Louisville Boasts 11 AFL Players
January 20, 2003 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release
NEW YORK â Eleven former players from the Louisville Cardinals are on the preseason rosters of AFL teams â the most of any college or university. Arizona is second with 10 players and New Mexico State is third with nine. Cincinnati and Marshall tie for fourth with eight players each.
Among the 11 Louisville players is Orlando Predators quarterback JAY GRUDEN, a seven-year veteran and the League's only active player already in the Arena Football Hall of Fame. This offseason, Gruden is moonlighting as an assistant coach for the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are led by Jay's brother, Bucs' Head Coach JON GRUDEN. Jay will coach this Sunday in Super Bowl XXXVII, but will return to the Predators immediately following the game.
Gruden won four ArenaBowls as a player with the Tampa Bay Storm from 1991-96, retired following the '96 season and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1999. As head coach of the Orlando Predators from 1998-2001, Gruden won two more ArenaBowls, but returned to the field in 2002.
Louisville alumni and all AFL players will receive more exposure than ever before as a result of the League's innovative agreement with NBC Sports. The network will broadcast up to 70 AFL games â the second-most number of games of any sports league on network-TV, behind only the NFL â including all playoff games and ArenaBowl XVII on June 22. Nineteen weeks of regional coverage on NBC begins Sunday, February 2.
Following are the 11 Louisville players on AFL preseason rosters:
Name, Team, Pos., Exp.
Aaron Bailey, San Jose, WR/LB, 2
LaVell Boyd, Detroit, WR/LB, R
Kevin Gaines, Georgia, DS, 5
Mike Gantous, Indiana, OL/DL, 2
Kendrick Gholston, Georgia, OL/DL, R
Jay Gruden, Orlando, QB, 7
Reggie Hargrove, Detroit, OL/DL, 1
Tyrus McCloud, Georgia, FB/LB, R
Brian McDonald, Indiana, WR/DB, R
Jason Padget, Indiana, OL/DL, R
Mike Watkins, Georgia, QB, R
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from January 20, 2003
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