2007 Tampa Bay Storm

John Kaleo and T.T. Toliver were players that returned to the Storm. Kaleo was the quarterback the last time the Storm won the title and Toliver was the Nashville Kats leading receiver the previous season. There was quite a bit of anticipation about the receiver position with Terrill Shaw, Dallas' leading receiver from last year, former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Karl Williams and former USF Bull Huey Whittaker joining the team. Other new additions included nine year AFL veteran fullback/linebacker Rodney Filer, eleven year veteran lineman Tom Briggs and defensive back Jeroid Johnson.

A huge change for the Arena Football League was allowing free substitutions. While some players continued to play both ways, there was talk that this would lead to the end of true ironman football. With the end of the television agreement with NBC, the AFL pushed back the start of the season to March.

Shane Stafford had a better homecoming then John Kaleo in the season opener. Stafford (24 of 34 for 329 yards) threw for five touchdowns with no interceptions, while Kaleo (24 of 37 for 289 yards) tossed a pair of picks to go with three TD passes. Former USF star DeAndrew Rubin (8 catches for 141 yards) had a nice homecoming with three TD catches for the visiting Predators. Jimmy Fryzel (10 receptions for 107 yards) had a TD catch and Orlando jumped to a 21-0 lead. Demetris Bendross lead the Storm with ten receptions for 124 yards and a pair of touchdowns, but the Storm could never really challenge. Bill Gramatica had a rough opening night, missing all four extra points and making one of two field goals. Kaleo said after the 52-27 defeat, "We really shot ourselves in the foot tonight."

The Storm traded scores with the Desperados in Dallas and the game was tied 26- 26 early in the third quarter. Will Pettis returned a kickoff 56 yards for a touchdown and Dallas never looked back. Pettis (10 receptions for 143 yards) also caught four of the eight TD passes thrown by Clint Dolezel (25 of 37 for 294 yards with an INT). Rodney Filer rushed for 31 yards and three Tampa Bay touchdowns, John Kaleo (25 of 43 for 271 yards with an INT) threw for three scores and T.T. Toliver caught 9 passes for 126 yards with two TDs. The Storm was penalized ten times for 56 yards, while Dallas was flagged eleven times for 83 yards. The Storm scored on only three of six second half possessions in a 59-40 defeat.

Tampa Bay continued to make changes. Bill Gramatica was released after the first game and former University of Florida place kicker Matt Leach was let go after the second game. Seth Marler, an AFL rookie from Tulane who had played with the Jacksonville Jaguars, was brought in for game three. The team also traded Demetris Bendross to Nashville for lineman Tim McGill.

For the third straight week, the Storm allowed a touchdown on game's first offensive play. Three times the Storm tied the game, however, Georgia QB Chris Greisen (22 of 26 for 242 yards and 1 INT) threw seven TD passes and the Force never trailed. Rodney Filer rushed for 43 yards and his team record tying fourth TD run made it 40-40 in fourth quarter. A Storm fumble and a Georgia recovery of a kick off the nets gave the visitors three TDs in three minutes and it was all she wrote. Karl Williams scored his first AFL touchdown on a pass from John Kaleo (29 of 38 for 296 yards 3 TDs 1 INT) to close out the scoring. Lawrence Samuels caught 12 passes for 112 yards, and T.T. Toliver scored two touchdowns, in a 61-47 defeat. Speaking of the quick scores, Tim Marcum commented, "All of a sudden, Arena football snatched us by the you know what."

The Storm took a 52-38 early fourth quarter lead in a home game against New York. Lawrence Samuels caught 10 passes for 123 yards with a touchdown and also returned an interception for a score. John Kaleo (24 of 37 for 273 yards with 3 INTs) threw four TD passes with T.T. Toliver on the receiving end twice. The Storm could not capitalize, giving the ball away on two interceptions and a fumble, and the Dragons scored the winning TD with 31 seconds left. Rohan Davey (21 of 33 for 295 yards with 2 INTs) tossed his sixth TD pass and Mike Horacek (8 receptions for 181 yards) caught his third, as New York won 59-52. Toss in a dozen penalties for 92 yards, a broken ankle for running back Rodney Filer and the Storm fell to 0-4 for the first time in team history. Tim Marcum said of not holding the late lead, "It was a melt-down."

