JOESAM2002

New Orleans VooDoo game notes
04/27/05 - Arena Football League (AFL) New Orleans VooDoo
QUICK FACTS
New Orleans VooDoo (8-4) at Tampa Bay Storm (7-5)
Site: St. Pete Times Forum (19,200)
TV: Cox Sports Television
Play-by-Play: Todd Kalas Analyst: Ty Knott
Radio: WSMB (1350-AM)
Play-by-Play: Chris Kenyon Analyst: Dwayne Ledford
Coaches: NO: Mike Neu (2nd Season in New Orleans, 3rd season overall, 25-17, regular season; 1-3 playoffs);
TB: Tim Marcum (11th season in Tampa Bay and 17 overall, 149-59, regular season, 25-9 playoffs)
Series Record: New Orleans leads series 2-1

VooDoo LOOK TO CONTINUE WINNING WAYS ON ROAD

Following a 49-47 victory win over the Grand Rapids Rampage, the VooDoo return to the road for the second straight week for a Southern Division contest with the Tampa Bay Storm. Saturday’s game will have crucial division and playoff implications for both teams. Saturday’s win showed several bright spots for the VooDoo, who are one game ahead of the Storm, compliments of New Orleans’ win and Tampa’s loss on Sunday to Nashville. It took all 60 minutes of the game for the VooDoo to beat the Rampage. QB Andy Kelly completed 29-of-46 passes for 302 yards and six TD passes. OL/DL B.J. Cohen had two receptions for 28 yards, including a 12-yard TD grab, while adding 1.5 tackles and a sack in a solid two-way effort. DS Chris Pointer returned an interception 19 yards for a TD with less than a minute to go to preserve the VooDoo’s win, while the defense held QB Michael Bishop, the AFL’s leading rusher to only five rushing yards. In the team’s first matchup this season, the VooDoo scored a 48-42 overtime victory over the Storm on February 25 at the New Orleans Arena when Pointer's stop of WR/LB David Saunders inside the VooDoo 1 yard line preserved the win.

NEXT WEEK

Following this week’s game, the VooDoo will return home to the New Orleans Arena to face the Colorado Crush on Sunday, May 8 at 12:00 p.m in what is shaping up to a crucial matchup with playoff implications for both teams. The game will be televised regionally on NBC (WDSU-6 locally).

www.GoVooDoo.com

For updated news, press releases, statistics, rosters, players, coach and front office biographies, ticket information, merchandise, photo galleries and New Orleans VooDoo Dolls information, go to the official website of the New Orleans VooDoo, www.GoVooDoo.com. Updated daily, www.GoVooDoo.com has the most extensive information on the VooDoo and the Arena Football League.

THE COACHES

Mike Neu: The first coach of the New Orleans VooDoo, Mike Neu is a six-year Arena Football coaching veteran.

Since being named coach of the VooDoo on June 17, 2003, Neu worked has worked tirelessly to make New Orleans a winning team. In his first season at the helm, he successfully molded a 24-man roster comprised of a mix of AFL veterans and rookies, allowing the VooDoo to get off to a 7-1 start, one of the fastest starts for a first-year AFL entry. Neu led the VooDoo to an 11-5 record, making them the only team in league history to win 11 games in their first season.

The VooDoo's Southern Division title marked only the fourth time in AFL history that an expansion franchise has won their division in their first year of play. Following the season, Neu was named the AFL Coach of the Year.

For his professional career, Neu has posted a 25-17 regular season record as an AFL head coach and has reached the playoffs every season as both a coach and a player in the Arena Football League.

Neu came to New Orleans after serving as head coach of the Carolina Cobras. In 2002, Neu guided the Cobras to a 5-2 record on the road and their second-straight playoff berth. Carolina posted the first playoff victory in club history in 2002 as the club featured the AFL's fourth-ranked defense. As offensive coordinator with the Cobras in 2001, before being promoted to head coach prior to the team's first round playoff game, the Cobras averaged over 56 points a game (fifth in the league) and finished 7-7 (improving from a 3-13 record the year before).

