Tampa Bay Football History Network - 2001 Tampa Bay Storm

2001 Tampa Bay Storm

The most notable offseason acquisitions for the Tampa Bay Storm were kicker Mike Black, an eight year veteran holding many league records, and WR/DB Bernard Edwards, who played at Ohio State and spent seven years with the Florida Bobcats. Shane Stafford, out of the University of Connecticut, had an impressive preseason and became the new backup quarterback. Some players were lost to free agency, such as, Lawrence Sammuels signing with New Jersey and Antoine Worthman going to Detroit. Others were waived including Thad Busby, Matt Huerkamp, Wayne Walker and Charles Wilson. As the Arena Football League prepared to kickoff its fifteenth season, head coach Tim Marcum noted "We're way ahead of where we were last year."

On April 14, Curtis Ceasar caught six Rickey Foggie (27 of 46 for 306 yards with an INT) touchdown passes for the Florida Bobcats in the season opener at the Ice Palace. However, Ceasar (13 receptions for 144 yards) pretty much was the offense for the visitors. After a seesaw first half, the game featured eight lead changes, the Storm began to pull away. James Bowden broke his own team records for kickoff return yards (229) and combined return yards (241), and caught a pair of scoring passes. With three TD receptions, and a career high twelve tackles, Bernard Edwards (6 catches for 104 yards) came up big in his first game against his former teammates. Twice, Andre Bowden ran into the end zone and the Storm scored TDs on their first eight possessions. With a 63- 41 victory, the Storm became the first team in league history to win fifty regular season home games. John Kaleo (18 of 27 for 234 yards), who began the year with a seven touchdown, no interception performance, was pleased with the offense. "I'm confident we can do some damage this year."

Next at the Ice Palace, the Storm and Nashville each scored on their first three possessions and the game was tied 21-21 at half time. Kats quarterback Andy Kelly (19 of 32 for 225 yards and 4 TDs) passed Mike Perez for the league record for career touchdown passes and Nashville held a 33-31 advantage in the final minute. James Bowden's second John Kaleo (21 of 44 for 239 yards and 5 TDs) touchdown reception put the Storm in front with 39 seconds on the clock. Fourteen seconds later, on the very next play from scrimmage, Robert "Pig" Goff sacked Kelly forcing a fumble that Mel Agee returned for a score. Nashville added a touchdown with no time on the clock, but the Storm had a 45-40 victory.

After a bye week, the season's first road trip is to Milwaukee. On the game's opening play, a fumbled snap by Mustangs quarterback Donnie Davis lead to the first of three touchdown grabs by Bernard Edwards. James Bowden also had three TD receptions and finished with 141 yards receiving. John Kaleo (13 of 25 for 263 yards) had another big night with seven scoring passes. In dramatic fashion, a 50 yard field goal by Mike Black made him the first kicker in league history to score 1,000 points. Despite all the heroics, the game was close until the fourth quarter. Davis (26 of 41 with 4 TDs and 2 INTs) passed for 313 yards, Gary Compton (121 yards receiving) caught a pair of scoring passes and Milwaukee place kicker Remy Hamilton booted a 56 yard field goal. A blocked field goal by former Storm member Les Barley, who had ran for a TD earlier, lead to the Mustangs taking a 47-45 lead with 11:03 left. Tampa Bay scored the next 21 points to put the game away. The defense lead the way, as the Storm scored 24 points off four Milwaukee turnovers, including 14 in the final six minutes. Rookie Clinton Hart returned an interception 49 yards, which tied the team record and was the longest in league history without scoring, and Rod Williams recorded two of the team's three sacks. After a 66- 47 victory, Black talked about his scoring record. "I'm more happy about the win. It'll mean more when I'm old and look back."

