AFL Awards Week 16 Players of the Week

Davila, Metz, Stephens Earn Honors With Standout Performances
July 19,2016

LAS VEGAS (July 19,2016) -- The Arena Football League has announced that Arizona's Nick Davila, Philadelphia's Jake Metz and Los Angeles' D.J. Stephens have been named as the Under Armour Offensive Player, Riddell Defensive Player and J. Lewis Small Playmaker of the Week for Week 16, respectively. In addition to these awards, the AFL has awarded Arizona's Maurice Purify the Cutters Catch of the Week, while the AFL Highlight of the Week was awarded to Portland's Nick Truesdell. Those clips can be found by following the AFL on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (@aflarenaball).
UNDER ARMOUR OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Davila (6'3, 220, Cincinnati) connected on 26-of-28 passes for 289 yards, seven touchdowns, and no interceptions to lead the Arizona Rattlers to a 62-45 victory over the Orlando Predators at Talking Stick Resort Arena on Monday night. The 2014 AFL MVP, who has connected on 333-of-482 passes (69.1%) for 3,975 yards, an AFL-leading 104 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2016. The Rattlers (12-3) will host the Cleveland Gladiators on Sunday, July 24 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
RIDDELL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Metz (6'6, 265, Shippensburg) led the Soul (12-3) defense as they defeated the Tampa Bay Storm, 56-51, this past weekend at Amalie Arena. The second-year veteran had 3.5 total tackles and two sacks that helped seal the victory. On the season, Metz has recorded 28.0 total tackles, 10.0 tackles for loss, three pass deflections, two forced fumbles and an AFL-leading 8.0 sacks in 2016. The Soul have a Bye Week before playing the Orlando Predators (12-2) on Saturday, July 30 at 7:30 p.m. ET on WatchESPN with the regular-season American Conference title on the line.


J. LEWIS SMALL PLAYMAKER OF THE WEEK: Stephens (5'11, 185, Arkansas Monticello) helped lead the Los Angeles KISS to a 63-61 victory over the Cleveland Gladiators at Honda Center this past weekend. The third-year veteran hauled in 10 receptions for 126 yards and four touchdowns. Stephens is No. 2 in the team with 77 receptions for 915 receiving yards, 16 receiving touchdowns and 102 points in 2016. The KISS (7-7) travel to play the Jacksonville Sharks (5-9) on Saturday, July 23 at 7 p.m. ET on WatchESPN.
CUTTERS CATCH OF THE WEEK: Purify (6'4, 225, Nebraska) caught a 30-yard touchdown pass and took three defenders with him to the end zone in Arizona's 62-45 win over the Orlando Predators. For the game, Purify hauled in eight catches for 99 yards. The former Husker, has caught 79 receptions for 960 yards and 28 touchdowns in 12 games this season.
AFL HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK: Truesdell (6'6, 235, Cincinnati) made an amazing 3-yard leap into the end zone in Portland's 55-53 win over the Jacksonville Sharks at Moda Center. The former Bearcat also added in a 9-yard receiving touchdown. In four games this season, Truesdell has hauled in 11 receptions for 122 yards and five touchdowns.
Under Armour Offensive Player candidates included: Los Angeles' Nathan Stanley, Philadelphia's Darius Reynolds and Portland' Kevin Myers.
Riddell Defensive Player candidates included: Arizona's Jeremy Kellem, Los Angeles' Qumain Black, Philadelphia's Dwayne Hollis and Portland's Robert Hayes
J. Lewis Small Playmaker candidates included: Arizona's Mykel Benson, Cleveland's Quentin Sims, Portland's Shaine Boyle and Tampa Bay's Kendrick Ings
PREVIOUS WINNERS:
WEEK 1: Orlando's Randy Hippeard (Offensive), Arizona's Damien Borel and Luis Vazquez (Co-Defensive), Philadelphia's Shaun Kauleinamoku (Playmaker), Los Angeles' Donovan Morgan (Catch), and Cleveland's Joe Powell (Highlight).
WEEK 2: Jacksonville's Joe Hills (Offensive), Cleveland's Joe Powell (Defensive), Arizona's Rod Windsor (Playmaker), Tampa Bay's Philip Barnett (Catch), and Orlando's Kent Richardson (Highlight)..
WEEK 3: Arizona's Nick Davila (Offensive), Los Angeles' Rayshaun Kizer (Defensive), Philadelphia's Teddy Jennings (Playmaker), Cleveland's Brandon Stephens (Catch), and Orlando's Brandon Thompkins (Highlight).
WEEK 4: Philadelphia's Dan Raudabaugh (Offensive), Orlando's Varmah Sonie (Defensive), Arizona's Maurice Purify (Playmaker), Philadelphia's Darius Reynolds (Catch), and Cleveland's Marvin Ross (Highlight).
WEEK 5: Orlando's Brandon Thompkins (Offensive), Arizona's Dimetrio Tyson (Defensive), Philadelphia's Darius Reynolds (Playmaker), Arizona's Rod Windsor (Catch), and Tampa Bay's Mike Washington (Highlight)
WEEK 6: Orlando's Randy Hippeard (Offensive), Los Angeles' Josh Victorian (Defensive), Cleveland's Arvell Nelson (Playmaker), Cleveland's Collin Taylor (Catch) and Philadelphia's Dwayne Hollis (Highlight)
WEEK 7: Philadelphia's Dan Raudabaugh (Offensive), Cleveland's Marvin Ross (Defensive), Tampa Bay's Jimmy Gordon (Playmaker), Philadelphia's Darius Reynolds (Catch), and Orlando's Greg Carr (Highlight).
WEEK 8: Jacksonville's Tommy Grady (Offensive), Jacksonville's Greg Reid (Defensive), Cleveland's Collin Taylor (Playmaker), Arizona's Joe Matthews (Catch) and Philadelphia's LaRico Stevenson (Highlight).
WEEK 9: Jacksonville's Joe Hills (Offensive), Cleveland's Marvin Ross (Defensive), Los Angeles' Donovan Morgan (Playmaker), Cleveland's Quentin Sims (Catch) and Tampa Bay's T.T. Toliver (Highlight).
WEEK 10: Arizona's Nick Davila (Offensive), Portland's Sergio Gilliam (Defensive), Orlando's Brandon Thompkins (Playmaker), Orlando's Varmah Sonie (Catch) and Jacksonville's Reggie Gray (Highlight).
WEEK 11: Philadelphia's Dan Raudabaugh (Offensive), Jacksonville's Greg Reid (Defensive), Philadelphia's Darius Reynolds (Playmaker), Orlando's Greg Carr (Catch) and Tampa Bay's T.T. Toliver (Highlight).
WEEK 12: Cleveland's Arvell Nelson (Offensive), Arizona's Jeremy Kellem (Defensive), Orlando's Greg Carr (Playmaker), Arizona's Maurice Purify (Catch) and Jacksonville's Joe Hills (Highlight).
WEEK 13: Orlando's Bernard Morris (Offensive), Arizona's Jeremy Kellem (Defensive), Philadelphia's Shaun Kauleinamoku (Playmaker), Philadelphia's Ryan McDaniel (Catch) and Cleveland's Collin Taylor (Highlight).
WEEK 15: Philadelphia's Dan Raudabaugh (Offensive), Orlando's Paul Stephens (Defensive), Arizona's Rod Windsor (Playmaker), Orlando's Greg Carr (Catch) and Philadelphia's Darius Reynolds (Highlight).
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