Today the AFL announced a couple of rule changes that will affect play in 2012. First the AFL announced that the league will move from a five-man officiating crew to 6 officials effective in 2012. The league has had a five-man officiating crew in place since their inaugural season in 1987, but this move was made in order to bring more credibility and accuracy to the game. The AFL added a second back judge in order to keep interference from the players and the fans to a minimum. Now the league will utilize one referee, an umpire, a line judge, a side judge and two back judges in every game; to compare the NFL uses a seven-man officiating crew for their games.
The move will add another eye on the field that's ready to look for any infraction worthy of throwing that yellow flag. Teams last season averaged a total of 157.77 penalties in 18 regular season games, good for 8.77 penalties a game. The Soul ranked 7th last season in fewest penalty yards per game with 909 penalty yards for a 50.5 per game average. The Soul were penalized 153 times for a 8.5 average, both of which came under the league average. The Soul were one of the best disciplined teams in the AFL in 2011 and look to improve on that figure despite the added back judge. The least penalized team was the Tulsa Talons (102 time for a 32.8 penalty yards per game average) and the Tampa Bay Storm were the most penalized team (184 times for a 70.8 penalty yards per game average).
The league also changed the replay and challenge rules by allowing coaches challenges and replays to be available for every regular and postseason contest in 2012. Each team has two challenges each per game and if both challenges are successful then a third challenge will be awarded to that team. A team must have at least one timeout remaining in order to challenge a play. These changes replicates what is done in the NFL for their replay management except for the "two minute warning rule" where all plays must be reviewed by the replay both within that time. The AFL uses a "one minute warning" and doesn't add any special replay rules during that time. The NFL also reviews every scoring play which the AFL does not currently do at this time.
Both of these changes will bring a tighter, more competitive atmosphere to the game of arena football which I feel is needed in the league. Anytime you can bring credibility without sacrificing the pace of the game is a victory for a league like the AFL.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Saturday, January 28, 2012
STAND UP
We're going to put football aside for now and focus on a truly unprecedented event that will be taking place in just two days. The Philadelphia Soul, Philadelphia radio stations and the Philadelphia Children's Alliance are teaming up to help bring justice and healing to child victims of sexual abuse. Here's a straight quote from the Philadelphia Children's Alliance's website:
"On Monday, January 30, we will launch the STAND UP Radio Rally - a one day awareness campaign created in response to recent and troubling headlines related to the sexual abuse of children. During the 18 hours of the Radio Rally, for every ticket sold to the Soul home opener (April 1st), Philadelphia Soul will donate $15 to support the important work of Philadelphia Children's Alliance. Join with Mayor Michael Nutter, ESPN Monday Night Football broadcaster and Soul owner Ron Jaworski, Congressmen Mike Fitzpatrick and Chaka Fattah, The Roots keyboardist Kamal Gray, Last Comic Standing Todd Glass, Philadelphia Eagles Coach Andy Reid, wide receiver Chadd Hall, and Longsnapper Jon Dorenbus (and his wife Julie), Olympic Gold Medalist Carl Lewis, Eagles Legend Vince Papale, PHL17/NBC10 host Steve Highsmith, Survivor Rhett Hackett, and many others who will take the pledge to support Philadelphia's child victims. Visit philadelphiasoul.com/STANDUP to take the pledge and buy your ticket to donate $15 in support of Philadelphia Children's Alliance."
It's a remarkable gesture for the Philadelphia Soul organization to donate $15 from every $28 ticket sold to the Philadelphia Children's Alliance; that's a 54% donation from every ticket sold. Monday, January 30th, is the first day that single game tickets go on sale and what better to commemorate the occasion than to put the entire focus on such a worthy cause. The radio stations (including WMGK 102.9 FM, WMMR 93.3 FM, WBEN 95.7 FM, WPEN 950 AM, WPEN 97.5 FM) will be put to good use as the Soul and the Philadelphia Children's Alliance work to spread the sad, but important message of child sexual abuse.
This of course comes in wake of the recent Penn State scandal involving former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky and numerous accusations of fowl play with numerous child victims. It's such a unique partnership that brings multiple benefits to all parties involved. The awareness of child sexual abuse is the primary focus obviously and it's a welcomed event that many other organizations would be hard pressed not to participate in. I think it's a no-brainer that the Pittsburgh Power at the very least should do something very similar if not join the Soul to help bring forth this message. Pennsylvania's two biggest cities, east and west, joining together to bring awareness to child sexual abuse and eventually meeting in the middle at State College (where this whole mess began) would be monumental. It would bring publicity to both teams and the sport of arena football as well. What other sports team would donate 54% of each ticket sold? It doesn't matter what level the AFL is on fan wise, the point of the matter is the Philadelphia Soul are doing something one step in the right direction for all of Pennsylvania and the entire United States.
This event will assure an electric atmosphere for the Soul's 2012 home opener on April 1st against division rival the Cleveland Gladiators. Hopefully this sparks a fan base that hasn't been the same since the Soul's 2008 championship. Bringing fans back to the game of arena football while also educating the masses is a great opportunity for all involved. Here's to thanking the classiest organization in the AFL for such a wonderful event and hoping for great success to come from it.
"On Monday, January 30, we will launch the STAND UP Radio Rally - a one day awareness campaign created in response to recent and troubling headlines related to the sexual abuse of children. During the 18 hours of the Radio Rally, for every ticket sold to the Soul home opener (April 1st), Philadelphia Soul will donate $15 to support the important work of Philadelphia Children's Alliance. Join with Mayor Michael Nutter, ESPN Monday Night Football broadcaster and Soul owner Ron Jaworski, Congressmen Mike Fitzpatrick and Chaka Fattah, The Roots keyboardist Kamal Gray, Last Comic Standing Todd Glass, Philadelphia Eagles Coach Andy Reid, wide receiver Chadd Hall, and Longsnapper Jon Dorenbus (and his wife Julie), Olympic Gold Medalist Carl Lewis, Eagles Legend Vince Papale, PHL17/NBC10 host Steve Highsmith, Survivor Rhett Hackett, and many others who will take the pledge to support Philadelphia's child victims. Visit philadelphiasoul.com/STANDUP to take the pledge and buy your ticket to donate $15 in support of Philadelphia Children's Alliance."
It's a remarkable gesture for the Philadelphia Soul organization to donate $15 from every $28 ticket sold to the Philadelphia Children's Alliance; that's a 54% donation from every ticket sold. Monday, January 30th, is the first day that single game tickets go on sale and what better to commemorate the occasion than to put the entire focus on such a worthy cause. The radio stations (including WMGK 102.9 FM, WMMR 93.3 FM, WBEN 95.7 FM, WPEN 950 AM, WPEN 97.5 FM) will be put to good use as the Soul and the Philadelphia Children's Alliance work to spread the sad, but important message of child sexual abuse.
This of course comes in wake of the recent Penn State scandal involving former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky and numerous accusations of fowl play with numerous child victims. It's such a unique partnership that brings multiple benefits to all parties involved. The awareness of child sexual abuse is the primary focus obviously and it's a welcomed event that many other organizations would be hard pressed not to participate in. I think it's a no-brainer that the Pittsburgh Power at the very least should do something very similar if not join the Soul to help bring forth this message. Pennsylvania's two biggest cities, east and west, joining together to bring awareness to child sexual abuse and eventually meeting in the middle at State College (where this whole mess began) would be monumental. It would bring publicity to both teams and the sport of arena football as well. What other sports team would donate 54% of each ticket sold? It doesn't matter what level the AFL is on fan wise, the point of the matter is the Philadelphia Soul are doing something one step in the right direction for all of Pennsylvania and the entire United States.