Prior to coming to Carolina, Neu served as head coach and director of football operations for the Augusta Stallions of af2 in 2000. In his only season, Neu led Augusta to a 14-4 record, the American Conference title and was named the league's Coach of the Year. Augusta finished in the top four in every major offensive and defensive category. Neu started his Arena Football League coaching career with Nashville in 1998, when he served as quarterbacks coach for the Kats and handled all play-calling responsibilities for the offense. The next year he was promoted to offensive coordinator and the Kats achieved their third consecutive playoff berth. The team also set franchise highs in six offensive categories, including scoring and total offense. Current New Orleans QB Andy Kelly, one of top quarterbacks in Arena Football League history, enjoyed a career-high passer rating of 116.4 under Neu's tutelage in 1999. Neu began his coaching career in 1994 as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Ball State.

Neu's professional playing career started with a stint with the Canadian Football League’s Calgary Stampeders in 1995 before joining the Arena Football League’s Orlando Predators in 1996 and moving on to the Nashville Kats in 1997. The 1997 Nashville squad which Neu played on won an expansion record 10 games, a record which was broken by this VooDoo in 2004.

Neu played four seasons at Ball State, where he was named the MAC Most Valuable Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year as a senior in 1993. A four-year starter, Neu guided Ball State to the conference championship his final year and holds school career passing records in passing yardage, passing attempts, completions and touchdown passes. He was recently voted to the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame. Neu and his wife, Charmin, have a daughter, Graycen and a son, Carson.

Tim Marcum: Legendary AFL head coach Tim Marcum coached in his 10th season as head coach of the Storm in 2004 and his 16th overall as an AFL head coach.

He is the winningest head coach in AFL history. He enters 2005 having won seven ArenaBowls and has coached in 10 of the league’s 17 ArenaBowls. Marcum is the only coach in AFL history to lead three different teams to ArenaBowl titles (Denver, Detroit, and Tampa Bay), and is the AFL career coaching leader in wins (174), winning percentage (.719), games coached (242), and playoff wins (25).

A two-time recipient of the AFL Coach of the Year Award (1987 and 1998), Marcum has overseen the Storm’s development into one of the league’s flagship franchises. He was the first coach in AFL history to win more than 100 games and has missed out in playing for the league championship only five times in his career. Incredibly, Marcum’s AFL clubs have advanced to the playoffs every year he has coached.

After Woody Kern purchased the team prior in 1995, he brought four-time Marcum aboard as his coach. The Storm proceeded to put together a record-breaking two-year stretch, winning back-to-back ArenaBowls in 1995 and 1996. The Storm combined for a 28-4 mark during that stretch, and put together an AFL record 17-game winning streak from July 1, 1995, to June 29, 1996. Marcum, who also won the 2003 ArenaBowl and led the Storm to the 1998 championship game, owns a 119-56 overall record in Tampa Bay. His Tampa Bay teams have earned 10 straight playoff berths, winning three championships, and are 105-49 in the regular season with a 14-7 postseason record.

The first coach in pro football history to be elected to any professional Hall of Fame while still an active coach, Marcum began his AFL career in 1987 as head coach of the Denver Dynamite during the league’s inaugural season. Marcum led the Dynamite to a 5-2 overall record and won the league’s first championship.

The following season Marcum took his act to Detroit, but the results remained the same. He won back-to-back titles with the Drive in 1988 and 1989.

After a one-year absence from the AFL, Marcum returned to Detroit in 1991 and returned the club to the league’s elite by winning ArenaBowl VI in 1992. Marcum’s five-year tenure in Detroit resulted in three ArenaBowl championships and a 50-10 overall record.

2005 AWARD WINNERS

Andy Kelly.....AFL Offensive Player of the Week (Week 2)
AFL Offensive Player of the Week (Week 3)
AFL Offensive Player of the Month (Feb.)
AFLWA Offensive Player of the Mid-Season
All AFLWA Mid-Season team
B.J. Cohen.....AFLWA Lineman of the Mid-Season
All-AFLWA Mid-Season team
ADT Defensive Player of the Week (Week 12)

IF THE VooDoo WIN

If the VooDoo win against the Storm, it would
* Give the VooDoo a 3-1 all-time record vs. the Storm
* Give New Orleans a 9-4 overall record.
* Give New Orleans a three-game winning streak
* Give New Orleans a series sweep in the 2005 series against the Storm.
* Give New Orleans a 5-2 road record.
* Give New Orleans a 2-4 record against Southern Division Opponents.

