Arena football is a variety of gridiron football designed to be played indoors. The game is played on a smaller field than American or Canadian football, designed to fit in the same surface area as a standard North American ice hockey rink, and features between six and eight players for each team playing at any given time depending on the league, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game that can be played on the floors of indoor arenas. The sport was invented in 1981, and patented in 1987, by Jim Foster, a former executive of the National Football League and the United States Football League. The name is trademarked by Gridiron Enterprises and had a proprietary format until its patent expired in 2007.
John Capel Jr. is an American former track and field athlete who was a world champion sprinter. Capel played college football for the University of Florida, where he was also a member of the Florida Gators track and field team.
Timothy Donell Brown is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, where he won the Heisman Trophy, becoming the first wide receiver to do so. He spent sixteen years with the Los Angeles / Oakland Raiders, during which he established himself as one of the NFL's greatest wide receivers of all time. Brown has also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In 2015, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Peter L. Warrick is an American former professional football player who played at the wide receiver position for six seasons in National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Florida State Seminoles, earning consensus All-American honors twice. He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals with the fourth overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft and played professionally for the Bengals and Seattle Seahawks of the NFL and the Bloomington Extreme of the Indoor Football League.
Eric Quinn Metcalf is an American former professional football player in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons, San Diego Chargers, Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, Washington Redskins and Green Bay Packers. He was a three-time Pro Bowl selection for the Browns and the Chargers. He was also the 1988 US Track and Field Champion in the long jump and a two-time NCAA Champion in the same event at Texas. His father Terry was a running back for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Fred Otis Holmes Amey is a former professional American and Canadian football wide receiver. He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Sacramento State University.
Donovan Morgan is a former arena football wide receiver.
The Eastern Illinois Panthers are the intercollegiate athletic programs of Eastern Illinois University (EIU) located in Charleston, Illinois, United States. The Panthers athletic program is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) and competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Championship Subdivision. EIU's colors are blue and gray. Selected as the team mascot in 1930, EIU's panther was informally known as "Billy" for many years and was officially named "Billy the Panther" in 2008. Panther teams have won five NCAA national championships in three sports. The Panthers also won the 1969 NAIA men's soccer title.
Clarence Curry is a former Arena football defensive specialist. He was originally signed by the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He played college football at Villanova.
John Quentin McCord was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL). He was drafted in the seventh round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. He played college football at Kentucky.
Marquise Walker is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver and punt returner who signed to play in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines, setting many of the school's receiving records and becoming an All-American in 2001, when he led the Big Ten Conference in receptions. In 2004, Braylon Edwards surpassed most of his school records. In high school, Walker set several important New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) football records for receptions and reception yardage. All of these records have since been broken. Walker is remembered for a pair of spectacular one-handed catches during the 2001 NCAA Division I-A football season.
Will Pettis is a former wide receiver and defensive back in the Arena Football League (AFL) for the Dallas Desperados and Dallas Vigilantes. He was a four-time member of the AFL's All-Ironman team, a three-time member of the All-Arena team and the 2007 Ironman of the Year. He played college football at Midwestern State University.
Ashlan Davis is a former American and Arena football wide receiver. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at Tulsa.
Tremayne Sy Kirkland is a former gridiron football wide receiver. He played college football at Portland State. He was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Spokane Shock, then of af2 in 2008. He's also played for the South Georgia Wildcats, Tri-Cities Fever, and Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
Nathan Hughes is a former American football wide receiver. He was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Alcorn State.
Marquise Derell Goodwin is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He also is an Olympian who competed in the long jump in track and field. He was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the third round with the 78th pick of the 2013 NFL draft. He played college football for the Texas Longhorns.
Dexter Marquise McCluster is an American former professional football running back and return specialist who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Kansas City Chiefs, Tennessee Titans, and San Diego Chargers. He played college football for the University of Mississippi. He was selected by the Chiefs in the second round of the 2010 NFL draft. He also played for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the Massachusetts Pirates of the National Arena League (NAL).
Alvin Ray Jackson is an American football/arena football linebacker who is currently a free agent.
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.
Cody Michael Pearcy is an American football coach and former player. He currently serves at the strength and conditioning coordinator and wide receivers coach for the Birmingham-Southern Panthers, an NCAA Division III program located in Birmingham, Alabama. He has served in that capacity since 2017. Prior to working as Birmingham-Southern's strength and conditioning coordinator, he was on the staff as the wide receivers coach since 2016. He previously was a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Huntingdon College, in Montgomery, Alabama, from 2014 to 2015. Before coaching college football he played wide receiver at the college level for the Huntingdon Hawks (2008-2011) also of the NCAA Division III. After graduating from Huntingdon College during the spring of 2012 he went undrafted in the 2012 NFL Draft. Shortly after he signed with the Atlanta Falcons. He was cut by the Falcons in August 2012 before the start of the 2012 NFL season. After he failed to sign with another National Football League team he signed and played for the Cleveland Gladiators of the Arena Football League for the 2013 season. He was cut following the season. He then signed with the Columbus Lions who were at the time a part of the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL) in November 2013. He played for the Lions for the 2014 season. He was cut by the Lions in July 2014, ending his professional playing career and returning to Huntingdon College that same month as a graduate assistant.
