Champaign Celebration 2040-

[FishFan]

Only one retirement, WR Paul Beyer, to report in 2040. He only played eight years in the league and started just 112 games over the course of his career. He caught 548 balls for 6476 yards and 33 TDs. His best season came during the Super Bowl year of 2036. He had 85 catches for 1024 yards - his first of two 1000 yard seasons. An injury early in 2039 limited his playing time and he hung up the football spikes after that year.

Free Agents:

Unrestricted

T Lester Hebert
DE Thurman Paeth
TE Lawrence Utley

Restricted

DT Brock O'Toole
WR Brent McDaniel
G Justin Dworak
T Tyrell Tartabull
QB Darren Culbertson

Paeth is the only guy I would want to keep out of this group, but I don't want to pay him what he wants. I'll search for a DE in the draft to replace him. I was hoping Kipp would retire after last season, bu he returns and costs me 30 mil this year. I'll try to renegotiate.

I traded QB Victor Kragen for a 4th round pick(to Iowa City). I figured this is as high as his stock will be coming off his season where he actually got to play. We will ignore all of our FAs and address all of our needs in the draft. This would almost nearly be Kipp's last season and I do not want to trade him. I could have gotten the 18th overall pick for him, but being the loyal owner/GM that I am, I did not go up on it. Especially, since it was the Panthers offering.

Lawrence Utley is headed to Oakland with a 26.62 mil, 3 year deal; T Lester Hebert was signed by the Chargers to s 3 year, 9.87 mil contract; DE Thurman Paeth was not signed by anyone, leaving him available after the draft.

I do not find any player worth taking with the 4th overall pick, so I trade it to Iowa City for their first round picks in 2041 and 2042. I also trade the 8th overall pick along with a 6th round pick in 2042 to San Francisco for their 1st round picks in 2041 and 2042.

[FishFan]

Draft Results

G Vince Scribner, Purdue (16/65)
LB JR Harvey, Maryland (24/75)
QB Marc Berry, Kentucky (26/60)
S Marty Bearden, UCLA (37/58)
WR Jeremy McIntosh, Memphis (29/30)
T Brock Gerak, Notre Dame (21/26)
DE Troy Caldwell, Texas A&M (12/54)

Also signed the following rookie FAs:

TE Kenyon Mueller (34/34)
RB Ken Cox (28/28)
C Norbert Harrison (42/42)

After training camp I signed T Neal Sanford to a one-year, 2.1 mil contract and released S Eric Spencer.

Starting Lineups

QB Jack Kipp
RB Frank Van Pelt
FB Carl Metcalf
TE Howard Gillum
WR Colin Rivers
WR Jesse Albert
LT Terry Ramon
LG Xavier Hastings
C Levon West
RG Derek Mason
RT Neal Sanford

K Carlton K
P Arnie Newsome
KR

DE Bob Goodwin
DT Lamar Marsh
DT Bo Phenix
DE Tracy Alston
LB Quentin Page
LB Patrick Upshaw
LB Winston Giles
CB Mercury Mahoney
CB Cole Reeves
FS Vernon Jurevicius
SS Eugene Lilly

We only went 1-3 in preseason so I do not expect much in this "transistion" year. I have a 39-year old QB that is starting his 18th year in the league. I hope he can still play - I have no reliable backup. Look for Frank Van Pelt to have a great year.

[This message has been edited by FishFan (edited 01-01-2001).]

[FishFan]

2040 Season Results

Week 1 at Green Bay(W24-19, 1-0)
Week 2 at Ft. Wayne(L21-28, 1-1)
Week 3 vs NY Giants(W34-13, 2-1)
Week 4 vs Dallas(L20-23, 2-2)
Week 6 at Chicago(L6-30, 2-3)
Week 7 vs Tampa Bay(W38-13, 3-3)
Week 8 vs New Orleans(W24-5, 4-3)
Week 9 at Detroit(W38-7, 5-3)
Week 10 at Cincinnati(L14-29, 5-4)
Week 11 at Cleveland(W43-30, 6-4)
Week 12 vs Detroit(W28-21, 7-4)
Week 13 vs Minnesota(L7-16, 7-5)
Week 14 at Tampa Bay(W17-16, 8-5)
Week 15 vs Green Bay(W31-10, 9-5)
Week 16 at Minnesota(W31-9, 10-5)
Week 17 vs Chicago(W34-13, 11-5)
Divisional Playoff vs St. Louis(W35-0, 12-5)
NFC Championship at Philadelphia(L14-34, 12-6)

The Corks get off to a good start with a 24-19 win over the Pack - I have had Green Bay's number the past few years. Van Pelt gained 131 yards and scored three times as Kipp was an efficient 16 of 24 for 189 yards. The Pistons get me in week two despite another 104 yards for Van Pelt and no interceptions from Kipp. We give up a 92 yd kickoff return for TD that is the difference.

Van Pelt goes nuts in a week 3 34-13 win over the Giants. Pelt finds the end zone three times and collects 204 yards on 22 carries. Kipp has his worst game in a 23-20 loss to the winless Cowboys and the Corks fall to 2-2. It looks like we are headed down the same road as the last two seasons after a 30-6 thrashing at the hands of the Bears.

Van Pelt gets another 200 yd rushing game and scores two more TD as the Corks even their record at 3-3. If Van Pelt can keep this up, maybe we can sneak into the playoff with a run. Van Pelt carries the team to a 2nd straight win, a 24-5 beating of the Saints. After a 38-7 win over the Lions, the Corks enter the halfway mark at 5-3. Here are some interesting halway stats:

Kipp 134-216-6-1777 9 TDs 90.3 Rtg (his best start in sometime)
Van Pelt 218-1025 4.7 Avg 15 TDs (on pace for a record-shattering year)

A couple of injuries to the o-line and secondary leave us shorthanded and we lose to Cincy, but rebound with a 43-40 win over Cleveland. Van Pelt gained 159 yards and Kipp threw three TDs in the win. Currently, we are two games behind the Pack for the division lead. Another 125 yards and 2 TDs results in a 28-22 win over Detroit. A tough home loss to Minnesota hurts our playoff chances as we fall to 7-5. Van Pelt needs 521 yards for 2000 and 5 TDs to set the season rushing TD mark.

After a nail-biting 17-16 win over Tampa Bay, we stand just one game behind the Bears and Packers for the division lead. In week 15, the Corks annihilate the Packers 31-10. They just cannot stop Van Pelt as he tears them up for 235 yards and a pair of scores. Kipp throw two TDs himself as he continues to play like he was 29, not 39, years old. The Bears also lose and we are suddenly tied for the division lead.

We get a measure of revenge against the Vikings in a 31-9 win in week 16. We take a one game lead over the Bears and Vikings, but we need to beat the Bears in week 17 to win the division and get a 1st round bye. I bring back a couple of defensive linemen who have been banged up to play in this one. If Van Pelt can get 43 yards and 2 TDs, he will be the first RB to gain 2000 yards and also break the single season rushing TD record.

Needing a win, the Corks respond with a 34-13 win over the Bears, our interstate rival, to win the NFC Central. We also get the first round bye. Van Pelt eclipses the 2000 yd mark with 113, but only ties the TD record. He also set the single season rushing attempt mark with 426 carries. A workhorse back putting up MVP-like numbers. 23 TDs, 2070 yards. Champaign will host the Rams in the first playoff game.

In a statement game, the Corks shutout the Rams 35-0. The Rams manage just 9 total rushing yards and Rams QBs combine to go 12 for 25. Van Pelt is hurt early and did not return - he'll be ready to go in the NFC Championship game, though. Guajardo, his backup, gains 100 yards on 24 carries. Kipp throws for 230 yards and a score.

The Corks then travel to Philly, who is the #1 seed in the NFC, for the Conference Championship. Philly jumps out to a 21-0 lead and do not look back en route to a 34-14 win. Van Pelt gains just 24 yards on 16 carries - his worst game of the season. Kipp, in what could have been his final game of his career, throws for 259 yards and a pair of scores.

Philly goes on to win Super Bowl XXXXI, 45-7, over the NY Jets.

Key Stats

QB Jack Kipp 268-444-14-3427 21 TDs 87.1 Rtg
RB Frank Van Pelt 426-2070 23 TDs
WR Jesse Albert 76-1310 6 TDs
WR Colin Rivers 65-891 5 TDs
TE Howard Gillum 28-340 2 TDs
K Carlton Kreklow 22-28 FG 47 Lg
P Arnie Newsome 39.8 Avg 30 In20
DE Tracy Alston 29 T 13 A 13.0 Sacks 7 Blk 8 Hurr
DE Bob Goodwin 26 T 1 A 11.5 Sacks 4 Blk 9 Hurr
DT Bo Phenix 36 T 12 A 4.0 Sacks 2 Hurr
DT Lamar Marsh 25 T 9 A 2.0 Sacks
LB Quentin Page 92 T 23 A 5 Dfns
LB Winston Giles 65 T 27 A 3.0 Sacks 5 Dfns
LB Patrick Upshaw 42 T 19 A 5 Dfns
CB Mercury Mahoney 66 T 15 A 4 INTs 11 Dfns 33.9 PDQ
CB Ronald Vazquez 28 T 3 A 2 Dfns 18.3 PDQ
CB Cole Reeves 26 T 3 A 3 INTs 3 Dfns 31.8 PDQ
FS Vernon Jurevicius 65 T 23 A 3 INTs 6 Dfns 28.7 PDQ
SS Eugene Lilly 61 T 26 A 10 INTs 9 Dfns 49.4 PDQ
LT Terry Ramon 40.3 BPct 8 SkA
LG Xavier Hastings 36.8 BPct 6 SkA
C Levon West 32.3 BPct 3 SkA
RG Derek Mason 32.6 BPct 5 SkA
RT Neal Sanford 46.2 BPct 6 SkA

NFL Awards

NFL MVP: Frank Van Pelt, CHM
OFF POY: Frank Van Pelt, CHM
DEF POY: Jonathan Warren, CIN
OFF ROY: Darrell Schreiber, NYG
DEF ROY: Edgar Manning, SEA

RB Frank Van Pelt, NFL MVP, NFL Offensive Player of the Year, and All-Pro 1st Team
LT Terry Ramon All-Pro 1st Team
CB Mercury Mahoney All-Pro 1st Team
WR Jesse Albert All-Pro 2nd Team

What a surprise year! I thought Kipp was dead, but with defenses keying on Van Pelt, Kipp had one of his better seasons. 2nd year WR Jesse Albert showed signs of promise as he collected over 1300 receving yards. Oh, if only Kipp were 10 years younger.