THE VooDoo’s RECORD WHEN?

4-2 at home
4-2 on the road
Scoring Allowing
0-9 points 0-0 0-0
10-19 points 0-0 0-0
20-29 points 0-0 1-0
30-39 points 0-0 1-0
40-49 points 3-2 4-2
50-59 points 2-2 1-1
60-69 points 3-0 1-1
70-79 points 0-0 0-0
80+ points 0-0 0-0
3-0 vs. Central Division
3-0 vs. Eastern Division
1-4 vs. Southern Division
1-0 vs. Western Division
0-0 on Thursdays
2-1 on Fridays
3-1 on Saturdays
3-2 on Sundays
0-1 in January
4-0 in February
2-2 in March
2-1 in April
0-0 in May
3-0 in games televised on NBC
3-2 in games televised on Cox Sports Television
1-1 in games televised on Fox Sports Net
1-1 in games not televised
5-1 when leading after the first quarter
3-1 when tied after the first quarter
0-2 when trailing after the first quarter
7-1 when leading at the half
1-0 when tied at the half
0-3 when trailing at the half
4-1 when leading after three quarters
1-0 when tied after three quarters
3-3 when trailing after three quarters
5-3 outcome 7 points or less
3-3 outcome 3 points or less
2-0 overtime games
5-1 when the VooDoo scores first
3-3 when the opponent scores first
7-3 when the VooDoo has more total offense
1-1 when the VooDoo’s opponent has more total offense
7-3 when the VooDoo has more yards passing than opp.
1-1 when the VooDoo has less yards passing than opp.
0-0 when the VooDoo has same passing yards as opp.
1-1 when the VooDoo has more yards rushing than opp.
7-3 when the opp. has more yards rushing than VooDoo

2005 WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS

A listing of the weekly game award winners for 2005 VooDoo games

Offensive Player of the Game
Week 1: (at GEO): Troy Bergeron (GEO)
Week 2: (at NASH): Andy Kelly (NO)
Week 3: (SJS): Andy Kelly (NO)
Week 4: (PHI): Andy Kelly (NO)
Week 5: (TB): Jacques Rumph (NO)
Week 6: (at DAL): Jason Shelley (DAL)
Week 7: (ORL): Joe Hamilton (ORL)
Week 8: (at CHI): Carl Bond (NO)
Week 9: (GEO): Troy Bergeron (GEO)
Week 10: (at AUS): Aaron Bailey (NO)
Week 12: (CLB): Andy Kelly (NO)
Week 13: (at GR): Andy Kelly (NO)

ADT Defensive Player of the Game
Week 1: (at GEO): Dialleo Burks (GEO)
Week 2: (at NASH): B.J. Cohen (NO)
Week 3: (SJS): B.J. Cohen (NO)
Week 4: (PHI): Monty Montgomery (NO)
Week 5: (TB): Chris Pointer (NO)
Week 6: (at DAL): Alvin Porter (NO)
Week 7: (ORL): Kenny McEntyre (ORL)
Week 8: (at CHI): Jeroid Johnson (CHI)
Week 9: (GEO): Kevin Gaines (GEO)
Week 10: (at AUS): Darrin Chiaverini (AUS)
Week 12: (CLB): B.J. Cohen (NO)
Week 13: (at GR): (Damon Mason) (GR)

U.S. Army Ironman of the Game
Week 1: (at GEO): Robert Thomas (GEO)
Week 2: (at NASH): Thabiti Davis (NO)
Week 3: (SJS): Thabiti Davis (NO)
Week 4: (PHI): Lamont Moore (NO)
Week 5: (TB): B.J. Cohen (NO)
Week 6: (at DAL): Bobby Perry (DAL)
Week 7: (ORL): Cory Fleming (ORL)
Week 8: (at CHI): Bob McMillen (CHI)
Week 9: (GEO): Derek Lee (GEO)
Week 10: (at AUS): Ira Gooch (AUS)
Week 12: (CLB): Carl Bond (NO)
Week 13: (at GR): B.J. Cohen (NO)

TOPS AT HOME

A contributing factor for the VooDoo’s early success is their cumulative 10-3 regular season record at the New Orleans Arena. After finishing tied for first in the league with a 7-1 home record in 2004, The VooDoo have kept pace this current season, compiling a 4-2 record at “The Graveyard�.