Stoney Case would get his first AFL start at quarterback at San Jose. Case (22 of 36 for 271 yards with 3 TDs and 1 INT) had not started a game since he was with the Detroit Lions in 2000 and because of a fumbled kickoff the Storm trailed 14-0 before he even stepped on the field. Mark Grieb (23 of 26 for 284 yards with 1 INT) threw for eight scores and the home team never trailed. T.T. Toliver caught a dozen passes for 162 yards with two scores and Torrance Marshall ran for three TDs. Ben Nelson (10 receptions for 114 yards and 4 TDs) and Rodney Wright (8 catches for 100 yards and 2 TDs) paced San Jose. A 69-49 defeat stretched the team's worst start of a season to 0-5.

The Storm defense pressured the New Orleans quarterbacks all night. Andy Kelly (3 of 5 for 32 yards) was knocked out early with a shoulder injury and backup QB Steve Bellisari (25 of 44 for 277 yards with 6 TDs) was intercepted four times. Nyle Wiren recored two of those interceptions on consecutive drives. Jacques Rumph was the highlight for the VooDoo with eight catches for 108 yards and three TDs, while T.T. Toliver (10 catches for 91 yards with 1 TD) and Terrill Shaw (5 receptions for 74 yards and 2 TDs) lead the home team. Torrance Marshall also ran for three Tampa Bay touchdowns. Stoney Case (19 of 23 for 197 yards) threw for three scores, and ran for another, before being knocked out of the game with a dislocated throwing shoulder late in fourth quarter. Tim Marcum said of the 66-43 victory, "We didn't win a championship or anything, but we did win a game."

The Storm lead 3-0 after one quarter in Orlando, then things got embarrassing. The Predators lead 35-9 at the half and at one point in the third quarter were up 47-15. Stoney Case (7 of 14 for 72 yards with 1 INT) separated his shoulder in second quarter and John Kaleo (22 of 29 for 235 with 3 TDs) came into the game. There were some decent individual efforts, as Lawrence Samuels caught a dozen passes for 87 yards with a TD, Terrill Shaw had ten receptions for 136 yards with two scores and Torrance Marshall ran for two TDs. Four Storm turnovers lead to 20 Orlando points and Tampa Bay was penalized ten times for 57 yards. Shane Stafford (19 of 26 for 188 yards with 1 INT) threw five TD passes, hitting Jararus Dudley three times, and the Storm lost 61-37.

In the first minute, John Kaleo threw a touchdown pass to T.T. Tolliver (7 catches for 114 yards) and Tampa Bay had a quick lead over Columbus at the Forum. When Kaleo (8 of 14 for 101 yards) left the game in the second quarter with a wrist injury, AFL rookie Brett Dietz took over at quarterback for the Storm. Dietz threw his first career TD pass to Terrill Shaw and later connected with Shaw (7 receptions for 72 yards) again. Dietz (12 of 24 for 165 yards) also ran for a score. Injuries saw the Storm use former USF star Clenton Crossley at running back and he carried the ball six times for three yards. The Destroyers battled all afternoon, Matt Nagy (18 of 30 for 204 yards and 4 TDs) twice hit Damien Groce on scoring passes and also ran for a score. In a game with plenty of flags, the Storm was penalized a dozen times for 84 yards and the Destroyers eleven times for 49 yards, it came down to a two point conversion with 27 seconds left. When Columbus could not convert, Tampa Bay had a 34-32 victory. Terrill Shaw said of the new QB, "He did a great job just staying calm. Typically, you don't expect a young guy to perform like that."