[FishFan]

Much to my surprise, QB Jack Kipp is returning for another season, his 19th. The 40 year old QB just surpassed the 50,000 passing yard mark last season and stands one TD shy of 300. His 87.1 rating alst season was his best since a 91.7 mark in 2036 when the Corks won their only Super Bowl. In fact, no one retired, and I have about 100 million to play with.

I rehired my scout, Terrell Thagcher, to a 5 year deal worth 2.25 mil a year. Here is my free agent situation:

Unrestricted

QB Jack Kipp
LB Patrick Upshaw
WR Colin Rivers
P Arnie Newsome
LB Ricardo Stuart
CB Winston Durham
LB Winston Giles
RB Xavier Kerouac
T Isaac Wayne
FB Robbie Borders
WR Danny Alexander
G Gus Mills
T Neal Sanford
LB Quentin Page

Restricted

K Carlton Kreklow

I franchise Kipp; will look at LBs Upshaw, Giles, and Page, WR Rivers; Newsome, Stuart, Durham, Kerouac, Wayne, Borders, Alexander, and Mills are expendable; I'd like to bring back T Sanford - he did an excellent job at RT this past season. I'll also resign the RFA K Kreklow after the draft. For the first time in history, Champaign in rated the highest franchise, worth $2,229,880,000. Not bad. I also have the 11th, 12th and 33rd overall picks this season. If a stud QB is up there, I may trade up.

I begin the FA period by offering WR Colin Rivers a 3 year, 39.75 mil contract; LB Patrick Upshaw a 3 year, 25.0 mil contract; and LB Quentin PAge a 4 year, 51.0 mil contract. In week 2, I increased my offer to Rivers to 52.5 mil over four years. Quentin Page returns in week 3 for his original contract of 51 mil/4 years and Upshaw resigns in week 4. Colin Rivers spurns my offer and head to San Diego for a little more cash - 59.93 mil over 4 years. I submit an offer to Washington LB Ethan Wolf - 3 years, 34.5 mil - and to Indianapolis WR Roosevelt Kohn - 3 years, 35 mil. WR Danny Alexander heads to Jacksonville in week 7, but Kohn accepts my deal and may start alongside Jesse Albert next season. FB Robbie Borders, who suffered a severe knee injury last season, accepts a 3 year, 20 mil contract with Buffalo. The former FB of the future for the Corks is now a Bill. Ethan Wolf finally accepts my deal in week 11, completing my linebacking corps. I did not want to draft another rookie, as my coach is POOR in the development of LBs. P Arnie Newsome heads to New Orleans during week 11, too. Winston Giles, seeing himself pushed out of a starting spot, headsd to the Giants for 28.17 mil over three years. After the FA period, I sign Jack Kipp to a two-year 40 mil contract, which should complete his career.

I have 44 players signed and should spend about 25 mil for eight rookies. That will leave me with a lot of extra cap room, so I extend Frank Van Pelt's contract, giving him a hefty raise. He'll make 5 mil more than his origianl contract this year as part of a 5 year, 105 mil deal. I also get T Neal Sanford resigned to a 4 year, 44.5 mil contract. Kind of hefty for a RT, but he had an outstanding year block for Van Pelt and I'd like to keep last year's group together as much as possible.

With three 1st round picks this year and three next year, I can smell a dynasty if I can get a young QB to develop.

[FishFan]

Draft Results

CB Jeff Voss, Baylor (32/68)
WR Mickey Zwillinger, West Virginia (62/62)
QB Roderick Rocha, Wisconsin (24/84)
T Harry Tims, Toledo (16/62)
RB Perry Erickson, Tulane (49/49)
G Leland Jennings, Hawaii (8/74)
FB Jared Bernstein, Hanover (16/34)
DT Lonnie Austin, Southern Cal (34/34)

For the first time in awhile, I come out of the draft with too many players. What a luxury! I still have 5 mil left over in cap room, as well. We also completely sold out our 66,400 stadium - also a franchise first.

After training camp, I picked up a punter, Kyle Hastings, and released DT Ronnie McKenney and QB Marc Berry.

Starting Lineups

QB Jack Kipp (19th year)
RB Frank Van Pelt (6)
FB Carl Metcalf (3)
TE Howard Gillum (3)
WR Jesse Albert (3)
WR Mickey Zwillinger (R)
LT Terry Ramon (9)
LG Xavier Hastings (10)
C Levon West (4)
RG Derek Mason (9)
RT Neal Sanford (5)

K Carlton Kreklow (3)
P Kyle Hastings (R)
KR Jeremy McIntosh (2)

DE Bob Goodwin (3)
DT Lamar Marsh (9)
DT Bo Phenix (7)
DE Tracy Alston (6)
LB Patrick Upshaw (13)
LB Ethan Wolf (6)
LB Quentin Page (5)
CB Mercury Mahoney (11)
CB Jeff Voss (R)
FS Vernon Jurevicius (9)
SS Eugene Lilly (13)

We start a couple of rookie this season - WR Zwillinger and CB Voss. The 40 year old Kipp gets the call at QB, but Rocha's performance in preseason suggests he may be a player in this league. The tools are in place for a long run.

[FishFan]

2041 Season Results

Week 1 vs Oakland(W29-14, 1-0)
Week 2 at Tampa Bay(L13-23, 1-1)
Week 3 vs Minnesota(W19-13, 2-1)
Week 4 vs Green Bay(W22-7, 3-1)
Week 5 vs Seattle(W17-6, 4-1)
Week 6 at Minnesota(L0-21, 4-2)
Week 7 at Los Angeles(L3-37, 4-3)
Week 9 vs Tampa Bay(W34-6, 5-3)
Week 10 at Detroit(W33-16, 6-3)
Week 11 at Kansas City(L21-44, 6-4)
Week 12 at Green Bay(L20-22, 6-5)
Week 13 at Chicago(W24-10, 7-5)
Week 14 vs Detroit(W33-3, 8-5)
Week 15 at St. Louis(W27-3, 9-5)
Week 16 vs Philadelphia(W30-21, 10-5)
Week 17 vs Chicago(W34-3, 11-5)
Divisional Playoff vs Austin(L14-24, 11-6)

The season starts on a good note with a 29-14 win over the Raiders, but then the Corks suffer a weird 23-13 loss in Tampa. Van Pelt has been off to a slow start - banged up a little - but Kipp has been playing well, especially for a 40 year old. During a 22-7 win over the Packers, I lose Vernon Jurevicius for much of the season to ligament damage. Van Pelt breaks out of his slump with 42 carries and 200 yards plus a couple of scores.

Through five games, the Cork defense has allowied just 63 points and looks very good. Offensively, we started slow, but have come on strong in the last couple of games. We get shutout in week 6 and fall to 4-2 - one loss behind the Packers for the division lead. The Corks lose another one in eyebrow-raising fashion, 37-3 to LA. Kipp shows his age by throwing six pixks in the two losses. Interestingly, we were without LT Terry Ramon for the two losses and it affected our rushing attack. He comes back following the bye week and we clobber Tampa Bay 34-6. We are 5-3 the the halfway mark.

We split our next two games before finally losing to Green Bay, 22-20, to fall to 6-5. Kipp is hurt on the first drive and Roderick Rocha makes his NFL debut. He goes 18 for 38 for 245 yards with two TDs and an interception. Kipp returns the follwoing week, but gets banged up again and Rocha throws two TDs in a relief win. Kipp stretches his calf muscles and is out for the year. I've said it before, but that could have been Kipp's last NFL game.

With Rocha at the helm, the Corks stay one game behind the Bucs and beat the Lions 33-3. We follow that win up with an impressive 27-3 win over 10-2 St. Louis. Rocha connects on 22 of 26 passes for 227 yards in the win. The win moved us into a 1st place tie with Tampa Bay. If we win out, we should have the tie-breaker over them. In yet another tough test, the Corks beat 11-3 Philly 30-21 and takes a one game lead in the NFC Central. We still have a shot at a 1st round bye as well. We lose our RG, Derek Mason, for the remainder of the season, though. We beat Chicago in the finale, win the NFC Central, and earn a 1st round bye. Philly will ahve homefield advantage throughout.

