Birmingham Steeldogs
Encyclopedia
The Alabama Steeldogs, originally known as the Birmingham Steeldogs, were incorporated in 2000 as one of the charter teams in the af2
, the developmental league of the Arena Football League. Entering their eighth season as of 2007, they were the longest running of many professional football franchises in the city of Birmingham
. Management announced that it would not field a team in 2008 but had hopes of returning in 2009. But the team's front office has since been dissolved, and with no announcements of further plans, the team is defunct.
The team's first head coach was former University of Alabama
standout Bobby Humphrey
. In October 2005, Ron Selesky, formerly of the Arena Football League
's Columbus Destroyers
, Carolina Cobras
and Tampa Bay Storm
, as well as the af2's Albany Conquest
and Louisville Fire
, was hired as the team's second coach.
The team played its home games at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex
Arena in downtown Birmingham
. The arena was the site of the very first af2 game in 2000, between the Steeldogs and the Tennessee Valley Vipers
, based in Huntsville, Alabama
.
The team's colors were black, orange, and white. The team's name — unique in all of sports — paid tribute to Birmingham's steel
industry
.
The team's logo
, depicting a dog
with a spiked collar and metal lower jaw, represents "Rusty", the team's mascot
. The team's cheerleaders were known as the "Showsteelers."
After a contest, the team became the “Steeldogs,” paying homage to the steel industry that helped grow the city into an industrial giant during the early 20th century.
At a press conference on August 12, 1999, the team’s name, logo, colors and head coach were all introduced. Humphrey, the University of Alabama’s second all-time leading rusher, would be the team’s first coach.
The first Steeldogs ownership group, consisting of Charles Felix, David Berkman and Bruce Burge, also owned the Birmingham Bulls
hockey franchise. Both teams were to compete and be headquartered at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex
in downtown Birmingham.
On January 11, 2000, the Commissioner of the af2, Mary Ellen Garling announced the league would kick off its inaugural season at the BJCC Arena on March 31, 2000. The Steeldogs first opponent would be the Tennessee Valley Vipers
, Birmingham's neighbor 100 miles to the north in Huntsville
.
Birmingham’s first win came one week later at the BJCC, as the Steeldogs shut down the Greensboro Prowlers
18-7 in one of the lowest scoring games in the history of Arena Football
.
Birmingham would finish the year with a 7-9 final record. In addition to the win over the Prowlers, Birmingham racked up victories over Roanoke (twice), Richmond, Tallahassee, Arkansas and Tulsa. The Steeldogs’ win over Tallahassee, an 86-74 barnburner, still ranks as the fourth-highest scoring game in af2 history.
By the end of the first season, 71,402 fans had crossed the turnstiles.
in the same year, but he decided that Birmingham would be his more “hands-on” investment. Humphrey was retained as the team’s head coach for a second season.
The league expanded nearly twofold in 2001 as 28 teams took the field in 2001. Birmingham opened their season at the CenturyTel Center
in Bossier City, La., against the expansion Bossier City BattleWings
. Birmingham won a thrilling overtime affair, 63-57. It was the first of three consecutive wins to open the 2001 season.
The Steeldogs finished the regular-season 12-4, earning them their first postseason trip. Birmingham traveled to Richmond, Virginia
to face the Richmond Speed
on July 21, 2001. Despite reaching the 60-point plateau, a feat that Coach Humphrey stressed in every game, the Steeldogs collapsed in the fourth quarter and fell 67-60.
2002 was the beginning of years of stability in the executive office. The Umbergers sold the franchise to two local men, both of whom were well-acquainted with Birmingham’s professional sports history. Buddy King and Scott Myers became the majority and minority owners of the team on January 2, 2002. The two had met when King played with and Myers marketed for the Birmingham Fire
of the World League of American Football
. The pair was anxious to parlay the Steeldogs’ early success into a third season. They retained Humphrey for a third year.
in Huntsville. There the 'Dogs cast off three years of frustration at the hands of their fiercest rival, dominating Tennessee Valley in a 65-51 victory. Almost secondary to the outcome of the game was the fact that the Steeldogs had now earned themselves a trip to Tulsa, Oklahoma
, for a second-round match-up against the top-ranked team in af2.
