Duane Brooks named to AFL All-First Team

[DiamondThief]

Updated Aug. 27, 2015, 9:35 p.m. (PT)

Aug. 17 -- Following a season where he set a new Arena Football League record with 8 kickoffs returned for touchdowns, Portland Thunder WR/KR Duane Brooks is racking up some impressive honors

On Aug. 17, he was named to the All-AFL Defensive First Team.

He was named the AFL's J. Lewis Small Playmaker of the year for his dazzling work as both a kick returner and a wide receiver. The awards were presented at the 2015 AFL Awards Ceremony on Aug. 27. Brooks is the only player or coach from the National Conference to win a major individual honor for the season.

Brooks, in his second season with the Thunder, returned 90 kickoffs for a league-high 1,994 yards (22.2-yard average) and those 8 trips to the house. He added another touchdown in the Thunder's 55-28 playoff loss to the San Jose Sabercats on Aug. 14 He returned 7 kickoffs for 138 yards (19.7-yard average) in the game.

James Ruffin, defensive lineman for the Spokane Shock, also earned honors on the First Team. He recorded 11 sacks in 2015, along with 28 total tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, a pass breakup and fumble recovery.

Brooks, who appeared in all but one of the Thunder's 18 regular season games this season, also caught 60 passes for 559 yards and 7 touchdowns. He is credited for a fumble recovery for a touchdown which very well could have been counted as his ninth kickoff return TD, as it appears on replay that he crossed the goal line prior to the ball coming loose.

“There is a touchdown on my mind every time I touch the ball; I'd like to see (the AFL kick return record broken) too," Brooks told CNNSW sideline reporter Brooke Olzendam after setting the new record on Aug. 1 against the Las Vegas Outlaws. "I can’t even remember Number eight right now. Number eight was just a surreal feeling, knowing that you set yourself apart from some pretty outstanding football players.”

The entire All-AFL Defensive First and Second Teams comprise the following players:

First Team
DE - Joe Sykes, Jacksonville Sharks
DE - James Ruffin, Spokane Shock
NG - Jason Stewart, San Jose Sabercats
MLB - Tyre Glaster, Arizona Rattlers
JLB - Alvin Ray Jackson, Jacksonville Sharks
DB - Jeremy Kellem, Arizona Rattlers
DB - James Romain, Philadelphia Soul
DB - Greg Reid, Jacksonville Sharks
KR - Duane Brooks, Portland Thunder

Second Team
DE - Mike McAdoo, Arizona Rattlers
DE - Bryan Robinson, Philadelphia Soul
NG - Willie McGinnis, Cleveland Gladiators
MLB - Francis Maka, San Jose Sabercats
JLB - Terence Moore, Orlando Predators
DB - Ken Fontenette, San Jose Sabercats
DB - James Harrell, Tampa Bay Storm
DB - Rayshawun Kizer, Los Angeles KISS
KR - Brandon Thompkins, Orlando Predators

The following individual awards passed out at the AFL awards ceremony on Aug. 27:

Russell Athletic Offensive Player of the Year and MVP of the Year
Dan Raudabaugh, QB, Philadelphia Soul (4,992 pass yards, 119 TD's)

Riddell Defensive Player of the Year
Joe Sykes, DL, Jacksonville Sharks (AFL record 18.5 sacks)

J. Lewis Small Playmaker of the Year
Duane Brooks, KR/WR, Portland Thunder (AFL record 8 KO returned for TD)

AFL Rookie of the Year
Greg Reid, DB, Jacksonville Sharks (9 interceptions, 11 total takeaways)

Marcum Moss Head Coach of the Year
Clint Dolezel, Philadelphia Soul (15-3 record, appearance in National Conference championship)

AFL Assistant Coach of the Year
Siaha Burley, Orlando Predators (Led league in yards per play at 7.1)

Brooks returned 63 kickoffs for 1,186 yards (18.8-yard average) in 2014. He also caught 60 passes for 660 yards and 8 touchdowns during the Thunder's inaugural campaign in 2014.

The 5'10", 185-lb. receiver is a three-year veteran of the AFL. He played for the Spokane Shock in 2013. For his AFL career, he has 155 receptions for 1,535 yards and 21 touchdowns. He also has recorded 3,180 return yards. He had yet to score a touchdown on a return prior to this season.

Brooks attended Stephen F. Austin University, where he earned Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year honors after recording 68 catches for 863 yards and 4 touchdowns in 2008. He bettered those numbers in 2009, with 118 receptions for 1,076 yards  and 6 touchdowns. As a senior playing quarterback at MacArthur High School in Irving, Texas, he completed 112 of 194 passes for 1,757 yards, 21 touchdowns and just 3 interceptions.

He caught the first pass in Thunder history, an 8-yard strike from Darron Thomas on the first drive of the Thunder's debut contest, against the San Jose Sabercats on March 17, 2014. He nearly returned a kickoff for a touchdown in that game, scampering to the San Jose 2-yard-line late in the first quarter.

- ANM


(Photo above courtesy The Portland Tribune)


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[Yeseeka]

Brooks was awesome this season! He is my favorite Thunder player. Every time the other team would kick off, you knew he could take it all the way back. He is a great receiver too, but he was never used all that much, but I just love watching him play. I hope he is with us next year.

[David]

I think this was a no-brainier. If you set the record for most KR for TDs in the AFL, you deserve to be part of the First Team All-Arena.

Congrats to Duane!

[DiamondThief]

I would have been surprised if they had named anyone else at that position.

[SurferGirl]

I saw him a couple times this season. If he didn't run one ba k, he seemed like he was one tackle away from doing so.

[Kasey]

with all the negativity regarding Emmert and Hohensee, Brooks was a huge bright spot. you never know what would happen each time he would catch the ball. i fear that some NFL teams may have taken notice and one will snag him up. i know i would if i were in their position. to me, he was the Thunder's MVP this season.

[Yeseeka]

We had a crappy season but Brooks was a highlight reel. So glad that he is getting recognition he deserves.