This event will assure an electric atmosphere for the Soul's 2012 home opener on April 1st against division rival the Cleveland Gladiators. Hopefully this sparks a fan base that hasn't been the same since the Soul's 2008 championship. Bringing fans back to the game of arena football while also educating the masses is a great opportunity for all involved. Here's to thanking the classiest organization in the AFL for such a wonderful event and hoping for great success to come from it.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Assistant Head Coach Clint Dolezel
A man that Philadelphia Soul fans once booed is now an essential component to the Soul's 2012 title aspirations. Clint Dolezel played in the AFL from 1995-2008 for 5 different teams while amassing 44,594 yards, 955 touchdowns and a 117.75 QB rating. Dolezel went right into coaching in 2009 after retiring from the Dallas Desperados which has led him to his current position with the Soul.
Dolezel debuted in the AFL in 1995 with the Milwaukee Mustangs where he played sparingly in his two seasons with the club. In 1997 Dolezel signed with the Texas Terror (renamed the Houston Thunder Bears in 1998) where he saw action as the team's starting quarterback. After two more good seasons with the Thunder Bears, Dolezel joined the Grand Rapids Rampage in 2001 where he led the squad to the ArenaBowl XV championship. Dolezel was awarded an All-Arena Second Team nod for his performance during the Rampage's 2001 championship season. Dolezel then joined the Las Vegas Gladiators in 2004 after two more less successful seasons with Grand Rapids. Dolezel continued to succeed at the quarterback position, but his Gladiators' teams only could muster back-to-back .500 seasons despite Dolezel's efforts.
In 2006 Dolezel signed on with the Dallas Desperados and instantly became a villain in the eyes of Soul fans everywhere. His three years with the Desperados were by far Dolzel's best seasons as an AFL professional quarterback. Dolezel racked up a combined 40-8 record in those three seasons leading the Desperados to the playoffs every season. In 2007 Dolezel became the first quarterback to lead his team to a 15-1 record in the history of the AFL. But Dolezel couldn't extend his regular season success into the playoffs as the Desperados were only able to win 1 game (in 2006) out of the 4 games they played from 2006-2008. Dolezel did however become the first quarterback in league history to surpass the 900 touchdown plateau in 2008.
Dolezel had a 4-4 career record against the Philadelphia Soul, 2-0 with the Gladiators and 2-4 with the Desperados. The Soul joined the league in 2004, so Dolezel only had the pleasure of facing off against the Soul for five seasons. With the Gladiators, Dolezel led his team to back-to-back victories over the Soul in 2004 and 2005 at the Wachovia Center (now the Wells-Fargo Center). In his six games against the Soul as a member of the Desperados, five out of the six contests were decided by 10 points or less.
In 2006 the Soul beat the Desperados twice by a combined 7 points between the two contests. In 2007 the Desperados defeated the Soul twice during their record breaking season by a combined 13 points between the two contests. In the Soul's 2008 championship season, the Soul routed the Desperados by 29 points in their first match up (a 57-28 home victory) and later slipped by that very same Desperados team 71-64 later that season at Dallas.
After the AFL folded in 2009, Dolezel joined the AF2's Florida Firecats as the team's offensive coordinator after 13 seasons as an AFL quarterback. Dolezel's offense wasn't good enough as the Firecats failed to qualify for postseason play for the first time since the Firecats' inaugural season in 2001. After a 7-9 season with the Firecats, Dolezel didn't resurface with the newly reformed AFL until 2011. In 2010 Dolezel was named the San Angelo Stampede Express' head coach of the IFL. Dolezel took a 5-9 Stampede Express team and turned them into a 10-4 playoff team in 2010.
Dolezel then rejoined his Dallas roots and coached the Dallas Vigilantes of the AFL in 2011. Dolezel again transformed a bottom-dweller into a playoff caliber team as he led the Vigilantes to an 11-7 record and a playoff appearance. The Vigilantes had finished at 3-13 in 2010 which marked the best turnaround for any team in the AFL for the 2011 season. When the Vigilantes folded and no coaching offers were presented to the second year coach, Dolezel joined the Philadelphia Soul along with many of his former players.
It's this familiarity with the many former Vigilantes that joined the Soul this off-season that coach Dolezel will be counted on the most in 2012. He possess a great offensive mind and will have no trouble running the Soul's offense for his former starting quarterback, full back, and wide receiver. The expectations for this Soul team doesn't stop at the players, but the coaches as well. The pieces are here to win it all, so hopefully the Soul are able to put everything together for another chance at an ArenaBowl championship.
Dolezel debuted in the AFL in 1995 with the Milwaukee Mustangs where he played sparingly in his two seasons with the club. In 1997 Dolezel signed with the Texas Terror (renamed the Houston Thunder Bears in 1998) where he saw action as the team's starting quarterback. After two more good seasons with the Thunder Bears, Dolezel joined the Grand Rapids Rampage in 2001 where he led the squad to the ArenaBowl XV championship. Dolezel was awarded an All-Arena Second Team nod for his performance during the Rampage's 2001 championship season. Dolezel then joined the Las Vegas Gladiators in 2004 after two more less successful seasons with Grand Rapids. Dolezel continued to succeed at the quarterback position, but his Gladiators' teams only could muster back-to-back .500 seasons despite Dolezel's efforts.
In 2006 Dolezel signed on with the Dallas Desperados and instantly became a villain in the eyes of Soul fans everywhere. His three years with the Desperados were by far Dolzel's best seasons as an AFL professional quarterback. Dolezel racked up a combined 40-8 record in those three seasons leading the Desperados to the playoffs every season. In 2007 Dolezel became the first quarterback to lead his team to a 15-1 record in the history of the AFL. But Dolezel couldn't extend his regular season success into the playoffs as the Desperados were only able to win 1 game (in 2006) out of the 4 games they played from 2006-2008. Dolezel did however become the first quarterback in league history to surpass the 900 touchdown plateau in 2008.
Dolezel had a 4-4 career record against the Philadelphia Soul, 2-0 with the Gladiators and 2-4 with the Desperados. The Soul joined the league in 2004, so Dolezel only had the pleasure of facing off against the Soul for five seasons. With the Gladiators, Dolezel led his team to back-to-back victories over the Soul in 2004 and 2005 at the Wachovia Center (now the Wells-Fargo Center). In his six games against the Soul as a member of the Desperados, five out of the six contests were decided by 10 points or less.
In 2006 the Soul beat the Desperados twice by a combined 7 points between the two contests. In 2007 the Desperados defeated the Soul twice during their record breaking season by a combined 13 points between the two contests. In the Soul's 2008 championship season, the Soul routed the Desperados by 29 points in their first match up (a 57-28 home victory) and later slipped by that very same Desperados team 71-64 later that season at Dallas.
After the AFL folded in 2009, Dolezel joined the AF2's Florida Firecats as the team's offensive coordinator after 13 seasons as an AFL quarterback. Dolezel's offense wasn't good enough as the Firecats failed to qualify for postseason play for the first time since the Firecats' inaugural season in 2001. After a 7-9 season with the Firecats, Dolezel didn't resurface with the newly reformed AFL until 2011. In 2010 Dolezel was named the San Angelo Stampede Express' head coach of the IFL. Dolezel took a 5-9 Stampede Express team and turned them into a 10-4 playoff team in 2010.
Dolezel then rejoined his Dallas roots and coached the Dallas Vigilantes of the AFL in 2011. Dolezel again transformed a bottom-dweller into a playoff caliber team as he led the Vigilantes to an 11-7 record and a playoff appearance. The Vigilantes had finished at 3-13 in 2010 which marked the best turnaround for any team in the AFL for the 2011 season. When the Vigilantes folded and no coaching offers were presented to the second year coach, Dolezel joined the Philadelphia Soul along with many of his former players.
