Post by DiamondThief on Aug 9, 2014 16:58:38 GMT -8
It's the end of the Portland Thunder's inaugural season. The team went 5-13 on the year and nearly toppled the Arizona Rattlers in their AFL Quarterfinal playoff game. The team has given out its team awards over the past week. I've decided to give out a few of my own awards for the team:
MR. VERSATILITY
The recipient of this award is well know among football fans in Oregon. He got off to a bit of a rough start on the season at his primary position, but his team-first mentality proved that his return to the northwest would be exciting. Darron Thomas not only threw for 14 touchdowns, he ran for 10. Searching for playing time, he made himself available to play on special teams. In one game, he made three tackles on kickoff coverage. In the playoff game against the Rattlers, he showed his versatility by making three tackles at the jack linebacker position. His interception and 23-yard return for a touchdown gave Thomas the honor of being the Thunder player to score in no fewer than three different ways. He led the team in the category.
Darron Thomas with his third quarter interception return for a touchdown against the Rattlers.
MR. IRONMAN
By my count, one of only two Thunder players (Eric Crocker was the other) to appear in every game, and it's a great thing for the Thunder that he did. Bryce Peila was a ball hawk and terrorized opposing offenses at every turn. I once remarked to my father: "If you want to know where Bryce Peila is, just keep an eye on the ball. He will be near it!" The Western Oregon University product had 8 interceptions, 5 fumble recoveries, a pair of forced fumbles and 64.5 tackles. He also scored 4 defensive touchdowns while playing both jack-LB and defensive back.
MR. ROOKIE
The Thunder's roster throughout the season was comprised of 75 percent rookies so this one is wide open. So how about a guy who led the team in tackles (86) and pass break ups (25), was second in interceptions (9) and forced 3 fumbles? Varmah Sonie didn't even make it on to the field in the season opener, but made his presence known from game two and beyond. Sonie actually is a legitimate AFL rookie of the year candidate. If it were up to me, I would already be engraving his name on the trophy.
MR. GENTLE GIANT
This guy was a beast on every play he played. I still wonder if the Thunder realized what they were getting when he won a roster spot at the open tryout in December, but they found out soon enough. Brandon Tett was a mainstay on the defense, making life difficult for opposing quarterbacks and offenses in general. Seriously, the Houston Rockets' James Harden has nothing on Tett's beard. He displayed a heart of a lion on the field, but in the Thunder's regular season finale, he showed he has the heart of a romantic as he proposed to his girlfriend, Lindsay, on the field at the end of the third quarter. She said yes, and while some men might have rolled their eyes, many women were hoping they could one day receive such a proposal.
Brandon Tett's proposal to his girlfriend, Lindsay, was a highlight of the regular season finale.
MR. HIGHLIGHT
Eric Rogers. I am not going to try and get clever here. What can you say about a guy who played in nine of the team's 19 games (yep, I am counting the playoff game) and still led the team in touchdown receptions and receiving yards per game? Rogers caught 27 touchdown passes for the Thunder. He averaged -- yes, averaged -- just over 8 receptions a game, for a sliver over 100 yards a game, and 3 touchdown catches a game. He had a workout with the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL and eventually signed with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League. He has served as a member of their practice squad since signing, but Rogers was a star in Portland. Not only was he a star; he was a highlight.
MR NO-NONSENSE
As far as is documented, this guy was the first Thunder player signed His season parallels the Thunder's season. When Max Jean-Gilles played well, the Thunder played well. This 6'4" 340-lb offensive lineman was a rookie, but after a few games of getting acquainted to arena football, he served notice that you were going to work your butt off to get to his QB. It could not have been easy, given that he was tasked with protecting four separate Thunder quarterbacks during the season. Had there been more stability and familiarity at the QB position, we might be talking about Max as the offensive rookie lineman of the year in the entire league, were they to have such an award.
MR. VERSATILITY
The recipient of this award is well know among football fans in Oregon. He got off to a bit of a rough start on the season at his primary position, but his team-first mentality proved that his return to the northwest would be exciting. Darron Thomas not only threw for 14 touchdowns, he ran for 10. Searching for playing time, he made himself available to play on special teams. In one game, he made three tackles on kickoff coverage. In the playoff game against the Rattlers, he showed his versatility by making three tackles at the jack linebacker position. His interception and 23-yard return for a touchdown gave Thomas the honor of being the Thunder player to score in no fewer than three different ways. He led the team in the category.
Darron Thomas with his third quarter interception return for a touchdown against the Rattlers.
MR. IRONMAN
By my count, one of only two Thunder players (Eric Crocker was the other) to appear in every game, and it's a great thing for the Thunder that he did. Bryce Peila was a ball hawk and terrorized opposing offenses at every turn. I once remarked to my father: "If you want to know where Bryce Peila is, just keep an eye on the ball. He will be near it!" The Western Oregon University product had 8 interceptions, 5 fumble recoveries, a pair of forced fumbles and 64.5 tackles. He also scored 4 defensive touchdowns while playing both jack-LB and defensive back.
MR. ROOKIE
The Thunder's roster throughout the season was comprised of 75 percent rookies so this one is wide open. So how about a guy who led the team in tackles (86) and pass break ups (25), was second in interceptions (9) and forced 3 fumbles? Varmah Sonie didn't even make it on to the field in the season opener, but made his presence known from game two and beyond. Sonie actually is a legitimate AFL rookie of the year candidate. If it were up to me, I would already be engraving his name on the trophy.
MR. GENTLE GIANT
This guy was a beast on every play he played. I still wonder if the Thunder realized what they were getting when he won a roster spot at the open tryout in December, but they found out soon enough. Brandon Tett was a mainstay on the defense, making life difficult for opposing quarterbacks and offenses in general. Seriously, the Houston Rockets' James Harden has nothing on Tett's beard. He displayed a heart of a lion on the field, but in the Thunder's regular season finale, he showed he has the heart of a romantic as he proposed to his girlfriend, Lindsay, on the field at the end of the third quarter. She said yes, and while some men might have rolled their eyes, many women were hoping they could one day receive such a proposal.
Brandon Tett's proposal to his girlfriend, Lindsay, was a highlight of the regular season finale.
MR. HIGHLIGHT
Eric Rogers. I am not going to try and get clever here. What can you say about a guy who played in nine of the team's 19 games (yep, I am counting the playoff game) and still led the team in touchdown receptions and receiving yards per game? Rogers caught 27 touchdown passes for the Thunder. He averaged -- yes, averaged -- just over 8 receptions a game, for a sliver over 100 yards a game, and 3 touchdown catches a game. He had a workout with the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL and eventually signed with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League. He has served as a member of their practice squad since signing, but Rogers was a star in Portland. Not only was he a star; he was a highlight.
MR NO-NONSENSE
As far as is documented, this guy was the first Thunder player signed His season parallels the Thunder's season. When Max Jean-Gilles played well, the Thunder played well. This 6'4" 340-lb offensive lineman was a rookie, but after a few games of getting acquainted to arena football, he served notice that you were going to work your butt off to get to his QB. It could not have been easy, given that he was tasked with protecting four separate Thunder quarterbacks during the season. Had there been more stability and familiarity at the QB position, we might be talking about Max as the offensive rookie lineman of the year in the entire league, were they to have such an award.