Gruden to make eighth Arena Bowl appearance
June 6, 2006 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release
LAS VEGAS - Orlando Head Coach JAY GRUDEN will make his eighth appearance (four as a player, four as a coach) when the Predators take on the Chicago Rush in ArenaBowl XX Las Vegas on Sunday, June 11 at the Thomas & Mack Center at Noon PT/3 p.m. ET on NBC.
"The return was a long time in coming, now we need to finish the task," Gruden said of the Predators first title game appearance since 2000. "Chicago is an outstanding team that will present a lot of challenges to us both offensively and defensively."
Gruden, now in his 15th AFL season as a player or coach, has won six total ArenaBowl rings. In his first ArenaBowl appearance (ArenaBowl V) in 1991, he completed a 35-yard touchdown pass to STEVIE THOMAS with 39 seconds remaining in the game to give the Tampa Bay Storm their first-ever ArenaBowl title.
Two years later, in ArenaBowl VII, Gruden passed for 204 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Storm to their second championship in three seasons.
ArenaBowl X, which was voted the Greatest Game in AFL History by the League' s Historical Committee, showcased two of the best quarterbacks in AFL history - Gruden and Iowa's KURT WARNER - against each other with Gruden prevailing to give Tampa its second straight championship.
After trading the huddle for a headset, Gruden began his coaching career in 1997 as the offensive coordinator for the Nashville Kats. Gruden's offensive knowledge helped the Kats become the first expansion team in AFL history to reach the postseason. Shortly after, Gruden was named head coach of the Predators.
Gruden's impact in Orlando was immediate as he led the Predators to three straight ArenaBowl berths. The Predators won the first ArenaBowl in franchise history as they defeated his former team, the Storm, in ArenaBowl XII. After losing ArenaBowl XIII to the Albany Firebirds, the Predators defeated Nashville in ArenaBowl XIV by a score of 41-38, which is tied for the narrowest margin of victory in ArenaBowl history.
In his AFL career Gruden has been in 228 contests as a head coach or player and has been victorious on 160 occasions for a winning percentage of 70.2 percent. This Sunday he will be gunning for his seventh ArenaBowl title to tie his former mentor, Storm head coach TIM MARCUM, for most ArenaBowl victories.
Tickets for ArenaBowl XX are available at www.arenabowl.com and start at just $12 per ticket. This is the second consecutive year Las Vegas has been home to the Arena Football Championship Game. For a complete listing of events and activities surrounding ArenaBowl XX visit www.arenabowl.com for more information.
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from June 6, 2006
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