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The Tampa Bay Storm 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
Tampa Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough County ...
,
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
, US. It played in 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). Originally the team was located in
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
, and operated as the Pittsburgh Gladiators. The franchise was one of the original four that launched 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 ...
for its inaugural season in 198. The club was relocated to
Tampa Bay area The Tampa Bay area is a major populated area surrounding Tampa Bay on the west coast of Florida in the United States. It includes the main cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater. It is the 18th largest metropolitan area in the United St ...
for the 1991 season, being the last of the original teams to either fold or leave its market. After 26 years in the Tampa market, the team ceased operations in December, 2017. The team actually played outside Tampa in nearby
St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
from 1991 to 1996, then in Tampa until 2008, after which point the AFL suspended operations and did not return until the 2010 season following the league's restructuring. It had been in the same city for longer than any other AFL team. During its tenure the franchise won five ArenaBowl championships. With 241 wins, the Storm had won far more games than any other team in AFL history. After the team dissolved in 2017, indoor football in the
Tampa Bay area The Tampa Bay area is a major populated area surrounding Tampa Bay on the west coast of Florida in the United States. It includes the main cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater. It is the 18th largest metropolitan area in the United St ...
was succeeded by the
Tampa Bay Tornadoes The Tampa Bay Tornadoes are a professional indoor football team based in Lakeland, Florida, (and representing the larger region of Tampa Bay) the Tornadoes play their home games at the RP Funding Center. The team joined American Arena League (AA ...
who began to play in
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in the
American Arena League The American Arena League (AAL) is a professional indoor football minor league that began playing in 2018. The league was initiated by a merger between Arena Pro Football (APF) and the Can-Am Indoor Football League (Can-Am), although the AAL o ...
. The club was last owned by
Jeffrey Vinik Jeffrey N. Vinik (born March 22, 1959) is the current owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning and a minority owner of the Boston Red Sox. He served on the board of directors for Liverpool Football Club of the Premier League from 2010–2013. Early life ...
, also the owner of the
NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
's
Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They play th ...
. Home games were played at
Amalie Arena Amalie Arena (officially stylized as AMALIE Arena) is a multipurpose arena in Tampa, Florida, that has been used for ice hockey, basketball, arena football, concerts, and other events. It is mainly used as the home for the Tampa Bay Lightning ...
in Tampa.


History

The Storm holds the Arena Football League record for the longest tenure by a franchise in a single market area. It was also the last of the original four franchises (the
Chicago Bruisers The Chicago Bruisers were a professional arena football team based in Rosemont, Illinois. They were founded in 1987 as a charter member of the Arena Football League (AFL). They played their home games at Rosemont Horizon. History Founding (1987) ...
, Denver Dynamite and
Washington Commandos The Washington Commandos were an arena football team based in Fairfax, Virginia. The Commandos were founded in 1987 and were an inaugural member of the Arena Football League (AFL), and were based in Landover, Maryland. After not playing during t ...
were the other three) to have operated in continuous existence from the formation of the league in 1987 until the present decade before ceasing operations.


Pittsburgh Gladiators (1987–1990)

When
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 ...
was first announced in 1986, Jim Foster targeted
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
for an inaugural franchise due to the great football tradition of the area. The franchise was originally known as the Pittsburgh Gladiators, and was one of the original four AFL teams formed in
1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...
. The team was named by Robert Ninehouser whose entry for the team name was selected in 1987. They originally played their home games at the
Pittsburgh Civic Arena The Civic Arena, formerly the Civic Auditorium and later Mellon Arena, was an arena located in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Civic Arena primarily served as the home to the Pittsburgh Penguins, the city's National Hockey League (NHL) ...
in Pittsburgh. On June 19, 1987, the Gladiators defeated the
Washington Commandos The Washington Commandos were an arena football team based in Fairfax, Virginia. The Commandos were founded in 1987 and were an inaugural member of the Arena Football League (AFL), and were based in Landover, Maryland. After not playing during t ...
48–46 in the first ever AFL regular season game. The Gladiators participated in ArenaBowls I and
III III or iii may refer to: Companies * Information International, Inc., a computer technology company * Innovative Interfaces, Inc., a library-software company * 3i, formerly Investors in Industry, a British investment company Other uses * Ins ...
, losing both.


