ArenaFan Interview: Kicker Dan Frantz
Tim Ball
Monday January 24, 2005
Kicker Dan Frantz in his rookie season last year brought far more to his position than accurate placement. The SaberCats did not allow a kickoff return in any game of the 2004 season. Time after time the last man standing between a quick six-points and a momentum shift was San Jose’s spirited Frantz. With twelve unassisted tackles in 2004, Frantz made his mark on more than just the nets and scoreboard.
Handling both kicking and punting in four seasons at Portland State (1997-00) Frantz showed strengths in multiple roles in his first days in camp with San Jose.
"Dan came into the tryouts with a very positive approach and attitude. He simply shined brighter than any other kicker on the field," said General Manager Terry Malley. "Dan has a lot of athletic ability and he maintained consistency all season. If he missed a kick, it didn’t bother his performance the next time he got his chance. I think he proved that in the ArenaBowl."
New edition
Talking with Frantz is like meeting a surfer in Malibu. You quickly find out there’s far more than one dimension to this guy. Bright, energetic, a multi-talented athlete and natural "life of the party," San Jose’s new kicker won over SaberCats fans in just a few games. Which is not an easy task when comparing Frantz to the man he replaced, the affable, steadfast and hulking SaberCats’ fan-favorite Daron Alcorn.
Alcorn, though an apparent contradiction in terms of football kickers at 6’3" 265, was part of the SaberCats family no matter his image. Frantz was quick to find out that fans in San Jose judge all new players not by how they look on NBC but by how they appear in the win column. Though he played well for this first season, his 7 of 15 for 46.7% in field goal attempts shows room for improvement. Nonetheless, as part of a team that won an ArenaBowl decided by one touchdown, you can bet Frantz is a welcome member to the clan.
And introducing
Frantz and the SaberCats had just returned from a football clinic in the Bahamas when the game of ArenaFan phone tag came to an end. Though very friendly with fans and teammates, Frantz takes the game and his multi-role position in this brand of football very serious.
AF: Congratulations on the ArenaBowl championship. You’re in camp now and busy thinking about this season, but when did the ArenaBowl win sink in?
DF: Thanks. Everything happens so fast in this league and though during the game it sometimes seems like an eternity on the field, afterwards everyone was kind of buzzing about it all. It took days just to start relaxing. I can see now why guys are so intense about this league. It took a few weeks to feel the accomplishment and then I knew what we had done for sure.
AF: What do you think was the main reason for winning it all?
DF: San Jose has been a premier team; I think something like the last four or five consecutive years. And the reason is obvious. The organization has an attitude to achieve excellence and focusing on what you need to do at each position, from player to front office. They keep us all prepared to do what needs to be done. It’s impressive how serious the organization takes this game. And it shows doesn’t it?
AF: Certainly the SaberCats seem to be the team to beat. Did you realize you were joining a team on everyone’s hit list?
DF: Yes. San Jose players know that winning draws your opposition to want to be your equal. The coaching staff has every player know that the role they play on each down is key to the overall outcome. In Arena Football one dropped pass, one missed tackle or block and one missed extra point can be the difference in winning and losing.
AF: You seem to take tackling as serious as you do your kicking game. The fans in San Jose had come to expect you to make the do-or-die every time by the end of the season. Did you know the SaberCats didn’t allow a kick return and that you had more than a dozen solo tackles?
DF: Yes, I knew and so did the team. We prepare very hard on special teams and I am very proud of the record we achieved in 2004.
AF: How did you adjust to the height and narrowness of the arena goals, and how did you find the net aspect of the game?
DF: Consistency in all of your kicks is mandatory or you won’t last long in Arena Football. It sounds basic and simple but the goals and nets have a strategy to them that brings a major role to the kicking game. Where you place the ball on the nets is extremely important for kick coverage. The field is short enough, so limiting return yardage plays a major role. And with the amount of scoring in this league, virtually every possession, every extra point carries with it the real possibility of winning and losing.
AF: Another congratulation. You got married to Shelby shortly after the ArenaBowl. Does your wife enjoy the arena game?
DF: Yeah, 2004 was pretty good for me. The game takes a little while to understand but football is football. Yes, Shelby enjoys the games and the atmosphere in the arena.
AF: The Bahamas? Not a bad perk in the world of Arena Football. What were the SaberCats doing in the Bahamas running a football clinic?
DF: This was an ambassador of the sport kind of thing. We were at the Four Seasons resort in Great Exuma and the schools there bussed in a couple hundred kids. We taught them American football. Most of the kids have not been exposed to our sport. It went very well.
AF: Did the kids catch on to American football and did you see any future talent?
DF: Kids are sponges to sports and they took our instructions and caught on very fast. Their attitude was great to see. Since they play soccer all of the time we saw quite a few kids that were fast and agile and would do well in our style of football.
