Larry Brackins
Encyclopedia
Larry Brackins is an American football
wide receiver
who is currently a free agent of the Arena Football League
. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Pearl River Community College
.
Brackins has also been a member of the Philadelphia Soul
, New York Jets
, and New York Sentinels
.
where he was an All-State selection in both basketball
and football
. During his senior
season, he recorded 32 receptions
for 643 yards and six touchdown
s, and also scored four rushing touchdowns as well. For his high school career, he averaged 31.0 yards per kickoff
return and recorded 57 total tackles and one touchdown on an interception return. In basketball, he averaged 17 points, 12 rebounds, and five blocks a game while helping lead his team to the Class 6A state championship game.
where he majored in Physical education
. As a freshman, he recorded 43 receptions for 772 yards, and nine touchdowns he was also named First-Team All-State and First-Team All-Region in both football and basketball. For his career, he recorded 101 receptions for 1,834 yards and 19 touchdowns, while starting 23 games. While there he also won numerous awards, such as: 2003 All-MACJC, 2003 All-Region 23, 2004 First-team NJCAA All-American, 2004 All-MACJC, and 2004 All-Region 23.
by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
on April 24, 2005. He signed with the team on July 28, however he did not make the roster and was released on September 7. On January 10, 2006, he re-signed with the Buccaneers, and spent went to training camp with the team, where he made two receptions for 19 yards. However, he was again released on July 25.
, Brackins signed with the Philadelphia Soul
of the Arena Football League. As a rookie he played in 10 regular season games and one playoff game. He was named Offensive Player of the Game twice, and recorded 56 receptions for 786 yards and 20 touchdowns.
In 2008
, Brackins finished ranked 17th in the league in receiving with 107 receptions for 1,395 yards and 29 touchdowns with a long of 43. He also finished 14th on the team in tackles with nine, and he returned one kickoff for zero yards. Brackins was the receiver of the game winning touchdown pass, in the playoffs against the New York Dragons
. It was the first major video review in AFL history. The ruling was a touchdown, and Philadelphia would advance to host the Cleveland Gladiators the next week. Also, on July 27, 2008, he won his first championship of his professional career when the Soul defeated the San Jose SaberCats
59-56 in ArenaBowl XXII
.
. However, he was released on August 30 during final cuts.
in the 2011 season when the team once again joins the Arena Football League
. However, he was placed on waivers due to his lack of effectiveness in the offense.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
who is currently a free agent 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...
. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft
2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 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 23–24, 2005. The league also held an supplemental draft that year, which was held after...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Pearl River Community College
Pearl River Community College
Pearl River Community College is a public community college in Poplarville, Mississippi, USA. It was founded as Pearl River County Agricultural High School in 1909, then became the first junior college in Mississippi in 1921.-History:...
.
Brackins has also been a member of the Philadelphia Soul
Philadelphia Soul
The Philadelphia Soul are an Arena Football League team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They began play in as an expansion team. The team plays in the Eastern Division of the American Conference. They won their first ArenaBowl in 2008, defeating the San Jose SaberCats 59–56 in ArenaBowl XXII...
, New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and New York Sentinels
New York Sentinels
The New York Sentinels and Hartford Colonials are a currently inactive professional American football team that played in the United Football League in its 2009 and 2010 seasons...
.
Early years
Brackins attended Dothan High SchoolDothan High School
Dothan High School is located in Dothan, Alabama, USA. It is located on U.S. Highway 231 inside Ross Clark Circle,about a mile and a half north of the southern tip of Ross Clark Circle. The school is one of Dothan's two public high schools...
where he was an All-State selection in both basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
. During his senior
Twelfth grade
Twelfth grade or Senior year, or Grade Twelve, are the North American names for the final year of secondary school. In most countries students then graduate at age 17 or 18. In some countries, there is a thirteenth grade, while other countries do not have a 12th grade/year at all...
season, he recorded 32 receptions
Reception (American football)
In American football, a reception is part of a play in which a forward pass from behind the line of scrimmage is received by a player in bounds, who, after the catch, proceeds to either score a touchdown or be downed. Yards gained from the receiving play are credited to the player as receiving...
for 643 yards and six touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s, and also scored four rushing touchdowns as well. For his high school career, he averaged 31.0 yards per kickoff
Kickoff (American football)
A kickoff is a method of starting a drive in American football and Canadian football. Typically, a kickoff consists of one team – the "kicking team" – kicking the ball to the opposing team – the "receiving team"...
return and recorded 57 total tackles and one touchdown on an interception return. In basketball, he averaged 17 points, 12 rebounds, and five blocks a game while helping lead his team to the Class 6A state championship game.
