[MIJB#19]

100 Years of the Merchantmen: The top 10 players that were better than "average"

With the 100th season of the IHOF ongoing, thus of the Maassluis Merchantmen as well, it's interesting to look back on some interesting moments, players, or what not. Today, we take a look at a list of Merchantmen greats that were never considered to be better than average, but certainly managed to play above average.

Football fans in the IHOF are aware of that every team has a lead scout (in ancient times) or a coordinator who makes an educated guess of how talented a player is at playing his position. After almost a full century of tracking the numbers, these are the Maassluis Merchantmen that were never considered to be better than average (which means graded 49 or lower on a 0 to 100 scale), but could or should be considered to have exceeded their grade and played well enough to fairly be called underrated. After going through the all-time roster, there were far more than 10 players suitable to tell about, so, in between, we'll throw around a bunch of also rans. We'll kick off with the most fitting player of all.


Number 10: K Al Bettis (2006-2019, peak 45)
As an undrafted rookie, in the second to last game of the 2006 regular season, Al Bettis was given a chance to show his kicking skills. He completed a field goal and an extra point, in a 13-10 loss at the Boulder Blizzard. But a week later, just like in the previous 14 games, he had to hand over those duties to Cary Coles. But Bettis had his own special role: kickoffs. And for 223 regular seasons games in 14 straight seasons, he showed he was the very best in the business. Clear numbers are hard to come by, as software changes have seen kickoff stats from his era getting lost in the migration, but due to rule chances, it's likely to expect to never see anybody exceed Bettis' ability and performance as a kickoff expert.


The Merchantmen don't find all their hidden gems in the undrafted rookie pile, they do their homework well at times for the actual draft as well. In the first half of the 21st century, the Merchantmen had a reputation of finding starting linemen in the mid-rounds of the draft that ended up being suitable starters. As a result, most of them turned out to be also graded as above average and not quite fit into this top 10 list. Few do fit, like Guard Andre Watson (2086-2096, peak 47) and right tackle Mitchell Glover (2046-2056, peak 44), a 5th round pick. Glover was an All-IHOF second teamer in 2053, but it's fair to put a teammate of Glover, from the same draft class even, ahead of him and inside this top 10.


Number 9: LT Scott Null (2046-2058, peak 44)
Rarely does a 7th round pick get the chance to start in his rookie season, let alone an offensive tackle. A left tackle even. But that's exactly how Scott Null's career with the Maassluis Merchantmen started in 2046, with impressive stats to boost: 24 key run blocks and only 3 sacks allowed in 559 passing plays. Null continued to be a reliable pass protector, for 10 full seasons, holding up as the true left tackle of a line with, supposedly more talented starters side by side. A line that helped Norbert Talley turn from a very talented running back into a Hall of Famer, first in carries, second in rushing yards all-time.


For their offense, the Merchantmen have at times also found receivers that exceeded expectations while playing behind a legendary WR1, even reaching a 1,000-yard season. Tight end D.J. Cahill (2030-2041, peak 38) didn't reach those levels, but was a viable alternative to keep defenses guessing. Although as a first round bust, does he really belong in this category of underrated players? WR Artie Blazewicz (2080-2087, peak 43) did reach the 1,000-yard level, while another first round bust WR Marvin Badger (2047-2056, peak 43) got there twice. Other receivers were even better than them, we'll continue with one of them.


Number 8: WR Vince McAlister (2015-2018, peak 38)
Shortly after the 2015 draft, the Maassluis Merchantmen realized that they failed to address the hole on the offense created by the retirement of 5-time All-IHOF selection Alfredo Bass. The Merchantmen rang the Boulder Blizzard and traded their 2016 2nd round draft pick for the Blizzard's 4th round pick and third-year former #65 overall pick Vince McAlister. Coming off a season with just 2 catches for 31 yards, this seemed like a bad deal, but the Merchantmen saw promise in the young fast wide receiver. McAlister delivered with 77 catches for 1,116 yards and 8 touchdowns. Those being basically WR2 numbers, that's the role he got in 2016 and 2017 behind Gabe Springer, a #8 overall draft pick and eventual Hall of Famer. McAlister got another 1,000-yard campaign in 2017.

On pace for his third 1,000-yard season in 2018, McAlister's destiny changed in a game at the North Plainfield Plague, where he tore his MCL. He was subsequently placed on injured reserve and the next season failed to make the Merchantmen pre-season roster due to the lingering problems that severely decreased his speed and agility. In 2020 he did return for a a couple of days, but lost the try outs to Geoff Ward for a short stint to fill an injuries plagued team and he was released without making the game day selection. McAlister retired after 54 regular season games for the Merchantmen, in which he made 259 catches for 3,735 yards and 28 touchdowns. Most notable are his exceptionally high yards per catch (14.42) and yards per target (9.02).


