ARENA FOOTBALL

• Forse, Greisen and Swanson earn weekly honors

  Courtesy of Arena Football League Tulsa, OK (Sports Network) - Milwaukee wide receiver/defensive back NATE FORSE, Milwaukee quarterback CHRIS GREISEN and Arizona defensive back RILEY SWANSON have been named the JLS Ironman, Russell Athletic Offensive Player and Riddell Defensive Player of the Week, respectively, for Week 1 of 2010, the AFL's first season back after taking a year hiatus. In addition to these three awards, the AFL is also highlighting the player who makes the best catch of the week, the playmaker of the week, and the highlight of the week. The Cutters Catch of the Week Award for Week 1 goes to Iowa wide receiver TODD BLYTHE, while Chicago's wide receiver/defensive back SAMIE PARKER has been named the Playmaker of the Week. The highlight of the week award has gone to Chicago's linebacker DEJUAN ALFONSO.

  JLS IRONMAN OF THE WEEK Forse (6-4, 220, California PA) made a big impact for the victorious Milwaukee Iron this week, putting in serious effort on both sides of the ball. Offensively, Forse caught 11 passes for 124 yards, racking up three touchdowns in the process. He was the second leading scorer for Milwaukee on the night. While he was not credited for any defensive statistics, Forse still made his presence know. Forse played all but a handful of plays all game, both offensively and defensively, helping to propel the Iron their first victory of the season.

  RUSSELL ATHLETIC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK Greisen (6-3, 220, NW Missouri State) played a nearly flawless game of arena football this weekend, when the Milwaukee Iron defeated last season's arenafootball2 champion Spokane Shock. Greisen threw for 30-of-36 with zero interceptions, approximately an 83% completion rate. He found the reliable hands of three separate receivers throughout the evening, including this week's Ironman winner Nate Forse. The Greisen-led offense exploded for three touchdowns in the last 90 seconds before halftime, essentially dooming the Shock's comeback chances. His nine touchdown passes topped the league for the week, as did his 144.1 quarterback rating.

  RIDDELL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK Swanson (6-0, 185, Wake Forest) came out swinging this weekend when two storied AFL programs took the turf on Saturday. Swanson tallied three unassisted tackles versus the Cleveland Gladiators, but it was his interception that made him this week's defensive star. After Cleveland took a convincing 28-7 lead in the second quarter, Swanson intercepted a John Dutton pass and ran it back for a touchdown. It was the first step towards an Arizona comeback. The Rattlers went on to win the game 61-56.

  CUTTERS CATCH OF THE WEEK Iowa WR Todd Blythe (6-5, 214, Iowa State) made this week's catch of the week, despite Iowa's eventual loss to Chicago. Blythe, an AFL rookie, made four catches for 40 yards and two touchdowns in the Barnstormers' season opener. One of these catches was a showstopper-an acrobatic catch over the boards from QB Ryan Vena. Blythe went on to score a total of 14 points, including a two-point conversion in the fourth quarter to being the Barnstormers within 10--their closest point margin of the second half.

  04/07 10:46:49 ET