The Orlando Predators were a professional
arena football
Indoor American football, or arena football, is a variation of gridiron football played at ice hockey-sized indoor arenas. While varying in details from league to league, the rules of indoor football are designed to allow for play in a smaller ...
team based in
Orlando, Florida
Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County, Florida, Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Greater Orlando, Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, acco ...
and member of the
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 season, making it the third longest-running professional football league in ...
(AFL). The team was most recently owned by Orlando Predators LLC, a company owned by
David A. Siegel
David Alan Siegel (born May 3, 1935) is an American businessman who founded Westgate Resorts Ltd, a Florida-based timeshare resort firm where he serves as president and chief executive officer. He has ten biological children and two adopted ch ...
, and played its home games at
Amway Center
Amway Center is an indoor arena located in Downtown Orlando, Florida. The arena is home to the Orlando Magic of the NBA, the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL, and the Orlando Predators of the National Arena League.
Amway Center hosted the 2012 N ...
.
The team was founded in as an
expansion team
An expansion team is a new team in a sports league, usually from a city that has not hosted a team in that league before, formed with the intention of satisfying the demand for a local team from a population in a new area. Sporting leagues also ...
of the AFL. The team advanced to the playoffs 19 consecutive seasons between and , becoming the
ArenaBowl champions in
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...
and
2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
during that span. The team suspended operations after the 2016 season. A new organization led by former Predator
Kenny McEntyre
Kenny "The Glove" McEntyre (born December 12, 1970) is a former arena football defensive back. He played college football at Kansas State Wildcats football, Kansas State.
McEntyre played for the Indianapolis Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas Ci ...
obtained the Predators branding and
relaunched the team in the
National Arena League
The National Arena League (NAL) is a professional indoor football league that began play in 2017. It consists of teams based on the East Coast of the United States.
Teams' typical payroll budget is $600,000 per season, while players are paid $ ...
for the 2019 season.
History
Early years (1991–1997)
There was interest in arena football in Orlando as early as 1987, with a group looking to place an AFL team in central Florida in time for the 1988 season. But more than three years would go by until the Orlando Predators franchise was finally secured by
Davey Johnson
David Allen Johnson (born January 30, 1943) is an American former professional baseball player and manager. He played as a second baseman from through , most notably as a member of the Baltimore Orioles dynasty that won four American League ...
, Tracy Allen and
Mike McBath
Michael Strickler McBath (born May 29, 1946 in Woodbury, New Jersey) is an American businessman, former professional American football player, and part-owner of the Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League. He is a former president of the N ...
on February 14, 1991. The Preds began play that same year but missed the playoffs, the only time the club would do so until 2012. In just their second season in 1992, they advanced to
ArenaBowl VI
ArenaBowl '92 (or ArenaBowl VI) was the Arena Football League's sixth Arena Bowl. The game featured the #2 Detroit Drive (8–2) against the #1 Orlando Predators (9–1). Earlier in the regular season, these two teams met with the Predators winning ...
, only to fall to the
Detroit Drive
The Massachusetts Marauders were a professional arena football team that was based in Worcester, Massachusetts. They were a member of the Arena Football League (AFL) from 1988 to 1994. The team was established in Detroit in 1988, as the Detroit D ...
, who won their fourth title in five years. Annually among the league-leaders in attendance, they qualified for the playoffs in 18 consecutive seasons, the longest streak in the original AFL. One noted administrator for the Predators was
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coach ...
lineman,
Jack Youngblood
Herbert Jackson Youngblood III (born January 26, 1950) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL) for fourteen seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. He ...
, who came to the Predators in 1995 as vice-president and then later, president of the organization. He was with the team through the 1999 season.
Gruden era / Two titles in four years (1998–2008)
For much of their existence in the original AFL, their head coach was
Jay Gruden
Jay Michael Gruden (born March 4, 1967) is an American football coach and former quarterback who is an offensive consultant for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the head coach of the Washington ...
