The New England Steamrollers were a former Arena Football League team based in Providence, Rhode Island. The team played in the AFL's 1988 season. The Steamrollers were one of four teams to enter the AFL in 1988, and along with the New York Knights and Los Angeles Cobras were folded following the season.
| New England Steamrollers | |
|---|---|
| Established 1988 Folded 1988 Played in Providence Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island | |
 | |
| League/conference affiliations | |
| Arena Football League (1988) | |
Current uniform | |
| Team colors | Black, orange, white |
| Personnel | |
| Owner(s) | Frank J. Russo Robert Andreoli |
| Head coach | Babe Parilli |
| Team history | |
| |
| Championships | |
| League championships (0) | |
| Conference championships (0) Prior to 2005, the AFL did not have conference championship games | |
| Division championships (0) | |
| Home arena(s) | |
| |
The Steamrollers were based out of Providence, Rhode Island and played their home games at the Providence Civic Center. They were the first professional football team of any kind to play in Providence since the Providence Steam Roller folded in 1933 and the first non-minor league professional sports franchise to play in the city since the NBA's Providence Steamrollers folded in 1949.
The coach of the Steamrollers was former Boston Patriots All-Pro quarterback Babe Parilli.
History
editIn 1988, Concert and fight promoter, Frank J. Russo, and jeweler, Robert Andreoli, purchased a limited partnership from the Arena Football League to own the rights to a Providence, Rhode Island team.[1] The team's first move was the hiring of Head Coach, Babe Parilli in March.[2][3] After a 3-9 season, the Steamrollers didn't achieve the dollar amount that Russo and Andreoli thought they would, and the franchise folded.[4]
Notable players
editRoster
edit| 1988 New England Steamrollers roster | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quarterbacks
Wide receivers/Defensive backs
|
Running backs/linebackers
Offensive linemen/Defensive linemen
|
Wide receivers/linebackers
Kickers Rookies in italics | ||||
Arena Football League Hall of Famers
edit| New England Steamrollers Hall of Famers | ||||
| No. | Name | Year inducted | Position(s) | Years w/ Steamrollers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 68 | Sylvester Bembery | 2011 | OL/DL | 1988 |
All-Arena players
editThe following Steamrollers players were named to All-Arena Teams:
- WR/DB Jim Hockaday
- OL/DL Sylvester Bembery, Kevin Murphy
Head coaches
edit| Name | Term | Regular season | Playoffs | Awards | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | Win% | W | L | |||
| Babe Parilli | 1988 | 3 | 9 | 0 | .250 | 0 | 0 | |
Season-by-season
edit| Season | W | L | T | Finish | Playoff results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 5th | -- |
References
edit- ^ Andy Crossley. "1988 New England Steamrollers". www.funwhileitlasted.net. Fun While it Lasted. Retrieved February 12, 2013.
- ^ Paul Zimmerman (July 11, 1988). "Off-the-wall Ball". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on April 7, 2013. Retrieved February 12, 2013.
- ^ "Names in the News". Los Angeles Times. March 2, 1988. Retrieved February 12, 2013.
- ^ Andy Crossley (April 27, 2012). "Rob Ekno Interview". www.box.com. Box. Retrieved February 12, 2013.