Behind the wheel of the overhaul is general manager Tom Goodhines, who, with input from Jaworski and the other team owners, brought in a new head coach, new offensive coordinator, new quarterback, new running back, and new star wide receiver.
All of them but head coach Doug Plank came from the Dallas Vigilantes team that folded after the 2011 season.
"The decisions we've made with the coaching staff and the players have proven to be correct so far," Jaworski said. "There's no question that [Dallas' folding] was a big part of the equation. We realized that those guys could really help, and they were attracted to Philadelphia because they knew our commitment to winning."
In the middle of last Saturday's Soul win over Spokane, the team's seventh straight victory, the big screen at the Wells Fargo Center showed Jaworski still standing in disbelief at the touchdown that was nullified due to the penalty.
Once the 7,590 fans saw Jaworski on the screen, they seemingly forgot about the penalty flag thrown and started clapping for the man they recognized as the former Eagles quarterback.
Jaws realized he was on the big screen, smiled, waved, and sat down.
"I love you, Jaws," a fan 10 rows behind Jaworski yelled. The fan was wearing a Soul jersey with the name "Jaworski" on the back.
Dallas' loss, Philly's gain
In 2011, Clint Dolezel was the head coach of the Vigilantes. Running back Derrick Ross had just come off a record-shattering season. Wide receiver Anthony "Tiger" Jones had been named AFL wide receiver of the year. Quarterback Dan Raudabaugh threw for 4,741 yards, 100 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions.
Then, in the months leading to the 2012 season, none of them had a job when the franchise folded. But Dolezel saw the importance of keeping the trio together in this league of timing routes and team chemistry.
Within a four-day span at the beginning of October, those three players, plus Dolezel, inked deals with the Soul. Several other former Dallas players also signed.
"Every good team in this league has played together for a while," said Dolezel, who signed on as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator. "We brought the nucleus of the Dallas team and kept adding around them."
Dolezel played quarterback in this league for 13 years. He's been involved with AFL offenses for 15 years and is only four years removed from his playing days. He became the perfect foil to Plank, whose defensive expertise complements Dolezel's offense-first mentality.
The famous 46 defense of the Chicago Bears was named after Plank, who wore No. 46 as the safety for the Bears from 1975 to 1982.
"He's the perfect fit for Philadelphia," Goodhines said of Plank. "He's got Philly all over him."
Plank acts as if he's from Philly. But he's from the Pittsburgh suburb of Greensburg.
"People don't want to admit it," Plank said. "But if you put a Pittsburgh family and a Philly family next to each other, their values and what they believe in would be very similar. They're both blue-collar, hardworking people."
New faces
The Soul returned to the AFL in 2011 after a two-year hiatus. Gone was former owner Jon Bon Jovi and much of his rock-star appeal. Also gone were major NFL television deals. The 2011 season went nothing like owners expected. The head coach resigned, as did others.
Enter Goodhines, who previously worked as a consultant with the Soul. He brought a passion for the AFL that he found when he was 10 years old and recorded an AFL game on a VHS tape during his brother's graduation party.
"I fell in love with it," Goodhines said. "There was something about it. I loved it all - the scoring, the style, the field."
His office in the Soul headquarters in Voorhees is bare. A large cabinet has nothing on it. The walls are white and naked except for one framed newspaper clipping of the AFL.
This is where the changes began. Goodhines, who has all but been named AFL general manager of the year, began working with ownership to acquire the Dallas players early last fall.
The players
The field in the AFL is 50 yards long. Fans, separated from the field by a wall, are easily able to reach over and catch errant passes or touch players. Coaches stand on the field.
This is a far cry from the outdoor grass that these players started playing on. But they're all attracted to it for one reason or another, be it the speed, the aerial nature of the game, or the high scoring.
On the short field, timing routes are one of the few ways to get receivers open.
"Take any quarterback who is struggling with decisions in the NFL and put them in this league," Dolezel said. "I guarantee once they've played here and go back, the receivers in the NFL will look like they're wide open."