Our season ends in a disappointment with a 24-14 loss to Austin in the Divisional Playoff. The Bush had won the NFC West and were 11-5 during the regular season. Austin used a 11-0 third quarter to put the Corks away. Lincoln Marsh was a superb 28 for 42 for 362 yards for the Bush. We managed just 71 yards rushing and Rocha was picked off three times. He played well down the stretch in place of the veteran Jack Kipp, though. Philadelphia routs the Bush the the Conference Championship and go on to win their third straight Super Bowl, 27-24, over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Key Stats

QB Jack Kipp 176-308-10-2060 11 TDs 75.9 Rtg
QB Roderick Rocha 98-164-3-1131 11 TDs 95.3 Rtg
RB Frank Van Pelt 357-1279 7 TDs
RB Perry Erickson 53-247 1 TD
WR Roosevelt Kohn 62-748 5 TDs
WR Jesse Albert 48-686 6 TDs
WR Mickey Zwillinger 47-587 3 TDs
TE Howard Gillum 45-511 3 TDs
K Carlton Kreklow 37-43 FG 48 Lg
P Kyle Hastings 40.9 Avg 39 In20
DE Bob Goodwin 45 T 10 A 13.5 Sacks 2 Blk 6 Hurr
DE Tracy Alston 20 T 16 A 11.5 Sacks 5 Blk 7 Hurr
DT Lamar Marsh 36 T 8 A 4.5 Sacks 1 Hurr
DT Bo Phenix 36 T 14 A 1.5 Sacks
LB Patrick Upshaw 88 T 31 A 2.0 Sacks 2 Hurr 1 INT 7 Dfns
LB Quentin Page 72 T 27 A 1 Blk 1 INT 5 Dfns
LB Ethan Wolf 40 T 18 A 1.0 Sacks
CB Mercury Mahoney 42 T 16 A 1 Hurr 4 INTs 5 Dfns 33.3 PDQ
CB Ronald Vasquez 28 T 2 A 1 Blk 2 Dfns 19.4 PDQ
CB Jeff Voss 28 T 12 A 3 INTs 6 Dfns 36.1 PDQ
FS Eugene Lilly 49 T 27 A 5 INTs 10 Dfns 42.0 PDQ
SS Adam Peters 49 T 13 A 2 INTs 5 Dfns 29.8 PDQ
SS Vernon Jurevicius 33 T 11 A 2 INTs 1 Dfns 28.4 PDQ
LT Terry Ramon 39.1 BPct 6 SkA
LG Xavier Hastings 22.8 BPct 0 SkA
C Levon West 21.1 BPct 5 SkA
RG Derek Mason 27.3 BPct 6 SkA
RT Neal Sanford 32.3 BPct 7 SkA

NFL Awards

NFL MVP: Mel Pustell, KCY
OFF POY: Bucky Dakota, SF
DEF POY: Donnel Baxter, BUF
OFF ROY: Jamal McClurg, DEN
DEF ROY: Rex Fournier, HOU

LG Xavier HAstings All-Pro 1st Team
K Carlton Kreklow All-Pro 1st Team
DE Bob Goodwin All-Pro 2nd Team

[FishFan]

Safety Vernon Jurevicius retired after the 2041 season after nine years in the league. I had to make a decision regarding G Derek Mason. He suffered a major injury last year and did not fully recover. He was going to cost me over 10 mil against the cap and I decided to release him after I could not drum up any interest for him from other teams.

Free Agents:

Unrestricted

S Eugene Lilly
LB Chris Brooks
S Adam Peters

Restricted

FB Carl Metcalf
TE Howard Gillum
DE Bob Goodwin
DT Ian Carter
DE Tony Caldwell
QB Bo Wilson

I do some house cleaning by releasing some high priced backups:

QB Tommy Tatum
RB Warren Guajardo
WR Roman Bernard
DE Rob Martinez
LB Bryan Isaacson
C Alex Lewis
CB Walt Wolf
WR Terry Ivory

I trade CB Ronald Vazquez, who has not picked off a pass in three seasons, to the Ft. Wayne Pistons for a 5th round draft pick. I am now down to 34 signed players and only 50 mil to spend. Not good. I franchise Eugene Lilly to secure at least one quality safety and will look for another in the draft or FA period. I would like to resign FB Carl Metcalf and TE Howard Gillum, but may not be able to afford them. I'll make every attempt to keep DE Bob Goodwin in a Cork uniform.

I do not find any FAs that intrigue me, so I fly through the 20-step period. I sign safeties Eugene Lilly and Adam Peters after the period has ended.

[FishFan]

Draft Results

CB Grady Montgomery, Memphis (31/77)
S Gabe Griffith, Central Florida (42/71)
LB Todd Lies, Butler (51/76)
CB Duane MAttos, Tennessee (37/50)
DT Dean Bryant, Texas (16/44)
RB Quentin Dillon, Georgia Tech (45/60)
QB Dustin Copeland, Washington (21/24)
WR Curtis Mears, Pittsburgh (53/53)

After the draft, I re-signed DE Bob Goodwin and FB Carl Metcalf. I do not have enough to go after TE Gillum. I also pick up the following FAs at league min:

WR Tommy Peoples (32/37)
G Cedric Alston (20/46)
DE Lonnie Konrad (8/34)
DE Teddy Williamson (8/26)
LB Bennie Chitwood (17/54)
LB Emmitt Dritlein (16/46)
TE Anthony Melancon (36/36)

Starting Lineups

QB Jack Kipp
RB Frank Van Pelt
FB Carl Metcalf
TE Kenyon Mueller
WR Jesse Albert
WR Mickey Zwillinger
LT Terry Ramon
LG Xavier Hastings
C Levon West
RG Vince Scribner
RT Neal Sanford

K Carlton Kreklow
P Kyle Hastings
KR Tommy Peoples

DE Bob Goodwin
DT Lamar Marsh
DT Bo Phenix
DE Tracy Alston
LB Ethan Wolf
LB Quentin Page
LB Patrick Upshaw
CB Mercury Mahoney
CB Jeff Voss
FS Gabe Griffith
SS Eugene Lilly

A 4-0 preseason, with Rocha at the helm and Kipp hurt, raises expectations a bit this season. Kipp should return for the 2nd or 3rd week and will get a chance to win back his starting spot. But, he will be evaluated closely.

[FishFan]

2042 Season Results

Week 1 at Minnesota(L21-31, 0-1)
Week 2 vs Los Angeles(W24-21, 1-1)
Week 3 vs Chicago(W19-13, 2-1)
Week 5 vs Detroit(W38-17, 3-1)
Week 6 at Green Bay(W21-16, 4-1)
Week 7 vs Minnesota(L28-38, 4-2)
Week 8 at Tampa Bay(W23-17, 5-2)
Week 9 vs Miami(W17-10, 6-2)
Week 10 at Detroit(L14-24, 6-3)
Week 11 at Chicago(W34-13, 7-3)
Week 12 at New England(W22-10, 8-3)
Week 13 at Philadelphia(W20-10, 9-3)
Week 14 vs Tampa Bay(L10-20, 9-4)
Week 15 vs Green Bay(L21-24, 9-5)
Week 16 vs Austin(L17-26, 9-6)
Week 17 at NY Jets(L10-14, 9-7)

With two key defensive starters out the first week, LB Upshaw and DE Goodwin, the Corks fall 31-21 to the Vikings. We get some guys back and win in week 2 and then Kipp returns to throw for 300+ yards in a week 3 win. Goodwin goes down in week 5 again, along with LB Ethan Wolf. Injuries are starting to hurt the Corks. However, Kipp keeps guiding this team to victories. DT Bo Phenix goes down for 2-3 months in a week 6 win and I start to wonder how we would perform with the whole team together.

We suffer our second 10-point loss of the season to the Vikings as the injuries continue to mount. Frank Van Pelt puts together his first of two straight 200 yard performances in the Viking loss. Against 5-2 Miami, the Corks ground out a 17-10 win to hit the halfway mark at 6-2. FB Carl Metcalf and DT Lamar Marsh each suffer major injuries and will be out until the playoffs.

With all the injuries, it is unbelievable that Kipp and the defense can keep winning. After three straight wins, the Corks stand 9-3 and a game ahead of Green Bay for the Central lead. The beat up defensive line falls at home to Tampa Bay in week 14 to allow Green Bay to move into a tie for the division lead. We then lost to the Pack the follwoing week to fall to second place in the division. After a third straight loss, the playoff hopes rested on the final game. A win put them in. A loss and they could be out. The Corks were also visiting the 12-3 NY Jets. In a valiant effort, the Corks fall 14-10 and miss out on the playoffs. Finally, all the injuries caught up with them. At the end of the season, three of the four starting defensive linemen were out and I could not stop anyone on the ground. A very disappointing season after a 9-3 start.

In an all-New York Super Bowl, the Giants win big, 40-13 to claim the NFL's 43rd championship trophy.

Key Stats

QB Jack Kipp 261-447-21-3067 12 TDs 68.7 Rtg
QB Roderick Rocha 37-75-1-446 4 TDs 80.1 Rtg
RB Frank Van Pelt 275-1462 14 TDs
WR Jesse Albert 71-1117 5 TDs
WR Mickey Zwillinger 78-1060 4 TDs
WR Roosevelt Kohn 46-498 4 TDs
TE Kenyon Mueller 16-178 1 TD
K Carlton Kreklow 16-24 FG 54 Lg
P Kyle Hastings 39.5 Avg 31 In20
DT Lonnie Austin 36 T 19 A 4.0 Sacks 1 Blk 1 Hurr
DE Tracy Alson 33 T 12 A 8.0 Sacks 2 Blk 3 Hurr
DT Lamar Marsh 30 T 5 A 1.0 Sacks 3 Blk 2 Hurr
DE Bob Goodwin 22 T 3 A 12.0 Sacks 3 Blk 8 Hurr
LB Quentin Page 113 T 47 A 1.0 Sacks 1 Blk 1 Hurr 1 INT 6 Dfns
LB Ethan Wolf 67 T 28 A 3.0 Sacks 3 Hurr 4 Dfns
LB Patrick Upshaw 62 T 24 A .5 Sacks 1 INT
CB Mercury Mahoney 40 T 10 A 1.0 Sacks 1 INT 27.0 PDQ
CB Jeff Voss 33 T 9 A 4 INTs 3 Dfns 34.2 PDQ
CB Grady Montgomery 22 T 5 A 5 INTs 3 Dfns 51.7 PDQ
FS Gabe Griffith 79 T 16 A 2 INTs 3 Dfns 23.3 PDQ
FS Adam Peters 28 T 12 A 1 Dfns 14.2 PDQ
SS Eugene Lilly 56 T 19 A 1.0 Sacks 2 INTs 6 Dfns 27.5 PDQ
LT Terry Ramon 30.3 BPct 2 SkA
LG Xavier Hastings 34.2 BPct 3 SkA
C Levon West 32.2 BPct 5 SkA
RG Vince Scribner 33.8 BPct 8 SkA
RT Neal Sanford 35.2BPct 10 SkA

NFL Awards

NFL MVP: Sean Bennett, GBY
OFF POY: Bucky Dakota, SF
DEF POY: Walt Davila, ARI
OFF ROY: Christian Walendy, ARI
DEF ROY: Norman Spotwood, NYJ

LT Terry Ramon All-Pro 1st Team
RB Frank Van Pelt All-Pro 2nd Team

Jack Kipp, with a less than average season, set a new pass completion mark with 4683 in 20 years. He also moved up to second all-time in yards with 56,068, just 152 shy of Rex Singleton's record. He stands 7th on the TD list with 322.