, younger brother of prominent
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
coach
Jon Gruden
Jon David Gruden (born August 17, 1963) is a former American professional football coach who was a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons. He held his first head coaching position with the Raiders franchise during thei ...
and who would go on to coach the NFL's
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
. Jay Gruden was formerly an outstanding Arena Football quarterback, leading the
Tampa Bay Storm
The Tampa Bay Storm were a professional arena football team based in Tampa, Florida, US. It played in the Arena Football League (AFL). Originally the team was located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and operated as the Pittsburgh Gladiators. The f ...
to four
ArenaBowl championships, and then served one year as offensive coordinator for the
Nashville Kats
The Nashville Kats were an Arena Football League team, located in Nashville, Tennessee. They were last coached by Pat Sperduto, who coached the team's original incarnation to two ArenaBowl appearances prior to the original franchise's move to A ...
prior to becoming head coach of the Predators. Jay was the first quarterback in the AFL Hall of Fame. Orlando won the ArenaBowl in
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...
and
2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
under Gruden's coaching. He then attempted a comeback as a player, but subsequently returned to coaching following the death of his head coach replacement,
Fran Papasedero
Fran Papasedero (March 21, 1969 – June 19, 2003) was an Arena football player and coach. Papasedero coached the Arena Football League's Orlando Predators in the 2002 and 2003 seasons, having been appointed to replace Jay Gruden who wanted to r ...
, in a car accident.
The Predators were one of the premier franchises in the history of the original AFL, and had a rivalry with Tampa Bay, who moved to Tampa the same year the Predators formed. They met twice in the ArenaBowl, with Tampa Bay winning in
1995
File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...
and Orlando winning in 1998. The rivalry, nicknamed the "
War on I-4" after the interstate that connects the two cities, intensified when Gruden took over as Orlando's head coach.
Orlando and Tampa Bay each lasted longer in their markets than any other AFL franchise have, . The Predators were unique in that they had played in their previous venue,
Amway Arena
Amway Arena (originally known as Orlando Arena and later TD Waterhouse Centre) was an indoor arena located in Orlando, Florida. It was part of the Orlando Centroplex, a sports and entertainment complex located in Downtown Orlando. The arena wa ...
, for 18 seasons in the AFL, longer than any other team. Amway Arena was often nicknamed "The Jungle" during Predators games due to the hostile environment from the fans, harsh smoke that filled the arena during the players intro, and a
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1985. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band comprised vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKa ...
song
A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetitio ...
which "welcomed" other teams. They shared Amway Arena with the
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was establ ...
of the
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
and the
Orlando Titans
The Orlando Titans were a professional lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League that played in the 2010 season. The Titans began as the New York Titans, and played for three seasons in New York before announcing the move to Orlando on Augus ...
of the
NLL. The 2010 season was the Predators' 19th and final season at Amway Arena. The team moved to
Amway Center
Amway Center is an indoor arena located in Downtown Orlando, Florida. The arena is home to the Orlando Magic of the NBA, the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL, and the Orlando Predators of the National Arena League.
Amway Center hosted the 2012 N ...
, the new arena in Orlando, for the 2011 season. A Predators game was the final sporting event ever performed at Amway Arena.
The team's mascot was a monster-like human named ''Klaw'' who looked much like the alien (
Predator
Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...
) from the
''Predator'' films, with only different coloring.
The Predators played in the ArenaBowl a total of seven times. If the Pittsburgh Gladiators' two ArenaBowl games before they moved to Tampa Bay are included, the Storm was the only franchise that played in more (eight; six as the Storm).
During the 2007 season, the Predators inaugurated the "Predator Fan Hall of Fame". The inaugural inductees were Nancy Morris and Richard Grabe. Morris, was a superfan for over 20 years, was known to most of the team and the front office as "The PredMom", and was the president of the Orlando Predator In Your Face Fan Club. Grabe, who also was a superfan (starting in 1991), was the creator of the "PredHeads" that were seen being worn by a select group of fans that sat in section 113 of the old Amway Arena. They were also known for their tailgating parties on "Predator Island" (located in the northeast corner of lot 4 of the Centroplex). After moving to the new Amway Center, the majority of "PredHeads" sat in section 114, and tailgated under I-4 in lot 9.
