Comeback Kid
Former AFLer Maddox Wins NFL Award

01.03.03 - Current Pittsburgh Steelers and former Arena Football League quarterback, Tommy Maddox, has been named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year.

Maddox completed a team-record 62.1 percent of his passes, threw for 20 touchdowns and posted an 85.2 passer rating. He was 7-3-1 as a starter, including victories in his final three games to capture the AFC North for Pittsburgh.

Playing for the AFL's New Jersey Red Dogs in 2000, Tommy completed 283 of 490 passes for 3,378 yards and 62 touchdowns with 17 interceptions.

It should come as no big secret that Maddox feels the AFL was very instrumental in his development as a field general.

The following are some of Tommy's quotes crediting his improved play to the time he spent in the Arena Football League:

- "(The AFL) helps you with so many things: being quick in the pocket, getting rid of the ball, being accurate with the ball. I think you do get used to moving the ball. You get used to throwing touchdown passes. You get used to scoring. I think it's a mind set that is good for you. It did so much for me. I enjoyed playing in the league. It was exciting to know going into a game, if you played well, you had a chance to win; and if you didn't, hey, you didn't. A lot of pressure was put on the quarterback, and I think from a quarterback standpoint, that's what you want." - NFL Conference Call, November 13, 2002.

- On his first AFL game: "I'd never been hit so hard in my life. Every play. I think I only threw 37 times, but I was on the ground 25 times - I tell you what - the Arena League is kind of a hidden gem ... There's no question that it helped to hone me." -- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, October 21, 2002.

- "It's great for quarterbacks. The game is very fast. Your reads have to be very fast. You've got to be very accurate with the football." - Pittsburgh Steelers' Conference Call, October 30, 2002.

Tommy led the Steelers to a come-from-behind victory against the Cleveland Browns in the opening round of the NFL playoffs.

Needing two more wins for a Super Bowl berth, Maddox could join Kurt Warner as the second former AFL quarterback to start in the biggest game of the year.