AF: And of course being in the Bahamas wasn’t a tough gig either. You are an avid and talented golfer I hear. Play any rounds in your off time?
DF: (Laughing) Yeah it was real tough being in a clinic in the Bahamas but someone had to do it. On the golf thing, I was there for football. That’s my official quote.
AF: What do you think about Arena Football, you’ve been with the Redskins and played four years in college before that, but what about this indoor version?
DF: It has a good reputation now and with players in the NFL, and I see why. The players in the AFL have to be very good athletically and I found this out the first day in camp with the SaberCats.
AF: Terry Malley mentioned that you seemed to want it more than the next guy.
DF: I’m a very competitive guy. The thing about Arena Football is that you are expected to be able to play football in many roles. Not just one specialized place on the field. That spoke to me because I like playing different positions. I feel I have the ability.
AF: Your stats on kickoff tackles shows that. Your reputation in San Jose with fans quickly added your solo tackles on kickoffs, and well sorry, missed field goals. Do you like to tackle even with the risk of injury?
DF: Well I don’t like missing field goals but it is a matter of reality in this league with the narrow and higher goal posts. But then if you don’t turn to doing your job on tackling on the return your team is going to suffer very quickly. Players know that the same as the fans do. And in fact I do pride myself in my tackling. I punted, kicked off and was the field goal kicker at Portland State.
AF: Is there a kicker or kickers in this league that you admire or have learned from by playing them?
DF: Remy Hamilton on the Avengers and Nelson Garner on the Rattlers. They are very good kickers and take pride as well on special teams. I asked Hamilton a lot of questions when I had the chance at the beginning of the season when we played them. Garner was excellent at the ArenaBowl and I admire them both.
AF: On the game itself, how did you adjust to the dimensions and aspects of the field and do you like being so close to the fans?
DF: The size of the field doesn’t really matter once things start happening. Once players start hitting and tackling it’s hard to notice any difference. You hear a lot about the fans from players who try to teach you this game. At home they are great to have on your side and at away games, well, you have to try and tune them out.
AF: Clevan Thomas mentioned a place he thought had the most intense fans on the road. What team to you has the most intense?
DF: Arizona. They take this rivalry between them and the SaberCats very seriously. It’s very intense.
AF: Thomas mentioned the exact same place. So then, how did the SaberCats like winning the championship at the "Snake Pit?" Against that team and those fans?
DF: Now that I’m back in San Jose I will say that it has come up. (Chuckling) I’ll leave it at that. I really think the kinds of fans that are in this league, they know exactly how we felt. Especially the veterans on this team. This rivalry goes back 10 years and there is also a tremendous amount of respect the two organizations have for each other. But winning is what it’s all about.
AF: Did the SaberCats players or coaches talk about winning in Arizona?
DF: Not really. There is too much preparation to think about anything else. They beat us twice in the regular season and we basically let those games get away from us. We felt it would be another battle and it was, and we were prepared.
AF: What will it take to repeat? I know you follow the game and you see what the other teams are up to and the players they’re selecting.
DF: It was tough enough last season. I feel that this is the best organization and it has great coaches and they are ready for what we’ll face. We have the players to match up with anyone. It all depends on what happens on the field. Preparation is the key and this franchise does that.
AF: Oh yeah, which brings me to your first game. It’s with Tampa Bay. Not only are they the 2003 champions and lost in the playoffs to the SaberCats, their head coach Tim Marcum was hot and very upset about the cowbells during the playoffs. He vowed to have his fans bring noisemakers, air horns, you name it, to deafen San Jose on offense. And he gets you guys in the first game of the season.
DF: (Laughing) That game was insane huh? That was the loudest thing I have ever heard. My ears rang for days afterwards. My family couldn’t hear anything watching on TV. You know, thinking back to it didn’t we get a fine or something? Anyway it’s one of those memories you take with you. Shows you how great our fans are. Let’s see it this season. We’re going to need it as defending league champions.
AF: Do you have anything else you’d like say to the San Jose fans?
DF: Seriously, they are great. I thought I wouldn’t like being so close when I heard other players talking about it but they keep you motivated to do your best the moment your on the field. As a kicker they get on you when you miss, but let’s face it a few points almost always decide most games. I know that now. But San Jose has a solid core of sensational fans. I heard that and found that out for myself. Now let’s go out and play the games.
AF: Good luck Dan from those of us at ArenaFan who cover the league.
DF: Thanks for the coverage and thanks to our fans at home and all over the league and let’s get this thing going.
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The 2004 ArenaBowl Champion San Jose SaberCats versus the 2003 ArenaBowl champion Tampa Bay Storm.
Game time is 3pm, January 30, at the St. Pete Times Forum.
The game will be televised nationally on NBC.
Tim Ball is a writer in the Chicagoland area. Married and father of three, his opinions on Arena Football reflects the positive aspect of the game as a family event second to none in pro sports.
