The Atlanta Legends were a professional American football franchise based in Atlanta, Georgia, and one of the eight members of the Alliance of American Football (AAF), which played one season from February 2019 to April 2019.[1] They played their home games at Georgia State Stadium on the campus of Georgia State University. The Legends were one of two AAF teams based in a city that already had an NFL team (the Atlanta Falcons; the other team was the Arizona Hotshots, where the NFL's Cardinals were based). The Legends were coached by Kevin Coyle, one of two AAF coaches without prior head coaching experience, after the position became available when Brad Childress resigned a month before the season began.[2] Billy Devaney was the general manager.
| Atlanta Legends | |
|---|---|
| Established 2018 Folded 2019 | |
 | |
| League/conference affiliations | |
| Alliance of American Football | |
Current uniform | |
| Team colors | Purple, gold & white |
| Personnel | |
| President | David Livingston |
| Head coach | Kevin Coyle |
| Team history | |
| Championships | |
| League championships (0) | |
| Conference championships (0) | |
| Division championships (0) | |
On April 2, 2019, the league's football operations were reportedly suspended,[3][4] and on April 4 the league allowed players to leave their contracts to sign with NFL teams.[5] The league filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on April 17, 2019.[6]
History
editThe Alliance Atlanta team was announced by the league on April 25, 2018, as its second initial team. Additionally, the head coach, Brad Childress, and offensive coordinator, Michael Vick, were announced.[7][8] On September 20, the league announced for four eastern inaugural franchises' names and logos including Atlanta as the Atlanta Legends.[9] The name and colors (purple, gold, white) are tributes to famous historical figures from the city, such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Hank Aaron.[10][11]
Childress resigned a month before the start of the 2019 season, and Kevin Coyle, initially hired as the team's defensive coordinator, took Childress's place.[12] On February 7, 2019, two days before their first game, head coach Coyle announced that Vick would be unable to fill his role as offensive coordinator and would instead act as an advisor to the team.[13] Rich Bartel, who replaced Vick as de facto offensive coordinator and play-caller, abruptly resigned two days before the team's home opener,[14] prompting the team to hire Ken Zampese to lead the offense.[15]
The team's first game was at Spectrum Stadium against the Orlando Apollos on Saturday, February 9, 2019,[16] where they lost 40–6.[17] Their first home game was on February 24 against the Birmingham Iron, where they lost 28–12.[16] After starting the season 0–3, the Legends recorded their first win against the Arizona Hotshots on March 3, 2019.[18]
Final roster
editQuarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
|
Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
|
Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
|
Reserve lists
Rights list
|
Allocation pool
editThe Legends' assigned area, which designated player rights, included the following:[19]
|
Colleges |
National Football League (NFL) Canadian Football League (CFL)
|
Staff
editFront office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
Defensive coaches
|
Sports Medicine staff
Equipment staff
Video staff
| |||||
2019 season
edit| 2019 Atlanta Legends season | |
|---|---|
| General manager | Billy Devaney |
| Head coach | Kevin Coyle |
| Home field | Georgia State Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 2–6 |
| League place | 3rd (tie), Eastern Conference |
Final standings
edit| Eastern Conference | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Club | W–L | PCT | CONF | PF | PA | DIFF | SOS | SOV | STK |
| (x) – Orlando Apollos | 7–1 | .875 | 5–0 | 236 | 136 | 100 | .406 | .375 | W2 |
| (x) – Birmingham Iron | 5–3 | .625 | 3–2 | 165 | 133 | 32 | .406 | .300 | W1 |
| (e) – Memphis Express | 2–6 | .250 | 1–4 | 152 | 194 | -42 | .578 | .500 | L1 |
| (e) – Atlanta Legends | 2–6 | .250 | 1–4 | 88 | 213 | -125 | .609 | .438 | L3 |
| Western Conference | |||||||||
| Club | W–L | PCT | CONF | PF | PA | DIFF | SOS | SOV | STK |
| San Antonio Commanders | 5–3 | .625 | 3–2 | 158 | 154 | 4 | .516 | .450 | L1 |
| Arizona Hotshots | 5–3 | .625 | 3–2 | 186 | 144 | 42 | .469 | .500 | W3 |
| San Diego Fleet | 3–5 | .375 | 2–3 | 158 | 161 | -3 | .469 | .417 | L3 |
| Salt Lake Stallions | 3–5 | .375 | 2–3 | 135 | 143 | -8 | .547 | .417 | W1 |
| (x)–clinched playoff berth; (e)–eliminated from playoff contention | |||||||||
Schedule
editPreseason
edit| Week | Day | Date | Opponent | Results | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Score | Record | |||||
| – | Monday | January 28 | at San Antonio Commanders | L 11–37 | Alamodome | |
Regular season
editAll times Eastern
| Week | Day | Date | Kickoff | TV | Opponent | Results | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Score | Record | |||||||
| 1 | Saturday | February 9 | 8:00 p.m. | CBS | at Orlando Apollos | L 6–40 | 0–1 | Spectrum Stadium |
| 2 | Sunday | February 17 | 8:00 p.m. | NFLN | at San Diego Fleet | L 12–24 | 0–2 | SDCCU Stadium |
| 3 | Sunday | February 24 | 4:00 p.m. | CBSSN | Birmingham Iron | L 12–28 | 0–3 | Georgia State Stadium |