The Toronto Phantoms, last season's New England Sea Wolves, were next up at the Ice Palace. A pair of Pat O'Hara (15 of 26 for 210 yards with 3 TDs and an INT) to Damian Harrell (9 catches for 140 yards) touchdown passes gave the Canadian team first quarter leads of 13-0 and 20-7. The Storm battled back to take a 27-26 halftime lead, then the rout was on in the second half. After the intermission, the Storm out-scored the visitors 43-7, including 29-0 in the fourth quarter. Mike Black had a key fumble recovery on one kickoff and the Phantoms botched another for a Storm safety. John Kaleo (12 of 32 for 222 yards) threw for six touchdowns and James Bowden scored four times, three receptions and once via the run. Backup QB Shane Stafford saw some action and tossed his first AFL touchdown pass to close out the scoring. Toronto lost three fumbles and was penalized ten times in a 70-33 Tampa Bay victory.

Before the game at The Palace of Auburn Hills, talk centered around the head coaches. For Tim Marcum, it was his first trip back to the Motor City since his glory days with the Drive. The Detroit Fury, a new expansion team, were coached by Darrel "Mouse" Davis father of the "Run and Shoot" offense. A run by quarterback Scott Semptimphelter (16 of 25 for 171 yards) gave Detroit a 14- 7 second quarter lead. The Storm turned up the heat and shutout the home team for the next forty minutes. The defense forced four fumbles, recorded four sacks and set a team record by holding Detroit to -7 yards rushing. Sir Mawn Wilson, a product of Tampa Catholic High School and Syracuse University, returned one of his two fumble recoveries for a touchdown. Andre Bowden ran for two scores, while John Kaleo (15 of 22 for 141 yards) threw for two touchdowns and ran for another. Marcum said of the 41-14 victory, "Defense and turnovers were the key of the game."

The Storm returned to Michigan for a battle between the league's last two undefeated teams. Demo Odems caught 10 passes for 110 yards and two Grand Rapids touchdowns, as Clint Dolezel (26 of 45 for 238 yards) threw four touchdown passes. John Kaleo (20 of 34 for 251 yards) threw for twice as many. While he was intercepted for the first time on the season, Kaleo threw for a team record tying eight touchdowns. James Bowden (11 receptions for 167 yards) caught five scoring passes, ran another in for a career high six touchdowns and finished with 311 all purpose yards. Bernard Edwards chipped in with a pair of TD catches. The game was close, the Storm held a 35-28 third quarter lead, before the Rampage fumbled the ball away on two straight kickoffs and Tampa Bay was up 52-28 and on cruise control. With a 66-41 victory, the Storm became the first team in league history to win one hundred regular season games. Kaleo talked about the fact he had thrown for eight TDs last season in Grand Rapids. "It feels pretty good coming here. This brings back some good memories - duplicate performances. We thought we could move the ball against them."

When Carolina came to town, the game featured fourteen lead changes and a trilling finish. Pierre Hixon, in his eighth AFL season out of Western Michigan, caught a touchdown pass to give the Storm a 12-7 lead after one quarter. When John Kaleo dropped back to pass as time expired, and hit Mel Agee on the scoring pass, Tampa Bay had a 27-23 halftime advantage. The game continued to seesaw and things looked grim when the Cobras scored with just eight seconds remaining. For the third time, Fred McNair (23 of 36 for 275 yards and 6 TDs) hooked up with Cornelius White (7 catches for 100 yards) and the visitors lead 51-48. A dramatic 43 yard field goal by Mike Black, as the horn sounded, setup the first overtime period at the Ice Palace. John Kaleo (27 of 36 for 295 yards) tossed a pair of interceptions, however, he did throw seven touchdown passes with the last going to Harvey Middleton in the extra period. A fourth down sack of McNair by Willie Wyatt and Pig Goff, Wyatt had just returned to the team that week, ended the Storm's 58-51 victory. With all the heroics, James Bowden again came up big. He had a team record fifteen pass receptions for 184 yards, caught four TD passes, ran for a score, finished with 300 all purpose yards and scored on a two point conversion. The Storm were now 7-0 and John Kaleo said "This one definitely tested the heart of the team."

