Georgia Firebirds

Last updated
Georgia Firebirds
Established 2009
Play in Albany, Georgia
at the Albany Civic Center
GeorgiaFirebirds.com
GeorgiaFirebirds.png
League/conference affiliations
American Indoor Football (2016)
  • Southern Division (2016)
National Arena League (2017)
Current uniform
Team colorsBlack, red, yellow, white
    
MascotTalon
Personnel
Owner(s)The Blackledge Family (Albany)
Team history
  • Albany Firebirds (2009–2015)
  • Georgia Firebirds (2016–
Championships
League championships (2)
Conference championships (2)
Division championships (2)
Home arena(s)

The Georgia Firebirds are a professional indoor football team based in Albany, Georgia, and play their home games at the Albany Civic Center. Previously, the Firebirds played as an outdoor football team in various semi-pro leagues before going indoor. The Firebirds joined American Indoor Football (AIF) for the 2016 season but the league folded after one season. The Firebirds then joined the new National Arena League (NAL) for the 2017 season.

Contents

The Firebirds are the third indoor/arena football team to call Albany home, following the South Georgia Wildcats of af2 (which played in Albany from 2005 until the league folded in 2009) and the Albany Panthers of the Southern Indoor Football League and later the Professional Indoor Football League (which played from 2010 until 2013, winning the 2011 SIFL and 2012 PIFL championships). [1]

History

On November 18, 2015, the Firebirds finalized the contract with the city of Albany, Georgia, and the Albany Civic Center, to play indoor football for the 2016 season after several years playing as a semi-professional outdoor team. [2]

On March 20, 2016, the Firebirds lost their first league game as part of American Indoor Football to the Columbus Lions by a score of 86–0. The following day, head coach Davis Daniels, Jr. was fired and replaced by Antwone Savage. [3] They finished the season one spot out of a playoff position after being forced to forfeit their final game of the season due to their team bus breaking down. [4]

In July 2016, the AIF ceased operations leaving the Firebirds without a league. On September 13, the team announced it had joined the newly formed Arena Developmental League (which became the National Arena League) for the 2017 season. [5] In May 2017, the league apparently took over operations of the Firebirds for the remainder of the season. As a result, the league cancelled the Firebirds' away game at the Corpus Christi Rage (another team the league was operating) as a cost-cutting measure. [6]

The National Arena League announced in September 2017 that the Firebirds were undergoing an ownership transition but could not commit to the 2018 season while the new ownership were negotiating a new arena lease. By November, the new owners failed to obtain the new lease and were removed from the league as members.

Final roster

Georgia Firebirds final roster
Quarterbacks
  • 10Gregory Hankerson

Fullbacks

  • 22 Zach Brown

Wide receivers

  •  2 Antonio Bearden
  •  8 Byron Dickerson
  •  1 Terrence Ebagua
  • 21Brian Foy Jr.
  •  4 John Harris
  •  9 Jason Johnson
  •  3 Isaiah Jupiter
  •  5 Jamill Smith
Offensive linemen
  • 69Bradley Clapsaddle
  • 52Dana Harris
  • --Robert Singleton

Defensive linemen

  • 90Charles Henderson
  • 12Joshua Bradley
  • 99Devonte McClain
  • 37Howard Stephens
  • 33 Derrick Wimbush
Linebackers
  • 31Emmanuel Henry-Ajudua

Defensive backs

  • -- Michael Duckworth
  •  6 Cole Furgason
  • --Kent London
  •  13Chikadibia Madu
  • 23Morris Mitchell
  • 7Rodonterio Blackledge

