The Arena Football League has always been defined by deep offensive routes, quick scoring drives and high point totals. Like any sport, fans and critics of the AFL tend to become mesmerized by the offensive successes of the many talented quarterbacks and wide receivers.
That being said, AFL fans understand how important defense is to winning and how essential it is to become a truly balanced team. Defensive talents in the AFL may be overlooked because of the elevated amount of points scored. However, these defensive playmakers often make the difference between winning and losing. Many coaches and players will say how important defensive stops and turnovers are because of the back-and-forth style of play. One interception or a forced fumble may be the difference in a win and a loss. This season, big stops and key turnovers have been the deciding factor in many outcomes. Talented defensive players have stepped up in big moments with hard sacks, bone crushing hits and acrobatic interceptions. While this season has been filled with these moments from an assortment of defensive players across the League, certain players have posted consistently impressive numbers. These players have been extremely reliable and critical to their team’s success and constantly put fear in opposing offenses.
At the end of the AFL season, the defensive player who instills the most fear in opposing offenses with his vital plays and remarkable statistics will win the Riddell Defensive Player of the Year Award. This season, the race for Defensive Player of the Year is heating up. Like the Offensive Player of the Year Award where quarterbacks and receivers win every time, the Defensive Player of the Year Award has always been won by a defensive lineman or cornerback. Last season defensive lineman Gabe Nyenhuis won the award after posting an AFL-record 15.5 sacks and nine forced fumbles in Tulsa. In 2008, the award was won by Rush cornerback Dennison Robinson for intercepting a then AFL-record tying 13 balls. This season, cornerbacks and defensive lineman are again leading the race for the award.
The two front runners in the chase for the Riddell Defensive Player of the Year are Tampa Bay Storm defensive lineman Cliff Dukes and Chicago Rush rookie cornerback Vic Hall. While Dukes is on pace to beat Nyenhuis’s sack record, Hall already passed the previous interception mark of 13. Hall’s 14 interceptions in only 12 games of action is an incredible accomplishment and one of the top storylines of the 2011 AFL season. Hall also leads the League with 97 tackles and ranks second in pass breakups per game (3.0). Hall continues to be a consistent defensive weapon and playmaking threat for Chicago and has helped lead the team to a 9-3 record this season. Dukes has also caused defensive havoc this season, compiling a League-leading 11.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries thus far. He has been a handful, to say the least, for opposing offensive lines. The 6-foot-3, 280 pound Dukes has been relatively unblockable this season, racking up hits and hurries and leading a pass rush that has forced opposing quarterbacks into making poor decision. If both Hall and Dukes continue to pile on significant defensive statistics and beat AFL records, it will be very difficult to select one over the other.
But they aren’t the only defenders having standout seasons. Besides Hall, the AFL features a number of defensive backs who have been outstanding in the 2011 season. For the second straight year, Orlando cornerback Rayshaun Kizer has posted more than 10 interceptions. Now in his second year in the League, Kizer has become an important asset to the Orlando Predators defense. Besides his 12 interceptions, Kizer ranks seventh in the League in tackles per game (6.0) and sixth in pass breakups per game (1.9).
Another cornerback who is putting up impressive numbers is Micheaux Robinson of the Jacksonville Sharks. Robinson once again leads the team with seven interceptions this season. He is a defensive nightmare for quarterbacks because of his quick reaction and lockdown coverage.
Arizona’s Virgil Gray is another cornerback who has been a consistent defensive playmaker throughout the season. Gray leads Arizona’s sixth-ranked defense with seven interceptions this season. Along with his defensive numbers, Gray is very effective on special teams as well. Gray leads the League with a 23.0 kickoff return average and has recorded three touchdowns this season. He uses his lightning quick speed to smother receivers, while also being a major weapon in the return game.
But while the AFL features many exciting cornerbacks this season, Dukes isn’t the only defensive lineman worthy of consideration. Jacksonville Shark rookie defensive lineman Derrick Summers is disrupting offenses this season on the line, ranking second in the League with nine sacks and four forced fumbles. Summers has helped the Sharks defense to a League-leading 31 sacks in 2011. He consistently puts pressure on opposing offenses and is a big reason why Jacksonville is enjoying an 11-game winning streak. Another defensive lineman with notable stats this season is Kansas City Command’s Bryan Robinson. Robinson currently ranks second in the League in tackles for loss with 11, and fifth in sacks (7). Robinson also totaled three blocked kicks and one safety this season with KC.
With six weeks remaining in the season, one linebacker in particular has posted noteworthy statistics in the AFL and should be among the candidates for the Riddell Defensive Player of the Year award. Kansas City’s Tyus Jackson is having a fantastic season, which has always been known as the most difficult defensive position in the AFL to rack up statistics. Still, Jackson ranks third in the League with 7.5 sacks and has posted three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and a safety in the 2011 AFL season. If Jackson can continue to put up huge numbers in the final six games of the season, he may become the first linebacker to win the award.
As the season winds down, and the competition for the award intensifies, the defensive player who can continue to make big plays will likely walk away the winner. Other cornerbacks like Tulsa’s JC Neal, Orlando’s Travis Coleman and Iowa’s Cameron McGlenn have posted incredible statistics this season and deserve consideration. Other notable defensive linemen with superb statistical seasons include Chicago’s Quartez Vickerson, Dallas’s James Bear and Utah’s Khreem Smith.
The race for the Riddell Defensive Player of the Year is extremely tight. Vic Hall and Cliff Dukes may be the favorites, but they’ll need to continue making big plays and causing havoc for opposing offenses to maintain the lead. Along with those two players, the race also features many other players capable of filling up the defensive stat sheet with eye-popping numbers. Hopefully, the last six weeks of the season will give us a clearer idea of who the ultimate, consistent defensive threat is of the 2011 AFL season.
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