Virginia Destroyers
 | |
| Founded | 2009 |
|---|---|
| Folded | 2012 |
| Based in | Virginia Beach,Virginia |
| Home stadium |
|
| Owner(s) | Bill Mayer[1] |
| Colors | Cardinal red, navy blue, gray |
| League titles | |
TheVirginia Destroyerswere a professionalAmerican footballteam based inVirginia Beach, Virginia.They began play in theUnited Football League(UFL) in the2011 season.They played their home games at theVirginia Beach Sportsplex.
The team succeeded theFlorida Tuskers,a charter UFL franchise based inOrlando, Florida,from 2009 to 2010. The Tuskers appeared in the first twoUFL championship games,losing both to theLas Vegas Locomotives.In 2010, the league suspended the Tuskers' operations and moved the remnants of the team to Virginia Beach to assume the identity (and some executive staff) of a previously announcedexpansion teamthat was to begin play in 2011.[2][3]
The Destroyers' business license expired on March 1, 2013; the team had effectively ceased operations several weeks earlier.[4]
Franchise history
[edit]Florida Tuskers (2009–2010)
[edit]2009 season
[edit]Orlando was awarded a franchise for the UFL's2009 season.FormerNew Orleans SaintsandSt. Louis Ramshead coachJim Haslettwas named the first head coach of the team on March 11, 2009.[5]
Tryouts for the four teams that would play in the 2009 season took place in Orlando andLas Vegasduring the summer, with thedrafttaking place on June 19. With their first selection, the Tuskers picked Fred Bledsoe, who had gone undrafted in the2008 NFL Draftbefore signing with theGreen Bay Packersas a practice squad member.[citation needed]
The team's name, along with its colors and uniforms, were unveiled to the public in August, two months before the start of the season.[6]On the same day it was announced that theTampa Bay Rayshad bought interest in the team.[7]
In their inaugural season, the Tuskers were led by quarterbackBrooks Bollinger,and wide receiverTaye Biddle.Bollinger was the league leader in passing yards, while Biddle led in receiving yards. On the defensive side of the ball,Odell Thurmanled the team in tackles,Patrick Chukwurahwas the league leader in sacks, andJerome Carterled the league in interceptions.[citation needed]
The team was noted for having a large number of former players from the nearbyTampa Bay Buccaneers.Among the Buccaneer alumni wasMatt Bryant,noted for having once kicked a game-winning 62-yard field goal as time expired, which ranked as the third-longest successful attempt in NFL history. Other ex-Bucs includedMicheal Spurlock,the first player in Tampa Bay history to return a kickoff for a touchdown, andSuper Bowl XXXVIIMVPDexter Jackson.[8]
The Tuskers put together a league-best undefeated 6–0 record in the regular season, clinching a spot in the championship game in Week 4. However, in thechampionship game,the Tuskers were beaten by theLas Vegas Locomotives,losing on a game-winning field goal in overtime. Despite the team being unable to complete aperfect season,Jim Haslettwas named Coach of the Year, while Bollinger was given the league'sMVPaward.[9]
2010 season
[edit]
In January 2010, head coachJim Haslettleft the team to become the defensive coordinator for theWashington Redskinsof theNational Football League.[10]On February 9, 2010, UFL commissionerMichael HuyghuenamedJay Grudenas head coach andgeneral manager.[11]On the same day it was announced that theTampa Bay Rayshad sold their interest in the team, meaning the Tuskers would be fully based in Orlando for the 2010 season.[12]After several months of league ownership, a group led byJoe Theismannpurchased the team in October 2010. The Tuskers signedWYGMas their radio affiliate, becoming the second UFL team to have one.[13]
Florida extended their regular season winning streak to seven games when they defeated the Las Vegas Locos in their opener on September 18, 27–20. The Tuskers lost their first regular season game in franchise history in Week 2 when they were defeated by theSacramento Mountain Lions,24–20. They dropped their next contest on September 30 against the Locos, 20–17, the first time Las Vegas had beaten Florida in a regular season match-up. After splitting their next two games, the Tuskers were 2–3 and in danger of being eliminated from championship contention. After backup quarterbackChris Greisenbecame the new starter in Week 8, the Tuskers went on to win their final three games, sending them back to thechampionship game,once again facing, and losing to,Las Vegas.[14]
Virginia Destroyers
[edit]2011 season
[edit]The UFL originally announced an expansion team based inNorfolk, Virginia,to begin play in2011.Jim Speros,owner of theBaltimore Stallionsand (briefly) theMontreal Alouettesof theCanadian Football League,was named as the team's owner, but relinquished control of the team to the league on August 23, 2010, in a dispute over the league's ownership structure. The radio broadcast team of 2011 was handled by play-by-play Hampton Roads area veteran John Castleberry and colour by ex-USFL/NFL defensive lineman William Fuller who is a Chesapeake, Virginia native. Daily Press Paul White handled the local coverage in press and online.[15]FormerNFLandUSFLquarterbackDoug Williamslater was named the team'sgeneral manager.[16][17][18]On February 21, 2011, Williams resigned from the Destroyers to become the head coach atGrambling State University.[citation needed]