Revival of AFL (2010–2016)
The Predators maintained their organization and web presence after the AFL suspended operations in August 2009. On September 28, 2009, the Predators announced their return to play for the 2010 season as a member of the new Arena Football 1 league, until that league purchased the AFL's assets and assumed the AFL's history. With Jay Gruden obligated to the
UFL by his contract with the
Tuskers, eventually becoming the team's head coach, they hired former quarterback
Pat O'Hara
Patrick O'Hara (born September 27, 1968) is an American football coach and former quarterback who is the Pass game analyst for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the head coach of the New Orleans ...
as their head coach for the 2010 season. When the schedule for the league's season was announced on December 31, 2009, the Predators were slated to return to action on April 9, 2010. In the 2010 season, the Predators finished with an 8–8 record. They qualified for the playoffs, but lost the conference championship to the Tampa Bay Storm by a single point as a last-second field goal attempt was unsuccessful.
In
2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
, the Predators finished the regular season 11–7, but fell to the
Jacksonville Sharks
The Jacksonville Sharks are a professional indoor football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, playing their home games at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. Beginning in 2017, the Sharks began play as charter members of the National Arena Leag ...
in the conference semifinals by a score of 63–48.
With a 4–14 record in
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
under first-year head coach
Bret Munsey
Bret Munsey (born August 19, 1968) is an American football coach. Previously he was the head coach for the Orlando Predators and Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League, and also an executive for the Florida Tuskers of the United Footbal ...
, the Predators missed the playoffs for the first time since their inaugural season in 1991. Following the end of the season, Munsey was released as head coach.
Under
Doug Plank
Douglas Walter Plank (born March 4, 1953) is a former American football safety and coach in the National Football League.
Early life
Plank attended Norwin High School in North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, where he played baseball, basketball, an ...
for the
2013 season, the Predators lost their first five games of the season. It was then that the team acquired veteran quarterback
Aaron Garcia in a trade with the
San Jose SaberCats
The San Jose SaberCats were a professional arena football team based in San Jose, California. The SaberCats had been members of the Arena Football League (AFL) since 1995 (the year in which the team was founded); and until 2015, they belonged to ...
. The Predators went on to win seven of their remaining thirteen games following the trade to finish the season with a 7–11 record, which was good enough to clinch a playoff berth. However, they were eliminated in the conference semifinals by the
Philadelphia Soul
Philadelphia soul, sometimes called Philly soul, the Philadelphia sound, Phillysound, or The Sound of Philadelphia TSOP, is a genre of late 1960s–1970s soul music characterized by funk influences and lush instrumental arrangements, often feat ...
. With two weeks remaining during the regular season, Brett Bouchy sold his controlling interest in the team to The Pearsall Holdings LP for an undisclosed amount. Plank retired following the season.
The Predators moved to
CFE Arena
Addition Financial Arena (formerly known as CFE Arena and UCF Arena) is a sports and entertainment arena located in Orlando, Florida, United States, on the main campus of the University of Central Florida. It was constructed beginning in 2006 ...
on the campus of the
University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida (UCF) is a public research university whose main campus is in unincorporated Orange County, Florida. UCF also has nine smaller regional campuses throughout central Florida. It is part of the State University ...
in 2014, after the
Amway Center
Amway Center is an indoor arena located in Downtown Orlando, Florida. The arena is home to the Orlando Magic of the NBA, the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL, and the Orlando Predators of the National Arena League.
Amway Center hosted the 2012 N ...
informed the team that they had defaulted on their lease for failing to meet attendance requirements. On December 25, 2013, the Predators announced that
Rob Keefe
Rob Keefe (born November 5, 1980) is a former arena football defensive specialist and coach. Keefe has five championship victories and is the only person in arena football history to win ArenaCup (af2) and ArenaBowl (AFL) titles as both a player ...
would become the seventh coach in franchise history. In May 2014, it was announced that majority owner David Pearsall had sold the team to an undisclosed ownership group, but the team was taken over by the AFL. In July 2014, reports began to surface that
David A. Siegel
David Alan Siegel (born May 3, 1935) is an American businessman who founded Westgate Resorts Ltd, a Florida-based timeshare resort firm where he serves as president and chief executive officer. He has ten biological children and two adopted ch ...
had purchased the franchise with the intent to move the team back into the Amway Center. On July 15, 2014, Siegel confirmed his purchase of the Predators.
On December 8, 2014, the Predators suspended head coach Rob Keefe with pay while an investigation was ongoing by the Orange County Sheriff's Office into accusations of domestic violence. The charges were since dropped.
