Heading into the 1988 AFL season, the main goal of the AFL was to continue to build and grow on the success from its inaugural season. The League not only tried to spread to new markets by expanding from four to six teams, but looked to boost exposure by increasing the schedule from a six-game to a 12-game regular season.
While Pittsburgh and Chicago remained in the League, Denver and Washington did not. However the addition of teams in big sports markets such as New York, New England, Los Angeles and Detroit set up an exciting encore season with a great opportunity to receive elevated of exposure. The AFL brand was also able to receive national attention with many games appearing on major television networks.
“I think it helped a lot having the six teams in 1988 in big sports markets. We were on ESPN at the time, when ESPN needed as much sports programming as they could get. The first color guy was Lee Corso,” former Detroit Drive Head Coach and AFL Hall of Famer Tim Marcum said.
Because Arena Football was receiving more coverage with an exciting brand of football, fans and attendance were beginning to rise as well. The fans were seeing how interactive the games were and how important playing at home really was.
“I think what the fans had to look forward to was the fast paced game and they didn’t have to worry about the weather. A lot of the time, you had a strong home field advantage because the crowd was rough on the opposing teams. At first, we basically sat in the stands with the fans. That was very interesting,” former Chicago Bruisers defensive back and AFL Hall of Famer Durwood Roquemore said.
The second season also gave fans an opportunity to see a more developed brand of football. Many players were returning to the arena field and had a better understanding of how to read and be successful with the style of play.
“In 1988, it was good football with good players. Just like anything that starts up, it gets better as time goes along. The players and coaches were getting better and learning the game in the second season. Arena Football was just a good product so it worked out,” former Chicago Bruisers head coach and AFL Hall of Famer Perry Moss said.
The major area that many players and coaches had to learn and adapt to was the quick style of play. Because of the decrease in field space, players also had to understand the new landscape and positioning.
“The ball definitely did come out a lot faster. I was very surprised at how fast it was. When you shorten it up to 50-yards and make it less wide, then it becomes a different game and took time to adjust to the rhythm and speed of the game. It became a game of angles and I tried to master the angles. When players ran out of room and the ball is coming, if you had the right angle, you would make a play. I studied and tried to master the angles,” Roquemore said.
Because it was still football, however, coaches did not feel the necessity to change from their old football coaching and teaching tendencies.
“It was football. It is a little bit condensed from the arena field to the outdoor field. However, it wasn’t very difficult to coach this style of game because the quarterback had to do the same things and blocking and tackling were pretty much the same. Throwing and catching were the same as well. It was mostly about adjusting to the fewer men and the smaller field,” Moss said.
The one year of experience also helped raise the level of talent across the League. Whether it was returning players or new players that had seen and become interested in the sport, the League was beginning to be filled with some outstanding individual performers. The 1988 season showcased a number of future Hall of Famers that put up impressive statistics during the year.
Chicago Bruisers rookie quarterback Ben Bennett earned MVP honors and a First Team All-Arena selection during the 1988 season after throwing for 2,304-yards and 49 touchdowns. Bennett led the Bruisers to ArenaBowl II and a 10-1-1 record during the regular season. Bennett would go onto throw for 267 touchdowns in the next nine seasons during his Hall of Fame career.
Other notable Hall of Famers that played for the Chicago Bruisers and earned First Team All-Arena honors included wide receiver and defensive back Carl Aikens Jr. and Roquemore. Aikens finished the 1988 season with 934 receiving yards and 21 touchdown receptions, while ranking third in the League in all-purpose yards with 1,147. Roquemore ended the year leading the League in interceptions with 11 and tackles with 83.5, 25.5 more then the next best. Bruisers wide receiver and defensive back Reggie Smith also posted a stellar season after leading the League in all-purpose yards with 1,267. Smith, also known as “The Super Gnat”, was the League’s most exciting kick-return specialist and recorded the first kickoff return for a touchdown in AFL history.
Detroit Drive wide receiver and defensive back Dwayne Dixon followed up his impressive rookie campaign in 1987 with an extraordinary season that earned him Ironman of the Year and a First Team All-Arena selection. Dixon led the League in a number of different statistical categories including receptions (79), receiving yards (1,007) and fumble recoveries (5). He also ranked second in the League in interceptions (6) and tackles (58.0).
Pittsburgh Gladiators defensive lineman Craig Walls also earned a First Team All-Arena selection after leading the League in sacks for the second consecutive season. Walls recorded 13 sacks in 1987 and followed it up in 1988 with 12.
The great level of talent all across the League also led to a fantastic finish. Going into ArenaBowl II, Chicago and Detroit were the clear cut powerhouses, ending the regular season with the only two records above .500. Chicago finished the regular season at 10-1-1 and looked like the favorites heading into the postseason.
“We knew what type of team we had. That year we became a pretty close knit group and we actually won our first ten games. The 1988 team was one of the most underrated seasons that I played in because there were some tremendous players. We had unbelievable coaches and a lot of veteran players. There were very few mistakes made,” Roquemore said.
The Detroit Drive finished with an impressive record of 9-3, with two losses coming from Chicago during the regular season. Head coach Tim Marcum was entering his second season in the AFL after winning ArenaBowl I with the Denver Dynamite. With all of his knowledge and previous experience, Marcum was able to lead the Drive to ArenaBowl II and a matchup with their rival, the Bruisers.
In front of a crowd of 15,018, the matchup between Chicago and Detroit in ArenaBowl II did not turn out to be the high powered scoring affair that many expected. Drive wide receiver and defensive back Steve Griffin had an incredible game after notching two interceptions, a fumble recovery and six receptions for 52-yards. The Bruisers were never able to gather momentum throughout and eventually fell 24-13.
Marcum recorded his second consecutive ArenaBowl championship and would quickly become known as the most successful Head Coach in AFL history. Marcum would eventually go onto win ArenaBowl III the following season and collect seven ArenaBowls in his AFL career, four more than any other coach.
“After winning the ArenaBowl in 1987 with Denver, it was almost kind of expected. We won the first three ArenaBowl’s which was very special. It was a great run in Detroit,” Marcum said.
At the conclusion of the 1988 AFL season, the League had a lot to look forward to. With the growing level of exposure and excitement from fans, the League was quickly gaining awareness around the country.
“The League was definitely growing in the right direction. No question about it. It was growing mainly because Arena Football is a good and entertaining game. The fans really enjoyed it and as the years have gone on, it has gotten better and been an excellent game for fans to watch and the players to play,” Moss said.
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