[FishFan]

Finally, Jack Kipp retired after 20 years in the NFL. Joining him in retirement is SS Eugene Lilly. First, Kipp played 20 seasons, threw for over 56000 yards, scored 322 TDs through the air, and completed more than 4600 passes altogether. But, never once was he honored as an All-Pro QB, but did lead the Corks to their only Super Bowl Championship back in 2036. Ravaged by injuries in 2027 and 2028, Champaign almost gave up on him after his contract was up in 2031. They gave him one more chance and he responded with his best three-year performance ever. He followed that up with a Super Bowl championship two years later. He never threw more than 19 interceptions until his final season when he threw 21. Plus, in 20 seasons, Kipp gained 5091 yards on the ground and scored another 23 TDs with his legs. Kipp had one of the more consistent careers of any QB I've ever had.

Eugene Lilly will end his 14 year career with 61 interceptions, 114 defensed passes and a career PDQ of 36.8. He was named to the All-Pro 2nd Team in 2037 when he picked off 10 passes and compiled a 54.9 PDQ. He also collected 954 tackles, 379 assists, and 4 quarterback sacks. He played his first six years in Green Bay before finishing out his career in Champaign.

Free Agents:

Unrestricted

G Xavier Hastings
CB Mercury Mahoney

Restricted

WR Jeremy McIntosh
G Vince Scribner
T Brock Gerak
LB JR Harvey
S Monty Beardon
DT Lonnie Austin

I need to bring Scribner and Hastings back, so I franchise Hastings. I can live without Mahoney at CB, but will try to bring him back. I will have to make some decisions and renegotiate to get under the cap. This is Roderick Rocha's team now.

I offer G Alex Lugo a 3 year 28.25 mil contract just in case I cannot afford Scribner's salary for a 2nd guard. I also offer Mercury Mahoney a 3 year 36 mil contract. Many teams offer more. Amazingly, Mahoney re-ups with the Corks in week 4. Lugo ends up signing with Ft. Wayne in week 8. That ends my activity for this FA period.

After the FA period, I resigned G Xavier Hastings, extended the contract of my stud RB Frank Van Pelt, and released WR Roosevelt Kohn, who was going to make 11 mil this season as a 3rd WR. Can't do that.

[FishFan]

Draft Results

S Antoine Whitcomb, Southern Methodist (26/73)
DT Karl Emerson, Lafayette (19/69)
T Alfred Summers, Pittsburgh (4/32)
WR Pat Windsor, Duke (38/38)
QB Wayne Johns, Iowa (29/31)
LB JJ Anthony, Georgia (12/26)
WR Emmitt Irwin, Georgia (43/43)

After the draft, I resign G Vince Scribner and pick up S Blake Follette for 3 years and 18 mil.

Starting Lineups

QB Roderick Rocha
RB Frank Van Pelt
FB Carl Metcalf
TE Anthony Melancon
WR Jesse Albert
WR Mickey Zwillinger
LT Terry Ramon
LG Xavier Hastings
C Levon West
RG Vince Scribner
RT Neal Sanford

K Carlton Kreklow
P Kyle Hastings
KR Tommy Peoples

DE Bob Goodwin
DT Lamar Marsh
DT Bo Phenix
DE Tracy Alston
LB Ethan Wolf
LB Quentin Page
LB Patrick Upshaw
CB Mercury Mahoney
CB Jeff Voss
FS Blake Follette
SS Gabe Griffith

For the first time since 2023, someone other than Jack Kipp is starting at QB. Roderick Rocha takes over for a future Hall of Famer. The team goes 2-2 during preseason and puts up two great offensive performances in the last two games.

[FishFan]

2043 Season Results

Week 1 at Minnesota(W27-18, 1-0)
Week 2 vs St. Louis(L17-33, 1-1)
Week 3 at Detroit(W15-7, 2-1)
Week 4 vs Tampa Bay(W14-12, 3-1)
Week 5 at Chicago(L9-17, 3-2)
Week 6 at San Francisco(W29-7, 4-2)
Week 7 at Ft. Wayne(W31-14, 5-2)
Week 8 vs Chicago(W14-7, 6-2)
Week 9 vs Green Bay(W34-17, 7-2)
Week 11 vs Arizona(L10-22, 7-3)
Week 12 at Cincinnati(W26-11, 8-3)
Week 13 vs Jacksonville(W22-11, 9-3)
Week 14 at Green Bay(L14-34, 9-4)
Week 15 vs Minnesota(W42-7, 10-4)
Week 16 vs Detroit(W37-10, 11-4)
Week 17 at Tampa Bay(W23-16, 12-4)
Divisional Playoff vs St. Louis(W35-11, 13-4)
NFC Championship vs Los Angeles(W37-11, 14-4)
Super Bowl XXXXIX vs Kansas City(W14-12, 15-4)

In his first regular season opener, Roderick Rocha throws 3 TD pass, two to Jesse Albert, as he guides the Corks to a 27-18 win over the Vikings. I think the Rocha-Albert tandem will be a force for quite some time. After three weeks, I trade RB Perry Erickson and a 4th round pick to Cleveland for 1st and 3rd round picks. Erickson has shown some promise, but will want 10 mil+ next year.

Two more ugly wins and this team improves to 3-1 somehow - pounding out wins on the ground with Frank Van Pelt. After a loss in Chicago, the Corks rattle off two wins to improve to 5-2. The Corks get some revenge with a 14-7 win over the Bears and then win another one before the bye week and stand at 7-2. Following the bye week, the Corks split a pair of games and open a two game lead in their division. The Bears move within a game after we lose in week 14.

It comes down to the final game of the season to win the division, but we have already secured a playoff spot. We take the finale and the division and homefield throughout with a 12-4 record. Unfortunately, Roderick Rocha breaks his foot in the finale and may not play in the first playoff game. St. Louis is my first opponent - they clobbered me in week 2.

The defense picked up the slack in the divisional playoff. Mickey Zwillinger picked up a fumbled punt and returned it for a TD and Adam Peters returned and interception 84 yards, both in the first half to give the Corks a 21-3 lead at the half. Wayne Johns threw his only TD pass, a 13 yarder to Albert, in the third quarter and Van Pelt found the end zone in the 4th as the Corks turned it on to rout the Rams 35-11. Van Pelt ended with 189 yards and Johns was 18 for 25 with a TD and did not turn the ball over.

In the Conference Championship against the Los Angeles Gold Rush, the Corks apply great defensive pressure once again and pick off four passes. We build a 24-7 halftime lead on the legs of Van Pelt who scored twice. We cruise to a 37-11 victory in an uneventful 2nd half and will face the Kansas City Chief in Super Bowl XLIV. Roderick Rocha will return to play in the Super Bowl.

After a scoreless 1st quarter, the Chiefs strike first with an 18 yd FG by Barry Walker. After a few punts, the Corks get the ball back and go to work Rocha puts together a decent drive and goes to Van Pelt when they are in trouble. Van Pelt finally scores on a 5 yd run to give Champaign a 7-3 lead at halftime. Again, the Chiefs score first in the 2nd half on another 34 yd Barry Walker FG near the end of the 3rd quarter. And, again, the Corks counter with a TD drive. With 12:06 left to play, Roderick Rocha finds Carl Metcalf in the endzone for a 6 yd scoring pass. The TD gives the Corks a 14-6 lead. On the ensuing drive, the first play from scrimmage, James Quinones breaks through the line and rumbles 82 yards for a score that cuts the lead to 14-12. Then, on the 2-point conversion attempt, Bob Goodwin, who has been injured most of the year, gets into the backfield and stops Mel Pustell for a loss. Rocha then went for the kill with 4:26 left when he lofts a pass into the endzone. The pass is picked off, giving the Chiefs another shot. After a 19-yard completion, Pustell faces a 3rd-and-six from the KCY43. Pustell faced great pressure and rolled out, reversed direction and ended up getting sacked by Ethan Wolf for a 17 yd loss. The play stuck them all the way back and forced them to punt. Van Pelt was able to get the 1st down they needed, and the Corks were able to run the clock out to win their second bowl championship! Frank Van Pelt was named MVP with 132 yards on 29 carries and a score. Roderick Rocha was 15 for 24 for 174 yards, but threw three interceptions that lept the game close. However, not bad for the young QB - a Super Bowl ring in his first full season.

