1996 Tampa Bay Storm

The Storm opened the Arena Football League's tenth season, and the defense of their Arena Bowl title, on April 26 at the Kiel Center in St. Louis. It was the first meeting between the Storm and the Stampede, who was an expansion team the previous year. St. Louis was coached by former University of Tampa and Ohio State University head coach Earle Bruce. Jay Gruden (23 of 35) was intercepted on the team's first offensive play, then went on to pass for seven touchdowns and a team record 368 yards. Stevie Thomas and Lonnie Turner each caught a pair of TD passes. The Storm's 376 total yards set a team record. After a scoreless first quarter, they out scored St. Louis 27-6 in the second. Stampede QB John Kaleo (17 of 33 for 256 yards) threw for three scores in Tampa Bay's 57-38 victory.

After a bye week, the expansion Texas Terror opened the home schedule at the Thunderdome. Tampa Bay stormed to a 32-3 halftime lead and Jay Gruden (12 of 21 for 174 yards with an INT) finished with six touchdown passes. George LaFrance caught a team record five touchdown passes for a Storm record 30 points. Tampa Bay recorded three sacks, held Texas to a team record low negative 5 yards rushing and set a league record with sixteen penalties. LaFrance, who had eight receptions for 166 yards, said after the 62-27 victory, "I had a lot of fun tonight."

In a rematch of Arena Bowl IX, Orlando came to town the following week. While the game was tied at 14 early in the second quarter, and Pat O'Hara (20 of 38 for 277 yards) threw for six Predators touchdowns, the Storm would take control. George LaFrance had 190 yards on kick returns including a league record twelfth career kickoff return for a touchdown. Jorge Cimadevilla equaled his team record of nine successful extra points. Stevie Thomas caught three Jay Gruden (17 of 27 for 227 yards with 4 TDs and 1 INT) touchdown passes and Cedric McKinnon rushed for 51 yards with three scores. The 63-42 victory gave the Storm five straight over Orlando, which the longest streak by either team in the series. McKinnon said of the game, "With Orlando, it's never hard to get focused. This is a big game, especially when they come here between our walls."

The Storm traveled north to the Target Center in Minneapolis for their first encounter with the expansion Minnesota Fighting Pike. Jay Gruden (14 of 23 for 235 yards with 4 TDs) threw touchdown passes to George LaFrance and Lonnie Turner, and Cedric McKinnon ran for a score, as the Storm jumped to a 21-0 lead. McKinnon's second TD run made it 28-10 at the half. In the fourth quarter, Gruden completed the 970th pass of his career, breaking the league record held by Ben Bennett. Tampa Bay won 41-16.

The next week, the Storm was back home to play San Jose and trailed 15-6 at the half. When Jay Gruden (15 of 28 for 215 yards with 4 TDs and 3 INTs) hit George LaFrance with a third quarter TD pass, Gruden went over 13,000 career passing yards, surpassing Ben Bennett's record to become the all-time yardage leader in AFL history. It also was the start of a 30-0 run by the Storm, which was highlighted by another LaFrance touchdown reception, as Tampa Bay won the first ever meeting with the SabreCats 36-22.

The newly renamed Florida Bobcats, who played as the Miami Hooters the previous three seasons before relocating to West Palm Beach, were next to visit the Thunderdome. It was a big game for George LaFrance who, in addition to catching three touchdown passes, surpassed several career milestones. LaFrance became the league's all-time pass reception leader, as he surpassed Orlando's Barry Wagner's total of 325. He also went over 100 career touchdown catches and became the first receiver to go over 5,000 yards in the AFL. In the game, the Storm trailed 19-7 after the first quarter and Florida quarterback Fred McNair threw five touchdown passes. Behind six TD passes by Jay Gruden (23 of 35 for 290 yards), two scoring runs by Cedric McKinnon and 128 receiving yards by Stevie Thomas, the Storm posted a 55-47 come from behind victory.

The Storm had never played in California prior to their game against the Anaheim Piranhas at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim. As the only undefeated teams remaining in the AFL, the Piranhas were 7-0 and the Storm had a team record 6-0 start. Tampa Bay had won their last fifteen games and was trying to tie the league record for consecutive victories set by the 1992-93 Detroit Drive. The last team to beat the Storm was the Las Vegas Sting, who had relocated to Anaheim during the off-season. Tampa Bay had team record low six first downs, but George LaFrance had some big plays. Jay Gruden (13 of 28 for 171 yards with 3 TDs and 2 INTs) hit LaFrance on two touchdowns and the Storm posted a 34-28 victory.

When they traveled to The Pyramid in Memphis the following week, Tampa Bay set the record against the winless Pharaohs. The Storm defense intercepted four passes and set a team record by allowing only five first downs. Stevie Thomas had two picks and returned one interception for a touchdown. Cedric McKinnon scored twice and recorded a sack. The Storm trailed after the first quarter 6- 0, but lead by the half 17-6. Jay Gruden (20 of 39 for 217 yards with an INT) threw for three scores in a 43-12 Tampa Bay victory. They had won seventeen straight games and had the best start to a Storm season at 8-0.