During the week of June 18, 2016, the entire Arena Football League, including the hometown Predators, displayed patches and stickers "ORL" as a remembrance of the victims killed in the Pulse Nightclub massacre.
On October 12, 2016, the Orlando Predators announced they had suspended operations due to the reduced number of teams in the AFL and other pending disagreements with the league.
Revival in the National Arena League (2019)
In 2019, former Predator
Kenny McEntyre
Kenny "The Glove" McEntyre (born December 12, 1970) is a former arena football defensive back. He played college football at Kansas State Wildcats football, Kansas State.
McEntyre played for the Indianapolis Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas Ci ...
launched a new
Predators
Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill the ...
team in the
National Arena League
The National Arena League (NAL) is a professional indoor football league that began play in 2017. It consists of teams based on the East Coast of the United States.
Teams' typical payroll budget is $600,000 per season, while players are paid $ ...
.
Predator highlights
The Predators made Arena Football League history in consecutive weeks during the 1992 season:
* On June 13, 1992, the team defeated the
San Antonio Force 50–0. San Antonio kicker Matt Frantz missed six field goals. This is the first game shutout in the history of indoor football. Although there have been shutouts in
af2
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 ...
and other indoor football leagues, it proved to be the only shutout ever recorded in the original AFL.
* On Friday, June 19, 1992, in a Week 4 road game against the
Detroit Drive
The Massachusetts Marauders were a professional arena football team that was based in Worcester, Massachusetts. They were a member of the Arena Football League (AFL) from 1988 to 1994. The team was established in Detroit in 1988, as the Detroit D ...
, quarterback
Ben Bennett
Allen Beverly Bennett II (born May 5, 1962) is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals and Chicago Bears. He also was a member of the Jacksonville Bulls, Chicago Bruisers, D ...
and the Predators trailed 42–32 with only 49 seconds left. In a miraculous feat of strength, Wide receiver / Defensive back
Barry Wagner
Barry Wagner (born November 24, 1967) is a retired American football player in the Arena Football League for the Orlando Predators, with whom he won his first ArenaBowl Championship, and the San Jose SaberCats, with whom he won two championships. ...
would catch two touchdown passes, get two two-point conversions, recover an onside kick, and made a game-ending tackle. With a safety added in, Orlando would win, 50–49. The comeback would become known as "The Miracle Minute". On the AFL's 20 Greatest Highlights Countdown, this comeback ranked #1.
http://www.arenafootball.com/mediaPlayer/video.dbml?DB_MENU_ID=&SPSID=38064&SPID=3172&DB_OEM_ID=3500&CLIP_ID=31848&CLIP_FILE_ID=35915&CONTENT_TYPE=ONDEMAND
/ref>
Players
Final roster
Arena Football Hall of Fame members
Individual awards
All-Arena players
The following Predators players were named to All-Arena teams:
* QB Ben Bennett
Allen Beverly Bennett II (born May 5, 1962) is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals and Chicago Bears. He also was a member of the Jacksonville Bulls, Chicago Bruisers, D ...
(2), Joe Hamilton (1)
* FB/LB Paul McGowan (2), Rick Hamilton
Richard R. Hamilton (born April 19, 1970) is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the New York Jets. He played college football at the University of Central ...
(1), Rupert Grant
Rupert Grant (born November 5, 1973 in Washington, D.C., United States ) is a former Arena Football League fullback/linebacker most recently with the now defunct Nashville Kats. His nickname is "Dogghead". During his time in the AFL, Grant h ...
(1)
* WR T. T. Toliver (1), Greg Carr (1), Brandon Thompkins (1)
* WR/DB Barry Wagner
Barry Wagner (born November 24, 1967) is a retired American football player in the Arena Football League for the Orlando Predators, with whom he won his first ArenaBowl Championship, and the San Jose SaberCats, with whom he won two championships. ...
(6), Bret Cooper
Bret Cooper (born December 16, 1970) is a former American football player who played twelve seasons in the Arena Football League (AFL) with the Tampa Bay Storm, Memphis Pharaohs, San Jose SaberCats, Orlando Predators, Buffalo Destroyers and Georg ...