On August 10, 2002 Birmingham pulled off the biggest upset in team history. The Steeldogs thoroughly dominated the league’s top-ranked team, handing them their first home loss in 18 games (a streak that started in 2000 with a seven-point victory over Birmingham) and also exacting revenge for the team’s opening night loss. The Steeldogs returned home to host the Peoria Pirates
in the National Conference Championship game on August 17, 2002, the winner of which would host the ArenaCup. But the Pirates surprised the Steeldogs with a first-half offensive clinic on their way to a 79-33 victory. The game enjoyed the 4th largest playoff attendance in league history.
The 2002 off-season was much less chaotic than in previous years as Humphrey was retained once again and, for the first time in team history, so was the ownership group.
After three straight victories in the middle of the season, the team dropped five of the last six games to close out the year. Injuries riddled the team from the offensive line, to the quarterback position, to wide receivers and defensive backs. Humphrey and his team limped into the off-season, where he was rewarded for his efforts with his fourth contract extension. He was about to become the longest-tenured coach in the history of af2 football.
Humphrey and the King-Myers ownership combo stuck around for 2005. Humphrey, who had been inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
, had become the af2’s all-time winningest coach in 2004. The team’s 59-58 win over the Rio Grande Valley Dorados
on June 26, 2004 gave Humphrey his 47th victory, making him tops among all current and prior head coaches through the 2004 season.
, but finally took the field a week later at Macon. Zow was remarkably efficient in his first contest, finishing 20 of 36 for 273 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. He also ran for a touchdown. Zow’s season ended a week later when he suffered a leg injury in the following week’s game at home versus the eventual league champion Memphis Xplorers
.
Much like Zow’s arena football career, the 2005 Steeldogs season never fully got off the ground. The quarterback position changed hands six times during the year. The offensive and defensive lines, hampered by injuries dating back to early season workout camps, never quite jelled into a functioning unit. The defense allowed an average of nearly 56 points per game, worst in the league. The Steeldogs finished with a 2-14 record, dead last in the af2. The lowly record cost Humphrey his job; he was relieved of his coaching duties on August 9, 2005. Humphrey finished his six-year career as the longest-tenured coach in the league’s history, as well as its second-most victorious.
in 2006, accounting for two of the Vipers' three overall wins.
On December 11, 2006, the Steeldogs' management team changed the team's name from the Birmingham Steeldogs to the Alabama Steeldogs, in an effort to broaden the team's appeal to the city's more-affluent suburb
s and exurbs
. The only change to the team logo was replacing the word "Birmingham" with "Alabama."http://www.al.com/sports/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/sports/1165918511236720.xml&coll=2
in the first round of the playoffs.
After the end of the season, Selesky resigned to move up a level in arena football, taking the position of defensive coordinator and player personnel director of the Grand Rapids Rampage
.
: Brian Holmes
(Atlanta, Tennessee), Brian Haugabrook (Cleveland), Detronn Harris (Carolina) and Erick Harris
(Philadelphia). In addition to the NFL, ten players were signed to AFL teams: Bobby Keyes (Dallas), Terrell Browden (Colorado), James Clark
(Georgia), Jerry Turner (Las Vegas), Mike Geselbracht (Las Vegas), William Mayes
(Las Vegas), Herman Bell (Detroit) and Ernest Ross (Detroit). Three players also played in the Canadian Football League
: Aryvia Holmes (Montreal), Bennitte Waddell (British Columbia) and Michael Gholar (Saskatchewan).
Af2
AF2 was the name of the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football rules and style of play. League seasons ran from April through July with the postseason and ArenaCup...
, the developmental league of the Arena Football League. Entering their eighth season as of 2007, they were the longest running of many professional football franchises in the city of Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
. Management announced that it would not field a team in 2008 but had hopes of returning in 2009. But the team's front office has since been dissolved, and with no announcements of further plans, the team is defunct.