It's this familiarity with the many former Vigilantes that joined the Soul this off-season that coach Dolezel will be counted on the most in 2012. He possess a great offensive mind and will have no trouble running the Soul's offense for his former starting quarterback, full back, and wide receiver. The expectations for this Soul team doesn't stop at the players, but the coaches as well. The pieces are here to win it all, so hopefully the Soul are able to put everything together for another chance at an ArenaBowl championship.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Soul's Defense in Big Situations
As I've posted earlier, the Soul had the 2nd best overall defense last season despite their 6-12 record. Today I'm going to take a closer look at why the Soul had just the 9th best scoring defense in the AFL last season while giving up the second fewest yards per game.
The Soul performed above average in their 3rd-down conversion rate. The Soul ranked 7th in the AFL giving up 51 conversions on 115 attempts for a 44.3% success rate. The Tampa Bay Storm had the league's lowest success rate at 37.6% on 38 of 101 attempts. The Iowa Barnstormers had the worst, they allowed 54 conversions on 104 attempts for a 51.9% success rate. The Soul performed the best out of the East Division in this category.
The Soul did not hold up so well when teams took a shot at them on 4th down, the Soul ranked next to last in this category. The defense allowed 20 4th-down conversions on 36 attempts--good for a gut wrenching 55.7% success rate for their opponents. Only the Iowa Barnstormers (yet again) allowed a worse percentage than the Soul--a 62.5% success rate on 20 of 32 attempts. The New Orleans VooDoo quite surprisingly held opponents to an AFL best 40.0% on 12 of 30 attempts.
And now we've come to the biggest indicator that the Soul's 2011 defense wasn't quite as advertised, the scoring defense. The Soul ranked 9th in the AFL in this category which was admirable, but after I give the numbers you'll see the area of concern for yourself.
Teams scored on the Soul on 94 (89 TD's and 5 FG's) of their 120 possessions in the red zone for a 78.3 success rate. Of those 89 touchdowns, 32 were rushing scores and 57 were passing touchdowns. Opponents attempted 11 field goals overall, but only came away with 5 of them made successfully.
Teams had the second most red zone scores against the Soul in the league and the Soul also defended against the most red zone possessions. The Utah Blaze gave up the most scores (106) on 120 red zone possessions. The Soul gave up the second most touchdowns, the second most rushing touchdowns, and the third most passing touchdowns.
These are not the type of numbers the Soul need in order to compete for a ArenaBowl championship in 2012. Improvement in this area must result pretty quickly in order for the Soul to have any chance, unless their offense improves that much more after all these off-season acquisitions. A prolific offense can keep the Soul close in any game they play, but a better than average defense is essential in order to advance throughout the playoffs.
One of the Soul's biggest reasons for such a poor scoring defense is because of their 49 turnovers lost last season. Things probably would look more favorable for the Soul if they had found a way to hold onto the football more often, but with a new season comes new possibilities. I look for the turnovers to improve and the scoring defense as well. The Soul still have some improvements to make on their second ranked defense from last year, but I don't see Plank allowing this defense to under perform one bit.
The Soul performed above average in their 3rd-down conversion rate. The Soul ranked 7th in the AFL giving up 51 conversions on 115 attempts for a 44.3% success rate. The Tampa Bay Storm had the league's lowest success rate at 37.6% on 38 of 101 attempts. The Iowa Barnstormers had the worst, they allowed 54 conversions on 104 attempts for a 51.9% success rate. The Soul performed the best out of the East Division in this category.
The Soul did not hold up so well when teams took a shot at them on 4th down, the Soul ranked next to last in this category. The defense allowed 20 4th-down conversions on 36 attempts--good for a gut wrenching 55.7% success rate for their opponents. Only the Iowa Barnstormers (yet again) allowed a worse percentage than the Soul--a 62.5% success rate on 20 of 32 attempts. The New Orleans VooDoo quite surprisingly held opponents to an AFL best 40.0% on 12 of 30 attempts.
And now we've come to the biggest indicator that the Soul's 2011 defense wasn't quite as advertised, the scoring defense. The Soul ranked 9th in the AFL in this category which was admirable, but after I give the numbers you'll see the area of concern for yourself.
Teams scored on the Soul on 94 (89 TD's and 5 FG's) of their 120 possessions in the red zone for a 78.3 success rate. Of those 89 touchdowns, 32 were rushing scores and 57 were passing touchdowns. Opponents attempted 11 field goals overall, but only came away with 5 of them made successfully.
Teams had the second most red zone scores against the Soul in the league and the Soul also defended against the most red zone possessions. The Utah Blaze gave up the most scores (106) on 120 red zone possessions. The Soul gave up the second most touchdowns, the second most rushing touchdowns, and the third most passing touchdowns.
These are not the type of numbers the Soul need in order to compete for a ArenaBowl championship in 2012. Improvement in this area must result pretty quickly in order for the Soul to have any chance, unless their offense improves that much more after all these off-season acquisitions. A prolific offense can keep the Soul close in any game they play, but a better than average defense is essential in order to advance throughout the playoffs.
One of the Soul's biggest reasons for such a poor scoring defense is because of their 49 turnovers lost last season. Things probably would look more favorable for the Soul if they had found a way to hold onto the football more often, but with a new season comes new possibilities. I look for the turnovers to improve and the scoring defense as well. The Soul still have some improvements to make on their second ranked defense from last year, but I don't see Plank allowing this defense to under perform one bit.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Kicking Position
One of the Soul's biggest weaknesses last season was the kicking position. The Soul had four different kickers on their roster at various points last season and their inability to find an "answer" at the position really hurt them. Team's with veteran, proven kickers can take chances when it comes to kicking field goals. Not many teams put much faith in their kicker at crucial times because they face such a disadvantage in the game of arena football. In the NFL, goal posts are 10 feet high and 18 feet, 6 inches wide. In the AFL, goal posts are 15 feet high and just 9 feet wide. That's basically cutting a kicker's chance of making a field goal in half because the crossbar in the AFL is so much shorter than the NFL's (the NCAA has the same dimensions as the NFL).
Unlike the NFL where extra points are basically a given, in the AFL, nothing is guaranteed when it comes to the kicking game. A missed field goal can turn into a return by the opposition resulting in a touchdown. Punts don't exist in the AFL, long field goals are like punts since the kicker has little chance to make field goals at such long distances. This is also what makes the AFL more exiting than the NFL in this regards, points can be scored at anytime. "Punts" can result in a made field goal and missed "field goals" can turn into run backs for the other team.
These possibilities become more evident when a team does not contain a reliable kicker on the roster. Since field goal stats can be skewed, the biggest indicator of a great kicker is his percentage of PAT's (Point After Touchdown) made. A kicker that converts a high percentage of PAT's is a very desirable player to have on one's roster.
Well the Soul didn't have any such luxury as kickers came and went time and time again throughout the season. The Soul weren't horrible at PAT kicking, but they weren't where they needed to be in order to compete with the rest of the league. The Soul ranked 12th out of 18 teams last season in PAT kicking. Soul kickers made 104/128 PAT for a .812 conversion rate. The top 5 PAT kicking teams in the AFL (Force, Predators, Vigilantes, Shock and Rattlers) last season qualified for post season play. Two teams (Gladiators and Sharks) actually kicked worse then the Soul, but still made the playoffs. The Sharks went on to win ArenaBowl XXIV despite a .781 PAT conversion rate, but they also attempted the most PAT in the league with 155 attempted and 121 made. The Soul did not contain such a high octane offense which led to them not being able to overcome such weaknesses.