(1)
* WR/LB Cory Fleming
Cory Lamont Fleming (born March 19, 1971) is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys. He also was a member of the Nashville Kats, Carolina Cobras and Orlando Predators in the A ...
(2)
* DL Greg White (1), Daryl Cato-Bishop (1)
* OL/DL Webbie Burnett
Webbie Burnett (born November 7, 1967) is a former American football defensive tackle who played ten seasons in the Arena Football League with the Orlando Predators and Toronto Phantoms. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the eleventh r ...
(1), Rusty Russell
Rusty Russell is an Australian free software programmer and advocate, known for his work on the Linux kernel's networking subsystem and the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard.
Software development
Russell wrote the packet filtering systems ip ...
(1), Victor Hall (1), Rich McKenzie (1), B. J. Cohen
B. J. Cohen (born June 10, 1975) is a former American football offensive lineman and defensive lineman in the Arena Football League (AFL).
High school career
Cohen was born in Conley, Georgia. He attended Cedar Grove High School in Ellenwood, G ...
(1), Ernest Allen (3), Jermaine Smith
Jermaine Smith (born February 3, 1972) is a former American Arena Football League player. He went to Laney High School in Augusta, Georgia, US, where he played defensive tackle as well as fullback. He began his collegiate career at Georgia Mil ...
(1), E. J. Burt
Emmanuel Jamaal 'E.J.' Burt (born October 22, 1977) is a former American football defensive lineman.
Early life
Emmanuel Jamaal Burt was born in Akron, Ohio.
College career
Burt enrolled in the University of Akron, and played football there du ...
(1), Henry Taylor (1)
* LB Marlon Moye-Moore (1), Tanner Varner
Tanner Varner (born July 13, 1984) is an American football linebacker who is currently retired. He first enrolled at Ellsworth Community College before transferring to the University of Northern Iowa. Varner has been a member of the Arkansas Twi ...
(1), Terence Moore
Terence Moore is an American sports journalist based in Atlanta. He has appeared on national and local television, including ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', CNN, and various ESPN shows, most prominently "Outside The Line." He was a frequent guest on E ...
(2)
* DB Kenny McEntyre
Kenny "The Glove" McEntyre (born December 12, 1970) is a former arena football defensive back. He played college football at Kansas State Wildcats football, Kansas State.
McEntyre played for the Indianapolis Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas Ci ...
(2), Rayshaun Kizer
Rayshaun Kizer (born February 3, 1985) is an Defensive Coach for the Duke City Gladiators of the Indoor Football League. He was the former Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator of the Massachusetts Pirates of the Indoor Football League. He is al ...
(2), Varmah Sonie (1)
* K Jorge Cimadevilla
Jorge Cimadevilla (born November 11, 1965) is a former American football placekicker who played seven seasons in the Arena Football League with the Orlando Predators, Tampa Bay Storm and Nashville Kats. He played college football at East Tennesse ...
(2), Jay Taylor (1), Carlos Martinez, Mark Lewis (2)
* DS Durwood Roquemore
Durwood Clinton Roquemore (born January 19, 1960) is a former American football cornerback who played professionally in the National Football League (NFL), United States Football League (USFL), and Arena Football League (AFL).
Early life
Roquem ...
(3), Chris Barber
Donald Christopher "Chris" Barber OBE (17 April 1930 – 2 March 2021) was an English jazz musician, best known as a bandleader and trombonist. He helped many musicians with their careers and had a UK top twenty trad jazz hit with " Petite Fl ...
(2), Kenny McEntyre
Kenny "The Glove" McEntyre (born December 12, 1970) is a former arena football defensive back. He played college football at Kansas State Wildcats football, Kansas State.
McEntyre played for the Indianapolis Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas Ci ...
(6), Damon Mason
Damon Mason (born April 21, 1974) is a former American football defensive back.
Playing career High school career
Mason played high school football at Destrehan High School.
College career
Mason played college football at the University of So ...
(2)
* OS/KR Herkie Walls
McCurey Hercules "Herkie" Walls (born July 18, 1961) is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League and Arena Football League. Walls is currently the head coach of the Orlando Predators of the National A ...
(1)
* KR Dominic Jones
Dominic Jones (born January 18, 1987) is a former American football defensive back. He played college football at the University of Minnesota before being dismissed from the program and transferring to Otterbein College. He attended Brookhaven ...