The team's first head coach was former University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
standout Bobby Humphrey
Bobby Humphrey
Bobby Gene Humphrey is a former professional American football player who was selected in the first round by the Denver Broncos in the 1989 NFL Supplemental Draft after a stellar career at the University of Alabama...
. In October 2005, Ron Selesky, formerly of the Arena Football League
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster...
's Columbus Destroyers
Columbus Destroyers
The Columbus Destroyers were an Arena Football League team based in Columbus, Ohio. The team was founded in as the Buffalo Destroyers, based in Buffalo, New York, and relocated to Columbus in . They folded along with the original incarnation of the AFL following the 2008 season, after a total of...
, Carolina Cobras
Carolina Cobras
Not to be confused with the Los Angeles Cobras, who played in the 1988 AFL season.The Carolina Cobras were an expansion franchise in the Arena Football League...
and Tampa Bay Storm
Tampa Bay Storm
The Tampa Bay Storm are an Arena Football League team based in the Tampa Bay Area of Florida. They play their home games in the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa....
, as well as the af2's Albany Conquest
Albany Conquest
The Albany Firebirds are a professional arena football team of the af2 based in Albany, New York. Albany was granted an expansion team in 2002 and began play as the Albany Conquest. The Firebirds play their home games at the Times Union Center...
and Louisville Fire
Louisville Fire
The Louisville Fire was an arena football team that played its home games at the Brown-Forman Field in Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky. They were a 2001 expansion team of the af2. Their owner/operator was former Pro Bowl lineman and Louisville native Will Wolford. The team was somewhat...
, was hired as the team's second coach.
The team played its home games at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex
Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex
The Birmingham–Jefferson Convention Complex is a sports, convention and entertainment complex located in Birmingham, Alabama...
Arena in downtown Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
. The arena was the site of the very first af2 game in 2000, between the Steeldogs and the Tennessee Valley Vipers
Tennessee Valley Vipers
The Alabama Vipers was a professional arena football team, that played in the Arena Football League. For most of their history, the Vipers played as the Tennessee Valley Vipers in the now-defunct af2, the minor league for the original AFL, where they won the 2008 ArenaCup championship. They play...
, based in Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
.
The team's colors were black, orange, and white. The team's name — unique in all of sports — paid tribute to Birmingham's steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
industry
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
.
The team's logo
Logo
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
, depicting a dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
with a spiked collar and metal lower jaw, represents "Rusty", the team's mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
. The team's cheerleaders were known as the "Showsteelers."
Beginnings
On April 20, 1999, Birmingham’s franchise was one of the charter teams in the Xtreme Football League, which soon brokered a deal with the more-established Arena Football League to form the latter’s second tier. Christened “arenafootball2” or “af2” for short, the new league would play by the same rules patented by its parent organization.After a contest, the team became the “Steeldogs,” paying homage to the steel industry that helped grow the city into an industrial giant during the early 20th century.
At a press conference on August 12, 1999, the team’s name, logo, colors and head coach were all introduced. Humphrey, the University of Alabama’s second all-time leading rusher, would be the team’s first coach.
The first Steeldogs ownership group, consisting of Charles Felix, David Berkman and Bruce Burge, also owned the Birmingham Bulls
Birmingham Bulls
The Birmingham Bulls were a professional ice hockey team based in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. They played in the World Hockey Association from 1976 to 1979 and the Central Hockey League from 1979 to 1981. The Bulls played their home games at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Center.Prior to being...
hockey franchise. Both teams were to compete and be headquartered at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex
Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex
The Birmingham–Jefferson Convention Complex is a sports, convention and entertainment complex located in Birmingham, Alabama...
in downtown Birmingham.
On January 11, 2000, the Commissioner of the af2, Mary Ellen Garling announced the league would kick off its inaugural season at the BJCC Arena on March 31, 2000. The Steeldogs first opponent would be the Tennessee Valley Vipers
Tennessee Valley Vipers
The Alabama Vipers was a professional arena football team, that played in the Arena Football League. For most of their history, the Vipers played as the Tennessee Valley Vipers in the now-defunct af2, the minor league for the original AFL, where they won the 2008 ArenaCup championship. They play...
, Birmingham's neighbor 100 miles to the north in Huntsville
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
.
