Papin`s Homecoming
Daniel Frias
Tuesday June 25, 2002
It was all handshakes and smiles as Papin said hello to his friends and former teammates in the locker room just before game the started. He was happy to be back home in his old stomping grounds. “I’m feeling good,” said Papin just before the game. “It’s emotional, but I’m glad to be back home. This is the place where I grew up and did it and it’s good to come back.”
 Papin used to be #1 with the SaberCats. Now he wears a Dragons jersey. Image courtesy of Jeff Marshall |
The ’Cats knew they would be in a battle as QB Aaron Garcia made his return to his former team where he threw 104 TD passes and 4,515 yards in 2001.
“It’s going to be a tough football game,” said Coach Darren Arbet. “Steve is the best return man in the league and the most explosive after the catch. Aaron’s a great quarterback and they’re a whole different team with Aaron and we got our work cut out for us.”
He was right. For the first half, at least. The SaberCats wasted no time in scoring as rookie sensation OS Clevan Thomas returned the opening kickoff 55 yds for the touchdown and the 6-0 lead.
Now it was Super Steve’s turn. Papin received the kickoff, ran up the middle, cut to the left and was brought down by former teammate and San Jose native OL/DL Sam Hernandez at the San Jose 24 yard line: A 33-yard return for Papin – his longest of the night.
The ’Cats and Dragons traded blows throughout the whole first half. Every time the ’Cats scored, Garcia and the Dragons answered. Garcia hit four different receivers in the first half including OS Papin in the second quarter on a 20-yard TD pass to tie the game 20-20. Garcia ended the first half 10-for-14 with 146 yards passing and four TDs. The ’Cats went into halftime with a 37-34 lead as Darrin Alcorn hit a 46-yard field goal just before the second quarter ended.
Papin had yet to return a kickoff for a TD, but we still had another half of Arena ball left. So here it was, the third quarter started and the Papin received the kickoff, ran up the middle, stutter-stepped and started to go right but was almost immediately tackled again by Sam Hernandez at the NY 11-yard line. That’s pretty much how it went for the Dragons in the second half of the game as the ’Cat’s defense did what it does best and shut down New York, allowing them only one touchdown in the fourth quarter. The SaberCats defeated New York 65-41 giving Coach Arbet got his 40th career win.
Papin finished the night with 257 total yards; seven returns for 163 yards and seven receptions for 94 yards with one touchdown. A good night for him, but not the type of outcome he would have liked.
“That’s a good football team,” said Papin after the Game.
The SaberCats won their tenth straight game this season and continue to be the league’s only undefeated team.
I think Dragon’s coach John Gregory summed it up best when he said, “They’re pretty good.”
Daniel Frias was a writer for ArenaFan Online from 2001 to 2002.