WHAT A CROWD

Through the regular season in 2004, the VooDoo attracted an average of 15,240 fans per game to the Graveyard. New Orleans' average crowd ranked third in the Arena Football League, led attendance figures for teams in the Southern Division and was above the league average of 12,019. This season, the VooDoo’s attendance has once again remained third in the AFL, above the league average of 12,821 and possessed the highest figures in the Southern Division, fueled by three consecutive sellout crowds. Below are the league’s top average attendance figures.

Team Average Attendance
1. Philadelphia Soul 16,216
2. Columbus Destroyers 15,796
3. New Orleans VooDoo 15,388
4. Tampa Bay Storm 14,900
5. Chicago Rush 14,579
6. San Jose SaberCats 13,662
7. Orlando Predators 13,289
8. Colorado Crush 13,217
9. Georgia Force 12,870
10. Los Angeles Avengers 12,284

GETTING DEFENSIVE

An important reason for the New Orleans VooDoo's 11-5 inaugural season was the team's ability to keep the opposition out of the end zone on the defensive end. Through 16 regular season games, New Orleans surrendered an average of only 45.1 points per game, putting them in second place in the Arena Football League in scoring defense. The New Orleans defense has kept a similar pace in 2005, surrendering an average of only 46.5 points per game, ranking them fourth in the AFL in scoring defense. After surrendering 257.1 yards per game in 2004, the VooDoo have surrendered only 261.1 yards per game for the fourth ranked defense in the league.

LINE PLAY

Since the VooDoo started play in 2004, coach Mike Neu has stressed the importance of line play towards the team’s success. This has proven true once again in 2005, as the line has been amongst the AFL’s best in protecting Andy Kelly as well as in rushing opposing passers. In 2005, the New Orleans line has allowed Kelly to be dropped only six times, the fourth lowest total in the Arena Football League. On the defensive side of the ball, New Orleans has recorded 16 sacks, the second highest total in the AFL. While presenting solid depth, B.J. Cohen has remained the line’s constant over the past two seasons. His week 12 performance with three sacks, a safety and a tackle for a loss, earning him ADT Defensive Player of the Week honors.

IMPACT PLAYER

New Orleans VooDoo OS Aaron Bailey has been an important part of the VooDoo offense and one of the AFL’s leading receivers since signing with the team prior to their inaugural season. In 2004, Bailey recorded 91 receptions for 1364 yards with 32 touchdowns and finished among league leaders in all major receiving categories, while setting career-highs. This season, Bailey is once again ranked among AFL leaders with a career-high 105 receptions for 1285 yards and 27 TD catches, while returning 16 kickoffs for 256 yards with one TD. Bailey is currently ranked third in the AFL in scoring among nonkickers (174) and in touchdown receptions, ranked first in receptions and third in receiving yardage and total yards from scrimmage (1286), ninth in all-purpose yards (1546), second in first downs (80) and tied for fifth in third down receptions (14).

ANDY KELLY

QB Andy Kelly, one of the Arena Football League’s premier quarterbacks and all-time passing leaders, was signed by the VooDoo in the team’s objective to improve their passing offense. He currently holds the AFL career passing records for completions (3233), attempts (5180) and passing yards (35, 586) and is second all-time in touchdown passes (692). Kelly helped engineer squads in Nashville, Dallas and Detroit to playoff berths in seven consecutive seasons from 1997-2003 and helped lead the Kats to consecutive ArenaBowl berths from 2000-01. Kelly has started 130 consecutive games, the all-time record for consecutive starts by a QB. Kelly currently trails New York’s Aaron Garcia (699) for the league’s all-time lead in touchdown passes by seven scores, as he is currently one of the top ranked quarterbacks in the Arena Football League in 2005 and is at or near the top of the league leaders in most categories, completing 351-of-527 passes for 3553 yards with 72 touchdown passes and eighth interceptions. The 12-year AFL veteran is currently leading the league in attempts and completions, is ranked second in passing yardage and touchdown passes and is ranked fourth in completion percentage (66.6).

