Ten Selected For Arena Football League Hall of Fame
Adam Markowitz
Friday August 12, 2011
At halftime at ArenaBowl XXIV at the US Airways Center, Barry Wagner, George LaFrance, Hunkie Cooper, Eddie Brown, Darren Arbet, Sylvester Bembery, Sam Hernandez, Gene Nudo, Stevie Thomas, and Kurt Warner were announced as the Arena Football League Hall of Fame Class of 2011.
It was a pleasant surprise by the league, as previous announcements stated that the AFL Hall of Fame Executive Board would only select five of the ten finalists.
Wagner was the consummate Ironman, accounting for 991 receptions, 13,363 receiving yards, 855 rushing yards, 392 offensive TDs, 815 tackles, 47 picks, 14 fumble recoveries, and five defensive touchdowns. He played with the Orlando Predators from 1992-1999 and went to the San Jose SaberCats from 2000-2007. Wags finished off his career with the Preds with a brief appearance in '07. He won championships in 1998, 2002, and 2004. Wagner was voted as the No. 2 player on the 20 Greatest AFL Players list, and he was a 6-time Ironman of the Year, easily a league record. Wags also won the Ironman of the Game honors four times in the ArenaBowl.
LaFrance had an incredible career spanning from 1988 through 2000 with the Detroit Drive, Tampa Bay Storm, and New Jersey Red Dogs. He had nearly 9,000 receiving yards and over 11,000 return yards, and he was voted as the No. 3 player in the 20 Greatest AFL Players list. LaFrance has five ArenaBowl rings to his credit, and he holds a slew of ArenaBowl career records, including being the only three-time ArenaBowl MVP in league history. LaFrance's No. 25 has been retired by the Storm.
Cooper was a crowd favorite here at the Snake Pit for a number of years. He played in the AFL from 1993-2005, and he spent his entire career with the Arizona Rattlers. Though Cooper seemingly always stayed in the shadow of the great Barry Wagner, he was still absolutely one of the best in the history of this league, getting voted in as the No. 5 player on the 20 Greatest AFL Players list. Cooper won the MVP award and the Ironman of the Year, and he finished his storied career with almost 9,000 combined offensive yards and nearly 10,000 return yards, accounting for a grand total of 219 all-purpose TDs. Defensively, Cooper picked off 15 passes, had 11 fumble recoveries, and accounted for over 300 total tackles as well out of the jack linebacker spot. Cooper's No. 14 is hanging in the rafters at the US Airways Center.
Brown was voted as the top player on the 20 Greatest AFL Players list thanks to a fantastic career as an offensive specialist for the Albany Firebirds (and then the Indiana Firebirds). In just 10 seasons with the Firebirds, Brown accounted for 950 receptions, 12,736 yards, and 303 TDs. He won Offensive Player of the Year honors three times, and he won the ArenaBowl XIII MVP in Albany's win over the Orlando Predators.
Arbet continues to just post victories for the San Jose SaberCats. He has 113 regular season victories and 15 more in the playoffs, winning the ArenaBowl in 2002, 2004, and 2007. Only Tim Marcum, who is already in the Hall of Fame has more ArenaBowl victories as a head coach. Arbet won AFL Coach of the Year honors in 2000 and 2002. Before this season, San Jose had made the playoffs in nine straight campaigns.
Bembery was one of the best two-way linemen in the history of the AFL. He played for the New England Steamrollers, Albany Firebirds, Tampa Bay Storm, and Buffalo Destroyers in a career that spanned from 1988 through 2001. He was voted as the No. 7 player on the 20 Greatest AFL Players list. Bembery was a two-time ArenaBowl winner, and he was voted to the All-Arena team six times. Bembery ended his career with 43 sacks, six forced fumbles, and three recovered fumbles, and he had 11 receptions for 69 yards, and three TDs on offense. His No. 78 has been retired by the Storm.
Bembery told the Tampa Bay Storm after learning of his Hall of Fame introduction, " I was shocked and ecstatic. I feel real proud to be named one of the best to play the game. Words can't express the way that I feel so much joy and pleasure."
Hernandez was the consummate pro in the AFL with three franchises. He played with the Charlotte Rage in 1992, the Las Vegas Sting/Anaheim Piranhas from 1994-97, and then with the San Jose SaberCats from 1998-2005. He won the ArenaBowl in '04 with the SaberCats against the Arizona Rattlers. Hernandez was the 2000 AFL Lineman of the Year, and he was voted as the No. 13 player on the 20 Greatest AFL Players list. Hernandez had a whopping 57.5 sacks in his career to go with 20 forced fumbles and 11 recovered fumbles in his illustrious career.
Nudo has had his hand in the AFL since way back in 1986 when the league ran its test game. Just like Hunkie Cooper, Nudo was definitely a fan favorite here in the Desert. He took these Rattlers to five straight Commissioner's Awards, and he has also served time as the AFL's Vice President of Football Operations. Nudo's coaching record wasn't all that impressive, as he only went 12-20 in two seasons with the Rattlers, but there is definitely no doubt that he is one of the most influential people that this league has ever seen.
Thomas was ranked No. 9 on the 20 Greatest AFL Players list, and he definitely has all sorts of accolades to his credit. He was a two-time ArenaBowl MVP and a five-time ArenaBowl winner, four of the five which came with the Tampa Bay Storm and one of which was with the Orlando Predators. He also played in 2001 with the New Jersey Red Dogs. Thomas accounted for nearly 8,000 receiving yards and 152 TDs receiving, and he proved to be an incredibly valuable on defense as well, coming up with over 150 tackles and 10 picks on the defensive side of the ball.
Warner wasn't really brought into the Hall of Fame for his time on the field in the AFL, as he only played three years with the Iowa Barnstormers. Warner threw for 10,465 yards and 183 TDs in his AFL career, but obviously, he has become the poster child for moving onto the NFL from our great league. Warner threw for 32,344 yards and 208 TDS in his NFL career with the St. Louis Rams, New York Giants, and Arizona Cardinals. He is the only former player to win the AFL's Founders Award. He played in three Super Bowls.
ArenaFan's Andy Lopusnak contributed to the compilation of this article.
Adam Markowitz is an accountant living in Orlando. Adam is an old school AFLer, having followed the AFL since 1991. He attended or covered well over 200 games, including 17 ArenaBowls. Adam worked for the Arena Football League for two years as a columnist and historian before retiring in 2017 when the 50-yard indoor war left the Sunshine State. Adam still muses about the AFL on ArenaFan from time to time, and you can follow him on Twitter @adammarkowitzea.