Anthony Payton Joins Empire Coaching Staff
November 9, 2016 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Spokane Empire News Release
Anthony Payton Joins Empire Coaching Staff
(Spokane Empire, Credit: Portland Steel AFL)
SPOKANE, Washington (November 9, 2016) - The Empire has announced the addition of Assistant Coach Anthony Payton to the team's football operations staff in preparation for the 2017 Indoor Football League season.
Payton will be entering his ninth coaching season in 2017 after returning to the sidelines last year with the AFL's Portland Steel. Before his return to football in 2016, Anthony took the time to focus on his music career as he managed his record label Southern Soul Records. Beyond performing, he also taught piano and vocal lessons.
In 1993 Anthony's post-high school football career began at East Mississippi Community College (EMCC) as a quarterback, which has recently been featured on the Netflix original series "Last Chance U," before transferring to Kentucky Wesleyan University. His transition to KWU also brought about a change of position to wide receiver for his final three collegiate seasons (1994-1997), which would lead him to a nine-year professional career in indoor and arena football.
Payton's first professional experience came with the former Indoor Football League's Dayton Skyhawks (1999, 2000) where he led the league in receptions, receiving yards, yards per catch, yards after catch, and touchdowns. The now defunct IFL of the late 1990s and early 2000s did not have any association with the current Indoor Football League. Over the course of the next seven years, Payton played for the AFL's New Jersey RedDogs (2000, 2001), New Jersey Gladiators (2002), Buffalo Destroyers (2003), and the Las Vegas Gladiators (2005). He also spent time with two af2 franchises, the Louisville Fire (2002, 2004, 2006-2008) and Cincinnati Swarm (2003). During his time in Cincinnati and Louisville, Payton played for now Empire Head Coach Adam Shackleford who held the offensive coordinator positions for the respective franchises.
During his time with the Louisville Fire, Payton held several career receiving records including reception (231), yards (3,008), and touchdowns (54). He was also the Fire's career leader in all-purpose yards (3,561), points scored (350), and total touchdowns (58).
Anthony's coaching career began at Kentucky Wesleyan where he coached quarterbacks and wide receivers for two seasons (1998, 1999). In 2003 in Louisville, Kentucky, Payton coached at Eastern High School. He would go on to become the offensive coordinator at Fern Creek High School in 2004 and the defensive coordinator in 2005.
After his final professional season in 2006 with the af2's Lousiville Fire, Payton took over the offensive coordinator position in 2007 and 2008. His predecessor was none other than Empire Head Coach Adam Shackleford, who had left Louisville to take over as Head Coach for the former af2's Spokane Shock. Payton's Louisville Fire team went on to defeat the Spokane Shock in the 2007 af2 Playoffs.
"When Anthony Payton played for me in Cincinnati and Louisville I immediately recognized that he would not only would he be a standout player but also a terrific coach someday," said Empire Head Coach Adam Shackleford. "He has a football mind and is always well prepared. Now that he has significant experience in coaching both as a position coach and coordinator I am thrilled to have him on my staff."
Payton currently resides in Shelbyville, Kentucky with his wife, Tamara Zaborac-Payton.
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 Anthony Payton Joins Empire Coaching Staff (Portland Steel AFL) |
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