Russell Walter Michna (born February 3, 1981) is a former

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 ...

quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...

. A two-time league champion of the United Football League (UFL), he is the only player that has been signed to a team in every current major professional football league:

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 ...

(NFL),

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

(CFL), UFL and AFL. Michna also played in the

Continental Indoor Football League The Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) was an indoor football league based along the Midwestern United States region that played nine seasons from 2006 to 2014. It began play in April 2006 as the Great Lakes Indoor Football League (GLIF ...

(CIFL). Michna played college football for

Western Illinois University Western Illinois University (WIU) is a public university in Macomb, Illinois. It was founded in 1899 as Western Illinois State Normal School. As the normal school grew, it became Western Illinois State Teachers College. History Western Illin ...

, leading the Leathernecks to back-to-back I-AA Playoff appearances. However, Western Illinois lost to

Western Kentucky Western Kentucky is the western portion of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It generally includes part or all of several more widely recognized regions of the state. ;Always included * The Jackson Purchase, the state's westernmost generally recogniz ...

and Colgate. He was a two-time Gateway Conference Offensive Player of the Year. He went undrafted in the

2004 NFL Draft The 2004 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24–25, 2004 at the Theater at ...

, but signed an

undrafted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

contract with the

St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994. The arr ...

. After spending the 2004 season on the practice squad, he failed to make the Rams' roster in 2005. Following his release, he signed with the

Winnipeg Blue Bombers The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a professional Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Blue Bombers compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West division. They play their home games at IG Fie ...

of the CFL. After spending the most of the season as a back-up, Michna played in a few games for the Blue Bombers due to

Tee Martin Tamaurice Nigel "Tee" Martin (born July 25, 1978) is an American football coach and former quarterback who is the quarterbacks coach for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as an assistant coach at th ...

's ineffectiveness. After just a single game with the Blue Bombers in 2006, he was released. He then joined the Chicago Rush in 2007, where he spent the season as the back-up to

Matt D'Orazio Matthew Louis D’Orazio (born October 1, 1976) is a former American football quarterback who played in the Arena Football League (AFL). He played college football at Otterbein College. D'Orazio was a member of the Roanoke Steam, Rochester Brigad ...

. In 2008, the Rush signed AFL legend

Sherdrick Bonner Sherdrick Deon "Sed" Bonner (born October 19, 1968) is a former American football quarterback who played fifteen seasons in the Arena Football League (AFL). High school years Bonner attended Azusa High School in Azusa, California and was a stude ...

, making Michna the back-up once again, but an injury to Bonner forced Michna into action. Michna didn't disappoint, leading the Rush to a 7-3 record down the stretch, clinching the 2008 Central Division Championship. When the AFL suspended operations in 2009, Michna agreed to play for the

Chicago Slaughter The Chicago Slaughter were an American professional football team based in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Having been inactive since 2013, the franchise was a part of the CIFL from 2007 to 2009, winning the championship in 2009. The Slaughter joined ...

of the

(CIFL). Michna and other members of the Rush, lead the Slaughter to a perfect 12-0 regular season, and defeated the

Fort Wayne Freedom The Fort Wayne Freedom was a professional indoor football team based in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The team was most recently a member of the Continental Indoor Football League, but originally began play in 2003 as an expansion team in the National ...

in the 2009 CIFL Championship Game. After the indoor season ended, Michna signed with the newly formed UFL's

Las Vegas Locomotives The Las Vegas Locomotives (called the Locos for short) were a professional American football team based in Las Vegas, Nevada that played in the United Football League. The team played their home games at Sam Boyd Stadium, home field for the Unive ...

. Michna served as a back-up on the Locomotives for two seasons, as the team would win back-to-back

UFL Championship Game The UFL Championship Game was an American football game held annually to determine the champion of the United Football League. The game was played annually from the UFL's first season in 2009 until the 2011 season, and involved the first and seco ...

s. When the AFL restructured in 2010, Michna re-signed with the Rush, as served as their starting quarterback for two seasons. After starting the 2013 season not on a roster, 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 ...

signed him two a two-year contract, and traded incumbent starter Aaron Garcia to Orlando, making Michna the unquestioned starter.

