Related Research Articles
The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional indoor American football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in 1987 season making it the third longest-running professional football league in North America after the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the National Football League (NFL) until the AFL closed in 2019. The AFL played a formerly proprietary code known as arena football, a form of indoor American football played on a 66-by-28 yard field, with rules encouraging offensive performance, resulting in a faster-paced and higher-scoring game. The sport was invented in the early 1980s and patented by Jim Foster, a former executive of the United States Football League (USFL) and the NFL. Each of the league's 32 seasons culminated in the ArenaBowl, with the winner being crowned the league's champion for that season.
The Chicago Rush were a professional arena football team based in Rosemont, Illinois. The team played at the Allstate Arena from 2001 to 2013. They were a member of the Central Division of the National Conference of the Arena Football League (AFL). Founded in 2001, the team qualified for the playoffs 11 out of 12 seasons and won one AFL championship, ArenaBowl XX in 2006. During their history, the Rush won five divisional titles and competed in the AFL Conference Championship six times, including four consecutive appearances from 2004 to 2007. They also had the largest market in the AFL.
The Philadelphia Soul were a professional arena football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and competed in the Arena Football League (AFL). The Soul made five ArenaBowl appearances, winning their first appearance and losing their next two appearances. The Soul won in their fourth appearance, against the Rattlers in 2016, winning 56–42. They also won in their fifth appearance in 2017 against the Tampa Bay Storm, winning 44–40.
The New Orleans VooDoo were a professional arena football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The VooDoo were a member of the East Division of the American Conference of the Arena Football League (AFL). They played their home games in Smoothie King Center. The VooDoo were unrelated to an earlier AFL team, the New Orleans Night, who had competed in the 1991 and 1992 AFL seasons in the Louisiana Superdome.
The San Antonio Talons were a professional arena football team based in San Antonio, Texas. They played in the Arena Football League (AFL). Their home arena was the Alamodome, following their relocation to San Antonio for the 2012 season.
Donovan Morgan is an arena football wide receiver who is currently a free agent.
Christopher Jackson is an American football coach and former wide receiver who is 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.
Reggie Gray is an American football wide receiver and kickoff returner who is currently a free agent.
Larry Brackins is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Pearl River Community College. Brackins has also been a member of the New York Jets, New York Sentinels, Philadelphia Soul, Dallas Vigilantes, Orlando Predators and Cleveland Gladiators.
The Jacksonville Sharks are a professional indoor football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, playing their home games at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. Beginning in 2017, the Sharks began play as charter members of the National Arena League (NAL). They were members of the Arena Football League (AFL) from 2010 to 2016 and won the championship of their division in the first four seasons of their existence.
The 2010 Tulsa Talons season was the 10th season for the franchise, and the first in the Arena Football League, coming from the AF2, which dissolved following the 2009 season. The team was coached by Mitch Allner and played their home games at BOK Center. Finishing first in the Southwest Division, the Talons were the only team from their division to make the playoffs, but lost 38–68 at home to the Tampa Bay Storm in the conference semifinals.
Markee White is a professional gridiron football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at Texas State.
Marco Capozzoli is a former American football placekicker who played for the Tulsa Talons and Jacksonville Sharks of the Arena Football League (AFL). He was a placekicker for Montclair State University. He was signed as a free agent by the Jacksonville Sharks in 2010. Capozzoli has been a resident of Bloomfield, New Jersey.
Pharisse J. Berry is a former American football wide receiver. Berry played collegiately at Virginia State University.
Mark Charles Weivoda is a former gridiron football defensive lineman. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football at Idaho State University.
The 2013 Arena Football League season was the 26th season in the history of the league. The regular season began on March 23, 2013, with a five-game slate, the first of which to kick off being between the Utah Blaze and the Pittsburgh Power, and ended on July 27, 2013, with the Utah Blaze and Cleveland Gladiators as the last game to kick off. The Arizona Rattlers defeated the Philadelphia Soul by a 48–39 score in ArenaBowl XXVI to conclude the league's playoffs.
Kent Richardson is an American football cornerback who is a free agent. He played college football at West Virginia.
Joseph Hills is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He played college football at South Carolina from 2007 to 2008 before transferring to Tennessee State.
Troy Lonnell McBroom is a former American football wide receiver who played in the Arena Football League. In college, he was selected first team all KCAC from 2004-06. McBroom played for the AF1 Tulsa Talons where he recorded 149 receptions for 1,747 yards and 31 touchdowns.
Jeff Jarnigan is an assistant general manager and coach for the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League (IFL).
References
- ↑ "CNU Receiver Named League's Top Rookie". Daily Press. November 21, 2003. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
- ↑ "Philadelphia Signs Explosive WR/KR Jeff Hughley". www.arenafootball.com. Arena Football League. September 30, 2011. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
- ↑ "Averett graduate earns Arena League Football honor". Chatham Star Tribune. August 13, 2012. Archived from the original on February 17, 2013. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
- ↑ Harrison Brown-Russo (November 7, 2012). "Soul have to deal with the crucial loss of Jeff Hughley". www.phillysportslive.com. PhillySportsLive.com. Archived from the original on January 18, 2013. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
- ↑ "Sharks' Jeff Hughley signs with NFL's Bucs". www.jacksonville.com. Jacksonville.com. May 2, 2013. Retrieved May 3, 2013.
- ↑ "Defenders Sign Former AFL Ironman of the Year!!". www.oklahomadefenders.com. Oklahomadefenders.com. February 7, 2014. Retrieved February 7, 2014.