The JLS Ironman Award in the Arena Football League is very unique. The Award celebrates the player who can be the most beneficial and explosive at multiple positions on the field throughout a full season. Because the Ironman trophy celebrates the player who can be valuable on multiple sides of the ball, the award tends to represent the player who is the ultimate team competitor. The player is utilized in many different areas and showcases game changing abilities wherever they are on the field.
Due to limited roster space and inevitable injuries, many players have the ability to showcase their talents at multiple positions. Whether it is a hard hitting linebacker who can also run the football or a defensive back who is electrifying in the return game, these multi talented players are all extremely crucial to their teams success. Their capability to be “utility players” allows teams to worry less about player personnel and injury issues and focus more on other important concerns.
“On every team, with tight roster space and injury issues, the Ironman Award is very crucial to teams’ success. You have to have a couple of guys that do more than one thing. These guys are so important because they can create smooth transitions when a team has injuries and other player problems,” Orlando Predator Head Coach Pat O’Hara said.
With the new 18-game schedule, injuries are expected. AFL coaches and General Managers must create numerous plans to showcase the best possible 24-man roster each week. The tight roster space allows quick linebackers to be useful fullbacks and wide receivers and cornerbacks to be explosive playmakers in the return game. Last season, recently retired Chicago Rush linebacker DeJuan Alfonzo won the Ironman Award after playing all 16 games at a number of different positions. Alfonzo posted four rushing and two receiving touchdowns, while helping the Chicago defense as a Jack linebacker with 72 tackles and four interceptions, three of which were returned for touchdowns.
Like Alfonzo, linebackers who can also be effective in the running game are a common place to find worthy applicants for the award. Orlando linebacker Marlon Moye-Moore is showcasing his football talents this season with three rushing touchdowns, while also playing a key defensive role with 63 tackles and seven interceptions. Moore has played in all 15 games this season and is a big reason why Orlando is in the mix for one of the two wildcard spots in the American Conference.
“Marlon is the type of person that is a tremendous leader on this team. He is a team captain and his value to our team is on a lot of different levels. Defensively, he is probably the best Jack in the League and constantly makes plays. He is extremely athletic in coverage and is very physical in tackling. He’s our long snapper on extra points and field goals and is on all of our special team’s coverages. And when we occasionally put him in at fullback, he has a knack for the end zone. He has been tremendous for us and his health has been huge,” O’Hara said.
Another linebacker who is utilized across the field is Chicago’s Johnie Kirton. Kirton has made his presence felt at a number of positions throughout the season. He has led Chicago’s ground attack, compiling 330-yards and 13 touchdowns. He has also made an impact on defense, posting 16 tackles and two tackles for loss.
While a linebacker took home the award in 2010, the cornerback and wide receiver position also traditionally features worthy candidates. Dallas Desperado WR/DB Will Pettis won the Ironman Award in 2007 and 2008 after using his versatility in all three facets of the game.
This season, a number of cornerback and wide receiver contenders can potentially win the Ironman Award. New Orleans wide receiver PJ Berry and Georgia wide receiver CJ Johnson are two players that have been major threats in a number of different areas on the field. Berry has been an explosive and dynamic weapon for the VooDoo this season, leading the League in all-purpose yards with 2,984. He also leads the League with 1,611 kickoff return yards and five return touchdowns, while also sitting in a tie for third in the League in receptions with 133. Berry is a consistent threat for New Orleans and must always be accounted for by opposing teams.
“Berry definitely feeds our team because any time he gets to take it off the net on a kickoff, he has a chance to score. He is an extremely important asset to our team because one big kickoff return can change the momentum of the game. He just has the ability to make a big play, whether on offense or on special teams. Teams definitely have to plan and prepare around his playmaking abilities,” New Orleans VooDoo quarterback D Bryant said.
Georgia’s CJ Johnson is also an explosive menace on the field, consistently shredding opposing defenses and special teams units. Johnson currently ranks second in the AFL in kickoff return yards with 1,560 and has recorded five kickoff return touchdowns. He has also totaled 98 receptions, 1,171 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns on offense. Johnson’s dynamic speed and quickness has helped Georgia reach the top of the offensive and special team statistical categories this season.
Two cornerbacks who have excelled this season in a number of statistical categories are Arizona’s Virgil Gray and Spokane’s Terrance Sanders. Both players have led their respective defenses, while also being exciting talents in the return game. Gray not only has dominated defensively with 74.5 tackles, nine interceptions and 25 pass breakups, but also ranks fourth in the League in kickoff return yards (1,318) and is tied for the League lead with five kickoff return touchdowns. Spokane Shock cornerback Terrance Sanders has also been a weapon in the 2011 season. Sanders leads the Shock with five interceptions and nine pass breakups this season. He also sits fifth in the AFL in kickoff return yards (1,257) and fourth in return touchdowns (4). Sanders has been enormously dependable for the Shock and always has the ability to make the big play.
“Terrance has been a playmaker since he stepped in this League. He had one season where he had eight interceptions and eight kickoff return touchdowns. He has helped the Shock out so much this season. He has definitely stepped up with all of the injuries. He is just a playmaker on special teams, as well as in the defensive backfield. We call him a ball hawk,” Spokane Shock defensive back Ruschard Dodd-Masters said.
While the wide receivers and cornerbacks listed above have excelled in special teams this season, others use a combination of offense and defense to shine. Pittsburgh’s wide receiver/linebacker Lonnell DeWalt and Kansas City’s wide receiver/linebacker Brady Chavez are two perfect examples of the total package on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. DeWalt has been a consistently reliable option at both receiver and linebacker this season, catching 17 touchdowns passes and 373 yards while also leading the team with four interceptions. Chavez has also been a dominant force, recording 515 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns on offense, while also adding 37 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and two forced fumbles this season.
Because the JLS Ironman Award is given to the player who is most effective and consistent throughout the entire season, the race for the award will get tighter in these final weeks. While there may be Ironman favorites going into the last three weeks, other players have posted notable numbers and still hold a decent chance. Receivers like Soul’s Keith Stokes, Blaze’s Alvance Robinson and Rush’s Reggie Gray are three players that have been very successful in the receiving game and special teams. Other cornerbacks like Rush’s Jason Simpson and SaberCat’s Mervin Brookins have been crucial to their team’s defensive and return game success.
The race for the JLS Ironman Award is beginning to get very interesting. The final five weeks of the season should give us a clearer view of who the toughest and most explosive players are throughout the AFL.
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