Players receive $400 per game and a $50 bonus if they win. The starting quarterback gets a $1,200 bonus per game. Players also get free housing at an apartment complex in Voorhees, where Plank, too, lives.
The connection with Jaworski can also help some players achieve their goal of playing in the NFL. Last week, Jones announced he is going to sign a deal with the Eagles and had been invited to the coming training camp.
"Football is about relationships," Jaworski said. "And I've been lucky enough to develop relationships, so I can make a call for them."
Jones will be missed by this team, but last Saturday the winning streak continued without him. The Soul rank fifth in passing and first in rushing offense. They host the Utah Blaze next Saturday before entering the playoffs as the American Conference regular-season champs.
Jaworski will be sitting in his usual front-row seat with his family during the playoff run, just like he was last Saturday.
In the midst of that win, multiple referees threw flags before the ball was snapped on a play. Before the refs explained the infraction, the PA announcer came over the loud speakers.
"Don't you just love it when they throw flags like that?" he said.
They love it all in the AFL.
Best Soul Season Ever
With their 14-3 record and one regular-season game left to play, the Soul sit atop the American Conference's Eastern Division and have the best record in the Arena Football League and in franchise history. Here is how they have fared:
DATE RESULT
March 18 W: Soul 63, New Orleans VooDoo 62
HIGHLIGHT: Dan Raudabaugh, 310 passing yards, 7 TDs
March 23 W: Soul 84, Pittsburgh Power 59
HIGHLIGHT: Donovan Morgan, 12 receptions, 112 Yards, 4 TDs.
April 1 L: Cleveland Gladiators 68, Soul 62
HIGHLIGHT: Derrick Ross, 6 carries, 23 yards, 1 TD
April 7 W: Soul 92, Georgia Force 42
HIGHLIGHT: Raudabaugh, 272 passing yards, 6 TDs
April 14 W: Soul 61, San Jose Sabercats 55
HIGHLIGHT: Anthony Jones, 7 receptions, 89 yards, 4 TDs
April 20 W: Soul 83, Tampa Bay Storm 48
HIGHLIGHT: Raudabaugh, 270 passing yards, 8 TDs
April 28 W: Soul 69, Orlando Predators 53
HIGHLIGHT: Jones, 11 receptions, 156 yards, 3 TDs
May 5 L: Milwaukee Mustangs 64, Soul 63
HIGHLIGHT: Ross, 11 carries, 48 yards, 2 TDs
May 12 W: Soul 56, Jacksonville Sharks 38
HIGHLIGHT: Raudabaugh, 308 passing yards, 7 TDs
May 18 L: Spokane Shock 65, Soul 47
HIGHLIGHT: Raudabaugh, 360 passing yards, 6 TDs
May 27 W: Soul 55, Cleveland Gladiators 33
HIGHLIGHT: Ross, 21 carries, 66 yards, 2 TDs
June 2 W: Soul 79, Orlando Predators 48
HIGHLIGHT: Ross, 9 carries, 84 yards, 5 TDs
June 8 W: Soul 69, Milwaukee Mustangs 62
HIGHLIGHT: Raudabaugh, 379 passing yards, 8 TDs
June 16 W: Soul 62, Jacksonville Sharks 27
HIGHLIGHT: Morgan, 8 receptions, 114 yards, 3 TDs
June 24 W: Soul 69, Pittsburgh Power 34
HIGHLIGHT: Raudabaugh, 268 passing yards, 7 TDs
June 29 W: Soul 83, Tampa Bay Storm 79
HIGHLIGHT: Raudabaugh, 415 passing yards, 11 TDs
July 8 W: Soul 62, Spokane Shock 48
HIGHLIGHT: Ross, 11 carries, 83 yards, 3 TDs
July 22 vs. Utah Blaze, 6:05 p.m.
Contact Chad Graff at cgraff@philly.com, or follow on Twitter @ChadGraff.