Moving to St. Petersburg (1991–1994)

The team moved to
St. Petersburg, Florida St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 258,308, making it the fifth-most populous city in Florida and the second-largest city in the Tampa Bay Area, after Tampa. It is the ...
in
1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...
, with the team taking on the "Storm" moniker. A
Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
Arena Football League franchise later bore the Gladiators name; however, other than the coincidental names the two organizations shared no link in histories. The Storm won the ArenaBowl in its first season in Tampa Bay ( V) and has won four subsequent championships (
VII VII or vii may refer to: the Roman numeral 7 Art and entertainment * The Vii, a video game console * vii, leading-tone triad, see diminished triad * ''VII'' (Blitzen Trapper album) * ''VII'' (Just-Ice album) * ''VII'' (Teyana Taylor album) * ...
, IX, X, and
XVII 17 (seventeen) is the natural number following 16 and preceding 18. It is a prime number. Seventeen is the sum of the first four prime numbers. In mathematics 17 is the seventh prime number, which makes seventeen the fourth super-prime, as s ...
). Up to the 2006 season, the Storm had qualified for the playoffs in every season but one during their time in Tampa Bay. The team played in the former ThunderDome in St. Petersburg (now called
Tropicana Field Tropicana Field (commonly known as the Trop) is a Multi-purpose stadium, multi-purpose domed stadium located in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. The stadium has been the home of the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB) since the ...
) from 1991–
1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...
, becoming its first regular team sports tenant. Since
1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...
, the team played its home games in the
Amalie Arena Amalie Arena (officially stylized as AMALIE Arena) is a multipurpose arena in Tampa, Florida, that has been used for ice hockey, basketball, arena football, concerts, and other events. It is mainly used as the home for the Tampa Bay Lightning ...
in Tampa and previously known as the Ice Palace, St. Pete Times Forum, and Tampa Bay Times Forum.


Tim Marcum era (1995–2010)

After the 1994 season, Greis sold the team to Peter "Woody" Kern for $850,000. Kern's first move as the Storm owner was the hiring of coach Tim Marcum, who is widely regarded as the greatest coach in arena football history. On March 14, 2002, Kern had the opportunity to sell the Storm, receiving an offer from Michigan mortgage broker Thom Hopper for what was then a record price of $12 million. Hopper submitted two payments totaling $1.6 million before Kern regained possession of the team. Later in 2006, Hopper pleaded guilty to federal
wire fraud Mail fraud and wire fraud are terms used in the United States to describe the use of a physical or electronic mail system to fraud, defraud another, and are Federal crime in the United States, federal crimes there. Jurisdiction is claimed by the ...
charges that authorities say resulted from his attempt to buy the Storm. He was sentenced in January to nearly three years in prison and ordered to pay at least $1.8 million in restitution to a title insurance company, according to media reports. On December 23, 2004, ''
Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...
'' reported that the AFL's players' union filed a
grievance A grievance () is a wrong or hardship suffered, real or supposed, which forms legitimate grounds of complaint. In the past, the word meant the infliction or cause of hardship. See also * Complaint system A complaint system (also known as a co ...
against the Storm. The reason was that seven of the Storm's players claimed that some of the
diamond Diamond is a Allotropes of carbon, solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the Chemical stability, chemically stable form of car ...
s in their 2003 AFL championship rings were fake. Six of the seven players had left the team after the 2003 season. The Storm acknowledged that some of the rings did, in fact, include cubic
zirconia Zirconium dioxide (), sometimes known as zirconia (not to be confused with zircon), is a white crystalline oxide of zirconium. Its most naturally occurring form, with a monoclinic crystalline structure, is the mineral baddeleyite. A dopant stabi ...
instead of diamonds, and that different players received greater amounts of diamonds in their rings based on their contributions that season. The Storm ended the 2006 season with a 7–9 record (4th in their division), ending a 19-year streak of playoff appearances, dating back to their days as the Gladiators and the start 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 December 2007, Kern sold 51% of his stake in the Storm to Robert Nucci for just over $9.6 million, while still maintaining control of the other 49%. The Storm followed a 9–7 season and first-round playoff exit in
2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
with an 8–8 finish in
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
. The team salvaged the .500 record by defeating 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 ...
72–47 in Tampa. There was no 2009 Arena Football League season due to the league's ongoing financial difficulties, which resulted in its filing for
Chapter 7 bankruptcy Chapter 7 of Title 11 of the United States Code (Bankruptcy Code) governs the process of liquidation under the bankruptcy laws of the United States, in contrast to Chapters 11 and 13, which govern the process of ''reorganization'' of a debtor. ...
, later converted to
Chapter 11 Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code (Title 11 of the United States Code) permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Such reorganization, known as Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is available to every business, wheth ...
, leaving it uncertain if the Storm, arguably the most successful team in the history of any form of indoor football, would ever play another game.


