2000 Tampa Bay Storm

Due to retirements, and a youth movement, the big news out of the Storm's training camp was about who would not attend. Links to the original 1991 Storm team, Stevie Thomas and Tracey Perkins, would not be back. Thomas held the Storm records for receptions (518), receiving yards (7,770), touchdowns (159) and points scored (958). Perkins held the team marks for interceptions (34) and tackles (373). After three seasons as the starting quarterback, Peter Tom Willis announced his retirement. Les Barley, the AFL's all-time leading rusher, was not in camp. Sylvester Bembery, the league's all-time sack leader, also announced his retirement, but he did decide to sign with Buffalo. The Storm traded George LaFrance to the expansion Detroit Fury, but Detroit announced the labor problems would force them to delay play until 2001 and LaFrance ended up with New Jersey. LeFrance left as the team career leader in all purpose yards (11,931). Lineman Willie Wyatt, once with the Buccaneers and twice named all-league with the Storm, was lost in the expansion draft.

A deal was made with New England to bring quarterback Mike Perez to Tampa Bay for defensive specialist Corey Dowden, another player and a draft pick. Perez, the AFL's all-time leader in touchdown passes, would decide to retire and did not attend training camp. The Storm then signed former Florida State QB Thad Busby, who holds the Seminoles record for passing yards in a season. The backup job went to former Cal Poly State at San Luis Obispo quarterback Alli Abrew.

To celebrate the team's tenth season in Tampa Bay, the Storm announced an "All Decade Team." The MVP of the Decade was Stevie Thomas and the Ironman of the Decade was Andre Bowden. Also named to the team were Jay Gruden, Les Barley, George LaFrance, Lawrence Samuels, Bobby Byrd, Willie Wyatt, Deatrich Wise, Sylvester Bembery, Lynn Rowland, Johnnie Harris, Tracey Perkins and Jorge Cimadevilla. While not named "All Decade," lineman Joe March became the Storm's third representative in the Arena Football League Hall of Fame. March played in Tampa Bay from 1993 to 1996 and was on three of the Storm's championship teams.

The season opened with New England and 11,224 fans at the Ice Palace. In a battle between rookie quarterbacks, Chad Salisbury out played Thad Busby. Salisbury (21 of 36 for 224 yards) threw for four touchdowns and ran for another score. Damion Harrell caught three touchdown passes for the Sea Wolves. Busby (18 of 36 for 190 yards) did throw a TD pass to Antoine Worthman, but also suffered an interception and four sacks. Cedric McKinnon ran for a TD and Andre Bowden scored the fiftieth rushing touchdown of his career, but it was not enough. The 41-26 victory was New England's first win over the Storm. Tampa Bay suffered some injuries, most notably to place kicker Matt Huerkamp, which forced backup quarterback Alli Abrew to take over the kicking duties in the second half. Head coach Tim Marcum admitted, "We've got a lot of work to do."

A couple of players acquired during the week would play major roles in the season's first road game at Florida. New place kicker Jay Feely, who played at Tampa Jesuit High School and the University of Michigan, made a 36 yard field goal and the Storm held a 17-3 second quarter lead. Two Fred McNair (17 of 31 for 184 yards and 3 TDs) touchdown passes later, the Bobcats tied the game 17- 17 at the half. Thad Busby (21 of 45 for 210 yards and an interception) showed improvement and threw for three touchdowns. Busby was not sacked, while the Storm got to the quarterback twice and picked off a pair of passes. Harvey Middleton, the all time leading receiver at Georgia Tech, had an impressive Storm debut with ten receptions for 113 yards and a touchdown. While Jay Feely attempted a team record six field goals, his stock plummeted in the second half. He missed an extra point which would have tied the game at 31, then missed two 30 yard field goals in the final minute, one as the horn sounded, and the Storm lost 31-30. After thirteen victories, it was the first time the Storm had lost to the Bobcats. Speaking of Feely, head coach Tim Marcum said "I'll tell him on the way home we're going to change kickers, but he probably already knows."

Justin Skinner, who played at The Citadel, became the Storm's new kicker. The team made another trade with New England for a quarterback, this time for John Kaleo. Out of the University of Maryland, the Storm was Kaleo's seventh AFL team over a seven year career. Defensive specialist Israel Byrd was also signed. Byrd went to Utah State, played with the New Orleans Saints and in NFL Europe. A couple of weeks later, when Melvin Cunningham was lost for the season, James Bowden was picked up. Bowden played for New England the previous season.

