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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.
The Bossier–Shreveport Battle Wings were an Arena Football League team based in Bossier City, Louisiana. They played at the CenturyTel Center in Bossier City and took their name from the metropolitan area that consists of Bossier City and neighboring city Shreveport in the Ark-La-Tex corridor. Playing in the defunct af2 from their inception in 2001 until the league's folding in 2009, the team had its best seasons in 2002, 2007, 2008, and 2009 having clinched division titles in the latter two years. They were also the only seasons in which the team had more wins than losses. In 2007, the Battle Wings clinched their first-ever playoff berth, beating the Arkansas Twisters and Rio Grande Valley Dorados before being beaten by the eventual Arena Cup champion Tulsa Talons. Despite having little success in their earlier days, the Battle Wings turned out some players who went on to appear in both the Canadian Football League and for other teams the Arena Football League, in which the team itself played for a single season after the AFL emerged from bankruptcy and resumed operations. Following the 2010 season, the team moved to New Orleans, Louisiana for the 2011 AFL season and became a successor to the New Orleans VooDoo. Bossier City was considered as a potential site for the 2024 revival of the AFL, but CenturyLink Center did not have enough open dates to accommodate a team, and thus the Louisiana AFL franchise, also named the VooDoo, was given to Lake Charles
The Peoria Pirates were a professional arena football team that last played in AF2, the minor league to the Arena Football League (AFL). They played their home games at Carver Arena, part of the Peoria Civic Center in Illinois, and were coached by Mike Hohensee and Bruce Cowdrey. The Pirates originally began play as a charter member of the original Indoor Football League in 1999.
Marquette Dennison Robinson is a former American football defensive back of the Arena Football League (AFL). He now serves as the Assistant Defensive Coordinator and ( )for the Chicago Blitz of the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL). He last played for the Chicago Slaughter of the CIFL. He attended the University of West Georgia.
Justin Allgood is a former American football quarterback who played two seasons in the Arena Football League (AFL) with the Tulsa Talons and Philadelphia Soul. He played college football at Trinity Valley Community College and Central Oklahoma.
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.
Chris Hixson is a former American football quarterback who played three seasons in the Arena Football League (AFL) with the Arizona Rattlers and Georgia Force. He played college football at the University of Rhode Island. He was also a member of the Tallahassee Thunder of the af2.
Aaron Sparrow is a former American football quarterback who played three seasons in the Arena Football League (AFL) with the Nashville Kats, Grand Rapids Rampage and Carolina Cobras. He played college football at Norfolk State University. He was also a member of the Calgary Stampeders, Augusta Stallions, Buffalo Destroyers, Norfolk Nighthawks and Wichita Stealth.
Samuel Clemons is a former American football quarterback who played one season in the Arena Football League (AFL) with the Georgia Force and New York Dragons. He first enrolled at University of California, Berkeley before transferring to Western Illinois University. He attended Oak Ridge High School in El Dorado Hills, California. Clemons was also a member of the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Rush, Dallas Desperados, Quad City Steamwheelers, and Kane County Eagles.
Robert Bees is a former American football quarterback who played two seasons in the Arena Football League (AFL) with the Oklahoma Wranglers, San Jose SaberCats and Buffalo Destroyers. He played college football at Rocky Mountain. He was also a member of the Richmond Speed, Billings Outlaws/Mavericks, Las Vegas Gladiators and Tulsa Talons.
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.
Anthony Buich is a former American football quarterback who played one season with the Grand Rapids Rampage of the Arena Football League (AFL). He played college football at Eastern Illinois University. He was also a member of the Iowa Barnstormers, Tulsa Talons, Tampa Bay Storm, Wichita Stealth, Nashville Kats and San Diego Riptide.
Andrico Hines is a former American football quarterback who played three seasons in the Arena Football League (AFL) with the Cleveland Gladiators and Pittsburgh Power. He first enrolled at Middle Georgia College before transferring to Southwest Mississippi Community College and then Middle Tennessee State University. He attended Riverdale High School in Riverdale, Georgia. Hines was also a member of the South Georgia Wildcats, Chattahoochee Valley Vipers, Spokane Shock, Bossier–Shreveport Battle Wings and Alabama Vipers.
Steve LeRoi Papin is a former American football offensive specialist who played seven seasons in the Arena Football League (AFL) with the San Jose SaberCats and New York Dragons. He first enrolled at West Valley College before transferring to Portland State University. He attended Piedmont Hills High School in San Jose, California. Papin was also a member of the Scottish Claymores and San Diego Riptide.
Cornelius Coe is a former American football defensive specialist who played four seasons in the Arena Football League (AFL) with the Indiana Firebirds and Los Angeles Avengers. He played college football at Northern Michigan University. He was also a member of the Quad City Steamwheelers and Peoria Pirates.
Frank Carter is a former American football fullback/linebacker who played seven seasons in the Arena Football League (AFL) with the New Jersey/Las Vegas Gladiators, Nashville Kats, Utah Blaze and San Jose SaberCats. He played college football at MacMurray College. He was also a member of the Duluth-Superior Lumberjacks and Quad City Steamwheelers.
Will Rabatin is a former American football offensive lineman who played two seasons with the Columbus Destroyers of the Arena Football League (AFL). He first enrolled at Georgetown College before transferring to the University of Louisville. He attended St. Xavier High School in Louisville, Kentucky. Rabatin was also a member of the Louisville Fire of the af2.
Steve "Speedy" Gonzalez is a former American football wide receiver who played one season with the Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League (AFL). He first enrolled at Modesto Junior College before transferring to Menlo College. Gonzalez was also a member of the San Diego Riptide, Manchester Wolves, Green Bay Blizzard and Dallas Vigilantes. He appeared on Michael Irvin's reality show 4th and Long.
Moqut Ruffins was an American football offensive lineman. He played college football at Louisiana Tech University. He has also been a member of the Lakeland Thunderbolts, Laredo Lobos, Lubbock Renegades, Bossier–Shreveport Battle Wings, New Orleans VooDoo, Pittsburgh Power, San Antonio Talons and Washington Valor.
Tracy J. Belton is a former American football defensive back. He played college football at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and attended Largo High School in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. He has also been a member of the Arkansas Twisters, Green Bay Blizzard, Milwaukee Iron, Georgia Force, Jacksonville Sharks, Orlando Predators, New Orleans VooDoo and the Philadelphia Soul.
References
- ↑ "John Rayborn". utepathletics.com/. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
- ↑ "Rayborn Name to All-af2 First Team". www.oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. August 23, 2002. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