On the other end of things, the Merchantmen have had mixed results with finding underrated players for their defensive front seven. It's actually tricky to find some, but they are there. Like DT Brian Lincoln (2040-2051, peak 45), a late third round pick. And there's the undrafted duo of DE Archie Exner (2087-2097, peak 46) and DE Johnnie Warren (2031-2041, peak 44). The story of DE Andy Russell (2082-2091, peak 47) belongs in the book of fifth round steals. Russell was initially a linebacker, which is the position where we'll find our next entry in this top 10.


Number 7: SLB Clayton Jackson (2087-2097, peak 48)
A bit of a reach or let's see where he can go pick in the third round of the 2087 draft, the Merchantmen didn't have high expectations of Clayton Jackson. After he was switched to become a strong side outside linebacker and sitting out his rookie season, he saw a couple of starters leave over cap issues and Jackson showed enough promise to be promoted into a starting role. Initially in a do-it-all role, it became clear that he was a suitable pass defender and could make a bunch of sacks per season. He continued to be a premier pass defender throughout the 2096 season, but 2097 saw his decline and in 2098 he was released after training camp, to never see the field again. With 94 defended passes and 11 interceptions, he's solidly in the top10 best pass defending linebackers in Merchantmen history, which isn't an easy task given their reputation to grab the best of the best at this position.


Sticking with the defensive theme, the Merchantmen have a long history of trying to find suitable starting defensive backs in late rounds, or spend a decent pick on a corner that never reaches the talent level of the round he was picked in. It still resulted in several serviceable, yet underrated players like S Bernie Gordon (2036-2047, peak 43), CB Jackson Gomez (2050-2059, peak 39), CB Steve Uribe (2054-2063,peak 44) and very recently CB Adam Harmon (2090-2021, peak 40), S Jon Brotzman (2090-2101, peak 33) and CB Zachery Weisz (2094-now, peak 47).

Not quite the same has been the picking of cornerbacks that excelled as return specialists, like kickoff returner Warren Pennell (2015-2023, peak 36) and punt returner Gabe Broady (2081-2087, peak 18). Broady has scored 8 touchdowns and averaged 17.0 yards per punt return, phenomenal numbers. Wide receiver Mark Perkins (2092-2101, peak 24) retired as the IHOF's all-time leader in punt return yards. But even that isn't good enough to get mentioned as the best return specialist ever.


Number 6:WR Jack Money (2037-2046, peak 32)
Late in the seventh round of the 2037 draft, the Merchantmen decided to take a shot at the return specialist Jack Money, said to have potential in both returning punts and kickoffs. A surprisingly rare combination, which the Jack-of-all-traits indeed appear to have. As a rookie, he was immediately thrown out there delivered with 12.0 yards per punt return and 34.4 yards per kickoff return. Money continued to be the main returnman through the 2043 season, after which the decline set in. Rarely good for a touchdown, always good to pick up an extra couple of yards that other return specialists couldn't. His 33.8 yards per kickoff return are the best in IHOF history, with more than 2 yards margin over the number two. So yes, Money deserves his place on this list.


We'll quickly head onwards to a lightning speed fast wide receiver!


Number 5: WR Terry Thomason (2023-2035, peak 49)
A curious case has to be made for the #9 overall pick of the 2023 draft. The Merchantmen figured they could afford spending another top 10 draft pick on a wide receiver. Thomason turned out to have the big-play ability to do well, but in other areas of his game he was lacking. In a way it makes sense to call him a bust, but at the same time, as a rookie, he came in as the WR2 on the memorable 2023 Merchantmen offense with hall of famers QB "Rusty" Harrison, RB Stanley Givens and WR Gabe Springer. Thomason scored 12 receiving touchdowns that season, a fantastic number for a rookie.

But lacking the overall talent, he struggled to ever become a viable WR1. It wasn't until his sixth season (2028) where he finally got a money off his back by breaking the 1,000-yard barrier. He succeeded in that in the next two seasons as well, while the team saw their other stars, on both the offense and defense one by one fade away and see a streak of post-season participation end at 6 seasons. Thomason was still around in 2035, when the Merchantmen finally returned to the playoffs, a season in which he scored 10 receiving touchdowns, a season after his fourth 1,000-yard campaign. With 11,996 yards receiving and 91 touchdowns, longevity turned into his claim to fame, although short of the IHOF Hall of Fame.