Special teams

  • 17Jed Solomon
Reserve lists
  • 23Dominique Burks DB (IR Tooltip Injured reserve) Injury icon 2.svg
  • --Jerome Cook OL (Suspended)
  • 52Joshua Davis OL (Suspended)
  • -- Jamarkus Gaskins LB (IR Tooltip Injured reserve) Injury icon 2.svg
  • -- JaJuan Harley DB (Suspended)
  • 44 Lavar Ledbetter LB (IR Tooltip Injured reserve) Injury icon 2.svg
  • --Joshua McIntosh K (IR Tooltip Injured reserve) Injury icon 2.svg
  •  3 Sean Potts-Harris DB (Suspended)
  • -- Cory Rue LB (Did not report)
  • 70D'Andre Williams OL (IR Tooltip Injured reserve) Injury icon 2.svg

rookies in italics
Roster updated June 17, 2017
25 Active, 10 Inactive

→ More rosters

Coaching staff

Georgia Firebirds staff
Front office
  • Ownership Group - Gridiron Central Group
  • Managing partner/general manager – Terence Fowler Sr.
  • Partner - Wallace Prather
  • Partner - Darrien Teals
 

Head coach

  • Head coach – Antwone Savage

Assistant coaches

  • Defensive coordinator – Pablo Cortes

Statistics and records

Season-by-season results

League ChampionsConference ChampionsDivision ChampionsPlayoff BerthLeague Leader
Season Team League Conference Division Regular season Postseason results
FinishWinsLossesTies
2016 2016 AIF Southern1120
2017 2017 NAL 4th1120
Totals2240All-time record (2016–2017)

Head coaches' records

Note: Statistics are correct through the end of the 2017 National Arena League season.

NameTermRegular seasonPlayoffsAwards
WLTWin%WL
David Daniels, Jr. 2016 010.000
Antwone Savage 20162017 6130.316

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AF2</span> Former Arena Football Leagues developmental league

The AF2 was the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like its parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football rules and style of play. League seasons ran from April through July with the postseason and ArenaCup championship in August. The AF2 continued to operate while the AFL suspended operations for its 2009 season. The league was effectively disbanded in September 2009 when no team committed to playing in 2010, but several of the stronger franchises transferred into the reconstituted AFL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corpus Christi Fury</span> American indoor football team

The Corpus Christi Fury, was a professional indoor football team based in Corpus Christi, Texas, United States. The Fury played its home games at the American Bank Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Indoor Football</span> Professional indoor football league

American Indoor Football (AIF) is a professional indoor football league, one of the several regional professional indoor football leagues in North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spokane Shock</span> Arena football team

The Spokane Shock were a professional indoor American football team based in Spokane, Washington, that played their home games at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. The team was initially a member of arenafootball2 (af2), the Shock won division titles in all four seasons and ArenaCups in 2006 and 2009 before they joined the Arena Football League (AFL) in its 2010 relaunch. The team advanced to the playoffs three times after joining the AFL, winning ArenaBowl XXIII in their first season, making them the only arena football franchise to win both the ArenaCup and the ArenaBowl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Columbus Lions</span> American indoor football team

The Columbus Lions are a professional indoor football team based in Columbus, Georgia, and are a member of American Indoor Football.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lehigh Valley Steelhawks</span>

The Lehigh Valley Steelhawks were a professional indoor football team based in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The Steelhawks began play as an expansion team in the Indoor Football League (IFL) in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida Tarpons</span> 2010s indoor American football team

The Florida Tarpons were a professional indoor football team based in Lakeland, Florida, out of the RP Funding Center. Originally established in Estero, Florida, and playing out of Germain Arena, they began play in 2012 as an expansion team of the Ultimate Indoor Football League (UIFL). The Tarpons joined the X-League Indoor Football (X-League) during the 2015 season when the UIFL merged with the X-League. They played in the Arena Pro Football (APF) league in 2017 before the league became the American Arena League (AAL) for 2018. For 2019, there was an ownership transition that formed their own Florida-based league, called the A-League, and the team rebranded as the Lakeland Tarpons. The team was removed from the A-League schedule at the start of the 2019 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Professional Indoor Football League</span>

The Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL) was a professional indoor football league that played four seasons from 2012 to 2015. Like the Lone Star Football League, the PIFL was mainly composed of teams formerly part of Southern Indoor Football League. Despite the name, this PIFL had no connections to the original Professional Indoor Football League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape Fear Heroes</span> US professional indoor football team from North Carolina

