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SALT LAKE CITY - The Utah Blaze QB JOE GERMAINE (6-2,238, Ohio State) and WR HUEY WHITTAKER (6-5, 228, South Florida) have earned All-Arena honors for their performances this season by the Arena Football League.
Whittaker earned First Team All-Arena for ending the 2008 regular season with 126 catches for 1,541 yards and 32 touchdowns. Whittaker tied for ninth in the League for receptions (126), sixth in the League for receiving yards (1,541) and tied for 10th in the League for receiving touchdowns (32).
Germaine earned Second Team All-Arena and completed the 2008 regular season atop many of the League's passing statistics. The former Rose Bowl MVP finished second in passing touchdowns (97), second in passing average per game (303.7) and third in pass completions (411).
Germaine, currently in his third season with the Blaze, was re-signed on January 30th in a deal that secures him with the Blaze through 2012. Germaine is the first player in AFL history to ink a five-year contract.
2008 ALL-ARENA FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE DEFENSE
QB Matt D'Orazio - Philadelphia DL Aaron McConnell - Colorado
FB Marlion Jackson - Cleveland DL Colston Weatherington - Dallas
C Will Rabatin - Columbus DL Henry Taylor - New York
OL Phil Bogle - Philadelphia MLB Steve Watson - San Jose
OL Martin Bibla - Philadelphia JLB DeJuan Alfonzo - Chicago
WR Chris Jackson - Philadelphia DB Dennison Robinson - Chicago
WR HUEY WHITTAKER - UTAH DB Marquis Floyd - San Jose
WR T.T. Toliver - Orlando DB Billy Parker - New York
K A.J. Haglund - San Jose
2008 ALL-ARENA SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE DEFENSE
QB JOE GERMAINE - UTAH DL Bryan Save - Philadelphia
FB Brian Johnson - San Jose DL Gabe Nyenhuis - Philadelphia
C Kyle Moore-Brown - Colorado DL Tim McGill - Tampa Bay
OL Howard Duncan - Columbus MLB Duke Pettijohn - Dallas
OL Shane Grice - Georgia JLB Norman LeJeune - New Orleans
WR Otis Amey - Cleveland DB Clevan Thomas - San Jose
WR Kenny Higgins - Grand Rapids DB Eddie Moten - Philadelphia
WR Damian Harrell - Chicago DB Kenny McEntyre - Orlando
K Remy Hamilton - Dallas
The Blaze (6-10), winners of six of their last seven games, earned their first-ever home playoff game with a 62-45 win over the Arizona Rattlers in the final game of the regular season last week. Utah will host the Colorado Crush (6-10) Saturday at 2 p.m. (MT) at EnergySolutions Arena. The game will be televised on ESPN.