First season (2000)
The inaugural game was played before 14,831 fans and a national television audience into the BJCC Arena on March 31, 2000. The game was a tremendous hit and is ranked 3rd in the league's largest regular season crowds. The scoreboard, as is typical in arena fotball, got quite a workout. Tennessee Valley won the first game in the series, 59-18.Greensboro Prowlers
The Greensboro Prowlers is a now-defunct af2 franchise that was one of the league's charter members. The Prowlers had three mediocre seasons before finally getting a decent winning record in their final year...
18-7 in one of the lowest scoring games in the history of Arena Football
Arena football
Arena football is a variety of gridiron football played by the Arena Football League . It is a proprietary game, the rights to which are owned by Gridiron Enterprises, and is played indoors on a smaller field than American or Canadian outdoor football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game....
.
Birmingham would finish the year with a 7-9 final record. In addition to the win over the Prowlers, Birmingham racked up victories over Roanoke (twice), Richmond, Tallahassee, Arkansas and Tulsa. The Steeldogs’ win over Tallahassee, an 86-74 barnburner, still ranks as the fourth-highest scoring game in af2 history.
By the end of the first season, 71,402 fans had crossed the turnstiles.
Second season (2001)
The second season of Steeldogs football brought the team’s second ownership group. Steve and Kathryn Umberger purchased the team on December 13, 2000. The couple also purchased the af2’s Jacksonville TomcatsJacksonville Tomcats
The Jacksonville Tomcats were an arena football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They were an inaugural franchise in af2, the developmental league of the Arena Football League , and played for three seasons from 2000–2002...
in the same year, but he decided that Birmingham would be his more “hands-on” investment. Humphrey was retained as the team’s head coach for a second season.
The league expanded nearly twofold in 2001 as 28 teams took the field in 2001. Birmingham opened their season at the CenturyTel Center
CenturyTel Center
The CenturyLink Center is a 14,000-seat multi-purpose arena, in Bossier City, Louisiana...
in Bossier City, La., against the expansion Bossier City BattleWings
Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings
The Bossier Shreveport Battle Wings were an Arena Football League team based in Bossier City, Louisiana. They played at the CenturyTel Center in Bossier City and represented both Bossier City and Shreveport...
. Birmingham won a thrilling overtime affair, 63-57. It was the first of three consecutive wins to open the 2001 season.
The Steeldogs finished the regular-season 12-4, earning them their first postseason trip. Birmingham traveled to Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
to face the Richmond Speed
Richmond Speed
The Richmond Speed were one of the original 15 teams to join the inaugural 2000 AF2 season. They started off in the American Conference in 2000, before going over to the Northeast Division in 2001, then to the Atlantic Division from 2002-2003. In 2000, Richmond went 7-9 and missed the playoffs. ...
on July 21, 2001. Despite reaching the 60-point plateau, a feat that Coach Humphrey stressed in every game, the Steeldogs collapsed in the fourth quarter and fell 67-60.
2002 was the beginning of years of stability in the executive office. The Umbergers sold the franchise to two local men, both of whom were well-acquainted with Birmingham’s professional sports history. Buddy King and Scott Myers became the majority and minority owners of the team on January 2, 2002. The two had met when King played with and Myers marketed for the Birmingham Fire
Birmingham Fire
The Birmingham Fire was a professional American football team based in Birmingham, Alabama that played in the World League of American Football in 1991 and 1992. The team played at Legion Field, and it made the playoffs in both seasons....
of the World League of American Football
World League of American Football
The World League of American Football was founded in 1990 with support from the National Football League to play professional American football in North America, Europe and later possibly Asia...
. The pair was anxious to parlay the Steeldogs’ early success into a third season. They retained Humphrey for a third year.