The Storm lead 14-10 after the first quarter in Orlando, before the offense stalled. The Predators fumbled twice in the second quarter, however, the Storm could not put the ball in the end zone. They had to settle for three Mike Black field goals, which equaled the Storm record for field goals in a game, as Orlando took a 24-23 halftime lead. While John Kaleo (23 of 37 for 299 yards) tossed three touchdown passes and ran for two scores, interceptions on three consecutive third quarter possessions helped Orlando to 21 unanswered points. Orlando was lead by Siaha Burley (11 receptions for 168 yards) and Craig Wheliham (19 of 34 for 268 yards with 5 TDs). Burley caught two scoring passes, ran for a touchdown and returned a kickoff for a TD. The 57-45 loss was the season's first, as the Storm fell one game short of the team record 8-0 start. While Orlando was penalized a dozen times, the Storm were unhappy with the officials. James Bowden (12 receptions for 190 yards with 2 TDs) claimed "I couldn't even finish my routes without them grabbing me." Kaleo added "They got some home cooking, but they have to come back to our place."

The Storm unveiled new gold pants before a regular season record crowd of 14,228 at the Ice Palace. Arizona jumped to a 14-0 lead and the Storm played catchup the rest of the night. Harvey Middleton grabbed two first half touchdown passes and Tampa Bay trailed 28-21 at the break. Midway through the fourth quarter, John Kaleo ran for a touchdown and the score was 42-42. A Kaleo (22 of 42 for 223 with 5 TDs and 2 INTs) to Gunnard Twyner TD pass knotted it up again at 49-49 with 56 seconds remaining. Each team has a chance to win in the final ten seconds. After the Rattlers missed a field goal, Mike Black attempted a 35 yard field goal as time expired. Black's kick so close that it could have gone either way, however, the referee called it wide. The combination of Sherdrick Bonner (27 of 40 for 316 yards with 7 TDs and 2 INTs) to Calvin Schexnayder (13 catches for 163 yards) had hurt the Storm all night and provided the decisive score. When they hooked up for the fifth time, Arizona had a 55-49 overtime victory.

On the Bobcats first possession, Willie Wyatt blocked a field goal attempt and Darion Conner recovered it for a quick 7-0 lead. John Kaleo (19 of 34 for 226 yards with an INT) threw for five scores with Gunnard Twyner grabbing four TD passes and it looked as if the rout was on at the National Car Rental Center. The Storm were up 43-13 midway through the third quarter, before Florida clawed back into the game. Rickey Foggie (21 of 35 for 262 yards) threw seven TD passes, Bernard Holmes and Tremain Jones caught three each, as the Bobcats made a game of it. The home team did not help themselves with eleven penalties, as the Storm prevailed 67-55. Tim Marcum stating, "It was a little sloppy at the end," was not totally pleased with the effort. Twyner, who went to Western Illinois and spent parts of four seasons in the NFL, was asked if his NFL experience helped him as an AFL rookie. "This is not the same game as the NFL," was his response. "It means nothing at all."

The largest crowd to ever watch Arena football at the Ice Palace, 17,634, saw inconsistent offensive play by the home team. A couple of times, it looked as if the "War on I-4" was going to be a rout. Orlando jumped to a 24-7 second quarter lead, before the Storm came back to tie it 24-24 by the intermission. Actually, the home team scored twenty unanswered points and had a 27-24 lead early in the second half. The Tampa Bay offense stalled and the Predators had a 46-30 lead with five minutes left in the game. Craig Whelihan (15 of 27 for 244 yards and 1 INT) lead the Orlando offense with five touchdown passes. John Kaleo (23 of 51) did throw for three touchdowns, ran for a score, and finished with a career high 339 passing yards, however, he was picked off twice by former USF standout Clif Dell inside the Orlando 10 yard line. The Storm scored with 1:13 remaining and had the ball back in the final minute. As time expired, a Kaleo to Bernard Edwards pass play ended about a half a yard from the goal line. Orlando was penalized eleven times, but escaped with a 48-36 victory. Mike Black equaled the team record with three field goals, a fact which did not please Tim Marcum. "Instead of touchdowns, we're kicking field goals. That will get your butt beat every time. I'm very concerned with what we're doing with our offensive execution."