Here's each kicker and how he fared while with the Soul in 2011:
James Paul (Games 1,2,3) - 13/17 PAT -> 76% made [1-2 record]
Massim Scaccia (Games 4,5,6) - 17/22 PAT -> 77% made [0-3 record]
Robbie Smith (Games 7,8,9,10,13) - 35/41 PAT -> 85% made [2-3 record]
Jon Strictsky (Games 11,12,14,15,16,17,18) - 39/48 PAT -> 81% made [3-4 record]
Here's how each kicker fared kicking field goals with the Soul in 2011:
James Paul (Games 1,2,3) - 2 made (18 and 25 yards) & 1 missed (24 yards) -> 67% made
Massim Scaccia (Games 4,5,6) - 0 made & 5 missed (26, 18, 59, 51, and 37 yards) -> 0% made
Robbie Smith (Games 7,8,9,10,13) - None attempted
Jon Strictsky (Games 11,12,14,15,16,17,18) - 2 made (20 and 19 yards) and 2 missed (41 and 44 yards)
No Soul kicker converted a field goal longer than 25 yards and even though the overall conversion rate for the team was at 4/12 good for just 33% made, that total included some "punts" that I spoke about earlier. The Soul ranked tied for 11th in the league with their 33% of field goals made with 3 other teams. The best team was the Spokane Shock who converted 6/9 for 67% made. The Milwaukee Mustangs attempted the most field goals (32) and made the most (20) in the AFL. The Utah Blaze attempted the league's fewest with just 3 attempts, only making 1 of them.
Each team last year averaged around 14.39 field goal attempts last season--making 6.44 of those attempts. So the league didn't even average at a 50% conversion rate for field goals, it averaged 45% made on the season. The Soul ranked below the league's average in every category and finding a veteran kicker should be one of the team's top priorities this off-season. Shouldn't underestimate the value of a quality kicker because as Soul fans witnessed in 2011, every point matters in these high scoring games. I don't see the answer anywhere among the Soul's 4 kickers last season, so hopefully Plank has someone in mind since the season is approaching ever so quickly.
Unlike the NFL where extra points are basically a given, in the AFL, nothing is guaranteed when it comes to the kicking game. A missed field goal can turn into a return by the opposition resulting in a touchdown. Punts don't exist in the AFL, long field goals are like punts since the kicker has little chance to make field goals at such long distances. This is also what makes the AFL more exiting than the NFL in this regards, points can be scored at anytime. "Punts" can result in a made field goal and missed "field goals" can turn into run backs for the other team.
These possibilities become more evident when a team does not contain a reliable kicker on the roster. Since field goal stats can be skewed, the biggest indicator of a great kicker is his percentage of PAT's (Point After Touchdown) made. A kicker that converts a high percentage of PAT's is a very desirable player to have on one's roster.
Well the Soul didn't have any such luxury as kickers came and went time and time again throughout the season. The Soul weren't horrible at PAT kicking, but they weren't where they needed to be in order to compete with the rest of the league. The Soul ranked 12th out of 18 teams last season in PAT kicking. Soul kickers made 104/128 PAT for a .812 conversion rate. The top 5 PAT kicking teams in the AFL (Force, Predators, Vigilantes, Shock and Rattlers) last season qualified for post season play. Two teams (Gladiators and Sharks) actually kicked worse then the Soul, but still made the playoffs. The Sharks went on to win ArenaBowl XXIV despite a .781 PAT conversion rate, but they also attempted the most PAT in the league with 155 attempted and 121 made. The Soul did not contain such a high octane offense which led to them not being able to overcome such weaknesses.
Here's each kicker and how he fared while with the Soul in 2011:
James Paul (Games 1,2,3) - 13/17 PAT -> 76% made [1-2 record]
Massim Scaccia (Games 4,5,6) - 17/22 PAT -> 77% made [0-3 record]
Robbie Smith (Games 7,8,9,10,13) - 35/41 PAT -> 85% made [2-3 record]
Jon Strictsky (Games 11,12,14,15,16,17,18) - 39/48 PAT -> 81% made [3-4 record]
Here's how each kicker fared kicking field goals with the Soul in 2011:
James Paul (Games 1,2,3) - 2 made (18 and 25 yards) & 1 missed (24 yards) -> 67% made
Massim Scaccia (Games 4,5,6) - 0 made & 5 missed (26, 18, 59, 51, and 37 yards) -> 0% made
Robbie Smith (Games 7,8,9,10,13) - None attempted
Jon Strictsky (Games 11,12,14,15,16,17,18) - 2 made (20 and 19 yards) and 2 missed (41 and 44 yards)
No Soul kicker converted a field goal longer than 25 yards and even though the overall conversion rate for the team was at 4/12 good for just 33% made, that total included some "punts" that I spoke about earlier. The Soul ranked tied for 11th in the league with their 33% of field goals made with 3 other teams. The best team was the Spokane Shock who converted 6/9 for 67% made. The Milwaukee Mustangs attempted the most field goals (32) and made the most (20) in the AFL. The Utah Blaze attempted the league's fewest with just 3 attempts, only making 1 of them.
Each team last year averaged around 14.39 field goal attempts last season--making 6.44 of those attempts. So the league didn't even average at a 50% conversion rate for field goals, it averaged 45% made on the season. The Soul ranked below the league's average in every category and finding a veteran kicker should be one of the team's top priorities this off-season. Shouldn't underestimate the value of a quality kicker because as Soul fans witnessed in 2011, every point matters in these high scoring games. I don't see the answer anywhere among the Soul's 4 kickers last season, so hopefully Plank has someone in mind since the season is approaching ever so quickly.
Friday, January 20, 2012
DB Tanner Varner
Last off-season the Soul made a huge splash by signing All-Arena DB Tanner Varner away from his hometown team the Iowa Barnstormers. Varner did not disappoint as he instantly made an impact on the defensive side of the ball.
After suffering an injury during a Week 8 victory over the Barnstormers, Varner did not suit up again for the rest of the season. In only 7 games, Varner registered 45.0 total tackles, 4 pass break-ups and 5 interceptions--returning two of those for touchdowns. Despite only playing in 39% of the Soul's regular season games, Varner still ranked second on the team in interceptions, third in pass break-ups and fifth in total tackles. He also returned a kickoff back for a touchdown.
Varner was on pace to record 13 interceptions and 116 total tackles which would have put him among the league's leaders in both categories. With Varner on board, the Soul went 2-5 in their first 7 games played. The Soul lost those 5 games by a margin of 10.6 points with Varner. Without him, the Soul lost by a margin of 13.1 points per game in those remaining 7 loses. It may not seem like a world's of difference between the two, but being that the Soul lost 6 games by 7 points or less (three of those loses were by 3 points or less) every little bit would've helped the Soul's cause.
After attending Ellsworth Community College for two years, Varner transferred to the University of Northern Iowa where he flourished. His senior season with the Panthers, Varner record 85.5 total tackles, 13.0 tackles for a loss and 3 interceptions in 2005. Varner received First Team All-American, All-Gateway Conference and team Defensive MVP honors for his impressive senior campaign.
With little interest from the NFL, Varner was introduced to the sport of Arena Football by former Northern Iowa great John Gregory. Gregory recruited Varner to play for him with the Arkansas Twisters of the AF2 in 2007. Coach Gregory was also responsible for recruiting AFL and NFL great Kurt Warner to play for the Iowa Barnstormers of the AFL from 1995-1997. Gregory's hunch paid off as Varner flourished in his rookie season with the Twisters. He recorded 83.5 total tackles (third on the team), 2 forced fumbles, and finished first on the team with 9 interceptions. Varner was named an All-League Defensive Back for his defensive efforts.