New AFL (2010–2017)

A new arena football league, originally called Arena Football 1, formed in 2009. The Storm was not one of the initial 16 teams announced. However, Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings owner Dan Newman mentioned that the Storm were one of at least two former AFL franchises that were being negotiated with, the other being 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 new organization bought the rights to the
intellectual property Intellectual property (IP) is a category of property that includes intangible creations of the human intellect. There are many types of intellectual property, and some countries recognize more than others. The best-known types are patents, cop ...
, including the team names, logos, histories, and patented rules of the old AFL in a bankruptcy auction, which allowed it to function essentially as a full successor; after this action, the name Arena Football 1 was dropped and the group resumed operating as the Arena Football League. The Storm resumed full operations for the new league's 2010 season, with some players from the former roster, and once again coached by Tim Marcum and this time owned by Tampa Bay Storm Partners LLC, a group led by Todd Boren, a previous partner with the Orlando Predators and the Arizona Rattlers. The AFL released the schedule for the season on December 31, 2009. The Storm returned during the opening weekend of the season on April 3, 2010. On February 17, 2010, it was formally announced that the AF1 had adopted the former Arena Football League name. In the 2010 season the Storm went 11–5, finishing second in the South Division. In the playoffs, they earned a trip to
ArenaBowl XXIII NAPA Auto Parts ArenaBowl XXIII was an arena football game between the National Conference champion, Spokane Shock and the American Conference champion, Tampa Bay Storm. The Spokane Shock won the game successfully defending ArenaCup X of the form ...
, but lost to the
Spokane Shock The Spokane Shock were a professional indoor American football team based in Spokane, Washington, that played their home games at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. The team was initially a member of arenafootball2 (af2), the Shock won divisio ...
57–69. On February 17, 2011, Marcum would resign as head coach of the Storm less than a month before the 2011 season was to begin, after having the position for 15 years. He left as the AFL's all-time winningest head coach with 211 wins.
Dave Ewart David Ewart (born March 30, 1969) is the assistant head coach for the Jacksonville Sharks of the National Arena League (NAL). College career Ewart attended Salem International University from 1987 to 1988 playing as an offensive lineman on the T ...
was named as the team's new head coach the next day. His resignation was sparked by an admission in a deposition related to a lawsuit he had filed against the Storm's previous owner, Robert Nucci. In that deposition, Marcum admitted to forwarding emails that were pornographic and racially tinged to other members of the Storm organization, using his work email address. In April 2011, former
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
linebacker
Derrick Brooks Derrick Dewan Brooks (born April 18, 1973) is an American former football outside linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brooks played college football at Florida State, wh ...
became a part owner and the team president for the Storm. After a 7–4 start to the 2013 season, the Storm lost the final seven games of the season, but still qualified for the postseason. The Storm played well in their playoff game, but came up just short against 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 ...
. The team's collapse lead to the firing of Ewart. One month later, the team announced they had promoted
offensive coordinator An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of an American football or Canadian football team who is in charge of the team's offense. Generally, along with the defensive coordinator and the special teams coordinator, this coach re ...
, and Storm legend
Lawrence Samuels Lawrence 'Law Dogg' Samuels (born May 1, 1970) is an arena football coach and former wide receiver/linebacker. He played his college football at the Livingston University, and was an AFL wide receiver/linebacker from 1994 to 2010. He received bo ...
to the team's head coach. Samuels and the Storm mutually agreed to part ways in August 2016. On October 25, 2016, Ron James was named the head coach. In 2017, the Storm finished the regular season with a 10–4 record and later advanced to
ArenaBowl XXX ArenaBowl XXX was the championship game of the 2017 Arena Football League season. The game was broadcast on AFLNow, Twitter and WPVI-TV. It was played between the Philadelphia Soul and Tampa Bay Storm The Tampa Bay Storm were a professional ar ...
, where they lost to 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 ...
by a score of 44–40. In December 2017, the Storm announced it was ceasing operations due to increasing operating costs combined with decreasing team revenue. Ownership did not rule out future participation in a "stronger, reinvented AFL." The Storm was the last of the original four AFL teams to cease operations.