Before we continue the top 10, let's mention a couple of running backs that didn't make this list, starting with a long-time teammate of Terry Thomason: RB Mark McConnell (2027-2035, 40) racked up 5,217 yards and 39 touchdowns rushing, including a phenomenal 277-yard game in a lost effort in 2032. Another good, but not top10 worthy rusher is RB Reggie 'Thong' Thongchanh (2085-2094, 38), who ran for 8,353 yards and 50 touchdowns for the Merchantmen. But albeit outdone in production by them, another running back actually lead the league and carried his team to the IHOF Bowl.


Number 4: RB Donald Terry (2037-2044, peak 26)
The Maassluis Merchantmen always clamor their ability to find hidden gems in the fifth round of the rookie draft and in the 2037 draft they actually lived up to it. Almost a one-trick pony, Donald Terry was elusive, but especially gifted with phenomenal breakaway speed. Him being basically the perfect fit for a RB2 role, the Merchantmen were obviously happy to pick Terry.

In 2039 the Merchantmen decided to part ways with their feature back Darrin Keegan and rather than looking for replacement, they decided to stick with third down back Greg Brass and speedy Terry. He delivered big time, leading the league with 1,489 yards and a 5.60 yards per carry average, while scoring 12 touchdowns on the ground. The season ended with the Merchantmen first (and lost) IHOF Bowl appearance, in a game where Terry ran for 102 yards and was one of few bright spots on the offense.

For two more seasons he remained the main ball carrier in Maassluis, in 2041 running for 1,250 yards, with a 4.98 per carry average. He co-lead the league with 13 rushing touchdown. With Terry active, the Merchantmen went 11-3, but they lost all 3 games without him, including the wild card round game at the Toronto Lake Monsters. Although his speed didn't really decline just yet, the Merchantmen demoted Terry to the RB2 role in 2042 and even further down the depth chart in 2043. Although his replacement never reached Terry's level of play, he hung around through the 2044 season. In 2045 he was released before the rookie draft and failed to find a new home in that and the next off-season. But his 2039 campaign is impossible to forget.


Quickly some name dropping of a bunch of run blocking fullbacks that at the top of their game were also considered to be the top of the league at it: Quentin Malicki (2010-2020, 46), Gilbert Taliancich (2070-2080, 41) and Clay Brosseau (2086-2096, 43). All three lead the league in key run blocks amongst fullbacks at least once during their careers. Taliancich earned All IHOF honors twice. Second team honors were the highlight of the individual career of another offensive player, who did make our top10 "better than average players".


Number 3: WR Bubba Ellard (2058-2069, peak 47)
In the second round of the 2058 draft, the Merchantmen decided to bolster their already impressive receivers group. it helped Riddick Stanley breakout in his second season to a 1,536-yard campaign, while fellow first round pick Kai Oburn bounced back with a respectable 1,000-yard season. Amidst these other two wide receivers and arguably the two best tight ends in Merchantmen history, Ellard tried to show his big play ability out of a WR3 kind of role.

It wasn't until 2064 when he finally became a 1,000-yard receiver and a season later his 1,535-yard campaign finally got him into that echelon of Merchantmen receivers. He missed 4 games during the 2066 regular season, proving to have become indispensable to the offense that was carried by the defensive class of 2064 into the 2066 IHOF Bowl victory.


Let's head onwards to another member of the 2059 Merchantmen team, that both surprised the world with a 15-1 regular season, outscoring opponents 562 to 254, and by dropping hard in the divisional round with one of the most unexpected one-and-done's in league history.


Number 2: RB Fernando Scott (2055-2062, peak 47)
Imagine being a 4th round pick in the 2055 draft, joining a team that has all-time great Norbert Talley, then not yet knowing he'd retired after that 2055 season as the all-time IHOF leader in rushing attempts. It meant Fernando Scott got to play the RB2 from behind the best mentor one ever could have, no? Scott got 80 carries that season and the season right after Talley's retirement, he took over as the main ball carrier of a team that ended up losing the AOC Championship game 42-34 in Toronto.

Scott turned into an improvement over the future Hall of Famer, putting down six straight 1,000-yard seasons, shining with 5.63 and 5.68 yards per carry in the 2058 and 2060 seasons. In the 2059 season his average was slightly down, but still very high (4.78) and he also co-lead the league in rushing touchdowns. We've already mentioned the one-and-done, but Scott tried to keep doing his thing: lean heavily on his unmatched hole recognition, combined with great breakaway speed and just enough endurance to be able to carry the ball between 15 and 20 times per game. The decline set in in 2062, in terms of playing time, and right before opening day 2063 he was released. He kept waiting by the phones for 2 full seasons, but no team rang. he retired with a 5.01 yards per carry average, with 7,919 yards and 39 touchdowns rushing.


