2011 Hall of Fame

2011 Hall of Fame Class
Barry Wagner, WR/DB  
Orlando: (9 yrs; 1992-1999, 2007)
San Jose: (7 yrs; 2000-2006)
  • AFL Historical Committee No. 2 Best Player of All Time.
  • 6-time Ironman of the Year (1992-97)
  • 2-time Offensive Player of the Year (1995, 1997)
  • 1st All-Time
  • Most Seasons Played - 16-yrs (Tied)
  • Most Points in a Career - 2,490
  • Most Career Touchdowns - 410
  • Most Rushing Touchdowns -127
  • Most All-Purpose Yards in a Career - 21,042
  • Most 2-Point Conversions in a Career - 15
  • Most Postseason Receiving Touchdowns in a career - 41
  • Most Postseason Games Played - 35
  • Most Postseason Rushing Touchdowns - 21
  • Most Postseason Receptions in a Career - 175
  • Most Postseason Points in a Career - 410
  • 2nd All-Time
  • Most Games Played-190
  • Most Receiving Yards - 13,363 yards.
  • Most Seasons Achieving 1,000-or-More Receiving Yards - 7 (Tied)
  • 3rd All-Time
  • Most Postseason All-Purpose Yards - 3,504
George LaFrance, OS  
Detroit: (5 yrs; 1988-1993)
Tampa: (6 yrs; 1994-1999)
New Jersey: (1 yr; 2000)
  • AFL Historical Committee No. 3 Best Player of All Time
  • Most Valuable Player - 1989, 1991
  • Offensive Player of the Year - 1989, 1991
  • Five time Arena Bowl Champion - (Detroit Drive-3, Tampa Bay Storm-2)
  • 2nd All-Time
  • Most Postseason Points in a Career - 250
  • Most Postseason All-Purpose Yards in a Career - 3,678
  • Most Postseason Receiving Touchdowns in a Career - 38
  • 3rd All-Time
  • Most All-Purpose Yards in a Career - 20,480
  • Most Postseason Receptions in a Career - 130
Hunkie Cooper, WR/LB  
Arizona: (13 yrs; 1993-2005)
  • AFL Historical Committee No. 5 Best Player of All Time
  • 2-time Ironman of the Year - 1999, 2000
  • Most Valuable Player - 1993
  • 1st All-Time
  • Most Combined Kick Return Yards in a Career - 11,499
  • Most Postseason All-Purpose Yards - 3,768
  • 2nd All-Time
  • Most All-Purpose Yards in a Career - 20,587
  • Most Postseason Games Played - 30
  • Most Postseason Receptions in a Career - 139
  • Most Pass Receptions in a Game - 19 (Tied)
Eddie Brown, WR  
Albany/Indiana: (10 yrs; 1994-2003)
  • AFL Historical Committee No. 1 Best Payer of All-Time.
  • 3-time Offensive Player of the Year (1994, 1996, 1999)
  • Most Valuable Player - 1994
  • 1st All-Time
  • Most Touchdowns in a Single Game - 9 (Tied)
  • 2nd All-Time
  • Most Touchdowns in a Single Game - 8
  • Most Points Scored in a Rookie Season - 288
  • Most Seasons Achieving 1,000-or-More Receiving Yards - 7 (Tied)
  • 3rd All-Time
  • Most Points Scored in a Career - 2,076
  • Most Career Touchdowns - 345
  • Most Postseason Points - 240
  • Most Postseason Receiving Touchdowns in a Career - 37
  • Most Receiving Touchdowns - 303
Sylvester Bembery, OL/DL  
New England: (1 yr; 1988)
Albany: (4 yrs; 1990-1994)
Tampa Bay: (6 yrs; 1995-1999, 2002)
Buffalo: (1 yr; 2000)
  • AFL Historical Committee No. 7 Best Player of All-Time
  • First Team All-Arena 1990-92
  • Two Arena Bowl Titles (Tampa Bay Storm 1995-1996)
Kurt Warner, QB  
Iowa: (3 yrs; 1995-1997)
  • AFL Historical Committee No. 12 Best Player of All Time.
  • Founders Award Winner - 2006.
  • He finished his AFL career with 10,465 passing yards and 183 touchdowns.
  • Lead the Iowa Barnstormers to back-to-back Arena Bowl Appearances in 1996 and 1997
  • 2nd All-Time
  • Most Passing Yards in a Postseason Game - 428
Stevie Thomas, WR/LB  
Tampa Bay: (9 yrs; 1991-1999)
Orlando: (1 yr; 2000)
New Jersey: (1 yr; 2001)
  • AFL Historical Committee No. 9 Best Player of All-Time
  • Five-time ArenaBowl Winner (1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 2000)
  • Two-time ArenaBowl MVP (1991, 1996)
  • Career Numbers include:
  • 7,892 Receiving Yards
  • 152 Receiving Touchdowns
  • 111 Tackles
  • 10 Interceptions
  • 5 Defensive Touchdowns
Sam Hernandez, OL/DL  
Charlotte: (1 yr; 1992)
Las Vegas: (2 yrs; 1994-1995),
Anaheim: (2 yrs; 1996-1997)
San Jose: (8 yrs; 1998-2005)
  • Three Time All-Arena Team (1995-96, 2000)
  • The Year 2000 Lineman of the Year
  • 1st All-Time
  • Most Career Sacks - 59
Darren Arbet, Head Coach  
San Jose: (11 yrs; 1999-2011)
  • No. 3 on Top Ten Leaders in Postseason Victories
  • No. 3 on Top Ten Postseason Winning Percentage
  • No. 4 on Top Twenty Leaders in Regular-Season Victories
  • No. 5 in Regular-Season Winning Percentage
  • 2-time Coach of the Year (2000, 2002)
  • 3 Arena Bowl Titles - San Jose (2002, 2004, 2007)
  • 124 Total Wins - 15 in Post Season
Gene Nudo, President/GM  
AFL ties for 24 yrs
  • Member of AFL Hall of Fame Operating Board of Directors President/General Manager of the Chicago Rush
  • Founder's Award Winner in 2002
  • Three-time League Executive of the Year - Arizona (1997, 1999, 2000)
Current Hall Of Famers

