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Charles Frederick led the Shock in scoring with 216 points in 2006. |
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If you were there, it was a moment you won’t forget. Former Spokane Shock WR Charles “ET” Frederick was there and he hasn’t forgotten that game either.
It was August 13, 2006. The Shock were hosting the Bakersfield Blitz for the right to move on to the Conference Championship. With the Shock down 47-43 late in the fourth quarter, QB Kyle Rowley started the drive on Spokane’s 14-yard line. After completing an 11-yard pass to Antwone Savage, a penalty was assessed against Bakersfield followed by an incomplete pass. Head Coach Chris Siegfried quickly called a timeout.
“Coach (Siegfried) asked me, ‘do you think you can get down the field real quick?’” Frederick remembered. “And I said, ‘I can try to. If he (QB Kyle Rowley) can throw the ball to me where I can catch it, I will be OK – just give me enough time to make a move and then I will make another move real quick and throw the ball up where he can get to it.”
With that, Rowley called the play and broke the huddle with six seconds left to play, the Shock down by four points and the season hanging in the balance.
Frederick ran a corner route into the end zone and scored one of the most memorable touchdowns in franchise history.
“When I caught it and I crossed the plane, I don’t think you could hear yourself think. It got so loud,” Frederick said. “I heard they even have it on ‘
You tube’ but I haven’t seen it yet. I heard you could see the camera shaking and everything.”
Three games later, the Shock’s inaugural fairy tale season came to an end with an ArenaCup Championship. Frederick ended his first regular season with 85 receptions and led the team in scoring (36 touchdowns for 216 points).
These kinds of numbers certainly caught the attention of some AFL teams, in particular the Kansas City Brigade where Frederick would be reunited with a number of former Shock personnel including Siegfried.
Frederick’s Cinderella story continued in the AFL the following season as a member of the Brigade. Under Siegfried’s offense, the explosive Frederick continued to flourish, tallying 2,136 all-purpose yards with 41 touchdowns and earning co-Rookie of the Year honors. (He shared the award with QB Brett Dietz.)
“I didn’t know I was going to have a big turnout like that – I wasn’t expecting it,” Frederick said. “But, it was great that I did.”
For Frederick, the adjustment from the af2 to the AFL was relatively easy because of his experience in Spokane.
“I think it did make it easier – just seeing those guys and knowing that I was going to be in the same offense that I learned in 06 when we won the championship,” Frederick admitted. “I just had to learn the (new) guys and how we were going to all fit together to win another championship.”
Despite Frederick’s individual accomplishments in 2007, his team was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs with a 10-6 record; a marked improvement on their 3-13 season in 2006.
Last season, despite being hampered by injuries (including tearing his abdominal muscles), Frederick still managed to collect 76 receptions for 13 touchdowns and 904 receiving yards.
As of October 1st, Frederick is a free agent and is considered one of the marquee free-agents in this year’s AFL class.
“No matter where I go, I just want to play, have fun and entertain the fans,” Frederick said. “I wouldn’t mind going back to Kansas City, or going somewhere new.”
Frederick added that he has also started to think about life after football where he plans to go into education as a teacher.
To Shock fans, Frederick had this to say: “I miss you guys I miss the way you guys followed us. I know you guys love me and I love you guys back and if it wasn’t for y’all, there wouldn’t be any Spokane Shock.”
Whatever the future holds for Frederick - armed with his bright smile and electric personality - he will always be remembered.
Additional quotes from Frederick:
Just another day at the office:
“Even though you are at work, you are having fun. Who wants to wake up and just go out and do something that they don’t love?! You’re waking up every morning and you’re doing something you love and Arena football is something that I love and I found that out in Spokane. I feel in love with Arena Football because of the Spokane Shock.”
Remembering the 2006 season:
“I think about it all the time. I miss the fans, I miss the town; just knowing that when we had our game on Saturday the whole town was focused on us. Then when we found out that the game was sold out it was even better.”
Game Day:
“What I liked about Spokane is when you wake up in the morning on the day of the game, it’s all over TV, it’s on the radio you see people early in the morning with their Shock shirt on and everybody in town is ready for the Shock game. That’s the main focus that day when the Shock play – it’s all about the Shock. I really took that to heart.”
Looks can be deceiving:
“I might look little – but I always try to play like I’m the biggest guy on the field. I’m not the biggest guy, I’m not the fastest guy in the world so I just try to use other ways to get around that.”
Some things never change – like his love for the Movie ET:
I got the original movie still. I still have my ET blanket too. Today, I was online and I was looking for some pictures for my screen saver and I found a t-shirt. It was a picture of the moon in the back ground and it said ET on it so I had to get it.