Brett Dietz made the start at Austin and the Storm jumped to a 10-0 lead. Dietz (26 of 32 for 286 yards) had a strong performance with five touchdown passes and no interceptions. Torrance Marshall ran for three scores, Lawrence Samuels caught three touchdown passes and T.T. Toliver had ten receptions for 135 yards with a TD. Jeroid Johnson was the star on defense, picking off Adrian McPherson (19 of 45 for 288 yards) twice. Johnson returned the second pick 28 yards for a score and the Storm lead 59-38 with 3:21 remaining. Derrick Lewis (10 receptions for 216 yards) caught all four McPherson TD passes in a losing effort for the Wranglers. The one negative in Tampa Bay's 66-45 victory was being penalized eleven times for 55 yards. Tim Marcum said of Dietz's first start, "He was calm and collected. I was yelling at him and he was the same. Not much upsets him."

The Storm defense allowed just 14 second half points and lead the team to a come from behind victory at Los Angeles. Sonny Cumbie (20 of 42 for 197 yards with an INT) tossed four touchdown passes, his favorite target was Kevin Ingram (10 receptions for 93 yards and 1 TD), and the Avengers held a ten point fourth quarter advantage. Brett Dietz (21 of 35 for 224 yards) threw five TD passes and was not intercepted, while Terrill Shaw caught six passes for 100 yards and a score. T.T. Toliver had a pair of fourth quarter TD grabs, the last coming with 41 seconds left to put the Storm in front. Seth Marler had a streak of 48 consecutive extra points, one short of the league record, but he missed the final conversion and the Storm lead 40-37. Remy Hamilton missed a 47 yard field goal attempt as time expired and the Storm escaped with a victory despite sixteen penalties for 78 yards. Tim Marcum remarked, "They found a way to win. We tried to give it away with stupid penalties."

Brett Dietz (28 of 39 for 352 yards) began his career with 104 passes without an interception, before being picked off twice in the first half against Arizona. The Storm quarterback would respond by throwing a team record tying eight touchdown passes. T.T. Tolliver (11 receptions for 128 yards) and Terrill Shaw (9 catches for 144 yards) each caught three TD passes, while Lawrence Samuels had a juggling interception to go with two TD grabs. Sherdric Bonner (23 of 40 for 337 yards) tossed seven TD passes for the visiting Rattlers. Jeremiah Pope (8 receptions for 119 yards with 3 TDs) and Atnaf Harris (7 catches for 102 yards with 2 TDs) were his favorite receivers. The Storm defense held Arizona to -6 yards rushing in a 59-50 victory.

A four game winning streak was broken in Atlanta. The Storm lead 38-31 mid-way through the fourth quarter, then the bottom fell out. Brett Dietz (24 of 36 for 222 yards with 4 INTs) threw three touchdown passes, twice hitting Terrill Shaw, before tossing interceptions on three consecutive fourth quarter possessions. Reggie Doster had three of the four picks and Georgia closed out the game scoring the final 21 points. Chris Jackson lead the force with 13 catches for 186 yard and caught three of four touchdown passes thrown by Chris Greisen (25 of 34 with 1 INT). The Storm were penalized eleven times for 58 yards, the Force twelve times for 76 yards, and Georgia posted a 52-38 victory.

Brett Dietz (23 of 30 for 315 yards) bounced back with another team record tying eight touchdown pass, no interception, performance at New Orleans. After T.T. Toliver decided to leave the team, rookie Hank Edwards caught eight passes for 134 yards with three scores. Terrill Shaw also caught eight passes for 115 yards with four TDs. The Storm scored touchdowns on their first five possessions and lead 34-14 at the half. The VooDoo would score 41 second half points and the Storm had to hold on. Steve Bellisari (32 of 50 for 364 yards with 1 INT) threw for six TDs with three receivers catching ten passes for over 100 yards. Tyronne Jones (125 yards and 3 TDs), Wendall William (109 yards and 3 TDs) and Tony Locke (106 yards) almost helped New Orleans all the way back, but the Storm prevailed 61-55.