INAUGURAL CLASS OF 1998

DWAYNE DIXON: WR/DB, 6-3,203. Florida. Washington (1987), Detroit (1988-91). Ironman of the Year (1988). Member of Detroit’s three straight championship teams (1988-90). Held record for most receptions (20) and receiving yardage (264) in a single game. Finished career with 188 receptions, 2,307-yards and 35 touchdowns.

JAMES FOSTER: Founder, Arena Football League. Commissioner (1987-92). Owner/Pres., Iowa Barnstormers, (1995-2001). Executive of the Year, 1995-96.

JERRY KURZ: V.P. International Expansion/Gridiron Enterprises, Inc., (1990-current). Distinguished member of AFL’s Executive Committee. Spent five season as president with the af2. He was awarded “The Warner Award” on May 28, 2011.

TIM MARCUM: Head Coach, Denver (1987), Detroit (1988-90, 1991-1993), Tampa Bay, (1995-current). All-time winningest coach, with overall record of 211-99. Seven titles with Denver (1987), Detroit (1988-89) and Tampa Bay (1995-96, 2003).

GARY MULLEN: WR/DB. 5-11, 170. West Virginia. Denver (1987), Los Angeles (1988), Detroit (1989-92), Cincinnati (1993), Milwaukee (1994). All-Arena (1987-88, 1990). Member of four championship teams (1987, 1989-90, ’92).

TATE RANDLE: DS. 6-1, 205. Texas Tech. Detroit (1990-92). First-team All-Arena (1991). Won two championships with the Drive (1990, ’92). Totaled 14 career interceptions.

ALVIN RETTIG:  FB/LB. 5-11, 200. Rice. Detroit (1988-93). Member of 4 championship teams (1988, ’89, ’90, ’92). ArenaBowl Ironman (1990). First-team All-Arena (1992). Led League in sacks with 11 in 1992. Holds single-game record of five sacks. Rushed for 523 yards and 16 TDs.

CRAIG WALLS: OL/DL. 6-2, 215. Indiana. Pittsburgh (1987-88). First-team All-Arena (1987-88). Won an ArenaBowl title in 1987. Collected 25 career sacks, including 13 in one season.

CLASS OF 1999

JAY GRUDEN: QB. 6-1, 215. Louisville. The AFL’s own version of John Elway, Gruden amassed 15,514 passing yards and 280 TDs while leading the Storm to four championships (1991, ’93, ’95-96). League MVP (1992). First-team All-Arena (1992, ’95). ArenaBowl MVP (1993). Also won two ArenaBowl Championships as a Head Coach (Orlando in 1998 and 2000). Gruden began his coaching career as the Offensive Coordinator for the AFL’s Nashville Kats in 1997.  Then, in 1998, he became Head Coach of the Orlando Predators and won ArenaBowl title in his first season at the helm.  He un-retired and resumed playing in 2002, this time for the Predators, but retired again and returned to coaching.  Gruden has an overall AFL career record of 93–61, including a record of 11–7 in the playoffs.

