The Fairbanks Grizzlies were a professional indoor football team based in Fairbanks, Alaska. The team was a member of the Pacific Division of the Intense Conference in the Indoor Football League (IFL). The Grizzlies began play in 2008 as a member of the Intense Football League and joined the IFL in 2008 as part of the Intense Football League and United Indoor Football (UIF) merger. The team played their home games at the Carlson Center in Fairbanks.

Fairbanks Grizzlies
Established 2007
Folded 2011
Played in Carlson Center
in Fairbanks, Alaska
League/conference affiliations
Intense Football League (2008)

Indoor Football League (20092011)

  • Intense Conference (2009–2011)
    • Pacific Division (2009, 2011)
    • Pacific North Division (2010)
Current uniform
Team colorsBlue, orange, white
     
MascotTundra
CheerleadersLady Grizzlies
Personnel
Owner(s)Chad Dittman
Ricky Bertz
Michael Taylor
Head coachRobert Fuller
Team history
  • Fairbanks Grizzlies (2008–2011)
Championships
League championships (0)
Conference championships (0)
Division championships (1)
2011
Playoff appearances (3)
2009, 2010, 2011
Home arena(s)

The Grizzlies were notable for being the northernmost professional gridiron football team in history; the Alaska Wild held the previous record, and before that, the Edmonton Eskimos. Grizzlies games were broadcast live on KCBF. (The northernmost gridiron football team of any sort is the high school football team of Barrow High School.)

The Grizzlies suspended operations in October 2011 in the face of lawsuits against the team.[1]

Season-by-season

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Grizzlies player, Daudi White, in 2009
 
The Grizzlies in a game against the Alaska Wild in July 2009.
Season records
Season W L T Finish Playoff results
Fairbanks Grizzlies (Intense Football League)
2008 3 11 0 9th League --
Fairbanks Grizzlies (Indoor Football League)
2009 7 7 0 2nd Intense Pacific Won Divisionals I (Colorado)
Lost Divisionals II (Billings)
2010 9 5 0 2nd Pacific North Lost First Round (Billings)
2011 10 4 0 1st Pacific Lost Conference Semi-Final (Allen)
Totals 30 30 0 (including playoffs)

Final roster

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Fairbanks Grizzlies roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

  •  9 Romandre Gibbs

Wide receivers

  •  5 John Halman
  •  2 Erick Jones
  •  7 Desmond Tardy
  •  1 Tony Taylor
Offensive linemen
  • 79 Lyndon Brown
  • 54 Jerome Johnson
  • 67 James Thompson
  • 72 Nicholas Thornton-Jack

Defensive linemen

Linebackers
  • 40 Steve Faoro
  •  8 Devin Robinson

Defensive backs

  • 20 Xavier Drakeford
  • 21 Noah Harris
  • 15 Thyrell Lewis
  • 24 James Romain
  •  3 Daudi White
  • 13 Kenny Viser

Kickers

  • 18 Rett Thibodeaux
Injured reserve
  • Currently vacant

Exempt list

  • Currently vacant

Practice squad

  • Currently vacant
  • Rookies in italics
  • Roster updated June 24, 2011
  • 24 Active, 0 Inactive, 0 PS

References

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  1. ^ Sam Friedman (November 6, 2011). "Lawsuit filed against Fairbanks Grizzlies". newsminer.com. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
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