Thunder’s Tim Murphy named first team af2

BOARDMAN — Mahoning Valley Thunder fullback Tim Murphy has been named to the af2 first team for the second year.

Murphy was named Wednesday, and linebacker John Tackmann and defensive lineman Royce Morgan were named to the second team.

Murphy (5-foot-11, 240 pounds) led af2 with 350 yards rushing this season for the Thunder, who finished with a 3-13 record. He averaged 26.9 yards per game and 6.6 yards per attempt also led the league, and he scored five touchdowns.

Against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton May 5 at the Chevrolet Centre, Murphy, who played at the University of Pittsburgh, rushed seven times for 94 yards and two touchdowns, including a franchise-long 46-yarder.

Tackmann (6-2, 220) starter all 16 games for the Thunder and finished with 69 total tackles, second-best on the team. He was named Ironman of the Game six times.

Tackmann, from Winona (Minn.) State, also amassed 41‚Ñ2 tackles for loss, six pass breakups, two quarterback hurries, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and an interception.

Offensively, he rushed 42 times for 104 yards and a franchise-record 16 touchdowns.

Morgan (6-2, 265), a rookie, had 34 tackles, including 161‚Ñ2 for loss, in 15 games. He set a franchise record with 15 sacks, which ranked sixth in af2.

Morgan, from Lehigh, also had 10 quarterback hurries, four forced fumbles, two pass-breakups, an interception and three blocked kicks (also a franchise record).

In a home upset win over Louisville on June 27, Morgan had 31‚Ñ2 sacks to set a franchise record.

“We’re extremely proud of the honor all three of these players received,” said Thunder coach Mike Hold in a statement released by the team.

“These are without question three of the hardest working players on the roster. Any success we had in 2008 could be directly related to their performances.”