Third season (2002)
Adopting the motto “One Team, One Goal,” Birmingham set out to make a playoff run in their third season. After an early loss at Tulsa, Birmingham rebounded to win eight of their next nine games before dropping three of their next four. The Steeldogs ended the regular-season with an 11-5 record, good enough to earn a trip to Huntsville to face the Vipers in the first round of the playoffs at the Von Braun CenterVon Braun Center
The Von Braun Center , known as the Von Braun Civic Center until 1997, is a multi-purpose indoor arena, meeting, and performing arts complex, with a maximum arena seating capacity of 10,000, located in Huntsville, Alabama...
in Huntsville. There the 'Dogs cast off three years of frustration at the hands of their fiercest rival, dominating Tennessee Valley in a 65-51 victory. Almost secondary to the outcome of the game was the fact that the Steeldogs had now earned themselves a trip to Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
, for a second-round match-up against the top-ranked team in af2.
On August 10, 2002 Birmingham pulled off the biggest upset in team history. The Steeldogs thoroughly dominated the league’s top-ranked team, handing them their first home loss in 18 games (a streak that started in 2000 with a seven-point victory over Birmingham) and also exacting revenge for the team’s opening night loss. The Steeldogs returned home to host the Peoria Pirates
Peoria Pirates
The Peoria Pirates were a professional arena football team that last played in af2, the minor league to the Arena Football League. They played their home games at Carver Arena, part of the Peoria Civic Center in Illinois, and were coached by Mike Hohensee...
in the National Conference Championship game on August 17, 2002, the winner of which would host the ArenaCup. But the Pirates surprised the Steeldogs with a first-half offensive clinic on their way to a 79-33 victory. The game enjoyed the 4th largest playoff attendance in league history.
The 2002 off-season was much less chaotic than in previous years as Humphrey was retained once again and, for the first time in team history, so was the ownership group.
Fourth season (2003)
Injuries plagued the 2003 edition of the Birmingham Steeldogs, as the team struggled to field a healthy and consistent quarterback. After two early season victories at home, the Steeldogs fell at Macon in the first road contest of the year. The team dropped four of their next five games, with the one bright exception being a 38-35 overtime victory over the Florida Firecats at Fort Myers.After three straight victories in the middle of the season, the team dropped five of the last six games to close out the year. Injuries riddled the team from the offensive line, to the quarterback position, to wide receivers and defensive backs. Humphrey and his team limped into the off-season, where he was rewarded for his efforts with his fourth contract extension. He was about to become the longest-tenured coach in the history of af2 football.
Fifth season (2004)
The Steeldogs rebounded nicely to begin the 2004 season. After an opening-night loss at Bossier City, a game in which the Steeldogs’ starting quarterback was hurt on the first play of the second half, Birmingham reeled off six straight victories on the arm of backup quarterback Jeff Aaron. But inconsistency at the quarterback position, along with several key injuries cooled the Steeldogs in the second half of the 2004 regular-season. Birmingham limped into the postseason with a 10-6 record, falling in the first round at Cape Fear, North Carolina, 54-53.Humphrey and the King-Myers ownership combo stuck around for 2005. Humphrey, who had been inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
The Alabama Sports Hall of Fame is a state museum located in Birmingham, Alabama, dedicated to communicating the state’s athletic history...
, had become the af2’s all-time winningest coach in 2004. The team’s 59-58 win over the Rio Grande Valley Dorados
Rio Grande Valley Dorados
The Rio Grande Valley Dorados were a professional arena football team. They began play in 2004 as an expansion member of af2, the minor league to the Arena Football League...
on June 26, 2004 gave Humphrey his 47th victory, making him tops among all current and prior head coaches through the 2004 season.
Sixth season (2005)
The Steeldogs kicked off the 2005 regular season with a marquee player signing. Andrew Zow, the all-time leading passer at the University of Alabama, joined the team on March 15, 2005. He had signed with the team in 2004 for one game as an emergency quarterback at the behest of Coach Humphrey, but did not see any action. He had not competed on a regular basis since his senior year at Alabama in 2001 and did not see action in the team’s first game, a home loss to the San Diego RiptideSan Diego Riptide
The San Diego Riptide is a defunct Arena Football League af2 team. The team played its home games at the San Diego Sports Arena in San Diego, California.The team was originally coached by Cree Morris, then Mouse Davis and then Sean Ponder....
