GOING DEEP: Kansas City Brigade wide receiver Charles Frederick has become one of the top big-play receivers in the Arena Football League, earning AFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2007.
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Mr. Big Play
Frederick looks to surpass rookie-year success
By: Kurt Kloeblen, Staff writer
kkloeblen@sunpublications.com
Making big plays is the way Kansas City Brigade wide receiver Charles Frederick plays football.
If you do not believe him, then simply ask him or watch him and you will find out.
“Every time I touch the ball I want to make big plays,” Frederick said. “I want to put my team in the best possible situation.”
Frederick has done a good job of putting the Brigade in good situations as both a receiver and a kick returner. Frederick had his breakout season last year when he earned the Arena Football League’s Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
In 2007 Frederick caught 115 passes for 1,385 yards and 27 touchdowns. In total, Frederick had 2,136 total yards and 41 touchdowns. Frederick also plays some defensive back for the Brigade.
Despite his gaudy numbers a season ago, Frederick said he has had the luxury of defenses not gearing up to stop him. He credits the Brigade’s off-season addition of receiver Mike Horaceck for that.
“They haven’t been playing me very differently,” Frederick said. “Mike Horacek gets a lot of attention. He’s a great guy and he’s a legend in the league, so the focus is not on me. I love that.”
Frederick makes up part of one of the more dangerous receiving corps in the AFL, with Horacek and Jerel Meyers. So far this season, Frederick has 139 yards in two games, good enough for third on the team. Frederick also has six kickoff returns for 82 yards.
Frederick said it took a little time for him to learn the way the ball bounces off the net or crossbars in the AFL. He said he is comfortable with the way the ball bounces now.
“I work on it in practice every day,” Frederick said. “It’s really not too hard. You have to get your timing down. What do I do if it hits the bar, what do I do if it hits the flat net. You have to expect what’s going to come.”
Frederick, who played collegiately for the University of Washington, said returning kicks in the AFL poses a different challenge than in the traditional 11-man game.
“I think it’s a little harder in the Arena because everyone is so close,” Frederick said. “If you see a hole, you have to hit it right now or it will close up.”
The Brigade returned to play at the Sprint Center Monday against Grand Rapids after a bye week and an 0-2 start to their season. The two losses have served as tough blows to a Kansas City squad that finished 10-6 and made the playoffs a year ago.
“The best way to fix things is to play on Monday,” Frederick said. “Those first two games we made some horrible mistakes as a team. A lot of mental errors. It’s the little things we know we could have done better.”
Frederick said he and teammates stewed over the start to their season during the bye week.
“I think it did get to some guys,” Frederick said. “A few guys went home and you see friends and brothers and they ask you what’s going wrong. You just tell them, ‘We made a lot of mistakes. Mistakes kill you.’”
The Brigade has already changed quarterbacks after just two games, moving to Matt Kohn in place of John Fitzgerald. Kohn is still green in the AFL, seeing action in just two games with Nashville in 2007.
Frederick said it does not matter who is getting him the ball at this point.
“It doesn’t affect me much to have a new quarterback,” Frederick said. “We worked with all the quarterbacks at camp, so we know them well.”
Frederick said he is happy with the season he had in 2007, but has plenty more he wants to accomplish this season.
“My goal this season is to break every record I had last season,” Frederick said. “More catches, more yards, go farther in the playoffs. I want to win a championship. Period.”
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If you do not believe him, then simply ask him or watch him and you will find out.
“Every time I touch the ball I want to make big plays,” Frederick said. “I want to put my team in the best possible situation.”
Frederick has done a good job of putting the Brigade in good situations as both a receiver and a kick returner. Frederick had his breakout season last year when he earned the Arena Football League’s Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
In 2007 Frederick caught 115 passes for 1,385 yards and 27 touchdowns. In total, Frederick had 2,136 total yards and 41 touchdowns. Frederick also plays some defensive back for the Brigade.
Despite his gaudy numbers a season ago, Frederick said he has had the luxury of defenses not gearing up to stop him. He credits the Brigade’s off-season addition of receiver Mike Horaceck for that.
“They haven’t been playing me very differently,” Frederick said. “Mike Horacek gets a lot of attention. He’s a great guy and he’s a legend in the league, so the focus is not on me. I love that.”
Frederick makes up part of one of the more dangerous receiving corps in the AFL, with Horacek and Jerel Meyers. So far this season, Frederick has 139 yards in two games, good enough for third on the team. Frederick also has six kickoff returns for 82 yards.
Frederick said it took a little time for him to learn the way the ball bounces off the net or crossbars in the AFL. He said he is comfortable with the way the ball bounces now.
“I work on it in practice every day,” Frederick said. “It’s really not too hard. You have to get your timing down. What do I do if it hits the bar, what do I do if it hits the flat net. You have to expect what’s going to come.”
Frederick, who played collegiately for the University of Washington, said returning kicks in the AFL poses a different challenge than in the traditional 11-man game.
“I think it’s a little harder in the Arena because everyone is so close,” Frederick said. “If you see a hole, you have to hit it right now or it will close up.”
The Brigade returned to play at the Sprint Center Monday against Grand Rapids after a bye week and an 0-2 start to their season. The two losses have served as tough blows to a Kansas City squad that finished 10-6 and made the playoffs a year ago.
“The best way to fix things is to play on Monday,” Frederick said. “Those first two games we made some horrible mistakes as a team. A lot of mental errors. It’s the little things we know we could have done better.”
Frederick said he and teammates stewed over the start to their season during the bye week.
“I think it did get to some guys,” Frederick said. “A few guys went home and you see friends and brothers and they ask you what’s going wrong. You just tell them, ‘We made a lot of mistakes. Mistakes kill you.’”
The Brigade has already changed quarterbacks after just two games, moving to Matt Kohn in place of John Fitzgerald. Kohn is still green in the AFL, seeing action in just two games with Nashville in 2007.
Frederick said it does not matter who is getting him the ball at this point.
“It doesn’t affect me much to have a new quarterback,” Frederick said. “We worked with all the quarterbacks at camp, so we know them well.”
Frederick said he is happy with the season he had in 2007, but has plenty more he wants to accomplish this season.
“My goal this season is to break every record I had last season,” Frederick said. “More catches, more yards, go farther in the playoffs. I want to win a championship. Period.”