Key Stats

QB Roderick Rocha 238-407-10-2876 17 TDs 83.9 Rtg
RB Frank Van Pelt 348-1670 12 TDs
WR Jesse Albert 72-1268 9 TDs
WR Curtis Mears 41-477 4 TDs
WR Mickey Zwillinger 29-334 2 TDs (played in only seven games)
K Carlton Kreklow 29-38 FG 50 Lg
P Kyle Hastings 39.9 Avg 31 In20
DE Tracy Alston 45 T 14 A 14.5 Sacks 1 Blk 8 Hurr
DT Lamar Marsh 31 T 13 A 3.5 Sacks 4 Hurr
DT Bo Phenix 25 T 7 A 1 Blk 3 Hurr
DE Teddy Williamson 14 T 4 A 2.5 Sacks 2 Blk
DE Bob Goodwin 12 T 6 A 4.0 Sacks 3 Blk 2 Hurr
LB Quentin Page 99 T 28 A 2.0 Sacks 1 INT 5 Dfns
LB Patrick Upshaw 77 T 22 A 1 INT 2 Dfns
LB Ethan Wolf 76 T 26 A 1.0 Sacks 2 Hurr 6 Dfns
CB Mercury Mahoney 42 T 20 A 3 INTs 9 Dfns 33.9 PDQ
CB Jeff Voss 30 T 6 A 4 INTs 10 Dfns 41.0 PDQ
CB Grady Montgomery 26 T 2 A 3 INTs 7 Dfns 47.8 PDQ
FS Blake Follette 83 T 24 A 8 Dfns 20.3 PDQ
SS Gabe Griffith 37 T 24 A 5 INTs 8 Dfns 48.5 PDQ
SS Adam Peters 24 T 2 A 1 INT 2 Dfns 26.9 PDQ
LT Terry Ramon 33.3 BPct 5 SkA
LG Xavier Hastings 29.7 BPct 3 SkA
C Levon West 34.0 BPct 7 SkA
RG Vince Scribner 35.8 BPct 4 SkA
RT Neal Sanford 27.8 BPct 12 SkA

NFL Awards

NFL MVP: Frank Van Pelt, CHM
OFF POY: Bucky Dakota, SF
DEF POY: KC Chapin, WAS
OFF ROY: Mike Peterson, BUF
DEF ROY: Wayne Willis, CAR

FB Carl Metcalf, All-Pro 1st Team
DE Tracy Alston, All-Pro 1st Team
RB Frank Van Pelt, NFL MVP, Super Bowl MVP, All-Pro 2nd Team
LG Xavier Hastings, All-Pro 2nd Team
RG Vince Scribner, All-Pro 2nd Team

[FishFan]

In Dick Vermeil style, my coach, Leonard Gowins, retired after his second Super Bowl win. He currently stands six all-time on the win list with a 241-173-0 record. He has been to the playoffs 13 times to go along with his two championships.

In his place, the Corks promote offensive coordinator Sean Feaser to head coach. Feaser, who has no previous experience as head coach, will get a five year contract worth 13.5 mil per. Feaser keeps Terrell Thagcher around as head scout.

Only one retirement to report - LB Patrick Upshaw. Upshaw played 15 years in the league, spending his final nine years in Champaign after a six year run in Tennessee. He collected 1316 tackles, 434 assists, and 25 QB sacks. He also picked off 7 passes and defensed 82 passes over the course of his career. In 2031 he was named to the All-Pro 1st Team and was a 2nd Team selection in 2032. He set a personal best of 122 tackles and 32 assists in that 2032 season.

With our new stadium opening, which allocates about 40,000 more seats, we are able to actually lower ticket prices across the board. A little gift to our loyal fans in Champaign that have give us 100% support the past several seasons.

We only have a few free agents this season:

Unrestricted

CB Cole Reeves
S Adam Peters

Restricted

FB Jared Bernstein
G Leland Jennings
T Harry Tims
RB Quentin Dillon

I will hate to lose the two UFAs, but they will command big bucks this season. They were two quality backups that served 5-6 years in Champaign. The same is true with the RFAs. If I can afford Dillon and Tims, I'd bring them back as backups, but they deserve a chance to start with another team and earn real money. I do not take advanatage of the franchise tag this season.

With not that much cap room, I will avoid any activity in the FA period. Neither Reeves or Peters were signed by any other team during the 20 week period. With no promising rookies to select with the 14th overall pick, I trade it to Detroit for a #1 next year and a 3rd round pick in 2046.

Draft Results

TE Levon Crane, Toledo (34/65)
T Jack Clinton, Duke (27/57)
RB Phil Flora, Houston (39/53)
FB Bernie Garcia, Wisconsin (25/55)
LB Lawrence Ingram, Florida A&M (26/27)
S Alan Boone, Washington St. (21/22)
CB Irv Morrissey, Georgia Tech (28/28)

I signed G Bernie Houston (11/42) following the draft to reach 53 players. We sellout our stadium before preseason begins. We'll be rolling in the dough this year! I also may have landed my first draft "diamond in the rough". RB Phil Flora's potential rockets to 85, but he will still be playing behind Frank Van Pelt for the first several years.

[FishFan]

Starting Lineups

QB Roderick Rocha
RB Frank Van Pelt
FB Carl Metcalf
TE Levon Crane
WR Jesse Albert
WR Mickey Zwillinger
LT Terry Ramon
LG Xavier Hastings
C Levon West
RG Vince Scribner
RT Neal Sanford

K Carlton Kreklow
P Kyle Hastings
KR Tommy Peoples

DE Bob Goodwin
DT Lamar Marsh
DT Bo Phenix
DE Tracy Alston
LB Ethan Wolf
LB Quentin Page
LB Todd Lies
CB Jeff Voss
CB Mercury Mahoney
FS Blake Follette
SS Gabe Griffith

After a 4-0 preseason, the press is picking the Corks to repeat at Super Bowl Champions. Expectations are high for a rookie coach.

[FishFan]

2044 Season Results

Week 1 at San Diego(L0-26, 0-1)
Week 2 vs Tampa Bay(W17-0, 1-1)
Week 3 at Detroit(W27-14, 2-1)
Week 4 at Chicago(W35-26, 3-1)
Week 5 at Houston(L21-31, 3-2)
Week 6 vs Detroit(W41-10, 4-2)
Week 7 vs Philadelphia(W28-3, 5-2)
Week 9 at Tampa Bay(W19-6, 6-2)
Week 10 vs Minnesota(W28-13, 7-2)
Week 11 vs Kansas City(L27-34, 7-3)
Week 12 vs Chicago(W18-6, 8-3)
Week 13 vs Green Bay(W34-28, 9-3)
Week 14 at Minnesota(W28-24, 10-3)
Week 15 vs Austin(W32-23, 11-3)
Week 16 at Los Angeles(W20-13, 12-3)
Week 17 at Green Bay(W19-16, 13-3)
Divisional Playoff vs Green Bay(W31-23, 14-3)
NFC Championship vs Los Angeles(W35-14, 15-3)
Super Bowl XLV vs Miami(W31-7, 16-3)

Ouch. We open the season with a 26-0 loss at San Diego. Terry Ramon is hurt and that affected our running game, big time. We comeback, however, with a shutout of our own against Tampa to even our record. We then settle into a groove with wins over Detroit and undefeated Chicago to move into a 1st place tie with the Bears at 3-1. What a great intrastate rivalry. We stumble in Houston before sending Detroit to 0-6 with a 41-10 win in week 6. Interestingly, we own the Lions' 1st round pick next year. Hmmmm. After a 28-3 win over Philly, we enter the bye week at 5-2.

We start the 2nd half of the season with 2 wins in three games and stand at 8-3 and a game behind Green Bay for the division lead. We will play them twice in the next five weeks. Detroit has improved to 4-7 to take me out of the running for the #1 pick overall. At home, we get past the Packers 34-28 when Van Pelt scores from 6 yds out in OT. The RB had 140 yards and 4 TDs in the big win. We take the next two, but suffer some big injuries(T Ramon, LB Page, WR Albert). Another win and we face a situation where a win will give us a 1st round bye in the playoffs. We go on the road to 11-3-1 Green Bay and squeak out a 19-16 win as Carlton Kreklow kicks a 28 yd FG as time expires.

Terry Ramon is out for the year, and the Cork running game has suffered without the stud tackle. However, Van Pelt still managed to run for 1600 yards and 21 TDs this year. It could have been much better, though. WR Albert is also out for the playoffs. Unfortunately, we get the Packers in the divisional playoff. Van Pelt gets 114 yards and a pair of scores and CB Duane Mattos returns an INT for another score as the Corks beat the PAckers for the third time this season. Bring on LA!

Against the Gold Rush, the Corks turn a 3-0 halftime advantage into a 35-14 rout with a 32-14 2nd half advantage. Van Pelt gets 110 yards and we pick off seven LA passes(3 returned for TDs) in an excellent defensive performance. We will face my beloved Dolphins in Super Bowl XLV.

Back-to-back! In another rout, the Corks take home their second straight Super Bowl Championship, 31-7, over the Miami Dolphins. QB Roderick Rocha threw for 285 yards 3 TDs and Van Pelt ran for 124 yards and a score. Rocha takes home MVP honors with his best performance of his post-season career.