When the Iowa Barnstormers dropped down from the AFL to the AF2 in 2008, both Gregory and Varner left for their home state. Varner would play for the Barnstormers the next two seasons in the AF2 while building off his impressive 2007 campaign. In 2008 Varner led the Barnstormers in total tackles with 91.0 while also adding 7 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles. Then in 2009 Varner led the AF2 in total tackles with 119.5 while recording 8 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles.
The AFL reemerged in 2010 and invited the Iowa Barnstormers to join the newly reformed league. Varner stayed with his roots and continued to produce at an elite level. Varner again led the league with 129.5 total tackles (113 solo tackles) and picked off 8 passes and was later named First Team All-Arena and the Barnstormer's Defensive MVP.
If Varner can stay healthy enough for the season's entirety, he'll really be able to show the Soul and their fans why he was brought in to begin with. Varner's talents and skill set automatically make him a candidate for the Defensive Player of the Year award. Varner's a big part to what the Soul would like to accomplish in 2012 and producing is essential for the AFL veteran in season two with the Soul.
After suffering an injury during a Week 8 victory over the Barnstormers, Varner did not suit up again for the rest of the season. In only 7 games, Varner registered 45.0 total tackles, 4 pass break-ups and 5 interceptions--returning two of those for touchdowns. Despite only playing in 39% of the Soul's regular season games, Varner still ranked second on the team in interceptions, third in pass break-ups and fifth in total tackles. He also returned a kickoff back for a touchdown.
Varner was on pace to record 13 interceptions and 116 total tackles which would have put him among the league's leaders in both categories. With Varner on board, the Soul went 2-5 in their first 7 games played. The Soul lost those 5 games by a margin of 10.6 points with Varner. Without him, the Soul lost by a margin of 13.1 points per game in those remaining 7 loses. It may not seem like a world's of difference between the two, but being that the Soul lost 6 games by 7 points or less (three of those loses were by 3 points or less) every little bit would've helped the Soul's cause.
After attending Ellsworth Community College for two years, Varner transferred to the University of Northern Iowa where he flourished. His senior season with the Panthers, Varner record 85.5 total tackles, 13.0 tackles for a loss and 3 interceptions in 2005. Varner received First Team All-American, All-Gateway Conference and team Defensive MVP honors for his impressive senior campaign.
With little interest from the NFL, Varner was introduced to the sport of Arena Football by former Northern Iowa great John Gregory. Gregory recruited Varner to play for him with the Arkansas Twisters of the AF2 in 2007. Coach Gregory was also responsible for recruiting AFL and NFL great Kurt Warner to play for the Iowa Barnstormers of the AFL from 1995-1997. Gregory's hunch paid off as Varner flourished in his rookie season with the Twisters. He recorded 83.5 total tackles (third on the team), 2 forced fumbles, and finished first on the team with 9 interceptions. Varner was named an All-League Defensive Back for his defensive efforts.
When the Iowa Barnstormers dropped down from the AFL to the AF2 in 2008, both Gregory and Varner left for their home state. Varner would play for the Barnstormers the next two seasons in the AF2 while building off his impressive 2007 campaign. In 2008 Varner led the Barnstormers in total tackles with 91.0 while also adding 7 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles. Then in 2009 Varner led the AF2 in total tackles with 119.5 while recording 8 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles.
The AFL reemerged in 2010 and invited the Iowa Barnstormers to join the newly reformed league. Varner stayed with his roots and continued to produce at an elite level. Varner again led the league with 129.5 total tackles (113 solo tackles) and picked off 8 passes and was later named First Team All-Arena and the Barnstormer's Defensive MVP.
If Varner can stay healthy enough for the season's entirety, he'll really be able to show the Soul and their fans why he was brought in to begin with. Varner's talents and skill set automatically make him a candidate for the Defensive Player of the Year award. Varner's a big part to what the Soul would like to accomplish in 2012 and producing is essential for the AFL veteran in season two with the Soul.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Looking at the Division's Schedule
Today I'm taking a look at the American Eastern Division's scheduling for all the teams which include the Cleveland Gladiators, Milwaukee Mustangs, Pittsburgh Power and your Philadelphia Soul. Many of you may be familiar with the NFL schedule and how it contains a systematic approach to it. The NFL consists of 32 teams that play a 16-game schedule in 17 weeks. The AFL now has an 18-game schedule that spans over 20 weeks of play. The number of games that each league plays isn't the biggest difference between these two when it comes to scheduling. What helps the NFL out exponentially is that it's a fairly stable league in it's own right. The NFL has a nice, even number of teams at 32 and their isn't much change that occurs within the league in regards to the addition/subtraction of teams. The AFL on the other hand is still growing which means that clubs will come and go more frequently than in the NFL. The 25-year old AFL is still working to find and capture its audience, especially after the league didn't play it's 2009 season.
With that said, the AFL sits at 17 teams currently and with that comes a weird scheduling quirk. Unlike the NFL, the AFL doesn't schedule the majority of the same opponents for each divisional opponent which creates a somewhat unbalanced schedule for teams vying for the divisional crown. With three divisions of four teams and one division of five teams, this makes "equal" scheduling virtually impossible. That's why 2 out of the 17 teams will not play 9 games at home and 9 games on the road. The ArenaBowl XXIV champion Jacksonville Sharks will play 10 games at home and 8 games away, while the Milwaukee Mustangs (who finished last in the AFL in average attendance last season) will play only 8 games in Milwaukee and 10 games on the road. Talk about kicking a guy while he's down. In a move that I can only see as boosting the AFL's total attendance in the regular season, the Mustangs look as if their facing an uphill climb for survival. The Mustangs in addition to playing one less game at home will also have the pleasure of playing out the Eastern Division's toughest schedule by far.
Philadelphia Soul:
Six Divisional Games - Gladiators, Mustangs, and Power -> Home & Away
Four teams playing against twice - Predators, Sharks, Shock, and Storm -> Home & Away
Four teams playing once - Blaze (H), Force (A), SaberCats (H), & VooDoo (A)
Five teams not playing - Barnstormers, Command, Rattlers, Rush, and Talons.
Strength of Schedule -> 164-160 [2011's combined record for the Soul's 2012 opponents]
Home -> 83-79
Away -> 81-81
11 different 2012 opponents -> 5 of them were 2011 playoff teams.
Cleveland Gladiators:
Six Divisional Games - Mustangs, Power, and Soul -> Home & Away
Three teams playing against twice - Predators, Sharks, and Storm -> Home & Away
Six teams playing once - Barnstormers (A), Blaze (A), Command (H), Force (A), Rush (H), & VooDoo (H)
Four teams not playing - Rattlers, SaberCats, Shock, and Talons
Strength of Schedule -> 155-169 [2011's combined record for the Gladiators' 2012 opponents]
Home -> 70-92
Away -> 85-77
12 different 2012 opponents -> 4 of them were 2011 playoff teams.
Milwaukee Mustangs:
Six Divisional Games - Gladiators, Power, and Soul -> Home & Away
Two teams playing against twice - Rattlers, and Rush -> Home & Away
Eight teams playing once - Blaze (H), Force (H), Predators (A), SaberCats (H), Sharks (A), Shock (A), Storm (A), & VooDoo (A)
Three teams not playing - Barnstormers, Command, and Talons
Strength of Schedule -> 179-145 [2011's combined record for the Mustangs' 2012 opponents]
Home -> 81-63
Away -> 98-82
13 different 2012 opponents -> 7 of them were 2011 playoff teams.
Pittsburgh Power:
Six Divisional Games - Gladiators, Mustangs and Soul -> Home & Away
Three teams playing against twice - Barnstormers, Force and Predators -> Home & Away
Six teams playing once - Command (H), Rattlers (A), Sharks (H), Storm (H), Talons (A), & VooDoo (A)
Four teams not playing - Blaze, Rush, SaberCats, and Shock
Strength of Schedule -> 154-170 [2011's combined record for the Power's 2012 opponents]
Home -> 77-85
Away -> 77-85
12 different 2012 opponents -> 5 of them were 2011 playoff teams.