Plenty of things went right in a home game against Philadelphia. Karl Williams returned a kickoff 55 yards for the opening score. Brett Dietz (21 of 37 for 276 yards with 7 TDs and 0 INTs) had another good performance. Hank Edwards had three TD catches, Terrill Shaw caught six passes for 100 yards with two scores and Lawrence Samuels had a pair of TD receptions. Lineman Lincoln Kennedy returned a missed field goal attempt for his first AFL touchdown. Kennedy, the ninth overall pick in the 1993 draft who spent ten seasons with Atlanta and Oakland, was the first NFL first round draft pick to play for the Storm. The Soul did not just roll-over, as Tony Graziani (24 of 38 for 298 yard) also had a seven touchdown, no interception, performance. Larry Brackins had five of the TD receptions and Sean Scott caught eight passes for 116 yards. Thirteen penalties for 77 yards keep killing Philadelphia's momentum and the Storm clinched a playoff berth with 69-59 victory. Tim Marcum said afterwards, "I believe in this team. Come to find out we're 7-7, with a chance to be 9-7, host a playoff game. That says something for these guys right here."

Jeroid Johnson set the tone when he returned a fumble on the opening kickoff at Grand Rapids for a touchdown. Before it was over the Rampage would fumble the ball away five times and have seven turnovers. The Storm had their own problems with four turnovers and the game was 41-40 after three quarters. The Storm last saw Adrian McPherson (24 of 37 for 297 yards with 2 INTs) prior to his release by Austin, but the QB did throw for three scores and rush for 55 yards and another TD. Cornelius Bonner caught nine passes for 116 yards and two first half TDs for the home team. Brett Dietz (22 of 37 for 272 yards with 1 INT) threw scoring passes to four different receivers, including Terrill Shaw who caught six passes for 110 yards. Torrance Marshall scored three touchdowns on his three carries. Tampa Bay put the game away by out-scoring Grand Rapids 20-0 in the fourth quarter of a 69-40 victory. Not entirely pleased with the play of the offense, Brett Dietz remarked, "We won't win any playoff games playing that way."

In the regular season finale at the Forum, the Storm jumped to a 10-0 lead after the first quarter and lead Austin 25-20 at the half. Tampa Bay would only score 3 third quarter points in a game that featured ten lead changes. The Wranglers were lead by six touchdown passes by Lang Campbell (30 of 48 for 340 yards with 2 INTs), Derrick Lewis catching three TD passes and Kevin Nickerson with 11 receptions for 114 yards and a score. The Storm hurt themselves by losing two fumbles and being flagged ten times for 51 yards. Terrill Shaw had a big night with 12 catches for 181 yards with three TDs and Brett Dietz (19 of 30 for 262 yards) threw five scoring passes without a pick. It took a Torrance Marshall touchdown run with 8 seconds left and an interception by Jeroid Johnson on the game's final play to seal a victory. On the 55-51 win, Lawrence Samuels said, "We came out victorious and that's what matters. We overcame a lot of adversity."

After starting 0-5, and 1-6, the Storm won eight of the last nine games. Not only was it the best comeback in team history, but it was first time in league history a team started 0-5 and finish with a winning record. Seth Marler lead the league and set a team record by completing 80 percent of his field goals. Jeroid Johnson was second in the AFL with ten interceptions. Brett Dietz, who was the league's co-Rookie of the Year, set Storm records for completion percentage (65.3%) and QB rating (118.9). Torrance Marshall set the team record with 17 rushing touchdowns. The Storm finished third in the league in attendance behind New Orleans and Philadelphia.

The Storm hosted Columbus in a playoff game that was tied eight times. Each team had problems with the officials as the Storm were penalized eleven times for 63 yards and the Destroyers twelve times for 63 yards. Terrill Shaw caught four touchdown passes on nine receptions for 112 yards, while Lawrence Samuels lead all receivers with eleven catches for 116 yards and a score. Brett Dietz (27 of 40 for 315 yards with 1 INT) threw his sixth TD pass of the afternoon with 1:51 left, however, the reliable Seth Mahler missed the extra point. With just 7 seconds on the clock, a Matt Nagy (19 of 26 for 260 yards with 5 TDs) TD run and a PAT put the Destroyers in front. Mahler had a shot at redemption, but a 56 yard field goal barely drifted wide left and the Storm season was over 56-55. Tim Marcum said, "It's a hard pill to swallow when you've fought this hard to get back to this situation."

Related Links

2007 Tampa Bay Storm Results

2007 Tampa Bay Storm Statistics

2007 AFL Southern Division Standings

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