DURWOOD “ROCK” ROQUEMORE: DS. 6-1, 190. Texas A&I. Chicago (1987-88), Albany (1990), Orlando (1991-96). First-team All-Arena 5 times (1988, ’90, ’92-94). All-time leader with 50 interceptions.

JON ROEHLK: OL/DL. 6-2, 285. Iowa. Washington (1987), Detroit (1988-93), Miami (1994), Iowa (1995-96). Member of four championship teams (1988-90, ’92). Six title game appearances in six seasons.

GARY VITTO: General Manager of the AFL’s first dynasty, the Detroit Drive (1988-93). His teams appeared in the championship six straight years from 1998-93, winning four, including three straight (1988-90). Gary passed away in December 2001.

CLASS OF 2000

BEN BENNETT: Quarterback. 6-2, 200. Duke. Chicago (1988-89), Dallas (1990), Orlando (1991-95), San Jose (1996), Portland (1997). Led three different teams to five ArenaBowls in 10 seasons. League MVP (1988). First-team All-Arena (1988, 1993-94). Accumulated 14,169 passing yards and 267 TD passes. 

CARL AIKENS: WR/DB. 6-1, 185. Northern Illinois. Chicago (1988-89), Dallas (1990-91), Orlando (1992-93), Milwaukee (1994). Ironman of the Year (1989). First-team All-Arena (1988-90). Played in three ArenaBowls (1988, ’90, ’92).

HERCULES “HERKIE” WALLS: WR/DB. 5-8, 165. Texas. Orlando (1991-96). Played on three ArenaBowl teams (1992, ’94-95). Totaled 207 receptions, 2,924 yards and 54 TDs along with more than 4,000 return yards in six-year career.

JOE MARCH: OL/DL. 6-3, 270. Murray State. Denver (1991), Sacramento (1992), Milwaukee (1993), Tampa Bay (1993-1996), Nashville (1997). Recorded 12.5 sacks in his rookie season. First-team All-Arena (1991). Member of three ArenaBowl title teams with Storm (1993, ‘95-96).

PERRY MOSS: Head Coach, Chicago (1988), Detroit (1990), Orlando (1990-97). Three-time Coach of the Year (1988, ’92, ’94). Eighty-six career wins, while leading five different teams to the championship game, winning it in ’90. Had five seasons of 11-or-more wins.

GLENN MAZULA: Former owner, Albany/Indiana Firebirds (1990-2002). Saw his team become fourth most successful with 98 victories. Under his leadership, the Firebirds won six division titles and the ArenaBowl (1999) before relocating to Indianapolis. His team was presented with the Commissioner’s Award in 1994. 

CLASS OF 2002

DANNY WHITE: Head coach, Arizona (1993-2004), Utah (2006-2008). As the only head coach in Rattlers history, White, a former Dallas Cowboy star QB, guided his team to the playoffs in 10 of 11 seasons, which included two championships (1994 and ’97). Finished with a 162-95 record as a Head Coach.

MIKE ILITCH: Owner of the most successful team in history- the Detroit Drive (1988-93). In the team’s six-year history, the Drive made a trip to the title game every year of their existence, capturing four in the process. The Drive boasted 31 All-Arena selections, three MVP award winners, one Ironman of the Year, one Lineman of the Year and a Kicker of the Year.

JOHN CORKER: OL/DL. 6-6, 245. Oklahoma State. Detroit (1988, 1990-93), Miami (1994-95). Lineman of the Year (1991). Led the League with eight sacks in 1991. Earned a pair of championships with the Drive.

FRED GAYLES: WR/DB. 6-0, 205. Western State (CO). Denver (1989), Albany (1990-97), Grand Rapids (1998). Became the definition of a “possession receiver” following four seasons of more than 50 receptions. Earned four second-team All-Arena selections in his 10-year career.

REGGIE SMITH: OS. 5-6, 170. Chicago (1987-89), Albany (1990), Orlando (1991). The “Super Gnat” was, at the time, the league’s premier kick-return specialist. Accumulated 2,371 return yards and recorded the League’s first-ever return touchdown.