Key Stats

QB Roderick Rocha 230-421-14-2813 12 TDs 71.1 Rtg
RB Frank Van Pelt 359-1639 21 TDs
WR Mickey Zwillinger 63-764 6 TDs
WR Curtis Mears 52-675 1 TD
WR Jesse Albert 35-563 4 TDs
K Carlton Kreklow 28-30 FG 51 Lg
P Kyle Hastings 38.8 Avg 27 In20
DE Bob Goodwin 43 T 12 A 10.5 Sacks 5 Blk 7 Hurr
DE Tracy Alston 28 T 13 A 8.5 Sacks 7 Blk 6 Hurr
DT Lamar Marsh 22 T 12 A 2.0 Sacks 3 Blk 1 Hurr
DT Bo Phenix 23 T 16 A 1.5 Sacks 1 Blk 3 Hurr
LB Quentin Page 93 T 16 A 2.0 Sacks 3 Dfns
LB Ethan Wolf 86 T 35 A .5 Sacks 1 Hurr 1 INT 3 Dfns
LB Todd Lies 64 T 25 A 3 Dfns
CB Grady Montgomery 49 T 17 A 2 INTs 9 Dfns 32.6 PDQ
CB Mercury Mahoney 36 T 10 A 3 INTs 7 Dfns 34.8 PDQ
CB Jeff Voss 22 T 9 A 4 INTs 3 Dfns 44.2 PDQ
FS Blake Folette 72 T 30 A 7 Dfns 21.3 PDQ
SS Gabe Griffith 63 T 27 A 7 INTs 5 Dfns 42.6 PDQ
LT Terry Ramon 43.7 BPct 4 SkA
LG Xavier Hastings 26.6 BPct 4 SkA
C Levon West 31.4 BPct 2 SkA
RG Vince Scribner 38.0 BPct 6 SkA
RT Neal Sanford 35.6 BPct 8 SkA

NFL Awards

NFL MVP: Frank Van Pelt, CHM
OFF POY: Mel Pustell, KCY
DEF POY: Donnell Baxter, GBY
OFF ROY: Edward Sells, WAS
DEF ROY: Wesley Wallace, DAL

RB Frank Van Pelt, NFL MVP and All-Pro 1st Team
C Levon West, All-Pro 1st Team
RG Vince Scribner, All-Pro 2nd Team
QB Roderick Rocha, Super Bowl MVP

[FishFan]

Champaign lost one of the franchise's most popular players to retirement following the 2044 season. CB Mercury Mahoney called it quits. Mahoney, who only picked off less than three picks in a season twice during his 14 year career, finished with a grand total of 46 interceptions, returning 5 of them to the "House". He computed a respectable 33.1 career PDQ while collecting 587 tackles and 182 assists. Other than missing six games in 2035-36 due to injuries, Mahoney played in and started 218 games. The fan favorite veteran was named to the All-Pro 1st Team in 2040.

With no coach/scout news, it's on to the FA Period....

Unrestricted

QB Roderick Rocha
DT Lamar Marsh
T Kyle Tolbert

Restricted

QB Dustin Copeland
WR Curtis Mears
DT Dean Bryant
CB Duane Mattos
WR Emmitt Irwin

I should have traded Mattos before this year because he is a talent and will be too expensive to resign, even as a RFA. I franchised my QB since he has led the team to two striaght Super Bowls in his first two full years as a starter. Lamar Marsh's 12 year run in Champaign is probably over, sadly. I trade FS Blake Follette and a 7th round pick to the Caucus of Iowa City for their 3rd round pick this year.

I breeze through the FA period, content with my current roster and draft picks. I lock Roderick Rocha into a 4 year, 68 mil contract.

Draft Results

LB Lorenzo Cote, Kansas St. (33/96)
DT Ian Matheson, Duke (18/51)
DT Cary Tanner, Southern Cal (29/56)
T Gerald Helmick, Syracuse (14/66)
QB Irving Chavous, Tulsa (27/52)
WR Josh Donaldson, Louisiana Tech (22/60)
WR Chester Pfiefer, Virginia (23/54)
CB Colin Vidal, Elizabeth City St. (26/28)

After the draft I released LB Bennie Chitwood.

[FishFan]

Starting Lineups

QB Roderick Rocha
RB Frank Van Pelt
TE Levon Crane
WR Jesse Albert
WR Mickey Zwillinger
LT Terry Ramon
LG Xavier Hastings
C Levon West
RG Vince Scribner
RT Neal Sanford

K Carlton Kreklow
P Kyle Hastings
KR Tommy Peoples

DE Bob Goodwin
DT Bo Phenix
DT Karl Emerson
DE Tracy Alston
LB Ethan Wolf
LB Quentin Page
LB Todd Lies
CB Jeff Voss
CB Grady Montgomery
FS Gabe Griffith
SS Antoine Whitcomb

We go 3-1 in preseason as we embark on our journey to three-peat as Super Bowl Champs. Only a few times in FOF2 have I been able to accomplish this feat.

[FishFan]

2045 Season Results

Week 1 vs Tampa Bay(W48-17, 1-0)
Week 2 at NY Giants(L14-42, 1-1)
Week 3 at Minnesota(W24-0, 2-1)
Week 5 at Detroit(W28-16, 3-1)
Week 6 vs Chicago(L7-16, 3-2)
Week 7 at Tampa Bay(W37-19, 4-2)
Week 8 vs Green Bay(W20-7, 5-2)
Week 9 at Miami(W20-16, 6-2)
Week 10 vs Detroit(W27-11, 7-2)
Week 11 vs Minnesota(W31-13, 8-2)
Week 12 vs Indianapolis(L20-27, 8-3)
Week 13 vs Los Angeles(L17-26, 8-4)
Week 14 at Green Bay(W24-14, 9-4)
Week 15 at Chicago(L20-23, 9-5)
Week 16 at St. Louis(L10-16, 9-6)
Week 17 vs Buffalo(W30-19, 10-6)
Wild Card Game vs Philadelphia(W24-21, 11-6)
Divisional Playoff at NY Giants(L7-24, 11-7)

We begin the season witha resounding 48-17 win over the Bucs as Rocha goes 23 for 28 and a couple of TDs. Van Pelt gains 181 yards on the ground. However, the team follows that up with a 42-14 loss to the Giants at the Meadowlands. After the loss, we shutout the Vikings 24-0 as we head into the bye week at 2-1.

After the bye week, we beat the Lions but fall to the Bears and remain a loss behind Chicago for the division lead. We really need to get into a groove and rattle off about 10 straight wins. We move into a tie for the division lead after two straight wins to improve to 5-2. DE Bob Goodwin breaks his ankle in week 8 which may jeopardize his career. In a rematch of last year's Super Bowl, the Corks defeat the Dolphins 20-16 and improves to 6-2 at the halfway mark.

We raise our win streak to five before Indianapolis gets us 27-20 in week 12. We currently stand 8-3 and hold a one game lead over Chicago in the Central. We lose a 2nd straight game, this one to the Gold Rush and fall into a 1st place tie with the Bears. We rebound with a win over Green Bay before falling to the Bears 23-20. We are still tied for the division, but Chicago has the tie-breaker with their two wins over us. Van Pelt looks like he has lost a little the second half of the season. Rocha goes down for the rest of the regular season in a 16-10 loss to the Rams in week 16. Chicago clinches our division. We win our finale and clinch the 4th seed in the playoffs, hosting the Eagles in a Wild Card matchup.

In the Wild Card game, the Corks strike first on a 8 yard run from Van Pelt. We add a 39 yd FG to go into halftime up 10-0. We strike first in the 2nd half as Carl Metcalf scores on a 9 yd run in the 3rd quarter. At the end of the third we are up 17-0 and pad our lead with a Wayne Johns TD pass to Tommy Peoples. Suddenly we are up 24-0 with 11:28 to play. But, Philly puts together a TD drive and on the Corks next possession, Van Pelt coughs up the ball and Ike Ferreira picks it up and rumbles the other way for a TD and it's now 24-14 with 5:09 left. On a surprise onside kick, the Eagles recover and are in business. A 30 yd TD bomb cuts the lead to 24-21 with 4:09 still left. But, the Corks take the following kickoff and milk the clock out. Corks win, 24-21. Frank Van Pelt set a playoff record with 291 yards, eclipsing Jamal Anderson's 2000 record of 287.

The Corks bid for a three-peat will fall short in New York. The Giants get up early 21-0 and do not look back as they run the ball to a 24-7 victory. Van Pelt gets just 66 yards and backup QB Johns, playing in place of the injured Rocha, gets picked twice to help the Giants cause. The Giants go on to win Super Bowl XLVI, 38-6 over the Chargers.

Key Stats

QB Roderick Rocha 240-391-17-2882 18 TDs 81.1 Rtg
RB Frank Van Pelt 336-1433 15 TDs
WR Jesse Albert 86-1247 5 TDs
WR Mickey Zwillinger 88-1177 8 TDs
TE Levon Crane 39-377 2 TDs
K Carlton Kreklow 25-32 FG 50 Lg
P Kyle Hastings 39.2 Avg 31 In20
DE Tracy Alston 30 T 19 A 16.5 Sacks 2 Blk 9 Hurr
DE Cary Tanner 16 T 3 A 4.5 Sacks 1 Blk a Hurr
DT Bo Phenix 25 T 13 A 2 Blk 3 Hurr
DT Karl Emerson 21 T 11 A 1.5 Sacks 1 Blk
LB Quentin Page 100 T 38 A .5 Sacks 1 INT 10 Dfna
LB Ethan Wolf 71 T 29 A 4.0 Sacks 13 Dfns
LB Todd Lies 63 T 18 A 5 Dfns
CB Jeff Voss 45 T 16 A 3 INTs 7 Dfns 31.1 PDQ
CB Grady Montgomery 35 T 6 A 3 INTs 7 Dfns 36.9 PDQ
CB Irv Morrissey 26 T 8 A 2 INTs 3 Dfns 29.8 PDQ
FS Gabe Griffith 80 T 15 A 4 INTs 3 Dfns 29.4 PDQ
SS Antoine Whitcomb 75 T 19 A 6 INTs 6 Dfns 35.9 PDQ
LT Terry Ramon 37.3 BPct 3 SkA
LG Xavier Hastings 27.3 BPct 5 SkA
C Levon West 31.8 BPct 6 SkA
RG Vince Scribner 33.3 BPct 3 SkA
RT Neal Sanford 36.5 BPct 11 SkA

NFL Awards

NFL MVP: Charles Manning, NY
OFF POY: Bucky Dakota, IND
DEF POY: Brandon Browning, CHI
OFF ROY: Charlie McKnight, NO
DEF ROY: Leland Teal, SF

LT Terry Ramon, All-Pro 1st Team
RB Frank Van Pelt, All-Pro 2nd Team
DE Tracy Alston, All-Pro 2nd Team

[FishFan]

I rehire my scout, Terrell Thagcher, who is now 87-52 as a lead scout. He is only 47 and has pretty good ratings all around except a POOR at receivers. After being safely in the black for the 2nd straight year, Champaign holds tickets right where they are at once again. After only two years into the new lease for this new, state-of-the-art stadium, the public support for a new stadium is already up to 32%. This city is great!