Due to arena and financial problems, Houston was forced to play all their games away from home, including some non-league cities. This game was originally scheduled to be played in Houston, so the Storm were the road team and wore all white uniforms for the first time at home. Andre Bowden equaled the team record with four rushing touchdowns and the Storm had a 35-26 advantage at the half. Sedrick Robinson almost single handedly kept the ThunderBears in the game. He tied the league record with a 58 yard kickoff return for a TD and returned a fumble 30 yards for another score. Robinson caught seven passes for 135 yards and his second touchdown grab gave Houston a 39-35 lead midway through the third quarter. Then, John Kaleo became the latest victim of the team's injury problems. Kaleo (12 of 23 for 173 yards with a TD and an INT) sustained a separated shoulder, which brought backup Shane Stafford off the bench. Stafford (8 of 12 for 119 yards) threw five scoring passes and lead the team to 28 unanswered points. Gunnard Twyner was on the receiving end of nine passes for 146 yards with five touchdowns. Mike Black tied the team record with ten successful PATs and the Storm assured themselves of at least one home playoff game. After the 70-47 victory, there was plenty of support for the rookie quarterback. Tim Marcum spoke of Stafford's effort. "He came out and did the job. There is no question about it, the kid has talent." Twyner added, "Everybody has been waiting for Shane to get a chance, not to say anything against John, but everybody knows Shane has deserved a chance the way he has played at practice." Stafford talked about starting the following week. "I've got to get prepared. The team's going to be counting on me to do my job. I'm excited."

With the injury to John Kaleo, the Storm signed Erik Wilhelm to back up Shane Stafford. Wilhelm went to Oregon State and spent nine seasons in the NFL. He was an AFL rookie, but played in eight games for the Los Angeles Avengers earlier in the season. Sylvester Bembery, playing his thirteenth season, returned the team for the stretch run.

The game in Nashville would decide the Southern Division championship and who would get a bye in the first round of the playoffs. The good news for the Storm was the return of James Bowden, who had missed the last few games due to injury. The bad news was that the Kats jumped to a 14-0 lead and held an 35-14 advantage at the half. Nashville rushed for 62 yards with Travis Reece running for 47 yards and two touchdowns. Andy Kelly (16 of 25 for 226 yards) added three TD passes for the home team. The game saw frequent penalty flags with the Storm flagged thirteen times for 85 yards and the Kats eleven times for 89 yards. In his first start, Shane Stafford (22 of 44 for 272 yards) was not picked off and threw four scoring passes. He did bobble a couple of snaps and was sacked four times, which equaled the number of sacks the Storm had allowed in the previous twelve games. The Storm did rally in the second half. James Bowden had a touchdown reception and returned a kickoff for a score. Gunnard Twyer caught a pair of touchdown passes, but it was not enough. A 45-38 victory gave Nashville its first division title. Tim Marcum was not about to blame his rookie QB for the defeat. "I thought the kid played pretty dog-gone well. The reason the score turned out like it did was we got whipped at the line of scrimmage."

