Tommy's Records

Tommy Grady broke all kinds of AFL records this season, including passing yards (5,970), passing touchdowns (142), pass completions (507), and pass attempts (743). The previous record for TDs was 117, a mark that Grady shattered in the 15th game of the season. He led the Utah Blaze into the playoffs, where they went on the road to knock off #1 seed San Antonio, 35-34. In the conference championship the Blaze had a 9 point lead with 9 seconds remaining but succumbed to the Arizona Rattlers, 75-69. Grady led the league in 9 offensive categories en route to his record breaking performance, for which he was voted the Top AFL Player by the fans. He was recently invited to workout for the San Diego Chargers.

Grady was named league MVP and Offensive Player of the Year as well!

Boones A-Blaze

Receiver Aaron Boone, who played his college ball at Kentucky, broke one team record and tied another in last night's 69-62 win against the Spokane Shock. Boone became the all-time leader in receiving yards, surpassing Siaha Burley, and tied Burley's record for most touchdown catches. He is drawing plenty of attention for his record-setting performance, but he's not the only Boone catching passes from Tommy Grady this season. Aaron's younger (and larger) brother Jason, a 6'5", 300 lb. offensive lineman sporting the unusual number 8 in order to be pass-eligible, has also caught a few balls. He doesn't have Aaron's (#1) gaudy numbers (57 catches, 699 yards, 16 TDs in five games), but he has caught 6 passes for 41 yards, including a TD in the season opener. The big fella is displaying some versatility, filling a similar role that Ed Ta'amu played last year for the AFL champion Shock.

Fellow ProUte Tommy Grady is off to a big start, completing 138 of 215 throws for 1,532 yards and 33 TDs with only 4 INTs. Gabe Long has posted 10 tackles and 2 sacks for the Blaze defense, while Corey Dodds remains on injured reserve. The Blaze are 3-2 on the season, already an improvement over last season's 2-14 record. One can only wonder how good they would be if they added a third Boone: Aaron and Jason's brother Jesse, who is Long's teammate on the Las Vegas Locos of the UFL.

Cage Match

The cage match between the NFL owners and the players' union might result in a lockout today, but the action in the arena is just getting started! The AFL season gets underway tonight with an in-state duel between the Philadelphia Soul and the Pittsburgh Power. The only ProUtes in the arena can be found in-state playing for the Utah Blaze. They are Jason Boone (OL), Tommy Grady (QB), and Gabe Long (DL). Corey Dodds (LB) is set to begin the season on injured reserve. The Blaze will play their season opener at home against the Tampa Bay Storm on March 17th.

Homecomings

Brett Ratliff is back with the Browns as a back up to rookie Colt McCoy. Ratliff bounced around the practice squads of the Jaguars and the Patriots after he was released by the Browns. Cleveland brought him back as insurance after injuries to starter Jake Delhomme and second-stringer Seneca Wallace thrust third-stringer McCoy into action against the Steelers.

Receiver Brent Casteel, another player released by Cleveland, is back in Utah as a new member of the Blaze (AFL). The Blaze also signed former Utes quarterback Tommy Grady and lineman Garrett Smith.

Utah Man in the Arena

Arena Football returns to action tonight, but I have to say I'm not as excited to follow the Utah Blaze now that I can no longer find Jason Boone or Derrek Richards on the roster. The only connection to the University of Utah on the team is Brett Elliott, the quarterback who lost his starting spot to Alex Smith due to injury. Elliott then transferred to Linfield, a Div. III school where he excelled, winning a national championship and setting all kinds of records. He signed with the San Diego Chargers as a free agent, then joined the AFL. Now that the league is back Elliott is back in Utah.

Tommy Grady, a qb who did not enjoy similar success after transferring from Oklahoma to Utah, returns to his roots as a member of the Oklahoma City Yard Dogz.

The player I'm most excited to see back on the field is Steve Fifita, one of the heroes of the Fiesta Bowl. Fifita spent a couple of years with the Miami Dolphins but didn't have the size for the NFL. He does have a non-stop motor, which may be a better fit for Arena Football anyhow! He plays for the Alabama Vipers.

One player who will not be returning with the revived AFL is Phil Glover, but that's probably for the best. Some guys don't know when to walk away from the game while they still can!