Sports stats



Wardogs hand out team awards

August 11, 2004 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Columbus Wardogs News Release


Columbus, GA - The Columbus Wardogs have announced their end-of-the-season player awards for the 2004 season as selected by head coach John Fourcade and his staff.

Most Valuable Player – QB Kyle Rowley (6'1, 190, Brown University)

In his second season in af2, Rowley blossomed into one of the league's top quarterbacks becoming only the 8th player in af2 history to throw for 4,000 yards in a season. He led the league in completions (357); was third in the league in passing yards (4,169), touchdowns (79) and total offense (263 yards/game); and was fourth in passer rating (117.3) and pass completion percentage (65.4). Taking almost every snap for the Wardogs, Rowley set team records for completions, yards and touchdowns in a season, while also setting a Wardog single-game record with 374 passing yards against Louisville. He also threw for eight touchdowns in a game twice during the season to tie the franchise mark.

Ironman of the Year – WR/DB Adrian Cockfield (5'10, 175, Albany State)

In his second season in af2, Cockfield was the league's leading receiver with a team-record 126 catches. His 1,466 receiving yards and 30 touchdowns were single-season Wardog records and sixth best in the league. As an offensive specialist, Cockfield was on pace to set a new league record for catches in a season until an injury to a teammate midway through the year forced him to play both ways. While his receiving numbers declined, Cockfield proved his versatility as a solid defensive back and by returning kicks. He finished seventh in the league in all-purpose yards with 2,531 total yards. Cockfield was named the league's Ironman of the Week after catching five passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns while also recording an interception against Oklahoma City.

Lineman of the Year – OL/DL David Barnard (6'3, 330, Florida)

In his fourth season in af2, Barnard never missed a game and consistently graded higher than any other Wardog lineman. Rarely allowing a sack on offense and frequently double-teamed while rushing the passer on defense, Barnard recorded 11½ tackles including two for a loss and a sack.

Most Improved Player – DS Rob Keefe (6'0, 180, Mercyhurst College)

From a walk-on rookie at the beginning of the year to one of the team's best defenders at the end, Keefe was the team's leading tackler with 60½ tackles and seven pass break-ups. Playing cornerback, Keefe's best games came late in the season when he recorded nine tackles against Macon and eight tackles against Florida.

Rookie of the Year – OS Troy Bergeron (6'2, 180, Middle Tennessee State)

The youngest player ever in af2, the 20-year-old Bergeron caught 77 passes for 1,220 yards and 26 touchdowns despite not playing in the team's first four games, and then only participating in a few plays in the next two games. Once he cracked the starting line-up, Bergeron became one of the most exciting players in the league with his blazing speed and spectacular catches. Only the third Wardog player to reach 1,000 yards receiving, the former Shaw High standout set a Wardog single-game record with 212 receiving yards against Macon. Three weeks later, he had another record-breaking performance and set three single-game team records with 14 catches for 216 yards and six touchdowns against Louisville. Bergeron also had a 56-yard kickoff return for a score to account for seven of the team's nine touchdowns in that game. His kick return average of 25.8 yards was fourth best in af2. Bergeron was twice named the league's Offensive Player of the Week and is a strong candidate to earn the league's Rookie of the Year award later this month.



arenafootball2 Stories from August 11, 2004


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.

Other Recent Columbus Wardogs Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central