College career
Brackins attended Pearl River Community CollegePearl River Community College
Pearl River Community College is a public community college in Poplarville, Mississippi, USA. It was founded as Pearl River County Agricultural High School in 1909, then became the first junior college in Mississippi in 1921.-History:...
where he majored in Physical education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
. As a freshman, he recorded 43 receptions for 772 yards, and nine touchdowns he was also named First-Team All-State and First-Team All-Region in both football and basketball. For his career, he recorded 101 receptions for 1,834 yards and 19 touchdowns, while starting 23 games. While there he also won numerous awards, such as: 2003 All-MACJC, 2003 All-Region 23, 2004 First-team NJCAA All-American, 2004 All-MACJC, and 2004 All-Region 23.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Brackins was selected in the fifth round (155th overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 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 23–24, 2005. The league also held an supplemental draft that year, which was held after...
by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
on April 24, 2005. He signed with the team on July 28, however he did not make the roster and was released on September 7. On January 10, 2006, he re-signed with the Buccaneers, and spent went to training camp with the team, where he made two receptions for 19 yards. However, he was again released on July 25.
Philadelphia Soul
In 20072007 Philadelphia Soul season
The 2007 Philadelphia Soul season was the fourth season for the franchise. They look to make the playoffs again after finishing 2006 with an 9-7 record. After posting an 8-8 record in the regular season, they hosted their first-ever home playoff game on June 29 against the Orlando Predators, whom...
, Brackins signed with the Philadelphia Soul
Philadelphia Soul
The Philadelphia Soul are an Arena Football League team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They began play in as an expansion team. The team plays in the Eastern Division of the American Conference. They won their first ArenaBowl in 2008, defeating the San Jose SaberCats 59–56 in ArenaBowl XXII...
of the Arena Football League. As a rookie he played in 10 regular season games and one playoff game. He was named Offensive Player of the Game twice, and recorded 56 receptions for 786 yards and 20 touchdowns.
In 2008
2008 Philadelphia Soul season
The 2008 Philadelphia Soul season is the fifth season for the franchise. The Soul started the season by winning their first 9 games. Finishing the regular season with a 13-3 record, this was the Soul's best regular season in their short history. They won their first Eastern Division title, and went...
, Brackins finished ranked 17th in the league in receiving with 107 receptions for 1,395 yards and 29 touchdowns with a long of 43. He also finished 14th on the team in tackles with nine, and he returned one kickoff for zero yards. Brackins was the receiver of the game winning touchdown pass, in the playoffs against the New York Dragons
New York Dragons
The New York Dragons were an Arena Football League team based in the New York metropolitan area. The team was founded in as the original incarnation of the Iowa Barnstormers, and relocated to New York in . They played in New York until 2008, when the league folded...
. It was the first major video review in AFL history. The ruling was a touchdown, and Philadelphia would advance to host the Cleveland Gladiators the next week. Also, on July 27, 2008, he won his first championship of his professional career when the Soul defeated the San Jose SaberCats
San Jose SaberCats
The San Jose SaberCats are a professional arena football team in the Arena Football League. They began play as a 1995 expansion team. They played in the Western Division of the American Conference. Their final coach in the original Arena Football League was Darren Arbet, who will be a part of the...
59-56 in ArenaBowl XXII
ArenaBowl XXII
ArenaBowl XXII was played on July 27, 2008 at New Orleans Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana . It was the 22nd and final championship game in the history of the original Arena Football League. This was the fourth neutral site ArenaBowl in AFL history and the second ArenaBowl in the state of Louisiana...
.
New York Jets
On August 19, 2008, Brackins was signed by the New York JetsNew York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. However, he was released on August 30 during final cuts.
California Redwoods
On July 18, 2009, Brackins was drafted by the United Football League's California Redwoods. He signed with the team on September 2.Dallas Vigilantes
Brackins was a member of the Dallas Vigilantes. In his first game he totaled 6 receptions for 103 yards.Philadelphia Soul
Brackins will be re-joining the Philadelphia SoulPhiladelphia Soul
The Philadelphia Soul are an Arena Football League team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They began play in as an expansion team. The team plays in the Eastern Division of the American Conference. They won their first ArenaBowl in 2008, defeating the San Jose SaberCats 59–56 in ArenaBowl XXII...
in the 2011 season when the team once again joins 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...
. However, he was placed on waivers due to his lack of effectiveness in the offense.