SFL Communications
May 29, 2019
The Simulation Football League presented by APM Music is proud to announce the Hall-of-Fame class of 2019, which includes four owners/league staff, four user players and two non-user players, joining the inaugural 2018 class, inducted at the SFL Convention in Dallas. Alaska Storm team owner and reigning three-time champion earned the most votes – 88.9% – to lead the class. Paul MCd the 2018 Induction.
The 2019 class also includes Baltimore Co-Owners Tim Johnston and Thomas Paterniti. Paterniti spoke on behalf of two of his former players – Rocco Marconi and Koma Keleka – who were a part of the first class last year. They will become the first team to enshrine two owners into the hall. Kyle Walsh will also be inducted in the owner/staff category, last owning the Orlando Intimidators in Season 8.
In the User Players category, a pair of strong safeties – Sioux Falls Sparrows A.J. Levye and Houston Hyenas Eddie Gauge – lead a strong group that includes Mexico City running back Ray Bentley and Baltimore Vultures quarterback Mike Dazzo. Running back Park HeeChul of the New York Knights (now Queen City Corsairs) and former Louisville Wolfpack Defensive Tackle Rick O’Riley earned the nominations in the non-user player category.
The 10 newest members of the Hall will officially join this elite group of simulation football lore on Friday July 26 at the league’s Hall-of-Fame induction ceremony at Main Event Entertainment to kick off SFL Sims Atlanta weekend.
About the Hall-of-Famers:
Paul has a 56-16 all-time record as the Team Owner and Head Coach of the Alaska Storm, the fifth-most all-time wins in league history with the highest point differential of any team in SFL history – +603. The Storm have won every SFL Championship in the player progression era – Seasons 10, 11 and 12.
Johnston has been an architect of the league since Season 3 when he established a SFL presence in Baltimore. He is responsible for setting a standard of broadcast quality and creating the initial sketches of a user player model that has shaped what many know simulation leagues to be today. He has owned a SFL team in nine seasons, celebrating his 10th season this summer.
Paterniti – a 2x champion from Seasons 4 and 7 with the Minneapolis Maulers – has been an architect of numerous rules that strengthened the league’s product on the field and holds numerous records for player performance – in a game, in a season and throughout a career.
Walsh was responsible for the league’s creation with Irvine in 2013 that led to the league’s beginnings – from rules to presentation and everything in between. Walsh also won a Championship as the Owner and Head Coach of the Orlando Intimidators in Season 2 and owned the team until Season 8.
Gauge is 24 tackles away from becoming the first player in league history to record 1,000 total tackles over a career. He leads all strong safeties in tackles for loss (53) and is one interception away from tying Billy Joe Casper at the top of the SFL’s all-time interception leaders (49).
Levye is third amongst strong safeties all-time in tackles and third in interceptions, with 33. He’s stepped into a Defensive Coordinator role with the Sparrows and has been instrumental in the team’s long run of playoff wins and appearances.
Bentley’s resume includes a Season 9 Championship and Championship Game MVP, a MVP season, Offensive Player of the Year, a 2,000-yard rushing season and most recently a Pro Bowl victory as a coach. He has more rushing yards than any other user RB – 8,269.
Dazzo has accumulated over 23,000 passing yards in his career, in the elite category with fellow Hall-of-Fame quarterback Matt Willson (the two will square off Week 1 of Season 13). He’s spent his entire SFL career with the Johnston-led Crabs and Vultures.
HeeChul holds all-time records for average yards per rush and reception, accomplishing those two records way back in Season 5 He is just above Bentley in the record books with 9,019 rushing yards and still leads all running backs in receiving yards (among those who have only played running back in their career) with 1,914 receiving yards.
O’Riley is the all-time leader in sacks amongst defensive tackles, despite not playing since Season 8, with 59 sacks – with present-day SFL players gaining on him. He was the first player in league history to establish effectiveness on the defensive line, one of the many legacies left by Louisville Wolfpack Owner and Head Coach David Overstreet.
Hall-of-Fame Finalists, who did not receive enough votes for induction but who received enough votes for a spot on the ballot:
Dallas Lobos Team Owner and Head Coach Steven Mullenax
Oklahoma City Team Owner and Head Coach Michael Irvine
New Orleans Cornerback Aaron Arrington
D.C. Dragons, Houston Hyenas and San Antonio Vaqueros Wide Receiver Greg Corky
St. Louis Gladiators Defensive Back Colin Douglas
Chicago Wildcats, Houston Hyenas and Tulsa Desperados Defensive Back Kanye Rockafella
New York Knights Wide Receiver Jake Legacy
Oklahoma City Renegades Running Back Pete Bruschi
Houston Hyenas Running Back Darnell Black
Louisville Wolfpack Quarterback Skeletor P. Funk
San Francisco Bulldogs and Minneapolis Maulers Wide Receiver James Cooley
2018 Hall-of-Fame Class:
League Commissioner Cameron Irvine
League President Jermaine Smith
Queen City Corsairs Team Owner and Head Coach Erik Barkley
Hex Editor Creator King Javo
Director of Player Personnel Andrew Rastelli
D.C. Dragons Running Back Richard Snowden
Houston Hyenas Wide Receiver D.R. Sim
Mexico City Aztecs Quarterback Matt Willson
Carolina Skyhawks Running Back Johnny English
Minneapolis Maulers Quarterback Rocco Marconi
Minneapolis Maulers Defensive Back Koma Keleka