The Mustangs' schedule is loaded with gretat 2011 teams including every team that qualified for last year's playoffs (the Dallas Vigilantes disbanded). The Soul has a pretty good schedule full of some great Home & Away match-ups against four prominent AFL franchises. The Gladiators and the Power come out virtually tied for the lowest strength of schedule in the Eastern Division.
Here's my early 2012 Eastern Division Projections:
1.) Philadelphia Soul -> Just too much talent to not win the East.
2.) Pittsburgh Power -> I have the Power at percentage points to a game better in the standings than #3.
3.) Cleveland Gladiators -> Still a winning team even though I see the Soul & Power moving past them in the standings.
4.) Milwaukee Mustangs -> The only team I feel that will end 2012 with a losing record. That schedule is just too brutal to overcome.
Use this as your keeping track of the Soul and their fellow Eastern Division opponents throughout the season. Remember, just because a schedule looks a certain way, it doesn't mean that it'll necessarily turn out that way by season's end. With the amount of changes that take place among AFL team's rosters, anything can happen.
Here's the NFL Network Schedule for the Eastern Division (Games start 8:00 PM Eastern Time):
Week 1: Pittsburgh Power at Orlando Predators
Week 3: Philadelphia Soul at Pittsburgh Power
Week 7: Tampa Bay Storm at Philadelphia Soul
Week 10: Cleveland Gladiators at Milwaukee Mustangs
Week 13: Cleveland Gladiators at Iowa Barnstormers
Week 14: Pittsburgh Power at Cleveland Gladiators
Week 16: Arizona Rattlers at Milwaukee Mustangs
Week 17: Milwaukee Mustangs at Cleveland Gladiators
Week 18: Milwaukee Mustangs at Jacksonville Sharks
Week 19: Cleveland Gladiators at Utah Blaze
Week 20: Jacksonville Sharks at Pittsburgh Power
Appearances on NFL Network by team:
Soul: 2
Mustangs: 4
Power: 4
Gladiators: 5
Teams in the Eastern Division are shown on the NFL Network 11 out of the 20 weeks (an AFL high), including 5 straight games to end the season. The AFL gave the 2011 Eastern Division champions some recognition by broadcasting them a league tying 5 times nationally. The Soul were left with only two appearances on the network after their disappointing 6-12 season. Despite getting the short end of the stick scheduling wise, the Mustangs are nationally broadcasted 4 times this upcoming season along with the Power. To put all of this into perspective, the Jacksonville Sharks make 4 appearances on the network this season. How Cleveland got more than them is mind boggling to say the least. It's clear that despite being the league's worst division in 2011, that the East is getting picked up by the NFL Network the most because of their favorable timezone. Which is good for us in the Eastern Division, but bad when you're looking for variety within the AFL. I would like it if the NFL Network picked up the league's better teams so that the AFL is represented well on a national level.
With that said, the AFL sits at 17 teams currently and with that comes a weird scheduling quirk. Unlike the NFL, the AFL doesn't schedule the majority of the same opponents for each divisional opponent which creates a somewhat unbalanced schedule for teams vying for the divisional crown. With three divisions of four teams and one division of five teams, this makes "equal" scheduling virtually impossible. That's why 2 out of the 17 teams will not play 9 games at home and 9 games on the road. The ArenaBowl XXIV champion Jacksonville Sharks will play 10 games at home and 8 games away, while the Milwaukee Mustangs (who finished last in the AFL in average attendance last season) will play only 8 games in Milwaukee and 10 games on the road. Talk about kicking a guy while he's down. In a move that I can only see as boosting the AFL's total attendance in the regular season, the Mustangs look as if their facing an uphill climb for survival. The Mustangs in addition to playing one less game at home will also have the pleasure of playing out the Eastern Division's toughest schedule by far.
Philadelphia Soul:
Six Divisional Games - Gladiators, Mustangs, and Power -> Home & Away
Four teams playing against twice - Predators, Sharks, Shock, and Storm -> Home & Away
Four teams playing once - Blaze (H), Force (A), SaberCats (H), & VooDoo (A)
Five teams not playing - Barnstormers, Command, Rattlers, Rush, and Talons.
Strength of Schedule -> 164-160 [2011's combined record for the Soul's 2012 opponents]
Home -> 83-79
Away -> 81-81
11 different 2012 opponents -> 5 of them were 2011 playoff teams.
Cleveland Gladiators:
Six Divisional Games - Mustangs, Power, and Soul -> Home & Away
Three teams playing against twice - Predators, Sharks, and Storm -> Home & Away
Six teams playing once - Barnstormers (A), Blaze (A), Command (H), Force (A), Rush (H), & VooDoo (H)
Four teams not playing - Rattlers, SaberCats, Shock, and Talons
Strength of Schedule -> 155-169 [2011's combined record for the Gladiators' 2012 opponents]
Home -> 70-92
Away -> 85-77
12 different 2012 opponents -> 4 of them were 2011 playoff teams.
Milwaukee Mustangs:
Six Divisional Games - Gladiators, Power, and Soul -> Home & Away
Two teams playing against twice - Rattlers, and Rush -> Home & Away
Eight teams playing once - Blaze (H), Force (H), Predators (A), SaberCats (H), Sharks (A), Shock (A), Storm (A), & VooDoo (A)
Three teams not playing - Barnstormers, Command, and Talons
Strength of Schedule -> 179-145 [2011's combined record for the Mustangs' 2012 opponents]
Home -> 81-63
Away -> 98-82
13 different 2012 opponents -> 7 of them were 2011 playoff teams.
Pittsburgh Power:
Six Divisional Games - Gladiators, Mustangs and Soul -> Home & Away
Three teams playing against twice - Barnstormers, Force and Predators -> Home & Away
Six teams playing once - Command (H), Rattlers (A), Sharks (H), Storm (H), Talons (A), & VooDoo (A)
Four teams not playing - Blaze, Rush, SaberCats, and Shock
Strength of Schedule -> 154-170 [2011's combined record for the Power's 2012 opponents]
Home -> 77-85
Away -> 77-85
12 different 2012 opponents -> 5 of them were 2011 playoff teams.
The Mustangs' schedule is loaded with gretat 2011 teams including every team that qualified for last year's playoffs (the Dallas Vigilantes disbanded). The Soul has a pretty good schedule full of some great Home & Away match-ups against four prominent AFL franchises. The Gladiators and the Power come out virtually tied for the lowest strength of schedule in the Eastern Division.
Here's my early 2012 Eastern Division Projections:
1.) Philadelphia Soul -> Just too much talent to not win the East.
2.) Pittsburgh Power -> I have the Power at percentage points to a game better in the standings than #3.
3.) Cleveland Gladiators -> Still a winning team even though I see the Soul & Power moving past them in the standings.
4.) Milwaukee Mustangs -> The only team I feel that will end 2012 with a losing record. That schedule is just too brutal to overcome.
Use this as your keeping track of the Soul and their fellow Eastern Division opponents throughout the season. Remember, just because a schedule looks a certain way, it doesn't mean that it'll necessarily turn out that way by season's end. With the amount of changes that take place among AFL team's rosters, anything can happen.