Early years

Michna attended

James B. Conant High School James B. Conant High School is a public four-year high school located in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Township High School District 211, which also includes William Fremd ...

Hoffman Estates, Illinois Hoffman Estates is a village in Illinois, United States. The village is located primarily in Cook County, with a small section in Kane County. It is a suburb of Chicago. Per the 2020 census, the population was 52,530. The village now serves a ...

and was a student and a

letterman Letterman may refer to: * Letterman (sports), a classification of high school or college athlete in the United States People * David Letterman (born 1947), American television talk show host ** ''Late Night with David Letterman'', talk show that ...

in football,

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

, and

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

. In football, he was an All-State selection as a senior. Russ Walter Michna graduated from

in 1999.

College career

Michna played college football at

. Michna spent his first two seasons with the Leathernecks as the backup quarterback to Sam Clemons, who guided the team to a Gateway Conference Championship in 2000. As a junior in 2002, Michna became the starter quarterback, and lead the Leathernecks to back-to-back I-AA Playoff appearances. However, Western Illinois lost to

and Colgate. Michna was the Gateway Conference Offensive Player of the Year in 2002 and 2003.

College career statistics

Professional career

St. Louis Rams (2004–2005)

After going undrafted in the

, Michna signed as an

with the

. He spent the 2004 season on the Rams' practice squad, but was released during training camp in 2005.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2005–2006)

After his release from the Rams, he signed with the

of the

. After starting quarterback

Kevin Glenn Kevin Glenn, Jr. (born June 12, 1979) is a former American professional Canadian football quarterback. He was originally signed by the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL) as an undrafted free agent in 2001. He played co ...

suffered an injury, Michna saw game action when back-up

was ineffective. He appeared in one game with the Blue Bombers in 2006 before he was released on August 20.

Chicago Rush (2007–2008)

Michna joined the Chicago Rush 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 ...

in 2007, after the team was coming off a victory in

ArenaBowl XX ArenaBowl XX, held on Sunday, June 11, 2006, was played to determine the championship of the 2006 season of the Arena Football League (AFL). For the second consecutive year, the game was played at the neutral site of the Thomas & Mack Center in P ...

. He spent the season as the team's second-string quarterback behind

and in the regular season, completed just two of three passes for 44 yards. However, a back injury hampered D'Orazio at the end of the season. Although, D'Orazio started both of the Rush playoff games, Michna saw action in each. In the opening game, the Rush took a 31-14 lead over the

Los Angeles Avengers The Los Angeles Avengers were an Arena Football League team based in Los Angeles, California, from 2000 through 2008. They folded on April 19, 2009. History The Los Angeles Avengers played their home games at the Staples Center, which is also th ...

, en route to a 52-20 win. This allowed D'Orazio to rest, Michna completed all six of his passes for 73 yards. The following week, on the road against 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 ...

in the conference championship, D'Orazio started, but was ineffective with the back injury. He completed just six of 18 passes with three interceptions. The Sabercats jumped out to a 28-7 lead, and Michna came in. He went 22 of 30 for 247 yards, five touchdowns to one pick, but the Rush could not complete the comeback, and fell 61-49. It was the third time the Rush met San Jose in the AFL semifinals, and second time the team lost. San Jose would go on to win

ArenaBowl XXI ArenaBowl XXI was the 2007 championship game of the Arena Football League and was played at the New Orleans Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana on Sunday, July 29, 2007. It was the third-ever neutral site title game in league's history and the first ...

with a 55-33 win over the

Columbus Destroyers The Columbus Destroyers were an Arena Football League (AFL) team based in Columbus, Ohio, with home games in Nationwide Arena. The team was founded in as the Buffalo Destroyers, based in Buffalo, New York, and relocated to Columbus in . They fol ...

. In 2008, D'Orazio signed with 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 featu ...