| 4 | Sunday | March 3 | 8:00 p.m. | NFLN | at Arizona Hotshots | W 14–11 | 1–3 | Sun Devil Stadium |
| 5 | Sunday | March 10 | 4:00 p.m. | CBSSN | Memphis Express | W 23–20 | 2–3 | Georgia State Stadium |
| 6 | Sunday | March 17 | 4:00 p.m. | CBSSN | San Antonio Commanders | L 6–37 | 2–4 | Georgia State Stadium |
| 7 | Saturday | March 23 | 2:00 p.m. | TNT† | Orlando Apollos | L 6–36 | 2–5 | Georgia State Stadium |
| 8 | Sunday | March 31 | 4:00 p.m. | CBSSN | at Birmingham Iron | L 9–17 | 2–6 | Legion Field |
| 9 | Sunday | April 7 | 4:00 p.m. | CBSSN | Salt Lake Stallions | Not played | Georgia State Stadium | |
| 10 | Saturday | April 13 | 8:00 p.m. | NFLN | at Memphis Express | Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium | ||
† Changed from original time and/or network.[20]
[16][21]
Game summaries
editWeek 1: at Orlando
editWeek One: Atlanta Legends at Orlando Apollos – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legends | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Apollos | 0 | 22 | 3 | 15 | 40 |
at Spectrum Stadium, Orlando, Florida
- Date: February 9
- Game time: 8:00 p.m. ET
- Game attendance: 20,191
- Referee: John O'Neill[22]
- TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, Gary Danielson, and Melanie Collins
- NoExtraPoints AAF
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 2: at San Diego
editWeek Two: Atlanta Legends at San Diego Fleet – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legends | 9 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 12 |
| Fleet | 0 | 6 | 3 | 15 | 24 |
at SDCCU Stadium, San Diego, California
- Date: February 17
- Game time: 8:00 p.m. ET
- Game attendance: 20,019
- Referee: Brandon Cruse[23]
- TV announcers (NFL Network): Andrew Siciliano, Marvin Lewis, Maurice Jones-Drew
- NoExtraPoints AAF
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 3: Birmingham
editWeek Three: Birmingham Iron at Atlanta Legends – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron | 0 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 28 |
| Legends | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 12 |
at Georgia State Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: February 24
- Game time: 4:00 p.m. ET
- Game attendance: 10,717
- Referee: Reggie Smith[24]
- TV announcers (CBS Sports Network): Ben Holden, Adam Archuleta, and John Schriffen
- NoExtraPoints AAF
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 4: at Arizona
editWeek Four: Atlanta Legends at Arizona Hotshots – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legends | 2 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 14 |
| Hotshots | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 11 |
at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
- Date: March 3
- Game time: 8:00 p.m. ET
- Game weather: Partly cloudy • Temperature: 74 °F (23 °C) • Wind: 5–10 mph
- Referee: Jeff Heaser[25]
- TV announcers (NFL Network): Andrew Siciliano, Marvin Lewis, Shaun O'Hara
- NoExtraPoints AAF
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 5: Memphis
editWeek Five: Memphis Express at Atlanta Legends – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Express | 6 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 20 |
| Legends | 3 | 11 | 0 | 9 | 23 |
at Georgia State Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: March 10
- Game time: 4:00 p.m. ET
- Game attendance: 10,829
- Referee: Tra Blake[26]
- TV announcers (CBS Sports Network): Ben Holden, Adam Archuleta, John Schriffen
- NoExtraPoints AAF
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 6: San Antonio
editWeek Six: San Antonio Commanders at Atlanta Legends – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commanders | 6 | 20 | 3 | 8 | 37 |
| Legends | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
at Georgia State Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: March 17
- Game time: 4:00 p.m. ET
- Game attendance: 10,619
- Referee: James Carter[27]
- TV announcers (CBS Sports Network): Ben Holden, Adam Archuleta and John Schriffen
- NoExtraPoints AAF
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 7: Orlando
editWeek Seven: Orlando Apollos at Atlanta Legends – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apollos | 8 | 6 | 14 | 8 | 36 |
| Legends | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
at Georgia State Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: March 23
- Game time: 2:00 p.m. ET
- Game attendance: 11,416
- Referee: Brandon Cruse[28]
- TV announcers (TNT): Mark Malone, Marvin Lewis
- NoExtraPoints AAF
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 8: at Birmingham
editWeek Eight: Atlanta Legends at Birmingham Iron – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legends | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
| Iron | 0 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 17 |
at Legion Field, Birmingham, Alabama
- Date: March 31
- Game time: 4:00 p.m. ET
- Game attendance: 17,328
- Referee: Jeff Heaser[29]
- TV announcers (CBS Sports Network): Rich Waltz, Adam Archuleta and Melanie Collins
- NoExtraPoints AAF
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Media
editIn addition to league-wide television coverage through NFL Network, CBS Sports Network, TNT, and B/R Live, Legends' games were also broadcast on local radio by WCNN ("680 The Fan").[30]