Okay, it's almost time to reveal the number one better than average player in Merchantmen history. We'll start this teaser by mentioning others at his position, which could be a give away who we've been counting down to. Those who know their classics, remember the years where QB Patrick McDonnell (2022-2026, peak 49) had to step in for an often injured Rusty Harrison and the duo combined for leading the league in 2023 with 46 passing touchdowns between the duo. This insurance was needed though, as he ended up playing in 24 regular season and 2 playoffs games in just 3 seasons in Maassluis. He threw for 4,850 yards, 40 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions in those regular seasons. It's fair to say that he must have been close to top10 worthy for this list.

Other passers that could have been considered, but probably have even less of a resume to speak of than McDonnell are QB Erick Loera (2075-2077, peak 39) and QB Sammy Erickson (2077-2080, peak 48) and it would be incomplete to not mention the duo of the 2040 quarterback controversy
QB Harry Osborne (2035-2044, peak 20) and QB Harvey Corbett (2040-2041, peak 47), and QB Moe Sheldon (2088-2095, peak 43). He peaked in 2091 with a 10-3-1 record, throwing for 24 touchdowns and 4 interceptions.

But really, these are the kind of quarterbacks that we should consider to be "average", aside from McDonnell. And quite simply, they have nothing on the number one of this list.


Number 1: QB Lester Lowe (2057-2065, peak 46)
Early during the 2057 draft, the Maassluis Merchantmen started negotiating with the Augusta Greenjackets on flipping first round picks. Maassluis wanted to move up from #29 to #14 to be able to pick WR Riddick Stanley. But to strike a deal, they had to offer their 2058 first round pick as well. With QB Bryson Chow in the twilight of his career, finding a replacement for the future, at the very least a worthy caretaker for a couple of seasons, wouldn't be a bad idea. As the Greenjackets were openly shopping QB Lester Lowe, the 5th year veteran became the missing piece to make the trade happen.

So, the 2053 third round pick that played in only 17 games with 7 starts was exchanged hands like a couple of dimes. Despite a 3-2 start, the Merchantmen benched Bryson Chow after 5 games and Lester Lowe was from there on the new starting quarterback for the Merchantmen. Blessed with a strong arm, enough ability to get out of sticky situations and clutch-ness on third downs, Lowe was apparently the quarterback the Merchantmen had been waiting for.

The 2057 campaign finished with a 34-27 loss to the Williamsburg Colonials in the IHOF Bowl, but Lowe had stolen the hearts of the fans, and especially ownership/management. Chow hung around for another season, but had to sit and watch Lowe guide the Merchantmen to a 13-3 record in 2058. In 2059 the Merchantmen steamrolled through the regular season, losing one close game in Chicago en route to a 15-1 record. The crashing out in the playoffs remains as a bad memory.

Despite the one-and-done and the slow increase in interceptions, Lowe's position was undisputed and by his hand, the Merchantmen bounced back with a 12-4 record in 2060. They got clicking again and reached their second IHOF Bowl in 4 seasons time. The Chicago Norsemen won a close contest (17-14). Another disappointment, but Lowe continued to impress the season after. Another 12-4, yet a one-and-done followed in 2061.

The 2062 season was disrupted with injury to Lowe, missing 5 1/2 games and the Merchantmen missing the post-season despite a 10-6 record. The physical decline for Lowe set in during the 2063 season, no longer able to make up the interceptions with enough long passes for touchdowns. The 2064 saw the team almost bounce back from a 2-7 start, as the class of 2064 defenders started to quickly mature and carry the team. other games fell the wrong way, tie-breakers kept the Merchantmen outside the playoffs.

In 2065 the Merchantmen traded for Alfred Hickman, ending Lowe's tenure as the starting quarterback. He was given some playing time in a blowout victory, but that was all the action during that 12-4 season with a division round exit. After that little action, there wasn't enough drive anymore to watch from the sidelines and Lowe retired in the 2066 off-season.

Lester Lowe goes down as the only quarterback to guide the Merchantmen into the IHOF Bowl twice, with that 2059 season in between. He has the best passer rating of all Merchantmen passers with more than 1,000 attempts, leaning heavily on his superior completion percentage and touchdowns per attempt figure. Not to mention his win-loss record that trumps all other quarterbacks in Merchantmen history.

And the scouts at work told management he was only average. Lester Lowe exceeded those expectations, he quarterbacked the Merchantmen into belief they could win an IHOF Bowl. Which came true much earlier than anybody could have imagined: the exact season Lowe signed his retirement papers.