B.J. COHEN

OL/DL B.J. Cohen’s presence on the line has played a key role for the VooDoo. Starting 16 games in 2004, Cohen recorded 26 tackles, four sacks and finished third in the Arena Football League with a career-high four forced fumbles. In 2005, Cohen is currently among the AFL’s defensive leaders with 22.5 tackles, a career-high nine sacks, one interception and a career-high six passes defensed. Cohen is tied for second in the AFL in sacks and is ranked second in combined tackles for a loss with 10.

VooDoo ON THE AIRWAVES

VooDoo fans will have plenty of chances to catch them live and on various radio and TV programs throughout 2005.

Every VooDoo game will be heard on WWL-AM 870 or WSMB-AM 1350. Chris Kenyon will handle play-by-play, selected New Orleans Saints players and coaches and local media personalities will serve as guest color analysts and Kenny Wilkerson will handle sideline duties for home games. This week’s game will be broadcast on WSMB. New Orleans Saints OL Dwayne Ledford will be this week’s guest color analyst WWL will also broadcast a weekly coaches show with Mike Neu on Tuesdays from 8-9 p.m., with Kaare Johnson and Kenyon as the show’s hosts.

Four of the VooDoo’s regular season games are scheduled to be broadcast by NBC and will be seen locally on WDSU Channel 6. Cox Sports Television is scheduled to broadcast six games and Fox Sports Net will broadcast two. This Saturday’s game will be televised on Cox Sports Television.

New Orleans Saints players and coaches will serve as guest color analysts throughout the season on Cox Sports Television broadcasts. Todd Kalas will handle play-by-play, New Orleans Saints defensive assistant coach Ty Knott will serve as this week’s guest color analyst and Tim Fanguy will serve as sideline reporter. Cox Sports Television will air “Inside VooDoo with Mike Neu� on a weekly basis, featuring a review of the last week’s game, preview of the upcoming game and player and coach features. The half-hour show can be seen on Friday, April 29 from 6:00-6:30 p.m. Kenyon will serve as the host.

VooDoo- STORM CONNECTIONS

New Orleans OL/DL B.J. Cohen played for the Storm in 2003. Cohen and Tampa Bay OL/DL Ricky Hall were college teammates at Marshall...VooDoo OL/DL Louis Williams played for the Storm from 2004-2005 and was the team’s starting center during this period, before being traded to New Orleans at midseason. Williams prepped at Choctawhatchee (Florida) High School...New Orleans WR/LB Thabiti Davis and Tampa Bay OL/DL Omar Smith participated in camp together with the New York Giants in 2002...VooDoo Line coach Junior Ili played for Storm assistant head coach/offensive defensive line coach/director of player personnel Dave Ewart with the St. Louis Stampede from 1995-96...New Orleans FB/LB Leroy Thompson played for Tampa Bay fullback/linebackers coach/special teams coordinator Mark Stoute as a member of the Indiana Firebirds in 2004...Storm WR/DB Anthony Derricks prepped at Forest (Mississippi) High School and played at Mississippi State from 1995-98. Tampa Bay FB/LB Jarrod Penright, Derricks and Thompson were teammates in Indiana in 2004. Thompson and Storm FB/LB Umar Muhummad were teammates with the Firebirds from 2000- 02...Cohen and VooDoo WR/DB Lamont Moore played with Tampa Bay DS Tramain Jones and WR/DB Clif Dell in Orlando...Storm WR/DB Lynaris Elpheage prepped at Carver High School, starred at Tulane from 2000-02 and went to camp with the New Orleans Saints in 2003...New Orleans WR/DB Carl Bond and Tampa Bay QB Shane Stafford were college teammates at The University of Connecticut...Storm WR/LB Lawrence Samuels prepped at John S. Shaw High School in Mobile, Alabama.