References
edit- ^ Wilson, Bernie (April 3, 2019). "Atlanta Legends no more: AAF football immediately suspends operations". WSB-TV ATLANTA. Cox Media Group. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
- ^ "One month to kickoff, Childress quits AAF job". ESPN.com. January 9, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
- ^ Kercheval, Ben (April 2, 2019). "AAF operations suspended, league's future in doubt after eight games of first season". cbssports.com. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
- ^ "AAF to immediately suspend operations". ESPN. April 2, 2019. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
- ^ Schwartz, Nick (April 4, 2019). "AAF star Keith Reaser becomes first player to sign NFL deal after league shutdown". USA Today. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
- ^ "AAF files for bankruptcy, officially closes down". USA Today. AP. April 17, 2019. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
- ^ Culpepper, JuliaKate E. (April 25, 2018). "Michael Vick will lead offense of new pro football league team in Atlanta". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
- ^ "Michael Vick to be offensive coordinator on new Alliance of American football Atlanta team". WAGA. April 25, 2018. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
- ^ Benjamin, Cody (September 20, 2018). "LOOK: Alliance of American Football unveils logos of four pro teams that will debut in 2019". CBSSports.com. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
- ^ Culpepper, JuliaKate (September 20, 2018). "Exclusive: Name, logo revealed for new pro football team in Atlanta". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
- ^ Yasin, Kareem (November 27, 2018). "The Alliance of American Football Unveils its Inaugural Uniforms". Alliance of American Football. Archived from the original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
- ^ "One month to kickoff, Childress quits AAF job". ESPN.com. January 9, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
- ^ Vivlamore, Chris (February 7, 2019). "Michael Vick out as Atlanta Legends offensive coordinator". AJC. Cox Enterprises. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
- ^ Johnson, Parker (February 25, 2019). "Play-caller Bartel becomes third coach to leave Legends". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
- ^ Perloff, Andrew [@andrewperloff] (March 3, 2019). "Interesting @TheAAF note... former Bengals OC, Browns QBs coach Ken Zampese came aboard to run offense for @AafLegends this week and helped QB Aaron Murray lead them win tonight. Zampese was with Andy Dalton for long time and Baker Mayfield last year" (Tweet). Retrieved March 3, 2019 – via Twitter.
- ^ a b c "Alliance of American Football schedule released for Arizona Hotshots, other 7 teams". AZ Central. USA Today Network. October 16, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
- ^ Kercheval, Ben (February 9, 2019). "AAF Week 1 scores, highlights: Spurrier calls 'Philly Special' for TD, Orlando and San Antonio win openers". CBSSports.com. Retrieved February 11, 2019.
- ^ "Aaron Murray takes over at quarterback, leads Atlanta Legends to first win". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. March 3, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
- ^ Inabinett, Mark (July 12, 2018). "Alabama, Auburn players to go on Birmingham AAF team's assignment list". AL.com. Alabama Media Group. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
- ^ "TNT to exclusively televise two additional AAF games". AAF.com. March 6, 2019. Archived from the original on March 7, 2019. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
- ^ "2019 Atlanta Legends Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
- ^ Filipe, Cameron (February 9, 2019). "Alliance of American Football: Week 1, 2019". Football Zebras. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
- ^ Filipe, Cameron (February 13, 2019). "Alliance of American Football: Week 2, 2019". Football Zebras. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
- ^ Filipe, Cameron (February 22, 2019). "Alliance of American Football: Week 3, 2019". Football Zebras. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
- ^ Filipe, Cameron (February 27, 2019). "Alliance of American Football: Week 4, 2019". Football Zebras. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
- ^ Filipe, Cameron (March 9, 2019). "Alliance of American Football: Week 5, 2019". Football Zebras. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
- ^ Filipe, Cameron (March 14, 2019). "Alliance of American Football: Week 6, 2019". Football Zebras. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
- ^ Filipe, Cameron (March 21, 2019). "Alliance of American Football: Week 7, 2019". Football Zebras. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
- ^ Filipe, Cameron (March 28, 2019). "Alliance of American Football: Week 8, 2019". Football Zebras. Retrieved March 31, 2019.
- ^ "'680 The Fan' To Carry Atlanta Legends Football Games". insideradio.com. January 16, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
Further reading
edit- Patchen, Tyler; Mandel, Eric (April 2, 2019). "Atlanta loses Legends after AAF suspends operations". Atlanta Business Chronicle. Retrieved April 3, 2019.