(1), Brandon Thompkins (2)
All-Ironman players
The following Predators players were named to All-Ironman teams:
* FB/LB Marlon Moye-Moore (2)
* WR/DB Barry Wagner
Barry Wagner (born November 24, 1967) is a retired American football player in the Arena Football League for the Orlando Predators, with whom he won his first ArenaBowl Championship, and the San Jose SaberCats, with whom he won two championships. ...
(1)
* WR/LB Barry Wagner
Barry Wagner (born November 24, 1967) is a retired American football player in the Arena Football League for the Orlando Predators, with whom he won his first ArenaBowl Championship, and the San Jose SaberCats, with whom he won two championships. ...
(1), Cory Fleming
Cory Lamont Fleming (born March 19, 1971) is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys. He also was a member of the Nashville Kats, Carolina Cobras and Orlando Predators in the A ...
(2)
* OL/DL B. J. Cohen
B. J. Cohen (born June 10, 1975) is a former American football offensive lineman and defensive lineman in the Arena Football League (AFL).
High school career
Cohen was born in Conley, Georgia. He attended Cedar Grove High School in Ellenwood, G ...
(1), Reggie Lee (1)
All-Rookie players
The following Predators players were named to All-Rookie teams:
* QB Craig Whelihan
Craig Dominic Whelihan (born April 15, 1971) is a retired American football quarterback in the NFL, XFL, and AFL. He played college football at the University of the Pacific.
High school years
Born in San Jose, California, Whelilhan graduated ...
* FB Odie Armstrong
Odie Armstrong (born September 30, 1981) is a former American football fullback. He played college football at Northwestern Oklahoma State University. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Orlando Predators in 2008.
Early life
Armstr ...
* FB/LB Rick Hamilton
Richard R. Hamilton (born April 19, 1970) is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the New York Jets. He played college football at the University of Central ...
* WR/DB Javarus Dudley
* WR/LB Thabiti Davis
Thabiti Naeem Davis (born March 24, 1975) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League and Arena Football League. He was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 1999. He played with the Ne ...
* OL/DL Connell Spain
Connell may refer to:
Places
*Connell (barony), County Kildare, Ireland
**Great Connell Priory, a historic former house
*Connell, Washington, United States
Other uses
*Connell (surname), including a list of people with the name
See also
*Con ...
, E. J. Burt
Emmanuel Jamaal 'E.J.' Burt (born October 22, 1977) is a former American football defensive lineman.
Early life
Emmanuel Jamaal Burt was born in Akron, Ohio.
College career
Burt enrolled in the University of Akron, and played football there du ...
, Greg White
* OL Bobby Harris
Bobby Harris (born June 15, 1983) is a former professional Gridiron football, American and Canadian football offensive lineman who last played for the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League (2009), United Football League. He was signed by ...
* LB Lance Mitchell
Lance Robert Mitchell (born October 9, 1981) is a former American football player. He was drafted in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. He played college football at Oklahoma Sooners football, Oklahoma.
In his career ...
* DB Rayshun Reed
Brandon Rayshun Reed (born April 10, 1981) is a former American football defensive back who played one season with the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He played college football at Troy University and attended Russell County H ...
, Ahmad Carroll
Ahmad Raheem Carroll (born August 4, 1983) is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at Arkansas and was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft.
Carroll was also a member of the Jac ...
* OS Siaha Burley
Siaha Burley (born July 16, 1977) is an American former arena football wide receiver and former head coach. He played college football at UCF Knights football, UCF and was also the head coach of the Jacksonville Sharks from 2017 to 2019 before re ...
, Travis McGriff
William Travis McGriff (born June 24, 1976) is an American former college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in two different professional football leagues. McGriff played college football for the University of Florida, ...
* K Nick Gatto
Nick may refer to:
* Nick (given name)
* A cricket term for a slight deviation of the ball off the edge of the bat
* British slang for being arrested
* British slang for a police station
* British slang for stealing
* Short for nickname
Place ...
, Jay Taylor
Coaches of note
Head coaches
Staff
Season-by-season
Notes
External links
Official website
Orlando Predators at ArenaFan
{{Defunct Arena Football League franchises
1991 establishments in Florida
2016 disestablishments in Florida