Daytona Beach Thunder
| Daytona Beach Thunder | |
 |
|
| Founded | 2006 |
| League | AIFL 2006 WIFL 2007 TBD 2008 or 2009 |
| Team History | Daytona Beach Thunder 2006-present |
| Arena | Ocean Center |
|---|---|
| Based in | Daytona Beach, Florida |
| Team Colors | Black, gold, silver, white |
| President of Football Operations | Leon Bright |
| Head Coach | Leon Bright |
| Championships | 0 |
| Division Titles | 0 |
| Dancers | Daytona Beach Lightning |
| Mascot | Boomer |
The Daytona Beach Thunder was a charter member of the World Indoor Football League that began play in February, 2006 in the American Indoor Football League under coach Ervin Bryson and owners Kevin and Zack McDonald. The team made some pre-season headlines when former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback and FOX broadcaster Terry Bradshaw signed an actual players contract in a "blatant publicity stunt" at a Daytona Beach speaking engagement. Bradshaw never played.
The team also garnered attention for its unique logo and its 45-foot sleeper bus that transported the team to its away games and delivered relief supplies to New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. A partnership with the local PBS station produced a 30-minute show that aired weekly during the season.
On Friday, March 24, 2006, after losing their first three games, the Thunder got their first-ever win 49-24 against the Augusta Spartans on the road. The team put itself in position for a playoff berth at 5-4, but a three-game losing streak all but denied the Thunder the post-season. The team finished its inaugural season with a 6-8 record, with six losses coming at a combined margin of 19 points.
On Monday, June 12, the Thunder parted ways with Bryson. After an extensive search, the Thunder named former CFL Rookie of The Year, New York Giant and Tampa Bay Buc Leon Bright as Head Coach/Director Of Football Operations.
Tragedy struck the team on February 26, 2007, when rookie defensive back Javan Camon was killed after a hard but clean hit during a game with the Columbus Lions. The player, once a captain at the University of South Florida, likely broke his neck in the hit. [1]
Major arena news hit Daytona Beach with the word that Barry Wagner (former Orlando Predators & San Jose SaberCats WR/DB) would be joining the team after getting cut from the Tampa Bay Storm at the beginning of the 2007 AFL season.[2]
On September 19, 2007, Daytona Beach announced they are leaving the WIFL in hopes of joining af2 for either the 2008 or 2009 season. [3]
Season-By-Season
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties
| Season | W | L | T | Finish | Playoff results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daytona Beach Thunder (AIFL) | |||||
| 2006 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 5th Southern | -- |
| Daytona Beach Thunder (WIFL) | |||||
| 2007 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 4th League | -- |
| Totals | 10 | 18 | 0 | ||
Retired Numbers
- 12 Javan Camon
External links
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
