| Florida Tuskers | |||||
| Year founded: 2009 | |||||
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| City | Orlando, Florida | ||||
| Head coach | Jim Haslett | ||||
| Owner(s) | Stuart Sternberg | ||||
| General manager | Rick Mueller | ||||
| Affiliations | |||||
| United Football League (2009-present) | |||||
| Current uniform | |||||
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| Team colors | Blue, Black, White
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| Team history | |||||
| Florida Tuskers (2009-present) | |||||
| Championships | |||||
| League championships (0) | |||||
| Home fields | |||||
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The Florida Tuskers are a professional American football team in Orlando, Florida that play in the United Football League.
The city of Orlando, Florida was awarded a franchise in the United Football League. Their home stadium is the Citrus Bowl and Jim Haslett, former head coach of the New Orleans Saints and St. Louis Rams, is the head coach. Tampa Bay Rays owner Stuart Sternberg has a share in the team.
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Franchise history
Former NFL head coach of the New Orleans Saints and St. Louis Rams Jim Haslett, was named the first head coach of the team, on March 11, 2009.[1]
Tryouts for the four teams that would play in the 2009 season took place in Orlando and Las Vegas during the summer, with the draft taking place on June 19. With their first selection, the Tuskers picked Fred Bledsoe, who had gone undrafted in the 2008 NFL Draft before signing with the Green Bay Packers as a practice squad member.
The team's name, along with its colors and uniforms, were unveiled to the public in August, two months before the start of the season.[2] On the same day it was announced that the Tampa Bay Rays had bought interest in the team.[3]
2009 season
In their inaugural season, the Tuskers were led by quarterback Brooks Bollinger, and wide receiver Taye Biddle. Bollinger was the league leader in passing yards, while Biddle led in receiving yards. On the defensive side of the ball, Odell Thurman led the team in tackles, Patrick Chukwurah was the league leader in sacks, and Jerome Carter led the league in interceptions.
The team was noted for having a large number of former players from the nearby Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Among the Buccaneer alumnus were Matt Bryant, who once kicked a game-winning 62-yard field goal as time expired, which is also the third-longest successful attempt in NFL history, Micheal Spurlock, the first player in Tampa Bay history to return a kickoff for a touchdown, and Super Bowl XXXVII MVP Dexter Jackson.[4]
The Tuskers put together a league-best undefeated 6–0 record in the regular season, clinching a spot in the championship game in Week 4. However in the championship game, the Tuskers were beaten by the Las Vegas Locomotives, losing on a game-winning field goal in overtime. Despite the team being unable to complete a perfect season, Jim Haslett was named Coach of the Year, while Bollinger was given the league's MVP award.[5]
Season-by-season records
| Season | W | L | T | Avg. | Finish | Postseason |
| 2009 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 1st | Lost Championship Game (Las Vegas) 20–17 (OT) |
| Totals | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | – | – |
Current personnel
Current staff
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Florida Tuskers staff
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Front Office
Head Coaches
Offensive Coaches
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Defensive Coaches
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Current roster
References
- ^ "UFL Names Jim Haslett Head Coach of the Orlando Franchise". United Football League. 2009-03-11. http://www.ufl-football.com/press/2009/03/11/ufl_names_jim_haslett_head_coach_of_the_orlando_franchise. Retrieved 2009-11-30.
- ^ "United Football League Introduces Florida Tuskers as Team Name & Unveils Uniforms". United Football League. 2009-08-12. http://www.ufl-football.com/press/2009/08/12/united_football_league_introduces_florida_tuskers_as_team_name_unveils_uniforms. Retrieved 2009-11-30.
- ^ Lancaster, Marc (2009-08-12). "Rays buy into UFL franchise, slate game at Trop". Tampa Bay Online. http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/aug/12/121624/rays-buy-ufl-franchise-slate-game-trop/. Retrieved 2009-11-30.
- ^ Harry, Chris (2009-10-28). "Former Bucs presence being felt in UFL". Orlando Sentinel. http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2009-10-28/sports/0910270213_1_tuskers-bucs-super-bowl-xxxvii. Retrieved 2009-11-30.
- ^ "United Football League Announces Season-End Awards". UFL. 2009-12-02. http://www.ufl-football.com/press/2009/12/02/united_football_league_announces_season_end_awards. Retrieved 2009-12-03.
External links
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