After MVP season, Dan Raudabaugh seeks championship

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VOORHEES, N.J. -- After winning the Eastern Division title in 2015, Soul head coach Clint Dolezel told his players that it wasn’t good enough.

Last season, Dolezel was named the Marcum-Moss Coach of the Year and quarterback Dan Raudabaugh was named the Offensive Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player.

However, Raudabaugh knows what the organization and the team is after.

“There’s one award that really matters,” he said. “And it’s the championship.”

The focus on winning has largely paid off for the Soul. They won a championship in 2008 and have won 70 percent of their games since 2012. 

Part-owner Ron Jaworski said that winning championships has been the team's plan since its inception in 2004.

“Unfortunately, we’ve only won one world championship in that period, but we expect to win more,” he said. “The goal has never changed. We won’t accept mediocrity. We don’t want to be good, we want to be great.”

The individual success of Raudabaugh has been a large part of the team’s success. Consistency at the quarterback position has helped the team thrive.

“It’s a passing league,” Jaworski said. “So, if you have a quarterback that is good and can understand this game, it gives you a better chance to win.”

Last season, Raudabaugh led the AFL with 119 touchdowns and finished second in passing yards with 4,992 yards and second in completion percentage (66.7).

Along with being around Jaworski, Raudabaugh has also benefited from being coached by an AFL Hall of Fame quarterback in Dolezel.

“I feel very lucky and I’m very grateful that Mr. Jaworski and all the other owners put their trust in me to lead their team,” said Raudabaugh. “Part of it is Coach Dolezel instilling his trust in me too.”

The Soul front office was also aggressive in acquiring players in the offseason. Receiver Darius Reynolds was signed after he won an ArenaBowl championship with San Jose last season. Adding a top AFL receiver has Jaworski excited for what he could bring to the team.

“Darius Reynolds is going to be a phenomenal addition to us,” he said. “I’ve watched him as an opponent for a lot of years. We’ve actually tried for years to get him here. We couldn’t get it done. Fortunately, now we have him here.”

Raudabaugh also knows that the team is focused on surrounding him with talent on both offense and defense.

“This is a top-notch organization, so they’re going to do all the things right,” he said. “They’re going to bring in talent at every position.”

Although they added talent from outside the organization, the play of Raudabaugh over the years has been a tremendous part of the Soul’s success, and that is not lost on Jaworski. The ability to learn from football minds like Jaworski and Dolezel has made Raudabaugh a better player.

“His knowledge is superior to anyone playing this game,” Jaworski said. “It’s the culmination of intelligence and talent where Dan is right now — the best in the league.”

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