Here's the NFL Network Schedule for the Eastern Division (Games start 8:00 PM Eastern Time):
Week 1: Pittsburgh Power at Orlando Predators
Week 3: Philadelphia Soul at Pittsburgh Power
Week 7: Tampa Bay Storm at Philadelphia Soul
Week 10: Cleveland Gladiators at Milwaukee Mustangs
Week 13: Cleveland Gladiators at Iowa Barnstormers
Week 14: Pittsburgh Power at Cleveland Gladiators
Week 16: Arizona Rattlers at Milwaukee Mustangs
Week 17: Milwaukee Mustangs at Cleveland Gladiators
Week 18: Milwaukee Mustangs at Jacksonville Sharks
Week 19: Cleveland Gladiators at Utah Blaze
Week 20: Jacksonville Sharks at Pittsburgh Power
Appearances on NFL Network by team:
Soul: 2
Mustangs: 4
Power: 4
Gladiators: 5
Teams in the Eastern Division are shown on the NFL Network 11 out of the 20 weeks (an AFL high), including 5 straight games to end the season. The AFL gave the 2011 Eastern Division champions some recognition by broadcasting them a league tying 5 times nationally. The Soul were left with only two appearances on the network after their disappointing 6-12 season. Despite getting the short end of the stick scheduling wise, the Mustangs are nationally broadcasted 4 times this upcoming season along with the Power. To put all of this into perspective, the Jacksonville Sharks make 4 appearances on the network this season. How Cleveland got more than them is mind boggling to say the least. It's clear that despite being the league's worst division in 2011, that the East is getting picked up by the NFL Network the most because of their favorable timezone. Which is good for us in the Eastern Division, but bad when you're looking for variety within the AFL. I would like it if the NFL Network picked up the league's better teams so that the AFL is represented well on a national level.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Papale's People - Open Tryout Successes
The Philadelphia Soul and the Utah Blaze of the AFL just recently held on open tryout in Los Angeles, California in hopes of finding some untapped talent in Southern California. This January 14th event marked the first time any team (the Soul) has traveled over 3,000 miles to host a tryout. Why would a team attempt something such as this you might ask? The reason is that in the AFL, open tryouts actually do work and have worked quite recently for the Soul.
When the Soul reemerged in 2011, they held two open tryouts in Philadelphia looking for pieces to add to their roster. Both were the two highest attended tryouts in the AFL with over 600 participants showing up to display their talents. Out of those who showed up, the Soul made offers to 7 of them and 3 made the final 2011 roster. Seven out of over 600 plus doesn't seem like a huge success, but when you consider that only 24 players make up an AFL roster, the Soul found one-eighth of their team from those two open tryouts. Those players were LB Jerome Hayes (15 games), WR Keith Stokes (13 games) and OL Nyere Aumaitre (14 games). All three started games and received pretty significant playing time with Stokes probably being the biggest surprise out of the group. Stokes racked up 78 catches for 940 yards and 7 touchdowns in his 13 games. Hayes also contributed nicely on the defensive side of the ball registering 21.0 total tackles, 3.0 tackles for a loss, 1 sacks and 1 interception.
Both Aumaitre and Hayes have signed on for the 2012 season with Stokes still being listed as a free agent. With the plethora of talent the Soul have added to the receiving corps this off-season, the 33-year-old's chances of making the squad would look pretty dim anyways.
This past October 22nd, the Soul held another tryout at the Philadelphia Eagles' NovaCare Complex where over 200 participants showed off their football talents. Just days later the Soul announced the assignments of two out of the 200 plus hopeful. DB Jesse Cooper and WR/KR Alfonso Hoggard III were the two lucky players who agreed to terms with the Soul. Coach Plank was quoted as saying that Cooper displayed a great defensive presence while Hoggard III had great hands with good route running ability and added a 4.2 forty speed.
So what might seem as a minor detail or a waste of time to sports fans not familiar with the process, open tryouts have become very successful for the AFL introducing players in ways that wouldn't have been possible otherwise. The AFL is all about the blue collar type of player that Philadelphia fans clamor for every season. Don't let the game of arena football fool you though, these players come to play every week in hopes of making the "big bucks" one day like AFL legend Kurt Warner. Despite making less money, the players don't let up in their intensity and effort which is reason enough to give the AFL a try if you haven't yet had the pleasure of doing.
Just think of Vince Papale back in 1976 and how great of a story that was for not just Eagles fans, but for the entire world. Well in the AFL stories like that happen on a yearly basis, giving guys that the NFL labeled as "not good enough" or that "lack the right size" to be successful at their position the chance of making a name for themselves by the quality of their play alone. Here's to getting to know a couple more people like that in this coming season.
When the Soul reemerged in 2011, they held two open tryouts in Philadelphia looking for pieces to add to their roster. Both were the two highest attended tryouts in the AFL with over 600 participants showing up to display their talents. Out of those who showed up, the Soul made offers to 7 of them and 3 made the final 2011 roster. Seven out of over 600 plus doesn't seem like a huge success, but when you consider that only 24 players make up an AFL roster, the Soul found one-eighth of their team from those two open tryouts. Those players were LB Jerome Hayes (15 games), WR Keith Stokes (13 games) and OL Nyere Aumaitre (14 games). All three started games and received pretty significant playing time with Stokes probably being the biggest surprise out of the group. Stokes racked up 78 catches for 940 yards and 7 touchdowns in his 13 games. Hayes also contributed nicely on the defensive side of the ball registering 21.0 total tackles, 3.0 tackles for a loss, 1 sacks and 1 interception.
Both Aumaitre and Hayes have signed on for the 2012 season with Stokes still being listed as a free agent. With the plethora of talent the Soul have added to the receiving corps this off-season, the 33-year-old's chances of making the squad would look pretty dim anyways.
This past October 22nd, the Soul held another tryout at the Philadelphia Eagles' NovaCare Complex where over 200 participants showed off their football talents. Just days later the Soul announced the assignments of two out of the 200 plus hopeful. DB Jesse Cooper and WR/KR Alfonso Hoggard III were the two lucky players who agreed to terms with the Soul. Coach Plank was quoted as saying that Cooper displayed a great defensive presence while Hoggard III had great hands with good route running ability and added a 4.2 forty speed.
So what might seem as a minor detail or a waste of time to sports fans not familiar with the process, open tryouts have become very successful for the AFL introducing players in ways that wouldn't have been possible otherwise. The AFL is all about the blue collar type of player that Philadelphia fans clamor for every season. Don't let the game of arena football fool you though, these players come to play every week in hopes of making the "big bucks" one day like AFL legend Kurt Warner. Despite making less money, the players don't let up in their intensity and effort which is reason enough to give the AFL a try if you haven't yet had the pleasure of doing.
Just think of Vince Papale back in 1976 and how great of a story that was for not just Eagles fans, but for the entire world. Well in the AFL stories like that happen on a yearly basis, giving guys that the NFL labeled as "not good enough" or that "lack the right size" to be successful at their position the chance of making a name for themselves by the quality of their play alone. Here's to getting to know a couple more people like that in this coming season.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
WR Larry Brackins
Entering his fourth season with the Soul, Larry Brackins joins a group that has the potential of being the best receiving corps in Soul history. Along with fellow teammate Clifton Smith, Brackins is the only other player left from the 2008 championship season for the Soul.
While attended Pearl River Community College (2003-2004), Brackins received numerous awards for his play with the Wildcats. In his freshman season, Brackins recorded 45 receptions for 772 yards and 9 touchdowns for the Wildcats. The next season Brackins improved upon his impressive numbers by recording 55 receptions for 1,117 yards and 10 touchdowns. His awards include two time (2003-2004) All-Mississippi Association of Community & Junior Colleges (MACJC) and First-Team National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) in 2004.
Brackins was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 5th round (155th overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft. After missing part of training camp due to a hamstring injury, Brackins was released days before the Buccaneers first game of the 2005 season. He made two catches for 19 yards during the 2005 preseason, but the "project" out of Pearl River Community College couldn't catch on with the team. Brackins resigned with the Buccaneers in 2006 where he spent time at their training camp, but was again released this time in late July.