Joe Moglia,chairman ofTD Ameritradeand a former college coordinator who last coached football on a paid basis in the 1980s, was given the head coaching position[19]at the behest of league commissionerMichael Huyghuein November 2010; Williams had no input on the hire.[20]However, in January 2011, the league announced Moglia would instead coach theOmaha Nighthawks.[21]
Meanwhile, on January 12, 2011, the league announced that the Tuskers had ceased operations in Orlando and moved to Virginia, with Jay Gruden remaining as the Destroyers' coach.Bret Munsey,the Tuskers' director of player personnel, assumed authority over player personnel upon Williams' resignation. Theismann, a minority owner of the team in Florida, was relegated to being a consultant for the league[22]but eventually left that role, expressing disgust in the way he was treated by the league's ownership during his time as the Tuskers' director of football operations.[23]In February 2011, Gruden was hired by theCincinnati Bengalsof the NFL as theiroffensive coordinator.[citation needed]
On March 23, 2011, former NFL coachMarty Schottenheimerwas hired as head coach and general manager.[24]
On July 28, 2011, after unsuccessfully searching for another investor to replace the departures of Speros and Theismann,Bill Mayerwas installed as owner of the Destroyers. Mayer had previously owned theNew York Sentinels/Hartford Colonialsin the UFL; that team was suspended at the same time (and eventually folded outright prior to the 2012 season). The league confirmed the contraction of the Colonials on August 10 and Mayer was installed as Destroyers' owner September 7.[25]
2012 season
[edit]Schottenheimer abruptly resigned shortly before the start of the 2012 season. Though failure to pay was a factor in his departure,[26]it became known several years later that he was in the early stages ofAlzheimer's disease.[27]Kurt Schottenheimer,Marty's younger brother and longtime defensive assistant, was given the head coach position on September 18. The assistant coaches wereBret Munsey,Bill Lavoroni,Kurt Gouveia,andTerry Shea.The front office in 2012 was manned byJohn Wuerhmannand Vice President of SalesJohn Castleberry,who was also the play-by-play broadcaster in 2011. Print journalists included Paul White of theHampton Daily Press;Tom Robinson covered the Destroyers (albeit in an often disparaging manner) forThe Virginian-Pilot.[citation needed]
After a promising 2011 season in which the Destroyers drew over 12,000 fans to all three home games, attendance plummeted in 2012, prompted in part by uncertainty over whether the league would even play their 2012 season. The team's second home game was so poorly attended that the league refused to release an attendance total[28]for the first and only time in league history. On the field, the team's performance also suffered, tying for last place in the league at the time of the league's suspension.[28]
Season-by-season records
[edit]| UFL Champions |
| Season | Team | League | Regular season | Playoffresults | Awards | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish | Wins | Losses | Ties | |||||||
| Florida Tuskers | ||||||||||
| 2009 | 2009 | UFL | 1st | 6 | 0 | 0 | LostUFL championship game(Las Vegas) 23–20 (OT) | |||
| 2010 | 2010 | UFL | 2nd | 5 | 3 | 0 | LostUFL championship game(Las Vegas) 20–17 | |||
| Virginia Destroyers | ||||||||||
| 2011 | 2011 | UFL | 1st | 3 | 1 | 0 | WonUFL championship game(1)(Las Vegas) 17–3 | Marty Schottenheimer2011 UFL Coach of the Year Aaron Rouse2011 UFL championship game MVP Dominic Rhodes2011 UFL Offensive POY | ||
| 2012 | 2012 | UFL | 3rd | 1 | 3 | 0 | did not qualify | |||
| Total | 15 | 7 | 0 | (2009–2012, includes only regular season) | ||||||
| 1 | 2 | 0 | (2009–2012, includes only playoffs) | |||||||
| 16 | 9 | 0 | (2009–2012, includes both regular season and playoffs) | |||||||
Records vs. teams
[edit]| Team | Record | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| Hartford Colonials/New York Sentinels | 4–0 | 1.000 |
| Las Vegas Locomotives | 5–4 | .556 |
| Omaha Nighthawks | 3–0 | 1.000 |
| Sacramento Mountain Lions/California Redwoods | 4–3 | .571 |
- Note:This includes postseason games.
Home, away, and neutral records
[edit]| Location | Record | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| Home | 8–2 | .800 |
| Away | 7–3 | .700 |
| Neutral | 0–2 | .000 |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^Doyle, Paul (July 28, 2011)."UFL Won't Admit Hartford Colonials Ship Has Sunk... Yet".Hartford Courant.Retrieved2011-07-28.