To avoid the first 0-3 start in franchise history, the Storm would have to defeat the defending league champions in Albany. The Storm took a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, but things would rapidly deteriorate from there. Thad Busby (11 of 19 for 115 yards with 2 TDs) had one of his two second quarter interceptions returned for a touchdown and was replaced with John Kaleo before the half expired. Kaleo (10 of 19 for 159 yards) had a rough start with the Storm. Joe Jacobs sacked him on his first two plays with the second scoring a safety for the Firebirds. Jacobs recorded three of Albany's five sacks. Mike Pawlawski (24 of 35 for 243 yards) had a big night with eight touchdown passes, four of which were caught by Greg Hopkins (12 receptions for 124 yards) and three by Van Johnson. While there was little positive coming out of the game, Charles Wilson (11 catches for 166) was on the receiving end of all four Storm touchdowns. When the gun sounded, the Storm had suffered the worst defeat in team history 67-34. When asked if he ever thought the team would be in this position, a frustrated Tim Marcum replied "Well, the obvious answer is no. If I was Bobby Knight, I would call you down on that one. That's a pretty stupid question." When asked how do you keep the team from panicking, Marcum responded, "I'm not sure that panicking is not a bad idea. If it changes your behavior in doing something about it, then panic is good."

John Kaleo made his first start at quarterback for the Storm in a Thursday night game against Carolina at the Ice Palace. The scoring opened with a touchdown pass to Lawrence Samuels (8 receptions for 101 yards) and Kaleo would complete his first nine passes. Kaleo (23 of 28 for 294 yards) finished with six TD passes, to five different receivers, and was not picked off. The offense scored on its first seven possessions and Nyle Wiren ran for his first career touchdown. On defense, the Storm did not allow a touchdown pass and out-gained the Cobras 303-109 in total yards and 21-7 in first downs. The home team rolled to a 50-19 victory over the expansion team. Tim Marcum said "This is absolutely what we needed. It's been a while since we won around here."

The Storm played a good first half at Orlando, as they lead 14-3 after one quarter and 31-17 at the break. John Kaleo (17 of 35 for 260 yards) threw four touchdown passes and ran for a score, but was also intercepted three times. Early in the third quarter, momentum changed when Orlando's Kenny McEntyre returned one of his two Kaleo interceptions 50 yards for a touchdown. The Storm responded with the second Lawrence Samuels TD catch of the night, but that was only Tampa Bay TD of the second half. While the Storm were held to a team record low 1 yard rushing, they lead 43-31 late in the fourth quarter. Orlando scored with 1:12 left and the last of Connell Maynor's (22 of 39 for 289 yards with an INT) five touchdowns passes, and the last of Joe Douglass' (11 receptions for 126 yards) three TD grabs, gave the home team its first lead with nine seconds on the clock. The Predators were penalized eleven times in a 44-43 victory. Clif Dell, the first player in the history of the University of South Florida to play professional football, chipped in with four catches for 39 yards for the Preds. When asked how he felt about losing a game the Storm had lead for the first 59:51, Tim Marcum responded "Shock would be an adequate word. We let this one get away."

Another Thursday night home game featured plenty of hype about the return of George LaFrance, who had played six seasons in Tampa Bay, but the star for New Jersey was Michael Lewis. The rookie caught seven balls for 141 yards with two touchdowns and also returned a missed field goal for a score. While New Jersey QB Tommy Maddox (18 of 36 for 210 yards and 2 TDs) was not picked off, the Storm defense recovered three Jersey fumbles and set a team record low for rushing yards allowed (-1). The Red Dogs defense put heat on John Kaleo all night and sacked the Storm signal caller three times. Kaleo (20 of 44 for 229 yards with 2 interceptions) dealt with the pressure and threw four touchdown passes, twice hooking up with Lawrence Samuels. While George LaFrance did not catch a pass in the game, his name would be mentioned late in the game. Storm newcomer James Bowden caught ten passes for 129 yards, added 154 in kick return yards and broke LaFrance's Storm record for all purpose yards with 283. John Kaleo talked after the Storm's 40-26 victory about the defensive pressure. "I felt like I was in a 45 mile an hour car wreck time after time after time. I took a beating tonight."

The next Thursday, on the strength of two James Bowden (9 receptions for 105 yards) touchdown catches, the Storm took a 20-14 lead after one quarter in Iowa. The Barnstormers then out scored the visitors 21-0 in the second to take a 35-20 halftime advantage. Iowa quarterback Aaron Garcia (23 of 39 for 278 yards) threw seven touchdown passes with Mike Horacek (13 catches for 185 yards) on the receiving end six times. Charles Wilson also caught a pair of John Kaleo (22 of 34 for 273 yards with 5 TDs and 2 INTs) touchdown passes, however, it was not enough. With twenty-three penalties, ten on the Storm (53 yards) and thirteen on Iowa (61 yards), the game got a little sloppy. Tim Marcum had plenty to say after the 52-34 defeat. "Right now, we aren't a very good football team. Some guys that are not getting it done are going to have to head down the road. It looks like we're going to have to get some new players in here." John Kaleo said of being 2-5 at the halfway point of the season, "The situation is very serious."