On June 29, Charlotte came to the Thunderdome. Jay Gruden (26 of 34) threw for 294 yards and seven touchdowns as he set the league record for career touchdown passes at 254. Stevie Thomas (10 receptions for 116 yards) caught four touchdown passes and George LaFrance (10 catches for 109 yards) grabbed three scoring passes. Rage quarterback Michael Proctor (17 of 32 for 204 yards) threw for six scores, and ran for another, while Andre Langley was on the receiving end of three Rage touchdowns. Sixteen Tampa Bay penalties did not help, as the Storm's winning streak, and any talk of an undefeated season, came to an end. After Charlotte's 66-53 victory, Rage head coach Rick Buffington proclaimed "This is the greatest upset of all time in Arena Football."

The following Saturday at the West Palm Beach Auditorium, the game against the Florida Bobcats was tied 17-17 at the half. Jay Gruden (20 of 34 for 247 yards with 2 INTs) threw for five touchdowns and George LaFrance caught six passes for 102 yards with two scores. It took a 48 yard field goal by Jorge Cimadevilla, as time expired, to post a 39-36 Storm victory. Cimadevilla said afterwards, "This feels real good, especially with the kind of season I have had."

Next up was Albany, as the Firebirds came to St. Petersburg for a re-match of the previous year's playoff game. Albany quarterback Mike Perez (18 of 30 for 340 yards with 4 TDs and 3 INTs) set the single season record for passing yardage, and the record for most passing yards against the Storm, including a touchdown pass to former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Willie Culpepper. On the ground, Firebirds running back Chad Dukes rushed for three scores. Storm quarterback Jay Gruden (29 of 46 for 311 yards) completed a team record number of passes, and his six touchdowns gave him a team record 55 TD passes for the season. Tampa Bay's 26 first downs, and George LaFrance's eight kickoff returns, also set team records. In a game with five ties and eight lead changes, a Stevie Thomas TD catch with six seconds remaining in regulation sent the game to overtime. In the first overtime period played at the Thunderdome, Thomas (122 yards receiving) caught his third touchdown pass of the evening and an interception by Lawrence Samuels sealed a 65-52 Storm victory.

The Storm next traveled to the Orlando Arena and the Predators defense held them to a team record low negative 3 yards rushing. Early in third quarter, the Storm held the game's largest lead at 24-13, however, Orlando was up 25-24 going into the final quarter. George LaFrance caught ten passes for 120 yards, had three touchdown receptions, returned a kickoff for another score and set a team record with 264 all purpose yards. He also caught a pass from Stevie Thomas for a two point conversion and a 32-25 lead. When Jeff Parker scored his third Orlando touchdown on the evening, the game was tied at 32-32. Jay Gruden (19 of 29 for 276 yards) threw his fourth TD pass and the Storm broke the deadlock. With no time left, Orlando scored a touchdown to pull within 39- 38. It appeared the Storm had stopped the two point conversion attempt and preserved a victory, but they were flagged for illegal defense. Given another chance, fullback Michael McClenton ran it in for two points. More a controversy ensued when it appeared that McClenton's knee was down before he hit the end zone, however, the Predators had a 40-39 victory. Tim Marcum was upset with the penalty on the first two-point conversion. "I've only been in this league since 1987. Maybe I don't know the rules. We had this game taken away from us."

The next week, Arizona came to the Thunderdome for the last regular season game the Tampa Bay team would play at the St. Petersburg facility. The dome was closing to prepare for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays major league baseball debut. The Rattlers lead 21-6 after the first quarter and stretched it to 31-14 in the second. Sherdrick Bonner (19 of 39 for 260 yards with an INT) threw four touchdowns passes for the visitors. Jay Gruden (24 of 31 for 321 yards with an INT) completed a Storm record seventeen straight passes and connected on seven touchdown passes. Stevie Thomas (107 yards receiving) scored three first half touchdowns, including his first ever rushing TD, and George LaFrance scored three second half touchdowns. The defense recovered two fumbles and recorded three sacks, as the Storm topped the Rattlers 69-48.

The regular season closed at The Summit in Houston. The Texas Terror took an early 14-7 lead before the Storm exploded for a 35-14 advantage at the intermission. Jay Gruden (18 of 33 for 280 yards with 2 INTs) tossed four first half touchdown passes, twice hitting Lonnie Turner (109 yards receiving). Johnnie Harris grabbed a pair of interceptions in a 42-30 Tampa Bay victory.