- ^Cordes, Henry (2011, February 21). Full seats, empty pockets.Omaha World-Herald.Retrieved February 21, 2011-02-21 from[1].
- ^"UFL's Florida Tuskers move to Virginia".Orlando Business Journal.January 12, 2011.Retrieved2011-02-07.
- ^"Fans still waiting for Virginia Destroyer ticket refunds".February 11, 2013. Archived fromthe originalon April 7, 2013.RetrievedMay 7,2013.
- ^"UFL Names Jim Haslett Head Coach of the Orlando Franchise".United Football League.2009-03-11. Archived fromthe originalon 2009-09-01.Retrieved2009-11-30.
- ^"United Football League Introduces Florida Tuskers as Team Name & Unveils Uniforms".United Football League.2009-08-12. Archived fromthe originalon August 15, 2009.Retrieved2009-11-30.
- ^Lancaster, Marc (2009-08-12)."Rays buy into UFL franchise, slate game at Trop".Tampa Bay Online.Archived fromthe originalon 2009-10-20.Retrieved2009-11-30.
- ^Harry, Chris (2009-10-28)."Former Bucs presence being felt in UFL".Orlando Sentinel.Retrieved2009-11-30.
- ^"United Football League Announces Season-End Awards".UFL.2009-12-02. Archived fromthe originalon December 11, 2009.Retrieved2009-12-03.
- ^Maske, Mark and Barry Svrluga (2010-01-13)."Redskins hire Jim Haslett as defensive coordinator".The Washington Post.Retrieved2010-02-08.
- ^"United Football League Names Jay Gruden Head Coach of Florida Tuskers".United Football League.2010-02-09.Retrieved2010-02-09.[dead link]
- ^"Florida Tuskers To Make Orlando Home".United Football League.2010-02-09.Retrieved2010-02-09.[dead link]
- ^"WYGM to Air Tuskers Games in 2010".United Football League.2010-07-13. Archived fromthe originalon 2010-07-16.Retrieved2010-07-14.
- ^Dusty Sloan (November 20, 2010)."Tuskers to Join Locos in" The Championship "Rematch".United Football League.Retrieved2010-11-20.[permanent dead link]
- ^"Statement on UFL Virginia".United Football League.2010-08-20. Archived fromthe originalon 2011-07-17.Retrieved2010-08-20.
- ^"United Football League Board Grants Conditional Approval for Norfolk, Virginia, To Host Sixth Team".United Football League.2010-06-21. Archived fromthe originalon 2010-06-23.Retrieved2010-06-22.
- ^"UFL to add Virginia team for 2011 season".Sports Illustrated.Associated Press. 2010-06-21. Archived fromthe originalon June 26, 2010.Retrieved2010-06-22.
- ^George, Thomas (2010-05-18)."Washington Redskins should bring Doug Williams home again".FanHouse.Retrieved2010-05-18.
- ^Burke, Monte (2010-11-07).TD Ameritrade's Joe Moglia lands football coaching job.Forbes.Retrieved 2010-11-08.
- ^Robinson, Tom (2010-11-11).Destroyers' GM: Commissioner made call on coach.The Virginian-Pilot.Retrieved 2010-11-11.
- ^Karpeles, Robert (2011-01-12)."Joe Moglia to Coach Omaha Nighthawks".FanHouse.Retrieved2011-01-12.
- ^"Jay Gruden to Coach the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League".United Football League.2011-01-12. Archived fromthe originalon 2011-01-16.Retrieved2011-01-12.
- ^Masters, Mark (2011-06-24). Unplugged: Theismann on the CFL, NFL and Marc Trestman.National Post.Retrieved on 2011-06-25 fromhttp://sports.nationalpost.com/2011/06/24/unplugged-theismann-on-the-cfl-nfl-and-mark-trestman/Archived2012-07-20 atarchive.today.
- ^Mortensen, Chris (2011-03-21)."Sources: Marty Schottenheimer close to UFL gig".ESPN.Retrieved2011-03-21.
- ^Fairbank, Dave (2011, September 7). Mayer signs on as UFL Destroyers' owner, touts league.Daily Press.Retrieved on 2011-09-07 fromhttp://www.dailypress.com/sports/dp-spt-ufl-mayer-20110907,0,4199885.story.
- ^Harris, Joe (October 18, 2012).Marty Schottenheimer Sues UFL Founder.Courthouse News Service.Retrieved October 18, 2012.
- ^Grossi, Tony (October 28, 2016)."Alzheimer's disease won't prevent Marty Schottenheimer from attending 30th reunion of Browns 1986 season".ESPN.com.
- ^abSparse crowd sees Destroyers lose to Sacramento.The Virginian-Pilot.Retrieved October 20, 2012.