In 2007 Brackins joined the Philadelphia Soul where he instantly made in impact playing in just 10 regular season games. Brackins recorded 56 receptions for 786 yards and 20 touchdowns for the Soul during his rookie season with the AFL. Brackins improved upon his impressive rookie campaign in 2008 where he recorded 107 recpetions for 1,395 yards and 29 touchdowns for the Eastern Division Champions. It was Brackins who was on the receiving end of one of the most important touchdowns in Soul history.
In the Divisional Round of the 2008 playoffs, the Soul faced the New York Dragons who held the Soul at the brink of elimination. With 7 seconds left, the Soul trailed 48-43 and were on the Soul's 22-yard line. Then QB Matt D'Orazio dropped back for the final play of the game and connected with Brackins on a crossing pattern. Brackins catching the ball at the Dragons' 10-yard line dashed towards to right side of the goal line and dove in for the touchdown. The play was so close that it had to go under review, but was ultimately upheld in favor of the Soul. That play propelled the Soul through the playoffs and into ArenaBowl XXII where they defeated the San Jose SaberCats 59-56.
Later that year Brackins signed on with the New York Jets, but was later released during final cuts. During the league's hiatus in 2009, Brackins was drafted by the California Redwoods of the UFL during the league's inaugural draft.
Brackins reentered the AFL with the Dallas Vigilantes in 2010 where recorded 61 receptions for 734 yards and 20 touchdowns. in 2011 Brackins returned to the Soul, but had his least productive season ever in the AFL recording 41 catches for 492 yards and 13 touchdowns in 16 games.
Brackins looks to at least play the same role as he did last season with the Soul. Brackins brings veteran and championship experience to a Soul franchise that's very familiar with him and vice versa. Brackins will be a productive contributor as the Soul hope to rekindle some of that 2008 magic that has alluded the franchise since.
While attended Pearl River Community College (2003-2004), Brackins received numerous awards for his play with the Wildcats. In his freshman season, Brackins recorded 45 receptions for 772 yards and 9 touchdowns for the Wildcats. The next season Brackins improved upon his impressive numbers by recording 55 receptions for 1,117 yards and 10 touchdowns. His awards include two time (2003-2004) All-Mississippi Association of Community & Junior Colleges (MACJC) and First-Team National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) in 2004.
Brackins was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 5th round (155th overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft. After missing part of training camp due to a hamstring injury, Brackins was released days before the Buccaneers first game of the 2005 season. He made two catches for 19 yards during the 2005 preseason, but the "project" out of Pearl River Community College couldn't catch on with the team. Brackins resigned with the Buccaneers in 2006 where he spent time at their training camp, but was again released this time in late July.
In 2007 Brackins joined the Philadelphia Soul where he instantly made in impact playing in just 10 regular season games. Brackins recorded 56 receptions for 786 yards and 20 touchdowns for the Soul during his rookie season with the AFL. Brackins improved upon his impressive rookie campaign in 2008 where he recorded 107 recpetions for 1,395 yards and 29 touchdowns for the Eastern Division Champions. It was Brackins who was on the receiving end of one of the most important touchdowns in Soul history.
In the Divisional Round of the 2008 playoffs, the Soul faced the New York Dragons who held the Soul at the brink of elimination. With 7 seconds left, the Soul trailed 48-43 and were on the Soul's 22-yard line. Then QB Matt D'Orazio dropped back for the final play of the game and connected with Brackins on a crossing pattern. Brackins catching the ball at the Dragons' 10-yard line dashed towards to right side of the goal line and dove in for the touchdown. The play was so close that it had to go under review, but was ultimately upheld in favor of the Soul. That play propelled the Soul through the playoffs and into ArenaBowl XXII where they defeated the San Jose SaberCats 59-56.
Later that year Brackins signed on with the New York Jets, but was later released during final cuts. During the league's hiatus in 2009, Brackins was drafted by the California Redwoods of the UFL during the league's inaugural draft.
Brackins reentered the AFL with the Dallas Vigilantes in 2010 where recorded 61 receptions for 734 yards and 20 touchdowns. in 2011 Brackins returned to the Soul, but had his least productive season ever in the AFL recording 41 catches for 492 yards and 13 touchdowns in 16 games.
Brackins looks to at least play the same role as he did last season with the Soul. Brackins brings veteran and championship experience to a Soul franchise that's very familiar with him and vice versa. Brackins will be a productive contributor as the Soul hope to rekindle some of that 2008 magic that has alluded the franchise since.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Soul add WR Emery Sammons
Today the Soul added even more wide receiver depth with the addition of Emery Sammons. Sammons joins a group that already includes Anthony Jones, Donovan Morgan and Larry Brackins. Sammons isn't just a depth addition, he's also a player on the rise.
The native out of Willingboro, NJ played collegiate football at Norfolk State (2004-2006) and was the Spartan's few bright spots on the team. Sammons ranks second in receiving yards (1,220) at Norfolk State since 1970.
Simmons was invited to two mini-camps with the Philadelphia Eagles out of college. In 2008 Sammons spent time on the preseason roster with the Philadelphia Soul and New York Dragons. With nothing happening there Sammons signed with the AF2's Manchester Wolves where he recorded 85 receptions for 1,156 yards and 21 touchdowns. In 14 games with the Wolves in 2009 Sammons earned All-AF2 honors after nabbing 102 catches for 1,146 yards and 26 touchdowns.
With the AF2 dissolving after the 2009 season, Sammons signed with the Spokane Shock of the newly formed AFL. Playing in a decreased role, Sammons collected 17 receptions for 234 yards and 1 touchdown for the Shock who went on to win ArenaBowl XXIII that season. Then in 2011 Sammons saw his workload increase considerably after collecting 68 receptions for 739 yards and 10 touchdowns.
With arena football experience and proven success at the sport previously, the addition of Sammons is a really smart move for the never satisfied Philadelphia Soul front office. Surrounding Sammons with Jones and Morgan alone should take his game to another level. Sammons is a great young talent who definitively has not peeked in terms of his production or what people should expect from him year in and year out.
It'll be interesting to watch who'll shine above the rest during training camp because at this point each player has a shot at catching for big numbers in 2012.
The native out of Willingboro, NJ played collegiate football at Norfolk State (2004-2006) and was the Spartan's few bright spots on the team. Sammons ranks second in receiving yards (1,220) at Norfolk State since 1970.
Simmons was invited to two mini-camps with the Philadelphia Eagles out of college. In 2008 Sammons spent time on the preseason roster with the Philadelphia Soul and New York Dragons. With nothing happening there Sammons signed with the AF2's Manchester Wolves where he recorded 85 receptions for 1,156 yards and 21 touchdowns. In 14 games with the Wolves in 2009 Sammons earned All-AF2 honors after nabbing 102 catches for 1,146 yards and 26 touchdowns.
With the AF2 dissolving after the 2009 season, Sammons signed with the Spokane Shock of the newly formed AFL. Playing in a decreased role, Sammons collected 17 receptions for 234 yards and 1 touchdown for the Shock who went on to win ArenaBowl XXIII that season. Then in 2011 Sammons saw his workload increase considerably after collecting 68 receptions for 739 yards and 10 touchdowns.
With arena football experience and proven success at the sport previously, the addition of Sammons is a really smart move for the never satisfied Philadelphia Soul front office. Surrounding Sammons with Jones and Morgan alone should take his game to another level. Sammons is a great young talent who definitively has not peeked in terms of his production or what people should expect from him year in and year out.
It'll be interesting to watch who'll shine above the rest during training camp because at this point each player has a shot at catching for big numbers in 2012.
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