HONEYCUTT IS A THREE-TOOL PLAYER FOR THE AF1 FIRST-PLACE KATS

HONEYCUTT IS A THREE-TOOL PLAYER FOR THE AF1 FIRST-PLACE KATS

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – In Arena Football One (AF1), there is such a thing as a three-tool player.

For the Nashville Kats (8-1), who now sit alone in first place in the league standings heading into a regular-season home finale Saturday against the Beaumont Renegade, that would be wide receiver/defensive back/return specialist Malik Honeycutt.

Following the team’s 78-69 home win last Saturday over the Albany Firebirds to take over first place, Honeycutt was named AF1 Week 11 Offensive Player of the Week.

The Kats close out the home portion of the regular season this coming Saturday versus the Beaumont Renegades (3-5). Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. at F&M Bank Arena.

All AF1 games this season can be watched at TheAF1.com — the league’s official website – and at the league’s YouTube channel and Home Team Network.

Honeycutt, a Murray State product and native of Tallahassee, Fla., had eight receptions for 93 yards and one touchdown. On four kickoff returns, he had 177 yards with three touchdowns, including the opening kickoff return for a score.

For the season, Honeycutt leads the league in both total receiving yards (889) and receiving yards per game (99.9), third in touchdowns (17) and fourth in points per game (11.3).

But there’s more.

Defensively, Honeycutt has nine tackles (seven solos, two assists) with one forced fumble. He has 13 kickoff returns this season for 334 yards with an average of 25 yards per return.

“It comes from my early years and high school where my coaches just didn’t put me in a box,” Honeycutt said of his versatility across the board. “I love receiver better, but I’m not about one thing. I’m a team player, and when my number is called, I do what it takes for us to win.”

Out of Tallahassee Amos P. Godby High School, Honeycutt started his college career at Delta State before transferring to Itawamba (Miss.) Community College and settling at Murray State. His first season there, he was named NCAA FCS All-American as a kicker returner and in 2020 finished ninth in the nation in punt return yardage. He was twice named All-Ohio Valley Conference.

Honeycutt was a three-sport star athlete in high school, winning state title championships in football, basketball and track and he his basketball team to an undefeated 32-0 title run. In track, he was state champion in the triple jump, and his football team won a state title his sophomore year and was the runner-up at state in his senior season.

“The indoor game is faster,” Honeycutt said, “but it’s not about just one thing. I’ll do whatever the coaches ask me to.

The Kats are led by quarterback Tyler Kulka, who’s twice been named AF1 Offensive Player of the Week this season. The AF1 most valuable player candidate leads the league in total passing yards (2,105) and is second in touchdown passes (41), total offensive yards (2,084) and passing yards per game (283).

Kats running back Desmond Maxwell, a Western Kentucky product, is second in the league in rushing touchdowns (10), fourth in rushing yards (99) and fifth in rushing yards per game (11.0). Defensive back Derrick Jones, a product of Ole Miss, is third in the league in tackles (45), while defensive lineman Jaquan Artis, a Lenoir-Rhyne product, is tied for third in sacks (7).

For the season, the Kats are 6-0 at home, including last Saturday’s win over Albany. Other home wins include the season opener April 14 versus the Michigan Arsenal (78-40), April 27 over the Washington Wolfpack (45- 3), May 9 against the Oregon Lightning (64-21), May 16 versus the Oceanside Bombers (63-49) and June 13 versus the Minnesota Monsters (48-32.)

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