, but finally took the field a week later at Macon. Zow was remarkably efficient in his first contest, finishing 20 of 36 for 273 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. He also ran for a touchdown. Zow’s season ended a week later when he suffered a leg injury in the following week’s game at home versus the eventual league champion Memphis Xplorers
Memphis Xplorers
The Memphis Xplorers were a professional arena football team. They were a 2001 expansion member of the af2. They played their home games at DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven, Mississippi ....
.
Much like Zow’s arena football career, the 2005 Steeldogs season never fully got off the ground. The quarterback position changed hands six times during the year. The offensive and defensive lines, hampered by injuries dating back to early season workout camps, never quite jelled into a functioning unit. The defense allowed an average of nearly 56 points per game, worst in the league. The Steeldogs finished with a 2-14 record, dead last in the af2. The lowly record cost Humphrey his job; he was relieved of his coaching duties on August 9, 2005. Humphrey finished his six-year career as the longest-tenured coach in the league’s history, as well as its second-most victorious.
Seventh season (2006)
On October 4, 2005, Ron Selesky was selected as the second head coach in the history of the Birmingham Steeldogs. He led the team to an improved 7-9 mark in the 2006 season, good for fourth place in the Southern Division. Birmingham lost both games played to the Tennessee Valley VipersTennessee Valley Vipers
The Alabama Vipers was a professional arena football team, that played in the Arena Football League. For most of their history, the Vipers played as the Tennessee Valley Vipers in the now-defunct af2, the minor league for the original AFL, where they won the 2008 ArenaCup championship. They play...
in 2006, accounting for two of the Vipers' three overall wins.
On December 11, 2006, the Steeldogs' management team changed the team's name from the Birmingham Steeldogs to the Alabama Steeldogs, in an effort to broaden the team's appeal to the city's more-affluent suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
s and exurbs
Commuter town
A commuter town is an urban community that is primarily residential, from which most of the workforce commutes out to earn their livelihood. Many commuter towns act as suburbs of a nearby metropolis that workers travel to daily, and many suburbs are commuter towns...
. The only change to the team logo was replacing the word "Birmingham" with "Alabama."http://www.al.com/sports/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/sports/1165918511236720.xml&coll=2
Eighth season (2007)
The Steeldogs struggled again, but managed to make the playoffs with a 7-9 record and third place in the division. They lost to Rio Grande ValleyRio Grande Valley Dorados
The Rio Grande Valley Dorados were a professional arena football team. They began play in 2004 as an expansion member of af2, the minor league to the Arena Football League...
in the first round of the playoffs.
After the end of the season, Selesky resigned to move up a level in arena football, taking the position of defensive coordinator and player personnel director of the Grand Rapids Rampage
Grand Rapids Rampage
The Grand Rapids Rampage was an Arena Football League team that began playing as a 1998 expansion team. They were coached by Steve Thonn.-History:...
.
Team deactivated
On October 26, 2007, owner/managing partner Scott Myers announced that the Steeldogs would not put a team on the field in the 2008 season. Myers had been seeking new majority ownership to help finance the team, but was not able to find one. Myers said that the team hoped to return for the 2009 season. But those plans did not come to fruition.Results by season
| ArenaCup Champions ArenaCup The ArenaCup is the af2's championship game. For the league's first five years, it was held at the arena of the higher seeded team. However, the 2005 ArenaCup was the first to be played at a neutral site in Bossier City, Louisiana. The 2006 ArenaCup was played in Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San... |
ArenaCup Appearance | Division Champions | Playoff Berth |
| Season | League | Conference | Division | Regular season | Postseason Results | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish | Wins | Losses | ||||||
| Birmingham Steeldogs | ||||||||
| 2000 | AF2 | Pacific | 5th | 7 | 9 | |||