The Storm offense exploded and records fell against Florida at the Ice Palace. For the second time in three weeks, James Bowden set the record for all purpose yardage. He caught a team record tying twelve passes for 175 yards receiving with three touchdowns and added 170 yards on returns for a total of 345 yards. Lawrence Samuels also scored three touchdowns, twice on pass receptions and once on an interception return. John Kaleo (16 of 21 for 221 yards) had a good night, throwing for five touchdowns without an interception, and he ran for a score. The Storm scored four times on the ground with Andre Bowden running for two TDs. Not that it was all offense for the home team. The defense held the Bobcats to 73 yards, all passing, which are both Storm records. This was the first time a Tampa Bay opponent did not even attempt to rush the ball. When the final horn sounded, the Storm posted a dominating 77-26 victory. How dominating? Records were set largest margin of victory (51 points), most points scored at home and it was the worst defeat in the history of the Florida franchise. Matt Huerkamp, in his first game back from injury, attempted a team record eleven extra points. Tim Marcum, who became the first head coach in league history to win 100 regular season games, said of the team's effort, "We just played a full game."

After a bye week, Nashville came to town. The Storm lead 14-0 after the first quarter, 28-14 at the half and 31-14 in third quarter. In the first half, Lawrence Samuels caught a pair of touchdown passes, while John Kaleo and Andre Bowden ran for scores. Kaleo (18 of 36 for 195 yards) was not intercepted, while Antoine Worthman picked off Kats QB Andy Kelly (20 of 28 for 209 yards and 2 TDs) on the team's first possession. The visitors also lost two fumbles. After the intermission, special teams accounted for all the Storm scores. Matt Huerkamp had two field goals and Nashville pulled within 34-30. James Bowden electrified the crowd with 58 yard kickoff return, which equaled the league record, and provided the final margin of 40-30.

Grand Rapids fumbled the ball away on the first two kickoffs and the Storm had a quick 14-0 lead. On the strength of a Storm record tying eight touchdown passes by John Kaleo (18 of 26 for 302 yards), Tampa Bay scored on its first twelve possessions with the first ten being touchdowns. James Bowden was on the receiving end of three TD passes, while Lawrence Samuels and Wayne Walker caught a pair each. Matt Huerkamp scored the team's last points on a 53 yard field goal, which equaled his own Storm record. A big night by Thomas Bailey, eight receptions for 167 yards with a touchdown, was not enough for the home team. The game saw each team flagged eleven times, as the Storm posted the first road win of the season 74-54.

Before the Orlando game, the Storm retired the uniform number 24 worn by defensive specialist Tracey Perkins. John Kaleo (25 of 41 for 267 yards with an INT) and Orlando's Connell Maynor (23 of 29 for 271 yards) each threw four touchdown passes in an exciting game at the Ice Palace. Lawrence Samuels caught two scoring passes for the Storm and Brett Cooper had 108 yards receiving with a Predators TD. The Storm lead 3-0 after the first quarter and the game was tied 20-20 at the half. When the Storm gained just 7 yards in the third quarter, Orlando took a 29-20 lead into the final period. It was a fun fourth quarter. The Storm recaptured the lead, Orlando took it back, then the home team lead again. In the final minute, the visitors had the ball and an opportunity to escape with a victory. Antoine Worthman, who had recovered two Orlando fumbles earlier, returned an interception 18 yards for the clinching touchdown with 36 second on the clock. The Storm erupted for 30 points in the fourth quarter and defeated the enemy to the east 50-36. Orlando turned the ball over four times and Darion Conner sacked Maynor three times. John Kaleo said of a game which featured eight lead changes, "This was kind of a turning point for us to let everybody know that the Tampa Bay Storm is back."

Milwaukee came to town for the last game on the home schedule. Lamont Cooper, who also had three touchdown receptions, returned the opening kickoff for a TD and the visitors jumped to a 14-0 lead just four minutes into the game. The Storm came back to tie it up, but the Mustangs lead 21-14 after one quarter. John Kaleo was not feeling well, had to leave the game in the second quarter and Milwaukee built a 38-17 advantage by halftime. Kaleo (14 of 23 for 208 yards and 3 touchdowns) came back for the second half and the Storm pulled to within 52-45 with 8:40 left in the game. Wayne Walker totaled 103 yards receiving for the Storm, however, five Kaleo interceptions and six TD passes by Milwaukee's Kevin McDougal (24 of 33 for 281 yards with 2 INTs) were two much to overcome. Even though the Storm's four game winning streak came to an end with a 62-52 defeat, that night they clinched their tenth consecutive playoff spot.