The Cape Fear Heroes were a professional indoor football team based in Fayetteville, North Carolina. They last played in the American Arena League in 2019. The Heroes were owned by Barbara Spigner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Steam</span> Indoor American football team

The Southern Steam are a professional indoor football team and currently a member of Elite Indoor Football (EIF) since 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Triangle Torch</span>

The Triangle Torch was a professional indoor football team playing in North Carolina. The team first played as the Triangle Torch in Raleigh, North Carolina, and was named after the larger Research Triangle region. The Torch started in 2016 as an expansion franchise of American Indoor Football (AIF). The AIF ceased operations and the Torch joined Supreme Indoor Football for the 2017 season. For the 2018 season, the team relocated to Kenansville, North Carolina, as the East Carolina Torch, and joined the American Arena League for its inaugural season.

Supreme Indoor Football (SIF) is an inactive professional indoor football league based in the Southeastern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlanta Vultures</span>

The Atlanta Vultures were a professional indoor football team and a member of American Indoor Football (AIF) that played part of the 2016 season. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, the Vultures were to play their home games at the Georgia International Convention Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Myrtle Beach Freedom</span>

The Myrtle Beach Freedom were a professional indoor football team based in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and played their home games at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. They were a member of American Indoor Football for one season until the league ceased operations in the summer of 2016.

The 2016 American Indoor Football season was the eleventh and final season of American Indoor Football (AIF). The regular season began February 27, 2016, and ended on May 23, 2016. Each team played a game schedule of varying lengths.

The 2016 Georgia Firebirds season was the first season for the American indoor football franchise, and their first in American Indoor Football.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Arena League</span> American indoor football league

The National Arena League (NAL) is a professional indoor football league that began play in 2017. For the upcoming 2024 season, the league consists of six teams.

The 2017 National Arena League season was the inaugural season of the National Arena League (NAL). Playing with eight teams spread across the eastern and southern United States, the league's regular season kicked off on March 17, 2017, when the Columbus Lions hosted the Jacksonville Sharks and lost 41–56. The regular season ended 14 weeks later on June 17, 2017, with the Sharks hosting the Monterrey Steel and the Lions visiting the Georgia Firebirds. The playoffs were held in two rounds, with the top seed hosting the fourth seed and the second seed hosting the third seed, with the winners of these games facing in the 2017 NAL Championship hosted by the highest remaining seed.

The 2017 Georgia Firebirds season was the second season for the professional indoor football franchise and first in the National Arena League (NAL). The Firebirds were one of eight teams that competed in the NAL for its inaugural 2017 season

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Arena League</span> U.S. indoor football league

The American Arena League (AAL) is a dormant professional indoor football minor league that began playing in 2018. The league was initiated by a merger between Arena Pro Football (APF) and the Can-Am Indoor Football League (Can-Am), although the AAL only claimed the APF history after the former Can-Am founder left the league. Teams from both leagues, new teams, and later teams from Supreme Indoor Football and National Arena League constituted the new league for its inaugural season.

References

  1. "Georgia Firebirds to join the AIF in 2016". Georgia Firebirds. November 18, 2015. Archived from the original on November 20, 2015. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
  2. Carlton Fletcher (November 18, 2015). "Georgia Firebirds, city of Albany finalize arena football pact". www.albanyherald.com. Albany Herald. Archived from the original on November 26, 2015. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
  3. "Firebirds Announce New Coach". www.oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. March 21, 2016. Retrieved March 21, 2016.
  4. "Wheels derail the Firebirds game vs Savannah". WTOL 11. May 14, 2016. Archived from the original on August 15, 2016. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
  5. "Georgia Firebirds to join Arena Development League". The Albany Herald . September 13, 2016.
  6. "WEEKLY SPORTS LEAGUE & FRANCHISE REPORT". OurSports Central. May 22, 2017.