, and the Rush signed AFL veteran

, who figured to be the starter. However, Bonner got injured early in the season and Michna was named the Rush's starting quarterback. He would lead the team the rest of the way, even when Bonner got healthy. Michna finished the season with 57 touchdowns, seven interceptions and 2,721 yards on 239 completions and 351 attempts. The Rush finished the season 11-5, won the division, and for the first time in franchise history, had home field advantage for the playoffs. However, the Grand Rapids Rampage, who made the playoffs as a wild card seed with just a 6-10 record, stunned the Rush with a 58-41 upset in the Divisional Playoffs.

Chicago Slaughter (2009)

When the Arena Football League suspended operations in 2009, Michna signed with the

of the CIFL, along with other Rush players and coaches

Donovan Morgan Andrew Vassos (born January 10, 1976) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Donovan Morgan. Best known for his near five-year run as a Pro Wrestling NOAH mainstay in Japan and Ring of Honor in the United States, M ...

Bobby Sippio Robert Lee "Bobby" Sippio, Jr. (born December 4, 1980) is a former American football wide receiver. He was signed by the Peoria Pirates in 2002. He played college football at Western Kentucky. During Sippio's professional career, he played for t ...

Dennison Robinson Marquette Dennison Robinson (born September 7, 1978 in Monroe, Louisiana) is a former American football defensive back of the Arena Football League (AFL). He now serves as the Assistant Defensive Coordinator and ((Director of Player Development) ...

DeJuan Alfonzo DeJuan R. Alfonzo (born January 12, 1977) is a former American football wide receiver/linebacker. Alfonzo attended Indiana State University. College and NFL career Alfonzo was a first-team All-American defensive back and a first team All-Amer ...

, and Bob McMillen. Michna led the

to an undefeated record (14-0) and a CIFL Championship. He was named the CIFL Offensive Player of the week 1 time and was named league MVP. Not only had he led the Chicago Slaughter to their first undefeated season, he had also led the

to its first championship. Michna has also broken the record for most touchdowns in a game (twice, the second time he broke his own record.)

Las Vegas Locomotives (2009–2010)

Michna was signed by the

of the United Football League on August 31, 2009 and served as a back-up during the Locos championship run. Although cut before the season began, Michna returned to the Locos in 2010 when an injury to Tim Rattay opened a slot as back-up again on the Locos' roster.

Return to the Rush (2010–2012)

Michna was re-signed by the Chicago Rush on January 2, 2010. He was once again the team's starting quarterback. In fourteen contests, he completed 290 of 423 passes for 3,860 yards, 70 touchdowns and 11 interceptions for a quarterback rating of 126.0. It was good enough to finish second in the league in passer rating, behind

Milwaukee Iron Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee i ...

quarterback

Chris Greisen Christopher J. Greisen (born July 2, 1976) is a former American football quarterback who played professionally the National Football League (NFL) for the Arizona Cardinals, Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys and current coach for West De Pere ...

, who would sign with the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...

at the end of the year. For the 2011 season, he switched his jersey number from 8 to 12, which he wore in college. Michna led the Rush to a 9-3 record before suffering an ankle injury. In 12 games, he put up 2,896 yards, 66 touchdowns, 13 interceptions and completed 236 of 354 passes for a 116.0 rating.

San Jose SaberCats (2013–2014)

On April 22, 2013, the

announced that they have been assigned Michna on a two-year contract. San Jose also placed quarterback Aaron Garcia on recallable reassignment, and later traded him to Orlando, to make room on the 24-man roster.

References

External links

Arena Football League bioJust Sports Stats
{{DEFAULTSORT:Michna, Russ 1981 births Living people People from Elk Grove Village, Illinois Players of American football from Illinois American football quarterbacks American players of Canadian football Canadian football quarterbacks Western Illinois Leathernecks football players St. Louis Rams players Winnipeg Blue Bombers players Chicago Rush players Chicago Slaughter players Las Vegas Locomotives players San Jose SaberCats players James B. Conant High School alumni