Storm highlights

* In a 1996 playoff game against the Arizona Rattlers the Storm had the lead late in the game, but the Rattlers came down the field and scored a touchdown with little time left on the clock. Rather than try to tie the game with an extra point, Rattlers coach
Danny White Wilford Daniel White (born February 9, 1952) is a former quarterback and punter for the Dallas Cowboys and an American football coach in the Arena Football League. He has been the color commentator for Cowboys games on Compass Media Networks' ...
elected to go for the win with the two-point conversion. Quarterback
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 ...
was stopped short and the Storm won the game. On the AFL's 20 Greatest Highlights this is ranked at number 10. * During a 1991 regular season game, the Storm found themselves down 17 points against the Albany Firebirds. However, they rallied late in the game to take a 57–53 lead. But it wasn't over yet as the Firebirds had five seconds left to come up with the touchdown from midfield. The Storm won the game with an interception off of the nets. On the AFL's 20 Greatest Highlights Countdown, this is ranked #8. *
ArenaBowl V ArenaBowl '91 (or ArenaBowl V) was the Arena Football League (1987–2008), Arena Football League's fifth ArenaBowl. The game featured the #2 Tampa Bay Storm (8-2) against the #1 Massachusetts Marauders, Detroit Drive (9-1). The Storm were in their ...
found the Detroit Drive hosting the Tampa Bay Storm. With seconds left in the game, quarterback
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 ...
threw deep to Stevie Thomas in the endzone. It was complete, and the Storm won the ArenaBowl. On the AFL's 20 Greatest Highlights Countdown, this is ranked number 5. * Stevie Thomas saves the Storm: During a 1995 semifinal game between Albany and Tampa Bay, took a late one-point lead with seconds left on the clock. On the ensuing kickoff the Storm couldn't field the ball off the nets and Stevie Thomas found himself in the very back of the endzone. Thomas broke five tackles at once coming out of the endzone and went all the way for a touchdown to give the Storm the win 56–49. They later went on to capture their 3rd ArenaBowl in 5 years. On the AFL's 20 Greatest Highlights Countdown, this is at #2. * On March 16, 2012, the Storm became the first AFL team to win 200 games in league history with a 50–47 victory over the
Georgia Force The Georgia Force was an Arena Football League (AFL) team based in Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States (part of suburban Atlanta) that played in the South Division of the American Conference. The team was owned by Doug MacGregor and Donn Je ...
. *The Storm had a heated rivalry with the
Orlando Predators The Orlando Predators were a professional arena football team based in Orlando, Florida and member of the Arena Football League (AFL). The team was most recently owned by Orlando Predators LLC, a company owned by David A. Siegel, and played its ...
known as the War on I-4. Both teams found success and faced each other in the ArenaBowl and playoffs numerous times.


