The Lincoln Haymakers were a professional indoor football team based in
Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln is the capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Lancaster County. The city covers with a population of 292,657 in 2021. It is the second-most populous city in Nebraska and the 73rd-largest in the United Sta ...
. The Haymakers played their 2013–2014 home games at the
Pershing Center
The Pershing Center (originally known as Pershing Auditorium) is a 4,526-seat multi-purpose arena in Lincoln, Nebraska. Although still physically in place, it is no longer in use.
History
On February 12, 1900, Lincoln's first municipal auditoriu ...
.
The Haymakers were the second indoor football team to call Lincoln home, following the
Lincoln Lightning/Capitols which played in the original
Indoor Football League
The Indoor Football League (IFL) is a professional indoor American football league created in 2008 out of the merger between the Intense Football League and United Indoor Football. It has one of the largest number of currently active teams amon ...
(1999–2000),
arenafootball2
The AF2 (often styled as af2, and short for arenafootball2) was the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like its parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football ru ...
(2001), and the
National Indoor Football League
The National Indoor Football League (NIFL) was a professional indoor football league in the United States. For their first six years, the league had teams in markets not covered by either the Arena Football League or its developmental league, A ...
(2002–2006). The Haymakers were last coached by
Cory Ross
Cory Ross (born September 22, 1982) is a former American football, Canadian football and indoor football running back. He is now the head coach of the Quad City Steamwheelers of the Indoor Football League (IFL). He most recently played for the E ...
. In 2013, Ross served as an interim head coach after previous coach Dave Brumagen was suspended for the season after pushing an
Omaha Beef
The Omaha Beef is an indoor football team and a charter member of the Champions Indoor Football (CIF) league. Based in Omaha, Nebraska, the Beef play their home games at Liberty First Credit Union Arena in nearby Ralston.
History First 13 seas ...
player to the ground after the player had scored a touchdown on May 11. Brumagen was replaced by Trever Whiting on July 22, 2013 as the Haymakers Head Coach. Three months later Whiting was dismissed from the organization. On October 28, 2013, Ross was officially announced by the team as the new head coach for the second season of play.
After playing in the
Champions Professional Indoor Football League
The Champions Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL) was an indoor football minor league based along the Midwestern United States region. The league began play in February 2013. In August 2014, the CPIFL and Lone Star Football League (LSFL) ...
for two seasons, the league merged with the
Lone Star Football League
The Lone Star Football League (LSFL) was a regional professional indoor football minor league that played three seasons from 2012 to 2014. All of the LSFL's charter teams were based in the state of Texas, with five teams coming from the Southern ...
to create
Champions Indoor Football
Champions Indoor Football (CIF) is a professional indoor American football minor league created in 2014 out of the merger between the Champions Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL) and Lone Star Football League (LSFL), plus one team from ...
for the 2015 season, Lincoln was left out of the league.
Mission statement
To build the city of Lincoln a top tier indoor football organization on and off the playing field, with a focus on family entertainment and community involvement.
Nickname
The Haymakers name traces its roots as a boxing term for a round-house punch. Nebraska's blue collar work ethic and agricultural base also adds to the significance of the Haymakers name. Lincoln's Arena, the
Pershing Center
The Pershing Center (originally known as Pershing Auditorium) is a 4,526-seat multi-purpose arena in Lincoln, Nebraska. Although still physically in place, it is no longer in use.
History
On February 12, 1900, Lincoln's first municipal auditoriu ...
, is located near a historic region in Lincoln named the
Haymarket Haymarket may refer to:
Places
Australia
* Haymarket, New South Wales, area of Sydney, Australia
Germany
* Heumarkt (KVB), transport interchange in Cologne on the site of the Heumarkt (literally: hay market)
Russia
* Sennaya Square (''Hay Squ ...
.
Mascot and cheerleaders
The Haymakers mascot is a Black Stallion named HayWire who is officially listed as #85 on the team roster. The Cheerleaders are officially known as the "Haymakers' Knockouts" The Haymakers dropped cheerleaders after Rich Tokhiem purchased the team before the 2014 season.
