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AFL I Arena Football League (1987-2008)

Weibel Rewrites Records

June 18, 2002 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release


CHICAGO – Two weeks ago, Greensboro Prowlers QB CHRIS WEIBEL was nursing a broken finger in his throwing hand. This past week, he had the hot hand as he turned in one of the best passing performances of the season to earn af2 Offensive Player of the Week honors, the league office announced today.

Weibel helped his Prowlers snap a six-game losing skid by tossing nine touchdowns on 22-of-25 passing (88 percent) for 330 yards, leading Greensboro to an 81-62 win over Rochester. The 81 points shattered Greensboro's previous scoring high of 64 points set back on April 27, and the 330 passing yards also broke an all-time Prowlers' record.

Weibel didn't throw an interception against the Brigade, and his 88 percent completion rate ranks as third-best this season among passers with at least 10 attempts in a game. While several players have tossed eight TDs in a game this season, Weibel became the first player to total nine strikes in a single contest. It also ties him for third on af2's all-time list for most passing scores in a game.

Quad City WR/DB BRENT BROWNER earns ADT Defensive Player of the Week honors. Starting his first game, Browner had a hand in three fourth-quarter Memphis turnovers as Quad City won 57-47 and snapped a three-game skid. He forced a fumble at the Xplorers' one-yard line that led to a Steamwheelers' touchdown then had two interceptions in the final 40 seconds, including a game-clinching 45-yard interception return for TD. Browner also made 2.5 tackles in the game.

Florida WR/DB MAGIC BENTON, the Week 12 Ironman of the Week, helped propel his Firecats into a tie for first place in the American Conference Southern Division. In Florida's 54-35 win at Charleston, Benton caught five passes for 37 yards and two touchdowns, including the TD that put the Firecats ahead for good, and had an interception and two solo tackles on the defensive side of the ball.

Norfolk WR/LB JAY CLARKE earns recognition as af2's Built Ford Tough Man of the Week for his role in the Nighthawks' 55-48 win over Richmond. Playing with two dislocated toes on his right foot, Clarke tracked down Speed ballcarriers all night to finish with 6.5 tackles (five solo). His biggest play came with Norfolk trailing 9-7 in the first quarter, when he forced an EARL HICKS fumble that Nighthawks teammate DESMOND WASHINGTON recovered and returned for a 19-yard touchdown.

Every team's coaching staff selects up to five players who display a "get it done" attitude after each game. At season's end, the league will honor the "Built Ford Tough Man of the Year," a player who will win a Ford truck. Other candidates for the league's Offensive, Defensive and Ironman players of the week – chosen by the working media at each af2 game – follow in the Week 12 Results section.

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QUOTES FROM AROUND af2

"THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER MEANS SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO ME. IN THE PAST, I KNEW WHAT IT STOOD FOR WHEN I LISTENED TO IT BEFORE THE GAMES. NOW, WHEN I HEAR IT AND I SEE THE FLAG, I ALMOST WANT TO CRY ... OR KILL SOMEONE. I USED TO USE OTHER THINGS TO FIRE ME UP BEFORE GAMES. NOW, THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER DOES IT." – Jacksonville OL/DL KYLE SCHROEDER, who was working on Wall Street near the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, commenting on how the events of that day have changed his perspective.

"I ENJOY BEING AROUND THE KIDS. I FIGURED THAT WAS SOMETHING I COULD DO TO GIVE BACK TO THE KIDS FROM ALL MY YEARS OF PLAYING. I'M TALKING TO THE SUPERINTENDENT IN HALE COUNTY ABOUT GETTING INTO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. I'D LOVE TO GO BACK AND TEACH AND HEAD COACH." – Birmingham DS KELVIN SIGLER on his desire to advance his teaching career when his football days are over.

"SHE TAKES CARE OF YOU LIKE YOU'RE ONE OF HER KIDS. I'LL TALK TO HER ABOUT ANYTHING. SHE ALWAYS LISTENS AND GIVES GOOD ADVICE." – Richmond WR/LB EARL HICKS on DANA SPARROW, the team's surrogate mother and dedicated fan.

"MY PARENTS WEREN'T THERE THE FIRST QUARTER. FIRST TIME THEY EVER MISSED A PRE-GAME. I'M THINKING, ‘WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON?' ALL OF A SUDDEN, THEY SHOWED UP AND EVERYTHING JUST CAME DOWN. THEY SAID THEY GOT WRONG DIRECTIONS. (THE ONLINE TRIP PLANNER) SCREWED THEM OVER. IT MADE ME NERVOUS." – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton QB BRYAN SNYDER about taking awhile to find his rhythm in the Pioneers' June 7 win at Mohegan.

"I HAD ONE OF THOSE HAWAIIAN SHIRTS ON. IT HAD A PARROT ON IT AND IT WAS SO HOT, THE PARROT WAS MOLTING." – Peoria Head Coach BRUCE COWDREY on his team's long layover at Chicago's O' Hare Airport during the recent return trip from Hawaii.

"WE'VE GOT AN UNUSUAL THING GOING ON HERE. THIS IS THE THIRD TEAM I'VE BEEN ON, AND THE CAMARADERIE HAS NEVER BEEN AS GOOD AS IT'S BEEN HERE." – Cape Fear WR/LB TROY ESPRIT on the Wildcats' team unity.

"I WAS PRETTY MUCH SURPRISED. IN THIS LEAGUE, YOU HAVE A LOT OF TALENTED PLAYERS. I JUST THANK GOD I WAS CHOSEN THE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK." – Augusta OS/KR UNDRE WILLIAMS on the news of being selected as the league's Offensive Player of the Week.

