In week 6, we saw the first rookie to win rookie of the week award in multiple weeks. Jacksonville Jaguars #53 MLB Jordan Beck and his 14-tackle performance undeniably show his big impact in his team as a rookie. It is even more impressive since he does that impactful performance not only once but on a regular basis. How about for week 7? Will we see new position winning the award? Just for your information, this week we will see 4 of the 5 nominees were also nominated or won the award in the previous weeks. And it will be the first time a special teamer made the list. So, without further ado, here are the five nominees for SFL 2005 Week 7 Rookie of the Week!
QB Alex Smith (CHI) 15 CMP 30 ATT 289 YDS 3 TD 1 INT 5 SCKD Won 23-22 vs. Ravens Smith was drafted as the 30th overall pick in 2005 SFL Draft. The University of Utah graduate has prototypical size and stature for a professional QB at 6'4" 208 lbs. Initially a scrambler QB out of college, the Bears invested hard on him to make him their franchise QB for years to come and it looks like paying off quicker than expected. Smith, despite some ups and downs, has played considerably well for a rookie QB. It can be seen from him winning the rookie of the week award in the first week and the Bears 3-3 current record in a more competitive than ever NFC North division. This week Smith led the Bears to win against Frye-led Baltimore Ravens team with his 3 TD performance in-spite of getting sacked 5 times throughout the game.
FS O.J. Atogwe (SEA) 4 TKL 1 INT 2 DFL 0 CTHA Lost 24-30 vs. Cowboys Atogwe was drafted as the 7th overall pick of 2005 SFL Draft. The 6'0" 205 lbs. safety out of Stanford University is probably one of the fastest safeties (if not the fastest) in the league. In his 7 games as a pro, he has played quite well on the Seahawks secondary, especially in week 3 where he helped the Seahawks to get their first win this season by beating their NFC West rival Arizona Cardinals in front of thousands of the 12th Man, and week 7 where they surprisingly lost to the struggling Dallas Cowboys. Currently sit at the top of NFC West division alongside Rams with 4-3 record, Seahawks have a good chance to takeover the division from the previous year NFC West champions the 49ers and Atogwe will be an important factor that increase their chances.
MLB Alfred Fincher (ARZ) 6 TKL 1 TFL 1 INT 2 DFL 1 CTHA Won 13-6 vs. Titans Fincher was drafted as the 3rd overall pick in 2005 SFL Draft. The UConn graduate has a good size and stature as an inside linebacker at 6'1" 238 lbs. It is also complimented with amazing speed and athleticism. After average performances in the first 3 weeks, he burst into the scene with his furious performance in week 4 in a divisional battle against the 49ers. He made 15 tackles in that game but still lost in the voting for rookie of the week to Rams MLB Odell Thurman. This week he showcased another impactful form in a defensive battle against the Titans. With Fincher anchoring the defense and their current 3-3 record, the Cardinals still have the opportunity to grab the division title.
TE John Kuhn (MIN) 5 REC 30 YDS 1 TD 3 PANCAKES Won 27-23 vs. Packers Kuhn was drafted as the 27th overall pick in 2005 SFL Draft. The 6'0" 250 lbs TE was originally a FB in his college days with Shippensburg University. But the Vikings decided to switch him to TE with the intention of utilizing his speed as a mismatch for linebackers in the middle of the field. The plan seems to work so far. Kuhn has made back to back nominations for rookie of the week. Last week, he made the list despite not recording any catch. But he impacted the game with his double digit pancake blocks by using his speed and 250 lbs frame to make any defender he was assigned to block laying on the ground on his back. This week he recorded 5 receptions and a touchdown for the Vikings in a division rivalry game against the Packers which they won with only one score margin.
K Shaun Suisham (SF) 5 FGM 5 FGA 1 XPM 1 XPA 6 KO Won 22-16 at Redskins Suisham was drafted with the 26th pick in the 6th round of 2005 SFL Draft. The 6'0" 199 lbs. Bowling Green alumnus has quite strong and accurate legs for a rookie. He becomes the first kicker/punter who made the 5-nominees list for rookie of the week. He is worth to be included here due to him making 16 of 22 points scored by the 49ers in their win against the Redskins. He made every single field goal and extra point attempt while also kicked 6 kickoffs with no touchback in the game. It shows how consistent he was throughout the game.
Those are the five nominees for SFL 2005 Week 7 Rookie of the Week. As usual, the voting will be open for 1x24 hours. So, please participate here by casting your vote before 9:30 PM EST tomorrow. If you have any thoughts, comments, or suggestions, please don't hesitate to leave those below. Thanks in advance for your participation. GO ROOKIE...GO!!!
AWARDEE: QB Alex Smith (CHI)
Chicago Bears quarterback Alex Smith has won the SFL 2005 Rookie of the Week Award for his Week 7 performance against the Baltimore Ravens. The quarterback becomes the second rookie who won the rookie of the week award in multiple weeks after last week's rookie Jordan Beck did it. Smith gets 47% of the votes from the league members and makes the first kicker nominated Shaun Suisham, who has sparked some debates regarding his nomination, has to content to become the nominee only for his perfect week. Smith and the Bears are still fighting to get out from the bottom of a very competitive NFC North division with 3-3 record. With season reaching the mid mark, there are still a lot of possibilities that may happen in the next few weeks. So, keep the spirit alive, Brent! And of course congrats on Smith's achievement!