While John Kaleo (20 of 29 for 215 yards with an interception) hit Lawrence Samuels on two touchdowns passes, the running game was instrumental in a victory at Nashville. Andy Kelly (28 of 41 for 238 yards) tossed two TDs for the home team, but fifteen penalties for 83 yards hurt the Kats. Andre Bowden ran for a pair of 5 yard touchdowns and became the only the second player in league history to rush for 1,000 career yards. It took a 1 yard Kaleo touchdown run, with 42 seconds left, for the Storm to post 35-31 victory. Bowden talked of joining former teammate Les Barley in the 1,000 yard club. "I can't wait to call Les and tell him, 'Hey, I'm on your trail.'"

The Storm's first trip to the Entertainment and Sports Arena in Raleigh saw them take a 28-6 lead over the Cobras after one quarter. The Storm scored on their first eight possessions, but Carolina battled back in what would become the highest scoring game in Storm history. John Kaleo (19 of 34 for 260 yards with an INT) threw for five scores, twice hitting Lawrence Samuels (9 catches for 130 yards). The home team rallied behind eight touchdown passes from Fred McNair (15 of 30 for 262 yards with an interception), who connected with David McLeod (7 receptions for 156 yards) on five scoring passes. When they took a 69-65 fourth quarter lead, the Carolina comeback was complete. The decisive score came with 18 seconds on the clock, as Andre Bowden ran for his third touchdown of the night and the visitors pulled out a 72-69 victory. Tim Marcum said of the win, which gave Tampa Bay home field in the first round of the playoffs, "I think we were celebrating a little early." John Kaleo looked forward to the postseason, "Tampa Bay's always had the ingredients here. So, who knows, let's see what happens these next four games."

After the dismal 0-3 start, the Storm won eight of eleven, six of the last seven and finished the year 8-6. The record equaled the worst in team history and the third place finish was the first time the Storm ever finished lower than second. Despite being second in the league in total defense, the 598 points allowed set a team record. The home attendance improved to an average of 11,912, which was sixth best in the league.

An injury plagued season kept Storm players from ranking among the league leaders. The exception was Andre Bowden, who finished sixth in the league in rushing with 156 yards. James Bowden lead the team in receiving yards (859), while Lawrence Samuels had the most touchdown receptions (19). Samuels also lead the team with three interceptions. Darion Conner was the Storm's sack leader with 3.5.

This season introduced an expanded the playoff format with a dozen teams making the postseason and division winners receiving a first round bye. The Storm and Milwaukee opened the playoffs with a record breaking offensive show at the Ice Palace. With four touchdown catches and two scoring runs, James Bowden had a Storm postseason record six touchdowns. Bowden ran in a two point conversion and finished with a team record 38 points. He also set records for all-purpose yards (292), kickoff returns (8) and combined returns (9). John Kaleo (22 of 28 for 307 yards) equaled the team record with seven touchdown passes, as the Storm generated a team playoff record 392 total yards. Lawrence Samuels had two touchdown receptions and Cedric McKinnon rushed for two scores. A defensive record set in the game was holding Milwaukee to 4 yards rushing. Matt Huerkamp also attempted a Storm postseason record eight extra points. Milwaukee was lead by Lamart Cooper, who returned two second half kickoffs for touchdowns. Cooper set several league records for kickoff returns, including returning one a postseason record 56 yards. Sean Riley caught 11 passes for 150 yards with two touchdowns for the Mustangs. The Storm advanced with a 72- 64 victory. It was the most points they had scored in the postseason and the most points they had allowed. The teams combined for an AFL record 80 points in the second half and the second highest scoring game in league postseason history set a Storm record for total points (136) in a playoff game.

The playoff quarterfinal game took place at Orlando on a Thursday night. When each team scored on its first possession, it looked like it was going to be a high scoring affair, but things tightened up after that and the Predators stopped the Storm defense cold. On three Storm drives, they had the ball first and ten at either at the one or two yard line, yet put no points on the board. Orlando's Clif Dell, who played at USF, caught two first half touchdown passes and intercepted a pass in the third quarter. While each quarterback was intercepted twice and sacked three times, Connell Maynor (16 of 26 for 188 yards) ran for a score and threw for three touchdowns and John Kaleo (12 of 26 for 205 yards) threw for two TDs. The Storm also lost a pair of fumbles and Orlando was penalized a dozen times. Time Marcum said of the 34-24 defeat, "Long story made short, we got whipped."

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2000 Tampa Bay Storm Results

2000 AFL Southern Division Standings

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