"RICHMOND IS ONE OF THE TOP TEAMS IN THE LEAGUE AND FOR US TO WIN GIVES US THE CONFIDENCE THAT WE CAN BEAT ANYBODY WHEN WE PLAY TOGETHER." – Norfolk Head Coach TONY MISSICK after his team's 55-48 victory over the Speed.

"THEY PLAYED INSPIRED FOOTBALL, TO WIN. THEY WERE FOCUSED COMING IN AND THEY STAYED FOCUSED FOR FOUR QUARTERS. THIS WAS A WIN FOR THE ORGANIZATION, THE GUYS PLAYING AND THE FANS. THEY WERE SICK OF LOSING, AND FINALLY SAID ENOUGH WAS ENOUGH." – Hawaii Head Coach CHAD CARLSON on his team's 53-34 victory over San Diego that ended a nine-game losing streak.

"WE PLAYED REAL WELL, ESPECIALLY EARLY, BUT WE WERE PRETTY SLOPPY IN THE SECOND HALF. BUT, HEY, HOW FAR HAVE WE COME WHEN WE WIN 62-39 AND WE'RE A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED?" – Wichita Head Coach LAND JACOBSEN on his team's improvement in recent weeks.

"THOSE TWO RETURNS REALLY SET THE TONE FOR US, AND WHEN YOU ARE ON THE ROAD YOU NEED SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO SET THE TONE. JARROD IS SO EXPLOSIVE; WHAT HE LACKS IN HEIGHT, HE MAKES UP FOR WITH A BIG HEART." – Florida Head Coach JOHN FOURCADE on JARROD WARE's back-to-back kickoff return TDs of 56 and 57 yards in the Firecats' win over Charleston Saturday.

"IT'S TOUGHER WATCHING. I'M GLAD IT WAS HIM, THOUGH, ON THE ONSIDE KICK. I HAVE TROUBLE WITH THEM." – Injured Peoria kicker TODD KURZ on watching his brother SCOTT KURZ in the final minutes of the Pirates' 56-49 come-from-behind win over Bakersfield.

"WE JUST CAN'T FIND A WAY TO BE CONSISTENT. WE'RE UP AND DOWN, ALWAYS FIGHTING OUT OF A HOLE. OUR PASS DEFENSE ... I KNOW THIS IS A PASSING LEAGUE, BUT ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS GET ONE STOP, AND WE CAN'T EVEN DO THAT. WE PLAYED WELL ENOUGH TO WIN ON OFFENSE. WE JUST DIDN'T STOP THEM. NOT ONE TIME." – Rochester Head Coach MARK SAUNDERS on the Brigade's 81-62 loss to Greensboro.

"I HAVE A HEALTHY RESPECT FOR WHAT THERY'VE DONE, BUT THE WAY THEY BEAT US UP THERE HAS BOTHERED ME FOR WEEKS. WE HAVE SOME UNFINISHED BUSINESS TO CLEAN UP." – Florida Head Coach JOHN FOURCADE on this week's game against Tallahassee.

"IT'S TOUGH TO BEAT A TEAM TWICE, AND IT'S EVEN HARDER TO BEAT A TEAM THREE TIMES AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TRY AND DO IT AGAINST THEM. WE HAVE TO MAKE A LONG WINNING STREAK TO MAKE A RUN AT THE PLAYOFFS AND THE ARENACUP." – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton QB BRYAN SNYDER looking ahead to the Pioneers' final meeting with Mohegan this season.

"WE'RE ON THE SAME LEVEL AS EVERYBODY ELSE. IT'S JUST A MATTER OF US CLICKING AND SHOWING OTHER TEAMS WHAT WE CAN DO WHEN WE CLICK." – Columbus WR/LB SHAMARI BUCHANAN on the Wardogs' potential.

"RICKY CAME TO TRUST ME TO MAKE PLAYS, AND I DID. I'M TRYING TO GET THAT WITH OUR NEW QUARTERBACKS. OUR TIMING IS GETTING BETTER. I'VE JUST GOT TO CONTINUE BELIEVING IN THEM, GIVE THEM REASON TO TRUST ME." – Fresno OS/KR LAMONT WEBB on the loss of RICKY RAY to the Canadian Football League and the chemistry he is trying to build with the two new Fresno signal callers.

"PROVING PEOPLE WRONG KEEPS ME MOTIVATED AND I STILL THINK ABOUT BREAKING KELLY'S RECORDS. HE WENT TO A BIG PROGRAM AT MIAMI, THEN WENT TO THE USFL BEFORE HE FINALLY MADE IT TO THE NFL. THAT KEEPS ME GOING. SOMEDAY, MAYBE I CAN GET AT LEAST ONE LEVEL UP (IN THE ARENA FOOTBALL LEAGUE) FROM WHERE I AM NOW." – Greensboro QB CHRIS WEIBEL on his hope to advance his playing career. Weibel broke several of former NFL great JIM KELLY's records at East Brady High School in Pennsylvania.

"WHEN I CAME HERE I WAS ANGRY AT HAVING BEEN CUT (BY THE ARENA FOOTBALL LEAGUE'S ORLANDO PREDATORS) AND HAVING TO START ALL OVER. BUT I TALKED TO MY MOM, MY DAD, MY FIANCEE, AND WE ALL AGREED: I SHOULD TAKE MY ANGER OUT ON THE REST OF THIS LEAGUE. THAT'S WHAT I'M DOING. WE'RE GOING TO WIN AS MANY GAMES AS POSSIBLE THE REST OF THE WAY AND SHOW PEOPLE THAT THEY'VE HAD A LOT OF WRONG IDEAS ABOUT US." – Norfolk QB CHRIS WALLACE on his desire to prove his doubters wrong.



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from June 18, 2002


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