Anyway, here are my free agents this year:

Unrestricted

K Carlton Kreklow
WR Mickey Zwillinger
LB Todd Lies

Restricted

QB Wayne Johns
WR Pat Windsor
T Alfred Summers
LB JJ Anthony

With an 82% career FG percentage, I would love to resign Kreklow and it should not be a problem with my cap room available. I will franchise Zwillinger and try to re-sign Lies. We'll see, though. The RFAs are replaceable.

I offer Kreklow the richest salary for a kicker in the history of the game: a 3 year, 13.89 mil deal that will pay him 4 mil the first season. I hold off on Todd Lies right now, to see if his market value will drop. Kreklow accepts the deal in week 4, but I can not get Lies to budge at all on his demands. I finally offer Lies a two year, 22.5 mil deal which is exactly what he is asking for. I lower my offer to 20.72 mil for two years before he finally signs in week 12. That ends the FA period activity for me, but not before I lock WR Zwillinger into a 4 year, 43.50 mil contract.

Draft Results

WR Alonzo Grossreider, Bowling Green (28/75)
QB Renaldo Jordan, Baylor (30/64)
CB Dan Dunlap, Florida St. (48/48)
S Eugene Villegas, Texas Christian (40/55)
RB Ted Talley, North Carolina (41/41)
T Troy Hannan, Temple (3/49)
LB Austin Ford, Washington (24/27)
QB Mack Stinson, Central Washington (21/60)

I released QB Irving Chavous and TE Kenyon Mueller following training camp to cut down to 53 players.

[FishFan]

Starting Lineups

QB Roderick Rocha
RB Frank Van Pelt
FB Carl Metcalf
TE Levon Crane
WR Jesse Albert
WR Mickey Zwillinger
LT Terry Ramon
LG Xavier Hastings
C Levon West
RG Vince Scribner
RT Neal Sanford

K Carlton Kreklow
P Kyle Hastings
KR Tommy Peoples

DE Bob Goodwin
DT Karl Emerson
DT Cary Tanner
DE Tracy Alston
LB Todd Lies
LB Quentin Page
LB Lorenzo Cote
CB Grady Montgomery
CB Jeff Voss
FS Antoine Whitcomb
SS Gabe Griffith

We are returning a ton of starters and should make a run at the title this year. A 3-1 preseason backs that up a little.

[FishFan]

2046 Sason Results

Week 1 vs Tampa Bay(W31-3, 1-0)
Week 2 at St. Louis(W36-15, 2-0)
Week 3 vs Detroit(W44-11, 3-0)
Week 4 at Minnesota(W30-0, 4-0)
Week 5 vs Green Bay(W35-18, 5-0)
Week 6 vs Atlanta(W13-6, 6-0)
Week 7 vs Pittsburgh(W34-9, 7-0)
Week 8 at Green Bay(W49-17, 8-0)
Week 9 at Chicago(W23-17, 9-0)
Week 11 at Philadelphia(W34-7, 10-0)
Week 12 vs Tennessee(W20-3, 11-0)
Week 13 at Jacksonville(W17-14, 12-0)
Week 14 vs Chicago(W35-3, 13-0)
Week 15 at Tampa Bay(L10-16, 13-1)
Week 16 at Detroit(W27-7, 14-1)
Week 17 vs Minnesota(W33-3, 15-1)
Divisional Playoff vs New Orleans(W37-9, 16-1)
NFC Championship vs Austin(W31-24, 17-1)
Super Bowl XLVII vs New England(W36-7, 18-1)

We get off on the right track with a 31-3 win over Tampa. In what could be a sign of a very potent offense, Rocha throws for 255 yards and barely had more incomplete passes than TDs(6-3). In a week 2 Monday night game, Champaign batters the Rams, 36-15. Van Pelt has his 2nd straight 100 yd game with 148 on 21 carries. He scored once. After another blowout in week 3, I begin to realize that this may be the best team I have ever fielded. Rocha has been outstanding early with 7 TDs and 1 INT through the three games. Week 4 is even better - a 30-0 shutout in Minnesota! We have now outscored our opponents 141-29. We have scored at least 30 points in each of our contests. After a week 5 win, Atlanta finally figures out our offense and holds us to 13 points. Unfortunately, the net only a pair of FGs.

We make adjustments and put up 83 points in the next two games to head into a week 9 matchup with 7-0 Chicago. It doesn't get any better than this. Kreklow starts the scoring for the Corks with a 23 yd FG after the Bear defense holds the mighty Cork offense inside the red zone. In the 2nd quarter, the Bears take a 7-3 lead on an 8 yd TD pass, Glenn Lundberg to Edgar Alcala. The Corks answer on their next drive. Rocha leads an 8 play, 72 yard drive, capped by a 5 yd TD toss to Tommy Peoples. The Bears make good on their two-minute drill and tie the game up with a 31 yd Don Matthews FG. 10-10 at halftime. Defenses step it up during a scoreless 3rd quarter, but the Corks are able to put something together. This time it is Frank Van Pelt doing all the work and scoring on a 13 yd run. With under two minutes to play, Corks leading 17-10, the Bears work some more magic. Lundberg, with :31 left, hits Max Bennett with a 7 yd TD pass to tie the game! OT, baby! We win the toss and work 5 minutes off the clock and finally, on a gutsy call, score on an 11 yd TD pass from Rocha to Mickey Zwillinger. Ballgame! DE Tracy Alston collected 5.0 sacks, most of them coming in that scorless 3rd quarter. We go to Chicago, and in a battle of unbeatens, nip the Bears 23-17. We head into a well-deserved bye week at 9-0. WOW! Chicago takes out their frustration on Philadelphia the following week in a 51-3 win. Interestingly, after nine weeks, it looks like the best two teams in the NFL are the Corks and the Bears. Nobody in the league has scored more points or given up less. The state of Illinois must be in heaven.

We improve to 10-0 with a 34-7 win over those same Eagles in week 11. After a solid 20-3 win in week 12, we nip the Jaguars 17-14 as Carlton Kreklow nails a 32 yd FG at the gun. In a rematch with Chicago, we make a huge statement! We turn a 9-3 advantage at halftime into a rout. Rocha throws for a TD, Van Pelt runs for a TD, and Grady Montgomery returns an INT for a TD. We are 13-0 and for the first time, I think about an unbeaten season. We clinched the NFC Central with the win over the Bears. However, Tampa Bay takes the pressure off of us in week 15 as they hand us our first loss, 16-10. For the first time this season, we were held to basically nothing on the ground. We rebound with two wins to finsih the regular season 15-1. We scored an amazing 471 points(29.44 avg) while allowing just 149 points(9.32 avg).

We toss New Orleans out of our way in the Divisional Playoff, 37-9. Van Pelt, the big workhorse, carries 36 times for 151 yards while scoring three times - Lamar Smith style. I think Roderick Rocha had his first TD-less game of the season, but we roll anyway. Austin proves to be a tougher challenge, fighting all the way throught the 4th quarter. The Corks built a 31-3 lead only to see the Bush score 21 unanswered in the 3rd and 4th quarters before they ran out of time, 31-24. Again, Van Pelt carries the load with 158 yards on 34 touches. He scored three TDs, giving him six for the playoffs. WOW.

Onto Super Bowl XLVII against the New England Patriots(14-4). We are able to cap off an outstandin sesaon, one loss away from perfection, with a 36-7 drubbing of the Pats in the Championship game. It is our 3rd title in four years. Can you spell dineastie? Safety Gabe Griffith, who had a pick and returned it for six, was named the MVP. Rocha threw for 110 yards, two TDs, and zero INTs. Van Pelt ran for 76 yards. The defense combined for seven sacks. A great game all around. We built up a 20-0 halftime lead and never looked back.

Key Stats

QB Roderick Rocha 306-496-14-3773 33 TDs 95.5 Rtg
RB Frank Van Pelt 318-1376 13 TDs
WR Jesse Albert 64-1034 9 TDs
WR Mickey Zwillinger 68-938 8 TDs
WR Alonzo Grossreider 51-597 6 TDs
TE Levon Crane 35-370 3 TDs
K Carlton Kreklow 30-40 FG 55 Lg
P Kyle Hastings 42.8 Avg 24 In20
DE Bob Goodwin 48 T 9 A 8.0 Sacks 2 Blk
DE Tracy Alston 27 T 7 A 18.0 Sacks 2 Blk 6 Hurr
DT Karl Emerson 31 T 13 A 4.0 Sacks 4 Blk 2 Hurr
DT Cary Tanner 21 T 7 A 4.0 Sacks 2 Hurr 1 INT
LB Todd Lies 60 T 14 A 3.0 Sacks 1 INT 6 Dfns
LB Lorenzo Cote 60 T 21 A 1 INT
LB Ethan Wolf 43 T 20 A 1 Hurr 6 Dfns
LB Quentin Page 24 T 13 A 1 INT
CB Jeff Voss 42 T 12 A 2.0 Sacks 1 Hurr 4 INTs 7 Dfns 35.5 PDQ
CB Grady Montgomery 33 T 9 A 1.0 Sacks 10 INTs 7 Dfns 52.2 PDQ
CB Irv Morrissey 28 T 4 A 1 INT 22.8 PDQ
CB Dan Dunlap 21 T 5 A 1 INT 22.9 PDQ
SS Gabe Griffith 68 T 15 A 2 INTs 9 Dfns 28.6 PDQ
FS Antoine Whitcomb 60 T 14 A 3 INTs 6 Dfns 32.7 PDQ
FS Eugene Villegas 30 T 7 A 3 INTs 5 Dfns 55.2 PDQ
LT Terry Ramon 37.2 BPct 2 SkA
LG Xavier Hastings 29.8 BPct 3 SkA
C Levon West 37.2 BPct 2 SkA
RG Vince Scribner 32.5 BPct 8 SkA
RT Neal Sanford 35.0 BPct 7 SkA

NFL Awards

NFL MVP: Roderick Rocha, CHM
OFF POY: Roderick Rocha, CHM
DEF POY: Ron Evans, OAK
OFF ROY: Roderick Perry, DET
DEF ROY: Corey Kelley, DEN

As expected, all kinds of highlighted text on the Awards screen:

QB Roderick Rocha, NFL MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, All-Pro 1st Team
LG Xavier Hastings, All-Pro 1st Team
CB Grady Montgomery, All-Pro 1st Team
RB Frank Van Pelt, All-Pro 2nd Team
LT Terry Ramon, All-Pro 2nd Team
K Carlton Kreklow, All-Pro 2nd Team
DE Tracy Alston, All-Pro 2nd Team

What a season!!!!