Players


Final roster


Retired numbers


Arena Football Hall of Famers


Individual awards


All-Arena players

The following Gladiators/Storm players were named to All-Arena Teams: * QB
Willie Totten Willie "Satellite" Totten (born July 4, 1962) is an American football coach and former player. He is the assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach at Mississippi Valley State University, a position he had held since 2019. Totten played college ...
(1),
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 ...
(2),
Peter Tom Willis Peter Tom Willis (born January 4, 1967) is a former college and professional American football quarterback. From 1998 to 2008 he served as the radio color commentator for the Florida State University Seminoles, where he played his collegiate foo ...
(1),
Brett Dietz Brett Dietz (born October 8, 1981) is American football coach and former quarterback. He is the head football coach at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, a position he has held since 2020. Dietz played college football at Hanover College ...
(1) * FB/LB
Lynn Bradford Lynn Bradford is a former American football player who played four seasons in the Arena Football League with the Detroit Drive and Tampa Bay Storm The Tampa Bay Storm were a professional arena football team based in Tampa, Florida, US. It play ...
(1),
Andre Bowden Andre Bowden (born April 4, 1968) is a former fullback and linebacker in the Arena Football League and became the all-time leading rusher for the Tampa Bay Storm from 1993-1994, 1997- 2001, 2003- 2004. Bowden played college football for Fayett ...
(3),
Cedric McKinnon Cedric McKinnon (February 2, 1968 – May 23, 2016) was an American football player who played eight seasons in the Arena Football League with the Cleveland Thunderbolts and Tampa Bay Storm. He played college football College football (frenc ...
(1),
Les Barley Les Barley (born in Gretna, Virginia) is a former NFL, CFL and Arena Football League fullback and linebacker. In a career lasting ten years, he played for the Charlotte Rage, the Connecticut Coyotes, the Tampa Bay Storm, the Grand Rapids Rampage ...
(1) * WR
Joe Hills Joseph John Hills (14 October 1897 — 21 September 1969) was an English first-class cricketer, Test match umpire and professional footballer. Life and career Born in London in 1897, Hills served in World War I with the Royal Engineers and was ...
(1), T. T. Toliver (1) * WR/DB
Russell Hairston Russell Hairston (born February 10, 1964) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He also played in the Arena Football League for the Pittsburgh Gladiators, New England Steamrolle ...
(1),
Mike Stoops Michael Joseph Stoops (born December 13, 1961) is an American football coach and former player, who is the Linebacker, inside linebackers coach at the University of Kentucky. Stoops also served as the head football coach at the University of Ariz ...
(1),
Alvin Williams Alvin Leon Williams Jr. (born August 6, 1974) is an American retired professional basketball player who played for Villanova University and in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1997 to 2007. College career Williams graduated from G ...
(1), Thomas Monroe (1),
Julius Dawkins Julius Dawkins is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) and Arena Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the 12th round of the 1983 NFL Draft. As a college football player with the Univers ...
(1),
Melvin Cunningham Melvin Cunningham (born December 16, 1973) is a former American football defensive specialist who played two seasons with the Tampa Bay Storm of the Arena Football League (AFL). He played college football at Marshall University. He was also a mem ...
(1) * WR/LB
Stevie Thomas Stevie Thomas (born July 24, 1967) is a former Arena football wide receiver/linebacker in the Arena Football League (AFL). He played college football at Bethune-Cookman University. In 2011, Thomas was elected into the Arena Football Hall of F ...
(1),
Lawrence Samuels Lawrence 'Law Dogg' Samuels (born May 1, 1970) is an arena football coach and former wide receiver/linebacker. He played his college football at the Livingston University, and was an AFL wide receiver/linebacker from 1994 to 2010. He received bo ...
(4) * OL
Tom Kaleita Tom or TOM may refer to: * Tom (given name), a diminutive of Thomas or Tomás or an independent Aramaic given name (and a list of people with the name) Characters * Tom Anderson, a character in ''Beavis and Butt-Head'' * Tom Beck, a character ...
(1),
George Bussey George Bussey (born October 24, 1984) is a former American football offensive guard. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisville. Early years Bussey attended West ...
(1) * DL
Tim McGill Tim McGill (born June 24, 1979) is an American football defensive tackle who is currently a free agent, retired . He was signed by the Carolina Cobras as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Illinois Fighting Illini foot ...
(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) * OL/DL
Craig Walls Craig S. Walls (born December 24, 1958) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is a former American football offensive lineman/ defensive lineman in the Arena Football League. He also played linebacker in the United States Football League and the National ...
(2),
Keith Browner Keith Tellus Browner, Sr. (born January 24, 1962) is a former American football defensive end and outside linebacker. He is the father of Keith Browner, Jr. who was a linebacker for the Cal Golden Bears and played defensive end for the Houston ...
(1), Tom Gizzi (1),
Deatrich Wise Deatrich Wise (born May 6, 1965) is a former American football defensive tackle who played two seasons with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the ninth round of the 1988 NFL Draft. H ...
(1),
Kent Wells Kent Eugene Wells (born July 25, 1967) is a former American football defensive tackle who played one season with the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the sixth round of the 1990 ...
(2),
Willie Wyatt Willie Porter Wyatt (born September 27, 1967 in Birmingham, Alabama) was an Arena Football League player who played offensive lineman/defensive lineman for the Detroit Drive in 1993 and the Tampa Bay Storm from 1995–1999, and again in 2001 ...
(4),
Sylvester Bembery Sylvester Bembery (born March 1, 1965) is a former American football lineman in the Arena Football League. Bembery, #78, was an offensive and defensive lineman for the Tampa Bay Storm from 1994–99, and once again joined the Storm for the 200 ...
(2), Rod Williams (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),
Nyle Wiren Nyle Wiren (born February 8, 1973) is a former American football defensive lineman who played eleven seasons with the Tampa Bay Storm of the Arena Football League (AFL). He played college football at Kansas State University. College career Wiren ...
(1) * LB
Lawrence Samuels Lawrence 'Law Dogg' Samuels (born May 1, 1970) is an arena football coach and former wide receiver/linebacker. He played his college football at the Livingston University, and was an AFL wide receiver/linebacker from 1994 to 2010. He received bo ...
(1), Cliff Dukes (2) * DB James Harrell (1) * K Matt Black (1) * DS Corey Dowden (1), Tracey Perkins (2),
Johnnie Harris Johnnie Harris (born August 21, 1972) is a former American football Safety. He played in the Arena Football League (AFL) for the Tampa Bay Storm (1996–1998), Orlando Predators (2005), Grand Rapids Rampage (2006–2007), Philadelphia Soul (2007) ...
(1), Tommy Henry (1),
Omarr Smith Omarr Ali Hasan Smith (born April 7, 1977) is a former American football defensive back who was most recently the head coach of the Baltimore Brigade of the Arena Football League (AFL). He played professionally for the San Jose SaberCats of the ...
(1) * OS/KR
Stevie Thomas Stevie Thomas (born July 24, 1967) is a former Arena football wide receiver/linebacker in the Arena Football League (AFL). He played college football at Bethune-Cookman University. In 2011, Thomas was elected into the Arena Football Hall of F ...
(1), James Bowden (1)


