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Former ULM Quarterback Raymond Philyaw Leads Cleveland Gladiators into AFL Conference Title Game

Former ULM Quarterback Raymond Philyaw Leads Cleveland Gladiators into AFL Conference Title Game

Football

Raymond Philyaw leads the Cleveland Gladiators against the top-seeded Philadelphia Soul on Saturday at noon on ESPN.

Reprinted with Permission
by Terry Pluto

Cleveland Plain Dealer

www.Cleveland.com

Think Bill Nelsen. Think Brian Sipe. Think Steve McNair after a few years in the NFL.

That's Raymond Philyaw, the 33-year-old quarterback who has carried the surprising Cleveland Gladiators to the Arena Football League's final four.

This is his ninth year in the AFL, and he has been knocked down, beat up and physically bounced around from one end of the AFL to another. In the process, the 5-10 Philyaw has become one of the league's greatest quarterbacks - ever.

"If Ray were a few inches taller, he'd be an NFL quarterback," said Gladiators coach Mike Wilpolt. "He takes three to five hits a game that are almost frightening, and gets back up. He is so special."

That opinion also is held by Bernie Kosar, who marvels at Philyaw's grit. When the former Browns quarterback says a fellow quarterback is tough - he speaks from his own history of broken bones, concussions, sprains, strains and other assorted pains from his career.

Kosar has said Philyaw is everything you'd want in a quarterback.

Much has been made of Kosar's first year as the Gladiators' president, how he took over a team that was 2-14 in Las Vegas in 2007, turned the roster upside down while moving it to Cleveland. As the Gladiators take the field in Philadelphia at 12:00 p.m. Saturday, they are one victory away from the ArenaBowl - this league's Super Bowl.

Yes, Kosar's fingerprints are on the blueprint of success, but Philyaw and Wilpolt drew the lines for the foundation.

"When you are a young player or a coach, you do dream about the NFL," said Wilpolt. "But after a few years, most of us realize that we are Arena-lifers. Having a chance to play this game and get to the Arena Bowl - this is our big dream."

Philyaw is the league's second-ranked quarterback this season. He's a guy who would have gone to a bigger school if only he could have been taller than 6-0. Instead, it was four years at ULM, where he set a school record for touchdown passes, and is No. 2 on the all-time passing yardage list.

He played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League, and the Madison Mad Dogs of the Indoor Football League before coming to the AFL. He's been with four different franchises, and usually improved the team when the ball was placed in his hands.

"A warrior," Wilpolt has said.

And underrated.

Despite taking a 2-14 team to 9-7 and racking up gaudy statistics, Philyaw didn't make first- or second-team All-AFL. Philyaw didn't like it, but he just takes the hit of disrespect, says little, pushes forward.

Meanwhile, Wilpolt was named AFL Coach of the Year. He was a head coach once before, taking over the Indiana franchise in 2004. Former NFL quarterback Steve DeBerg opened as coach, struggled with the league and its strategy, and was fired after an 0-5 start. Wilpolt had an 8-3 record as an interim. He was set to be the head coach in 2005, when the franchise folded.

He returned to being a defensive coordinator, a job he had in the league before. Talk about thankless -- the rules are incredibly restrictive on defenses, setting the stage for 50- . . . 60- . . . even 70-point games.

Stressing defense in the AFL is a little like running a Gamblers Anonymous meeting in the middle of a casino with poker tables to the right, slot machines to the left, a blackjack table at the rear and a roulette wheel spinning in front.

"When we see a guy staggering in the streets, we joke it's an old AFL defensive coach," said Wilpolt, whose roots in the league go back to 1992 when he was a backup receiver and defensive back.

For Wilpolt and Philyaw, this is a season of redemption. Both are looking for their first AFL titles. Both are quiet, intense men with hardly a drop of self-promotion in their veins. Even if you know little about the AFL, they are easy guys to like and worthy of cheers from Cleveland's football fans.

By Neil Bisman
Arena Football League
Reprinted with Permission
www.arenabowl.com

With ArenaBowl XXII being held in New Orleans for a second consecutive year on Sunday July 27, the desire to touch down at Louis Armstrong Airport is just a little bit stronger than usual for Arena Football League players.

 

For a select group of players competing in tomorrow's conference championship games, a victory means a chance to win a championship in front of their hometown fans.

 

This Saturday, when the Cleveland Gladiators (11-7) travel to the Wachovia Center to face the Philadelphia Soul (14-3) in the National Conference Championship game, four players from the Pelican State will take the field for the Gladiators.

 

Gladiators quarterback Raymond Philyaw is a proud son of the northwest part of the state.  Born in Shreveport, Philyaw played collegiately at ULM.  Philyaw threw for a school-record 52 touchdown passes while finishing his career with the second-most passing yards in school history (7,061).  

 

Since turning pro, Philyaw has shown no signs of slowing down his record setting ways as his name is currently littered across the AFL record books.  Philyaw ranks ninth in AFL history in completions (2,083), passing yards (24,865), and touchdown passes (464).  One of the League's most prolific passers, he finished second in 2008 in passer rating (124.5).

 

More important than personal records, Philyaw would love nothing more than to have a crack at winning a championship in the state that raised him.

 

"It's going to be great playing in New Orleans,” said Shreveport's own.  “To play on the biggest stage in my home state will be exciting for my family, friends and myself."

 

Another quarterback on the Gladiators' roster, Rohan Davey, played his college football just down the road from the New Orleans Arena in Baton Rouge.  While playing at LSU, Davey became the first quarterback in school history to throw for over 3,000 yards in a season when he threw for 3,347 in 2001.  Davey put an exclamation point on that outstanding season by taking home MVP honors in the 2002 Sugar Bowl.

 

Completing the offensive quartet of Louisiana players for Cleveland are wide receiver Randy Hymes and offensive lineman Antonio Narcisse.  Hymes, a late season pickup who posts the fourth-most touchdown receptions in the playoffs (4), was a two-sport athlete at Grambling State while Narcisse is the lone New Orleans native on the roster.

 

While attending Reed High School, Narcisse earned All-Conference honors three straight years.  In his senior season, Narcisse was named Offensive Lineman of the Year, MVP of the 5A Conference and was elected to the High School All-Stars team.

 

In the second game of the ESPN doubleheader, Grand Rapids Rampage (8-10) travels to HP Pavilion to face the San Jose SaberCats (12-5) in the American Conference Championship Game.  While San Jose does not boast any players from the state of Louisiana, Grand Rapids has two.

 

Ironman Chris Ryan, hailing from Lake Charles, is a two-time All-Ironman selection (2002, 2004) and is one of the best fullbacks to ever play in the Arena Football League.  In 2005, Ryan became the first player in League history to post 16 rushing touchdowns in consecutive seasons.  For his career, Ryan ranks third all-time in AFL history in rushing touchdowns (89) and eighth in League history in rushing yards (941).  Ryan is currently on the Injured Reserves list. 

 

Rampage fullback Terrell Browden, a Baton Rouge native, attended Christian Life High School and helped the Crusaders earn a berth in the Louisiana Class 2A semifinals in his senior season.  While at Christian Life, Browden also earned First Team All-District 7-2A honors.

 

For anyone who has ever put on an Arena Football League uniform, the opportunity to play in an ArenaBowl is why they play the game.  But for the six Louisiana natives participating in conference championship games this Saturday, the chance to play in ArenaBowl in front of their fellow statesmen would be a dream come true.

 

Who said that you can't go home again?

 

 

 

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