[FishFan]

Since, I accidently overwrote my WLC Universe file, I have decided to revisit my Champaign Cork dynasty. I have been playing the previous 48 years to a set of "common sense" rules. Actually, it's just one rule: if it makes common sense, then it's okay. I am going to start in 2048 playing by most of the house rules established by the WLC. I am going to give myself some flexibility with trading, though. I will be able to offer trades as long as they fit my original "common sense" rule. Here is the recap of the latest season, which was ran before I started the WLC.

2047

A couple of retirements to report - DT Bo Phenix and G Xavier Hastings.

Bo Phenix, who played three years in Indy before coming to Champaign in 2038, was in and out of the starting lineup for the better part of nine seasons. Phenix had a couple of good years and earned a sizable contract and his performance suddenly diminishes. I inked him to another deal that he probably did not deserve, but I was in a pinch for a DT. After seeing limited time in 2046, Phenix called it quits. He finished with 297 tackles and 113 assists to go along with his mediocre 23.5 sacks.

Xavier Hastings also came to Champaign after spending his first four seasons in Indianapolis. Hastings, the poster boy for durability, started and played in every single game for 11 straight seasons with the Corks. Hastings compiled a 31.0 BPct and allowed just 46 sacks while protecting Cork QBs Jack Kipp and Roderick Rocha. He earned three All-Pro 1st Team selections and two 2nd team selections.

As a reward to our fans for their great support, we lower ticket prices by 10% across the board. No coach/scout news to report, so it's on to free agency:

Unrestricted

RB Frank Van Pelt
C Levon West
RB Ken Cox
C Norbert Harrison
DT Karl Emerson
S Antoine Whitcomb

Restricted

LB Lawrence Ingram
CB Irv Morrissey
S Alan Boone
WR Josh Donaldson
WR Chester Pfiefer
CB Colin Vidal

Obviously, we will bring Van Pelt back with the Franchise Player designation. I will need to bring Levon West back, especially since longtime G Xavier Hastings retired. I will also make a major effort to bring Antoine Whitcomb back to Champaign to keep a very good secondary together. I submit a three year, 30 mil offer to Whitcomb and could only get West to listen to a one year deal. I also send an offer to Denver Bronco guard Bob Parrish. I nail down Whitcomb right away, but West and Parrish both receive better offers from other teams. We try to negotiate a better deal with West and come up with a two-year, 25.25 mil contract which he accepts in week 3. Parrish signed a 37.5 mil deal with Houston in week 4 so we settle for Herb Joyner, a nine year veteran from New Orleans. After the FA period, we sign Frank Van Pelt to a 50.84, four year deal.

Draft Results

DT Marlon Downs, Oregon (33/44)
DT Gabe Crew, Wisconsin (19/69)
C Peter Sapia, Tennessee (43/48)
WR Mickey Ramirez, New Mexico St. (12/33)
LB Ethan McKee, Texas Tech (35/35)
CB Jamal Braun, North Carolina (15/32)
S Kendrick Crouse, Texas Christian (34/34)

Not a very good draft at all. After the draft I signed WR Jerry Reid and RB Stanley Houck.

Starting Lineups

QB Roderick Rocha
RB Frank Van Pelt
FB Carl Metcalf
TE Levon Crane
WR Jesse Albert
WR Mickey Zwillinger
LT Terry Ramon
LG Herb Joyner
C Levon West
RG Vince Scribner
RT Neal Sanford

K Carlton Kreklow
P Kyle Hastings
KR Tommy Peoples

DE Bob Goodwin
DT Cary Tanner
DT Marlon Downs
DE Tracy Alston
LB Quentin Page
LB Lorenzo Cote
LB Todd Lies
CB Grady Montgomery
CB Jeff Voss
FS Antoine Whitcomb
SS Gabe Griffith

After a 3-1 preseason, it's on to the regular season, looking for our 4th championship in five seasons. We are picked by the media to win it all.

2047 Season Results

Week 1 vs Oakland(W28-10, 1-0)
Week 2 at Tampa Bay(L36-49, 1-1)
Week 3 vs Detroit(W37-3, 2-1)
Week 4 vs Chicago(W51-42, 3-1)
Week 5 vs Houston(W34-6, 4-1)
Week 6 at Detroit(W24-22, 5-1)
Week 7 at NY Giants(W27-21, 6-1)
Week 9 vs Tampa Bay(W33-18, 7-1)
Week 10 at Minnesota(L17-24, 7-2)
Week 11 at San Diego(W22-14, 8-2)
Week 12 at Chicago(W31-28, 9-2)
Week 13 at Green Bay(W34-20, 10-2)
Week 14 vs Minnesota(W23-10, 11-2)
Week 15 at Austin(L20-23, 11-3)
Week 16 vs Washington(W34-24, 12-3)
Week 17 vs Green Bay(L31-38, 12-4)
Wild Card vs Green Bay(W20-10, 13-4)
Divisional Playoff at Detroit(L25-31, 13-5)

After Van Pelt runs for three TDs in the season opener, our defense gets ripped for 49 points in a week 2 loss to the Bucs. Tampa Bay was the only to to beat us last season. However, we rebound with a 37-3 win over Detroit. I become a little distrubed after a week 4 51-42 win over the Bears. Sure, it was our intrastate rival Chicago, but we gave up 40+ points for the second time in four games. We win our next three to enter the bye week at 6-1.

We lose our 2nd game of the year, and interestingly, the losses came at the hands of a couple of 2-7 teams, Tampa and Minnesota. This time, we followed it up with a 22-14 win over 8-1 San Diego. We win our next three before we lose at Austin to fall to a first place tie with Detroit. Fortunately, we have beaten them twice so we own the tiebreaker. We split our last two and Detroit wins the division with a 13-3 record, compared to our 12-4 mark. I do not think our defense is nearly as good as it was last year, especially the front four.

In a wild card match-up with Green Bay, we battle back from a 10-0 1st quarter defecit to win 20-10. Van Pelt gains 91 yards and score a TD while backup QB Mack Stinson throws for 285 yards in relief of Rocha, who got banged up early on. In a bid to beat Detroit for the third time this season, our defense proves to be a liablity as the Lions nab us 31-25. RB Roderick Perry had his way with our defensive line with 208 yards on 21 carries. That is the area I will focus on next season. Overall, a disappointing 13-5 record after last year's superb 18-1 mark and Super Bowl Championship. Detroit goes on to win Super Bowl XLVIII, 32-7 over Iowa City.

Individual Stats

QB Roderick Rocha 278-476-11-3939 27 TDs 94.4 Rtg

RB Frank Van Pelt 338-1544 16 TDs
RB Phil Flora 69-380 5 TDs

WR Jesse Albert 84-1495 10 TDs
WR Mickey Zwillinger 78-1087 8 TDs
WR Alonzo Grossreider 35-552 3 TDs

K Carlton Kreklow 34-41 FG 50 Lg
P Kyle Hsatings 42.4 Avg 25 In20

DE Bob Goodwin 40 T 13.5 Sacks
DE Tracy Alston 22 T 12.5 Sacks
DT Marlon Downs 17 T 4.0 Sacks
DT Cary Tanner 27 T 3/0 Sacks
DT Ian Matheson 22 T 3.0 Sacks

LB Lorenzo Cote 77 T 29 A
LB Todd Lies 65 T 28 A
LB Quentin Page 58 T 19 A

CB Jeff Voss 40 T 5 INTs 12 Dfns 43.1 PDQ
CB Grady Montgomery 34 T 1 INT 4 Dfns 23.1 PDQ
CB Dan Dunlap 25 T 2 INTs 1 Dfns 29.2 PDQ
S Gabe Griffith 61 T 2 INTs 3 Dfns 24.7 PDQ
S Antoine Whitcomb 59 T 3 INTs 3 Dfns 34.6 PDQ
S Eugene Villegas 43 T 1 INT 6 Dfns 27.9 PDQ

LT Terry Ramon 37.5 BPct 5 SkA
LG Vince Scribner 37.0 BPct 4 SkA
C Levon West 37.2 BPct 7 SkA
RG Herb Joyner 32.9 BPct 4 SkA
RT Neal Sanford 37.5 BPct 10 SkA

NFL Awards

NFL MVP: Roderick Perry, DET
OFF POY: Roderick Perry, DET
DEF POY: Ernest Urbina, SEA
OFF ROY: Rico Henderson, NYJ
DEF ROY: Karl Cooley, IND

QB Roderick Rocha All-Pro 2nd Team
LG Vince Scribner All-Pro 2nd Team