Tampa Bay ended the regular season with a 12-2 record and finished atop the National Conference's Southern Division. A .857 home winning percentage set a team record. Jay Gruden, who was the league's third rated passer, set team records for touchdown passes (70), passing yards (3,628), pass attempts (447) and completions (275). George LaFrance, who was fourth in the AFL in receiving, set Storm records for points scored (198), touchdowns (32), receiving touchdowns (30), yards receiving (1,258), pass receptions (100) and return yards (1,517). He set league records for all-purpose yards (2,828) and combined returns (85). Jorge Cimadevilla, who tied for tenth in the league in kicking, established records for extra points made (74) and extra points attempted (89). Cedric McKinnon (166 yards and 8 TDs) finished seventh in rushing. Kent Wells was named to the All-Arena League team and was voted the AFL's Lineman of the Year. Tampa Bay was fifth in the AFL in attendance, averaging 14,901.

The playoffs opened with a defensive struggle against Anaheim at the Thunderdome on August 7. Several Storm playoff record lows were set during the game. Defensive records set were fewest first downs allowed (9), yards of total offense allowed (126), passing yards allowed (123), and offensive lows were rushing yards (3) and total yards (228). Jay Gruden (18 of 35 for 231 yards with 2 INTs) threw a pair of scoring passes and the Storm lead 14-10 at the half. Defensive lineman Willie Wyatt blocked a field goal, and George LaFrance caught seven passes for 116 yards, but Johnnie Harris became the star of the game in the fourth quarter. With Tampa Bay holding on to a 17-16 lead, the rookie defensive back out of Mississippi State University ran back an interception for a touchdown and returned a fumble for another TD. The Storm advanced with a 30-16 victory over the Piranhas.

A playoff semi-final against Arizona was the last Arena football game played at the Thunderdome. The Storm would move into the Ice Palace for the 1997 season, a new facility built in downtown Tampa to house the NHL Tampa Bay Lightning. George LaFrance set team playoff records for points scored (30), touchdowns scored (5), touchdown receptions (5) and receiving yards (155), while Jay Gruden (19 of 31 for 278 yards with 3 INTs) tied the postseason record with seven TD passes. LaFrance's last TD reception gave the Storm a 55-48 advantage with 2:55 left. It was the game's seventh lead change. Sherdrick Bonner (12 of 33 for 280 yards with an INT) threw his fourth TD pass of the game and the Rattles were within a point with nine seconds left on the clock. Head coach Danny White decided to go for the two point conversion and the win. Arizona ran Michael "Bo" Kelly, who had become the first running back to score two TDs on the ground against the Storm in a postseason game, on a sweep play. The play never developed and Sylvester Bembery tackled the fullback deep in the backfield on the two point attempt. Even though Arizona had 21 first downs, the most a Storm team has allowed in the postseason, Tampa Bay won the game 55- 54. The Storm won despite a postseason low of - 5 yards rushing. After the only one point playoff game in team history, the Storm headed to the Arena Bowl for the fourth time in six seasons. Tampa Bay was 8-0 in playoff games held at the Thunderdome and coach Tim Marcum kept alive his streak of appearing in the championship game in each of his eight seasons in the league.

The tenth Arena Bowl was held at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines, which was called "the barn" by fans of the Iowa Barnstormers. Iowa was on a ten game winning streak and had not lost at home all season. It was the first meeting between the Storm and Iowa, which was an expansion team from the previous season owned by Arena football creator Jim Foster. Tampa Bay was penalized an Arena Bowl record low four times in what turned out to be the closest title game ever. Iowa quarterback Kurt Warner completed 12 of his first 13 passes and the home team lead 14-13 after one quarter. The game was tied at 28 at the break and remained close until the very end. In the final minute, the Barnstormers had a first and goal from the Tampa Bay 1 yard line, but a dramatic goal line stand made the Storm repeat champions with a 42-38 victory. Tampa Bay tied Detroit for the most league titles at four and became the first team in league history to win fifteen games in a season. Stevie Thomas (7 receptions for 103 yards), caught two TD passes, returned an interception for another score and was named game MVP. Jay Gruden (18 of 33 for 264 yards with an interception) tied his Arena Bowl record with five touchdown passes. Although he was intercepted three times, Kurt Warner set Arena Bowl records for passing yards (316), pass attempts (42) and completed passes (27). Tim Marcum talked of what he said to the team at intermission. "I told them at halftime you have thirty minutes to play and a lifetime to remember."

During the fall, Jay Gruden announced he was retiring from the Storm and would take on the role of offensive coordinator for the expansion Nashville Kats. Gruden was coming off his best year in the league and held the AFL career records for passing yards (15,514), touchdown passes (280) and completions (1,182). He also passed for over 2,000 yards in a league record five consecutive seasons. Over his six year career, Gruden had 280 regular season TDs and 78 interceptions over 70 games. In the postseason, he had 52 touchdowns, twenty interceptions and a 12-2 record in 14 games. He held Arena Bowl records for career passing yardage (975), touchdown passes (17), attempts (131) and completions (74). The durable quarterback started all but two of the Storm's first 84 games. Head coach Tim Marcum said that Gruden was "The best quarterback in this league, ever."

Related Links

1996 Tampa Bay Storm Results

1996 AFL Southern Division Standings

1996 Tampa Bay Storm Statistics

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