All-Ironman players

The following Gladiators/Storm players were named to All-Ironman Teams: * FB/LB
Les Barley Les Barley (born in Gretna, Virginia) is a former NFL, CFL and Arena Football League fullback and linebacker. In a career lasting ten years, he played for the Charlotte Rage, the Connecticut Coyotes, the Tampa Bay Storm, the Grand Rapids Rampage ...
(1),
Andre Bowden Andre Bowden (born April 4, 1968) is a former fullback and linebacker in the Arena Football League and became the all-time leading rusher for the Tampa Bay Storm from 1993-1994, 1997- 2001, 2003- 2004. Bowden played college football for Fayett ...
(1),
Torrance Marshall Torrance James Marshall (born June 12, 1977) is a former professional American football player. He played high school football at Miami Sunset Senior High. He played college football at the University of Oklahoma and was the MVP of the 2001 Ora ...
(1) * WR/DB T. T. Toliver (1) * WR/LB
Lawrence Samuels Lawrence 'Law Dogg' Samuels (born May 1, 1970) is an arena football coach and former wide receiver/linebacker. He played his college football at the Livingston University, and was an AFL wide receiver/linebacker from 1994 to 2010. He received bo ...
(4) * 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)


All-Rookie players

The following Gladiators/Storm players were named to All-Rookie Teams: * QB
Brett Dietz Brett Dietz (born October 8, 1981) is American football coach and former quarterback. He is the head football coach at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, a position he has held since 2020. Dietz played college football at Hanover College ...
* OL/DL Al Lucas * OS Charles Wilson * DS Tommy Henry * K Matt Huerkamp


Coaches of note


Head coaches


Staff


Cheerleaders

The Storm created an official cheerleading squad called the "Storm Cheerleaders."


Radio and television

The Tampa Bay Storm games were broadcast on Storm Radio, which was on 1250-AM
WHNZ WHNZ (1250 AM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Tampa, Florida. The station's broadcast license is held by iHM Licenses, LLC, a subsidiary of iHeartMedia. The station airs a Spanish news/talk format. WHNZ is one of the eight stations ...
. The final radio play-by-play announcer was Darek Sharp, who was also a producer and broadcaster for AM 620 WDAE, and the radio color commentator was
Ian Beckles Ian Harold Beckles (born July 20, 1967) is a Canadian former American football Guard who played nine seasons in the NFL. Beckles was the co-host of the highly-rated ''Beckles and Recher Show'' on iHeartMedia, Inc.'s WDAE (620 AM and 95.3 FM) i ...
.


Season-by-season


References


External links


Official website

Tampa Bay Storm at ArenaFan

Pittsburgh Gladiators at ArenaFan
{{Pittsburgh sports 1991 disestablishments in Florida 2017 disestablishments in Florida