Troy Bergeron lacks a nickname.

How about The Difference?

Consider that:

> In the three seasons Bergeron has played for the Force (2005, 2007-08), the team won the Arena Football League's Southern Division. He is the Force's all-time leading receiver.

> When Bergeron missed last year's conference championship game with a torn knee ligament, the Force were upset at home by Columbus.

> When Bergeron returned from a thigh injury this season, Georgia reeled off seven straight wins, going from 3-5 to division champion. He missed the regular-season finale in San Jose, a close loss, with a kidney problem.

"With him sitting down against San Jose and us losing, he reminded us again how much we need him," quarterback Chris Greisen said. "He reminds us all the time that we didn't start winning consistently until he came back.

"It's all in fun. We give him a hard time about it, too, but he's unselfish. He's going to do what's right and what he's coached to do."

What he's coached to do, what he was "born to do," according to offensive coordinator Jim Kubiak, is burn defenses with his speed.

Bergeron's burst lets receivers Carl Morris and Tiger Jones exploit one-on-one matchups, and causes some opponents to play soft zones. In a win over Tampa Bay, Bergeron drew so much attention that he caught just three passes; Morris and Jones combined for 27 receptions.

But in the season's signature moment, a 63-62 win over top-seeded Philadelphia on May 12, Bergeron caught the last two touchdown passes and the game-winning two-point conversion as the Force erased a late 21-point deficit.

The Force (10-6) host Cleveland (10-7) Monday in a divisional playoff game.

"Troy is generally the first option on everything," coach Doug Plank said. "He's usually the guy we're looking for."

In 11 games this season, Bergeron had 91 receptions for 1,247 yards and 24 touchdowns.

The Superman tattoo on his right arm features a "T" for Troy, but Bergeron's confidence doesn't overflow into arrogance.

A 6-foot-2, 195-pounder, Bergeron, 24, never played a down of college football. He signed with Auburn out of Shaw High in Columbus, where he won a state championship in 2000.

The Tigers wanted to move him to defensive back, so Bergeron transferred to Middle Tennessee State and redshirted. When his high school sweetheart got pregnant, Bergeron quit to help raise his son.

After wowing coaches at a tryout, he starred for the now-defunct Columbus Wardogs before signing with the Force.

He won the 2005 AFL Rookie of the Year award, then tried to jump to the NFL. Bergeron went to a Falcons training camp and spent time on the Buffalo Bills practice squad, but didn't stick.

Producing another big AFL season in 2007, eight NFL teams invited him to training camp. He had to scrap those plans when he tore a medial collateral knee ligament in the playoffs.

Now, after yet another dominant season, Bergeron likely will get his second NFL shot. All of that can wait, however.

"This is where I'm at and this is what I love," Bergeron said. "This is what we played the whole season for. We're here to win a championship, and anything less will be a disappointment."

NEXT FOR FORCE

> Who: vs. Gladiators in divisional playoff game

> When: 8 p.m. Monday

> TV; radio: ESPN2; 790 AM