burley was an instant success as an offensive specialist in the AFL. As a rookie with the Orlando Predators in 2001, Burley posted big numbers with 88 receptions for 1,135 yards and 26 touchdowns. His impressive stat line earned him All-Rookie team honors. For three consecutive seasons, from 2005 to 2007, Burley posted at least 100 receptions, 1,500 yards and 40 touchdown catches. His finest performance came in 2007 as a member of the Utah Blaze when he was named the League's Offensive Player of the Year and set the Blaze single-season franchise records for receptions (166), receiving yards (2,129) and receiving touchdowns (49). For his career, Burley ranks in the top ten in virtually every major AFL receiving category. He is currently on injured reserve as a member of the Arizona Rattlers.

14. Cory Fleming

The 1997 AFL Rookie of the Year shined on both sides of the ball, but really made his presence felt as a receiver for the Nashville Kats. Fleming totaled 89 catches for 1,104 yards and 32 touchdowns in his debut season and continued to flourish in Nashville over the next two years. In 2003, he put up big numbers once again as a member of the Orlando Predators. Perhaps his best season came in 2004, when he posted the Orlando single-season franchise record for catches with 131. He also boasted career-highs with 1,620 yards and 33 touchdowns that season. A four-time First-Team All-Arena selection, Fleming returned to Nashville in 2007 and retired as a member of the Kats and the end of the year. He finished his career with 846 receptions for 10,221 yards and 235 touchdowns. All figures rank in the top ten in AFL history.

15. Greg Hopkins

The Ironman from Slippery Rock was as reliable as they come. Though often overshadowed by teammate "Touchdown" Eddie Brown, Hopkins put together a stellar 11-year career in the AFL. His first taste of Arena Football action came in 1996 with the Albany Firebirds, but Hopkins really began to hit his stride in 1999, when he became a key player on the Firebirds ArenaBowl XIII championship team. In 2000, he tallied 111 catches for 1,295 yards and 30 touchdowns and in 2002, he earned Ironman of the Year honors as a member of the Los Angeles Avengers. His 833 career receptions place him 10th in AFL history. The Avengers retired his number 82 jersey in 2007.

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