The Cleveland Gladiators were an arena football team based in Cleveland, Ohio, and members of the Arena Football League (AFL). The Gladiators played their home games at Quicken Loans Arena, which they shared with the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association and the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League. The franchise was originally based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and then later in Las Vegas, Nevada, before relocating to Cleveland for the 2008 AFL season. The Gladiators qualified for the playoffs eight times in their history, reaching the ArenaBowl in 2014.
Damian Deron Harrell is a former arena football wide receiver. He played college football at Florida State University.
Mark Richard Grieb is a former Arena football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the San Jose SaberCats of the Arena Football League (AFL). Grieb currently serves as the head coach of the Sacred Heart Prep Gators football team in Atherton, California. He was a 13-year veteran of the AFL, having played quarterback for the Anaheim Piranhas (1997) and San Jose SaberCats. Grieb also played in NFL Europe for the Scottish Claymores (1998) and in the XFL with the Las Vegas Outlaws (2001). Grieb is the second quarterback in AFL history to throw for over 47,000 yards, over 900 touchdowns, over 3,800 completions, and over 10,000 pass attempts. He officially retired on November 8, 2012. He played college football at University of California, Davis. Grieb passed for 48,080 yards between the Arena League, XFL and NFL Europe.
Clint Dolezel is an American football coach and former professional arena football player in the Arena Football League (AFL).
Willis Thurman Marshall III is a former arena football wide receiver / defensive back. He played college football at Youngstown State.
Christopher Jackson is an American football coach and former wide receiver who is the wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator for The University of Texas. During the 2022 season, he was the wide receivers coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as an assistant coach for the Chicago Bears.
Siaha Burley is an American former arena football wide receiver and former head coach. He played college football at UCF and was also the head coach of the Jacksonville Sharks from 2017 to 2019 before returning to the team for 2022.
Marcus DeLando Nash is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Denver Broncos 30th overall in the 1998 NFL draft. He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers.
The East Division was a division of the Arena Football League's American Conference. It was first formed in 1995 as part of the National Conference when expansion led to the creation of divisions.
Hernandez James "Hunkie" Cooper is an American former football player who was a wide receiver and linebacker for the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League until his retirement in 2005. He was previously the wide receivers coach for the San Diego State Aztecs football team and currently is the Director of Football Player Development for the UNLV Rebels football team. He is a two time recipient of the Ironman of the Year award and was voted league MVP in 1993.
Omarr Ali Hasan Smith is a former American football defensive back who was most recently the head coach of the Baltimore Brigade of the Arena Football League (AFL). He played professionally for the San Jose SaberCats of the AFL, and played college football at San Jose State.
Marquis Floyd is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns, and Dallas Cowboys. He also was a member of the Tennessee Valley Vipers, Rio Grande Valley Dorados, San Jose SaberCats and Arizona Rattlers in the Arena Football League (AFL). He was signed by the Tennessee Valley Vipers as a street free agent in 2004. He played college football at West Georgia.
Larry Brackins is a former American football wide receiver. He was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL draft. He played college football at Pearl River Community College. Brackins was also a member of the New York Jets, New York Sentinels, Philadelphia Soul, Dallas Vigilantes, Orlando Predators and Cleveland Gladiators.
Maurice "Mo" Purify is an American football coach and former wide receiver who is currently the wide receivers coach for College of the Redwoods. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Nebraska. Purify also played for the Georgia Force, Omaha Nighthawks, Arizona Rattlers, and San Jose SaberCats. Having scored over 150 touchdowns and over 6,000 receiving yards in his career, as well as winning four consecutive ArenaBowls with two teams, Purify is considered one of the best receivers in AFL history.
Terrill Shaw is a former American football wide receiver who played nine seasons in the Arena Football League (AFL) with the Buffalo Destroyers, Grand Rapids Rampage, Las Vegas Gladiators, Philadelphia Soul, Dallas Desperados and Tampa Bay Storm. Shaw played college football at the University of Southern Mississippi. He was the MVP of ArenaBowl XV. He was also a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, Berlin Thunder and New Orleans Saints.
Darius Reynolds is a former American football wide receiver. He first enrolled at Reedley College before transferring to Iowa State University. He attended C. D. Hylton High School in Woodbridge, Virginia. Reynolds has also been a member of the Green Bay Packers, Iowa BarnstormersSan Jose SaberCats and Philadelphia Soul
Thyron Lewis is an American football wide receiver for the Atlanta Havoc of the American Arena League (AAL). He played college football at Howard University and attended William H. Taft High School in Woodland Hills, California. He has also been a member of the Stockton Lightning, Tri-Cities Fever, Bossier–Shreveport Battle Wings and Los Angeles KISS. Lewis was also drafted by Team Tennessee in the supplemental 2008 AAFL Draft and by the Georgia Stallions in the 2009 UNGL Draft.
Jeff Loots is an American former professional football quarterback who played eight seasons in the Arena Football League (AFL) with the Milwaukee Mustangs, Minnesota Fighting Pike, Albany Firebirds, Oklahoma Wranglers, Chicago Rush, Buffalo Destroyers and Grand Rapids Rampage. He played college football at Southwest Minnesota State.
Brian Jones is a former American football quarterback who played three seasons in the Arena Football League (AFL) with the Las Vegas Gladiators, Arizona Rattlers and Kansas City Command. He played college football at the University of Toledo, after a record setting career at Shasta College. He also played in the af2 for the Memphis Xplorers and Manchester Wolves, winning ArenaCup VI with the Xplorers.
Quentin Sims is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at University of Tennessee at Martin and attended Northwest High School and Colerain High School in Cincinnati, Ohio where he played football and participated in track and field. He has also been a member of the New England Patriots, Orlando Predators, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Arizona Rattlers, Cleveland Gladiators, Ottawa Redblacks and Baltimore Brigade.