| 2001 | AF2 | National | South Central | 2nd | 12 | 4 | Lost NC Round 1 (Richmond Richmond Speed The Richmond Speed were one of the original 15 teams to join the inaugural 2000 AF2 season. They started off in the American Conference in 2000, before going over to the Northeast Division in 2001, then to the Atlantic Division from 2002-2003. In 2000, Richmond went 7-9 and missed the playoffs. ... 67-60) |
|
| 2002 | AF2 | National | Southern | 2nd | 11 | 5 | Won NC Round 1 (Tennessee Valley Tennessee Valley Vipers The Alabama Vipers was a professional arena football team, that played in the Arena Football League. For most of their history, the Vipers played as the Tennessee Valley Vipers in the now-defunct af2, the minor league for the original AFL, where they won the 2008 ArenaCup championship. They play... 65-51) Won NC Semifinals (Tulsa Tulsa Talons The San Antonio Talons are a professional arena football franchise in San Antonio, Texas that plays in the Arena Football League.The Talons began in 2000 in Tulsa, Oklahoma as the Tulsa Talons, a charter member of the defunct minor league Arena Football 2, also known as af2... 53-34) Lost NC Championship (Peoria Peoria Pirates The Peoria Pirates were a professional arena football team that last played in af2, the minor league to the Arena Football League. They played their home games at Carver Arena, part of the Peoria Civic Center in Illinois, and were coached by Mike Hohensee... 79-33) |
|
| 2003 | AF2 | American | Southern | 4th | 7 | 9 | ||
| 2004 | AF2 | American | Southern | 2nd | 10 | 6 | Lost AC Round 1 (Cape Fear South Georgia Wildcats The South Georgia Wildcats were a professional arena football team. They were a 2002 expansion member of af2, the minor league for the Arena Football League... 54-53) |
|
| 2005 | AF2 | American | Southern | 5th | 2 | 14 | ||
| 2006 | AF2 | American | Southern | 4th | 7 | 9 | ||
| Alabama Steeldogs | ||||||||
| 2007 | AF2 | National | South | 3rd | 7 | 9 | Lost NC Round 1 (Rio Grande Valley Rio Grande Valley Dorados The Rio Grande Valley Dorados were a professional arena football team. They began play in 2004 as an expansion member of af2, the minor league to the Arena Football League... 44-41) |
|
| Total | 63 | 65 | (includes only regular season) | |||||
| 2 | 4 | (includes only the postseason) | ||||||
| 65 | 69 | (includes both regular season and postseason) | ||||||
Current staff
- Owner and Chairman - Buddy King
- Owner and Managing Partner - Scott Myers
- Dave Coffey - Vice President of Corporate Partnerships
- Shawn Williamson - Vice President of Marketing/Ticket Operations
- Brandon Gresham - Director of Media Relations
- Christen Thacker - Account Executive
- Angela Stephenson - Dance Team Coordinator
- Carmen Starr - Office Manager
- Head Coach - Vacant
- Offensive Coordinator - Billy Dicken
- Line/Linebackers - Bryan Ray
Notable players
Several former Steeldogs have gone on to be players in other professional leagues. Four players went to the National Football LeagueNational Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
: Brian Holmes
Brian Holmes
Brian Holmes is a Professor of Philosophy at the European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Switzerland, where he teaches an intensive summer seminar. He has worked with the French Graphics collective Ne Pas Plier from 1999 to 2001...
(Atlanta, Tennessee), Brian Haugabrook (Cleveland), Detronn Harris (Carolina) and Erick Harris
Erick Harris
Erick Anthony Harris is a gridiron football defensive back for the Kansas City Command of Arena Football 1. He was signed by the Amarillo Dusters as a street free agent in 2005...
(Philadelphia). In addition to the NFL, ten players were signed to AFL teams: Bobby Keyes (Dallas), Terrell Browden (Colorado), James Clark
James Clark
James Clark may refer to:* James Clark , Ambassador from the United Kingdom to Luxembourg* James Clark , Governor of Kentucky from 1836 to 1839* James Clark , Mayor of Auckland...
(Georgia), Jerry Turner (Las Vegas), Mike Geselbracht (Las Vegas), William Mayes
William Mayes
William Mayes was an English cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm fast bowler who played first-class cricket for Essex. He was born in Marylebone and died in Esher....
(Las Vegas), Herman Bell (Detroit) and Ernest Ross (Detroit). Three players also played in the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
: Aryvia Holmes (Montreal), Bennitte Waddell (British Columbia) and Michael Gholar (Saskatchewan).