Breaking it Down - 2010 AFL Awards Ballot
Andy Lopusnak
Monday August 2, 2010
The AFL sent out media ballots for the end of the season awards and All-Arena teams Sunday afternoon. After filling mine out, I wanted to share it with you and give you reasons why I feel each recipient should be named that specific award. In addition, I've included by All-Arena First and Second Teams. This is my ballot that I'm sending to the league after I post it here first.
2010 AFL COACH OF THE YEAR
The league listed all 15 head coaches and asked the media to rank their top three. Here's mine.
1. Rob Keefe, Spokane
Though the Shock won the final af2 title last season and was 19-1 on the year, the league's meaningless polls didn't think too much of the two-time ArenaCup champs. After one week, the league polls had Spokane at sixth in fan poll, while the coaches poll ranked them ninth and the writers had them at tenth. Fast forward 16 games and the Shock finished an AFL best 13-3. Sandwiched between a season-opening win and a season-ending loss, Spokane was 13-1.
As you will see in my All-Arena team selections, the Shock doesn't have any First Teamers and just a few Second Teamers because Keefe assembled a group of players that gelled as a team. None shined brighter for individual acknowledgement, but all shined were it mattered most - the win column. His offense was tied for the fewest turnovers in the league while having a +16 turnover differential.
2. Les Moss, Jacksonville
Moss led the expansion Sharks to the best record in the American Conference thanks to the league's best defense. This year, Jacksonville had the AFL's top defensive unit in scoring, total defense and pass defense. The Sharks were also a team that the league's preseason polls didn't think would do much in 2010, the three worthless polls had Jacksonville at ninth or tenth. Like Spokane, Jacksonville doesn't have many All-Arena teamers in my books, but like Keefe that's a testament to Moss' ability to motivate and unit his team to win games.
3. Tim Marcum, Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay had the second best defense in scoring, while ranking having the third best passing offense. Aside from losses in the first and last week of the season, the Storm was 11-3. Two of those losses came to Jacksonville by five combined points. The Storm is the only playoff team that didn't lose to a team with a losing record. Tampa Bay QB Brett Dietz shattered team records for all passing categories, while receivers Hank Edwards, Tyrone Timmons and DeAndrew Rubin did the same in receiving.
2010 AFL AWARD WINNERS
Offensive Player of the Year: Rod Windsor, Arizona WR
Really, do I have to answer this one? He not only set but shattered league records in receptions and receiving yards. If you need more, read any of my Breaking it Down articles. There hasn't been a single week that Windsor hasn't been on it.
Defensive Player of the Year: Gabe Nyenhuis, Tulsa defensive lineman
Nyenhuis broke the league records in sacks (15.5) and forced fumbles (nine), while helping the Talons lead the league in sacks. All of the previous times a player had 13.5 or more sacks, that player was named both the Defensive Player of the Year and Lineman of the Year (Silas Demary, 2005; Greg White, 2007 -- FYI, White is now known as Stylez G. White and has had 19 sacks in the NFL over the last three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers).
Ironman of the Year: Willis Marshall, Bossier-Shreveport WR/DB
This season, there were very, very few Ironmen in Arena Football. With free substitution, there weren't very many players that started on both sides of the ball and recorded great stats like we've seen in the past. The league gave its weekly Ironman award numerous times to players that didn't play both ways this year. If they continue this trend, then Dallas' Kenny Henderson who led the league in all-purpose yards will get the award.
However, after looking at all the stats, I see only Bossier-Shreveport WR/DB Willis Marshall as a player that played both sides of the ball and put together decent (not great) numbers. The ArenaBowl XIX MVP & Ironman caught at a pass in 15 of 16 games and ended with 63 receptions for 768 yards and nine touchdowns. He also ran in two other touchdowns. Marshall had 32 kickoff returns for 430 yards, 43.0 tackles, two interceptions (both returned for touchdowns), four pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble.
Lineman of the Year: Gabe Nyenhuis, Tulsa defensive lineman
Refer to Defensive Player of the Year.
Rookie of the Year: Rod Windsor, Arizona WR
Refer to Offensive Player of the Year. Name any rookie that's ever had a better season in the league's history, not just 2010 (any position, any year).
Kicker of the Year: Chris Gould, Chicago
Gould connected on 11-of-15 field goals and 113-of-121 extra points. His 93.4% in PATs were second in the league, while his 73.3% on field goals was best in the league among kickers with at least six FGs attempted. Gould had ten games were he was perfect in PATs, including two in which he was a perfect ten-of-ten.
The league gave out a Quarterback of the Year award in 2008 because the Offensive Player of the Year has been given to receivers primarily in the league history. When the QB award came out in 2008, it wasn't part of the original balloting for the players, coaches, fans and media. If the league gives this out in 2010, then it should go to Milwaukee's Chris Greisen. He had a fantastic season, but it wasn't even close to his previous two AFL seasons (2007 & 2008) when he lit up the league. This year he led the AFL in passing yards, passing touchdowns and passer rating.
2010 ALL-ARENA TEAMS
I am not listing the offensive linemen as the PR in this league isn't very good in pumping up these players, so I believe the only ones that should have a vote are the coaches and defensive linemen (and mack linebackers) who line up against them. However, I would give serious props to the Milwaukee offensive line as a whole for allowing just one sack all year to tie the league record for least sacks in a single season.
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POSTION
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FIRST TEAM (Player/Team)
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SECOND TEAM (Player/Team)
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QB
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Chris Greisen, Milwaukee
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Brett Dietz, Tampa Bay
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FB
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Dan Alexander, Alabama
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Tyre Young, Milwaukee
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WR
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Rod Windsor, Arizona
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Hank Edwards, Tampa Bay
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WR
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Ben Nelson, Cleveland
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Tiger Jones, Milwaukee
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WR
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Donovan Morgan, Tulsa
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Aaron Boone, Utah
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DB
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Rayshawn Kizer, Orlando
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Tanner Varner, Iowa
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DB
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Michaeux Robinson, Jacksonville
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Josh Ferguson, Chicago
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DB
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Kenny McEntyre, Orlando
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Chris Royal, Tulsa
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JLB
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DeJuan Alfonzo, Chicago
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MLB
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Cliff Dukes, Tampa Bay
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Tyus Jackson, Milwaukee
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DL
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Gabe Nyenhuis, Tulsa
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Tim McGill, Tampa Bay
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DL
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Khreem Smith, Milwaukee
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Jerry Turner, Spokane
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DL
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Anthony Hoke, Cleveland
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Terrance Carter, Tulsa
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KICKER
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Chris Gould, Chicago
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Taylor Rowan, Spokane
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RETURNER
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Brandon Hampton, Utah
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Kenny Henderson, Dallas
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For some strange reason, apparently the AFL will now call this team All-AFL instead of All-Arena like the league did for its first 22 years. I hope they change it back before they team is announced. As an historian of the sport, it baffles me how this league has essentially thrown away the first 22 years of its history. There's no league-issued press releases for any league records or significant moments. It's just plain sad. I certainly hope they address this in the offseason.
Andy Lopusnak is an 11-year AFL front office veteran, spending time with the Tampa Bay Storm, San Diego Riptide and Grand Rapids Rampage. He works as a statistician for NFL and college sports for CBS Sports and is a freelance photographer. Lopusnak received two Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of South Florida and has been a fan of ArenaBall since its inception.