Franchise history
The franchise started as the Council Bluffs Rams founded in 2000 by Jake Hiffernan.
The team started in the recreational Nebraska Indoor Football League, playing with football equipment purchased by Hiffernan, then 24, with his first credit card.
They played their games indoors in Lincoln for two years before moving to an outdoor eight-man field in
Malcolm, Nebraska
Malcolm is a village in Lancaster County, Nebraska, Lancaster County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Lincoln, Nebraska Lincoln, Nebraska metropolitan area, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 382 at the 2010 United States ...
.
The team, which changed its name to the River City Redemption, won the NIFL title in 2003 and was invited to play an indoor exhibition game against the
American Professional Football League champion,
Kansas Koyotes
The Kansas Koyotes, founded by Ralph Adams, were a professional indoor football and were a charter member of the Champions Professional Indoor Football League. Based in Topeka, Kansas, the Koyotes played their home games at Landon Arena.
The ...
.
The franchise would become the Iowa Blackhawks in 2004 and joined the APFL.
The Blackhawks won back-to-back APFL championships in 2009 and 2010,
with their 2009 victory ending the rival Kansas Koyotes six-year run as champions by defeating the Koyotes in the APFL Championship Game. The Blackhawks won the game in dominating fashion with a 63–17 victory over the Koyotes. Citing financial concerns, Hiffernan sold the team in 2011 to local businessman John Jerkovich in an attempt to keep it in Council Bluffs.
Brad Lindgren and Justin Hayes purchased the franchise and changed its name to the Council Bluffs Express.
Lindgren and Hayes were actually exploring the possibility of starting an expansion franchise in Lincoln prior to last season, but optioned to purchase the Blackhawks when Jerkovich offered the team to them instead.
The Express competed in the 2012 APFL Championship game before falling short to the Sioux City Bandits. Following the 2012 APFL season the franchise was purchased by Ho-Chunk Inc., the economic development of the
Winnebago Tribe
The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska ( win, Nįįšoc Hoocąk) is one of two federally recognized tribes of Ho-Chunk Native Americans. The other is the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin. Tribe members often refer to themselves as ''Hochungra'' – "People ...
. The ownership group moved the franchise to Lincoln, where they play as the Lincoln Haymakers.
Lincoln's first year in the
PIFLfailed to qualify for the playoffs with a 4-8 record. However, 7 of Lincoln's 8 losses came to playoff teams as the Haymakers had the #2 toughest schedule in the CPIFL. In the fall of 2013, Rich Tokhiem, who also owns the Omaha Beef indoor football team, purchased the Haymakers. Under Tokhiem's ownership, Lincoln traded their best player DB Courtney Grixby to the Omaha Beef before the 2014 season. The Haymakers finished 5-7 in 2014 and failed to make the playoffs. The Haymakers' ceased operations after the 2014 season.
League award winners
2014 All-CPIFL Team Member
K Benny Hanaphy
2013 CPIFL Best Media Relations and Social Media Award
PIFL Players of the WeekWeek 1, 2013 DB Cortney Grixby (Defense)
Week 2, 2013 DB Cortney Grixby (Special Teams)
Week 9, 2013 DB Cortney Grixby (Special Teams)
Week 13, 2013 WR Shane Scott (Offense)
Week 14, 2013 LB Willie Horn (Defense)
Week 3, 2014 RB Travis Ribbing (Offense)
Week 7, 2014 ATH Wayne Jacobs (Special Teams)
Week 9, 2014 DL Marcus Miles (Defense)
Week 10, 2014 DL Antonio Ficklin (Defense)
013 All-CPIFL Team MembersWR Nick Rhodes
DB Cortney Grixby
Coaches of note
Head coaches
Current coaching staff
Final roster
2013
Season schedule
Season-by-season results
References
External links
Official website
{{CPIFL
American football teams in Nebraska
Champions Professional Indoor Football League teams
Sports in Lincoln, Nebraska
American football teams established in 2004
American football teams established in 2014
2004 establishments in Nebraska
2014 disestablishments in Nebraska