Before another record crowd of 19,867 at the Ice Palace, the regular season finale against New Jersey featured a little of everything. The Gladiators, who used to be known as the Red Dogs, were coached by former Storm head coach Lary Kuharich. Lawrence Samuels, another familiar face, caught a touchdown pass for a 10-7 New Jersey lead after the first quarter. The visitors lead 22-21 at the half, then Samuels threw the first pass of his career to George Del Ricco for a touchdown. Shane Stafford ran for a score, the Storm added the two point conversion and the game was tied 29-29 going into the fourth quarter. Coco Blalock has big night for New Jersey with nine receptions for 122 yards and a score. Steve Videtich kicked his fourth and fifth field goals on the evening and New Jersey was back in front. A Stafford (27 of 35 for 313 yards with 4 TDs and 2 INTs) touchdown pass to Gunnard Twyner (6 reception for 101 yards) put Tampa Bay ahead by one. Todd Bankhead (20 of 31 for 245 yards) threw his third scoring pass and the Gladiators were back in front 41-36 with 1:30 left to play. Stafford was intercepted twice by Jeroid Johnson, but threw the winning touchdown pass with nine seconds remaining. He tripped over center, lost his shoe, landed on his back, got back up and found James Bowden (12 catches for 129 yards) in the end zone for the third time that night. The Storm were penalized ten times for 52 yards with the most important being the ejection of Tim Marcum. The head coach was flagged for back-to-back unsportsman like behavior fouls and tossed from the game with 11:29 left in the fourth quarter. Marcum was not pleased with the referee who ejected him for the first time in his career. "He just wanted to be a showman. There is no reason at all to throw a head coach out of a game." The 44-41 victory gave the Storm a bye in the first round of the playoffs.

Tampa Bay and Nashville finished with 10-4 records, however, the Kats took first place on the basis of a better record within the Southern Division. It was the fifth time the Storm had a ten win season, which equaled the league record. Even with the second best scoring defense in the AFL, the Storm allowed a team record 613 points. Other team records set included passing yards (3,604) and penalty yards (642). An average of 13,957 at the Ice Palace was second in the league to San Jose.

Mike Black broke most team kicking records, including extra point attempts (91), extra points attempts made (94), PAT percentage (96.8) and percentage of field goals made (59.1). He also set the Storm record for points by a kicker and his 130 points were sixth best among kickers. James Bowden was third in all purpose yards (2,550), finished sixth in the AFL in scoring (184) and tenth in receiving yards (1,205). Some players who saw playing time due to injury made an impact. Shane Stafford had the seventh highest quarterback rating in the league (115.6) and Gunnard Twyner lead the AFL in average yards per missed field goal return (28.2). Defensively, Tommy Henry set a new team record with 102 tackles and Rod Williams lead the team with six sacks. Mike Black and Andre Bowden were named to the All-Arena League team.

John Kaleo returned for the playoffs against Indiana. The Firebirds, who moved from Albany to Indianapolis during the off season, would put a shellacking on the home team. The Storm trailed 10-3 after the first quarter, and 27-17 late in the second, before things got ugly. Indiana would go on a 41-7 run to hand the Storm an embarrassing 68-31 defeat. Kaleo (18 of 31 for 178 yards with 2 TDs) was intercepted three times and the Storm also lost three fumbles. The Indiana defense was lead by Jay Jones, who picked off two passes, returned one 47 yards for a touchdown and recovered a fumble for another score. Cornelius Cole returned the other interception 46 yards for a touchdown. The Firebirds offense did not make any major blunders. Quarterback Raymond Philyaw (19 of 31 for 176 yards) was not intercepted and threw for five scores with Eddie Brown on receiving end of four touchdowns. About the only positive in the worst home playoff loss in league history was James Bowden's Storm postseason record 302 all purpose yards. Tim Marcum said of the six turnovers, "We gave the game to them. I feel sorry for them because we didn't make it a better game." Kaleo talked about the worst defeat in team history. "It was a nightmare. I feel like crap."

Prior to the Arena Bowl, the league announced the AFL 15th Anniversary All-Time Team. Named as the starting kick returner was George LaFrance. Other Storm players, Jay Gruden, Stevie Thomas, James Bowden, Andre Bowden, Sylvester Bembery, Willie Wyatt and Mike Black were named as reserves. Another story coming out of Arena Bowl weekend was that Jay Gruden had resigned as the Orlando head coach. At age 34, and after a five year retirement, Gruden planned to play quarterback for the Predators the following season.

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