2009 Florida Tuskers season

January 2025 American football league season Florida Tuskers 2009 6–0 1st Jim Haslett Rick Mueller Stuart Sternberg(Tampa Bay Rays) Florida Citrus BowlTropicana Field Lost Championship Game (Las Vegas) 20–17 (OT) File:UFL-Uniform-FL-2009.png true The 2009 Florida Tuskers season was the first season for the Florida Tuskers. In the UFL's Premiere Season, the Tuskers put together a league-best, undefeated 6–0 record. In the championship game however, they lost to the Las Vegas Locomotives in overtime. The Tuskers played three home games in the six game regular season. Two games were played at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, and one was played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. Following the conclusion of the season, quarterback Brooks Bollinger was named season MVP, and head coach Jim Haslett was given the Coach of the Year award.http://www.ufl-football.com/press/2009/12/02/united_football_league_announces_season_end_awards United Football League Announces Season-End Awards United Football League 2009-12-02 2009-12-02 https://web.archive.org/web/20091211070200/http://www.ufl-football.com/press/2009/12/02/united_football_league_announces_season_end_awards December 11, 2009 dead Prior to season Jim Haslett, former NFL head coach of the New Orleans Saints and St. Louis Rams, was named head coach of the then unnamed franchise, on March 11, 2009.UFL Names Jim Haslett Head Coach of the Orlando Franchise https://web.archive.org/web/20090901003807/http://www.ufl-football.com/press/2009/03/11/ufl_names_jim_haslett_head_coach_of_the_orlando_franchise September 1, 2009 The team name, uniforms, and colors were unveiled on August 12, 2009.United Football League Introduces Florida Tuskers as Team Name & Unveils Uniforms https://web.archive.org/web/20090815090751/http://www.ufl-football.com/press/2009/08/12/united_football_league_introduces_florida_tuskers_as_team_name_unveils_uniforms August 15, 2009 On the same day it was announced that the Tampa Bay Rays had bought interest in the team.http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/aug/12/121624/rays-buy-ufl-franchise-slate-game-trop/ Rays buy into UFL franchise, slate game at Trop 2009-11-28 https://web.archive.org/web/20091020121447/http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/aug/12/121624/rays-buy-ufl-franchise-slate-game-trop/ 2009-10-20 dead Draft UFL premiere season draft The draft took place on June 19, 2009. Those selected were among participants in earlier workouts held in Orlando as well as Las Vegas. Once a player was picked by a team, his rights were held by that team should he elect to play in the UFL."Premiere" Season Draft http://www.ufl-football.com/press/2009/06/19/_premiere_season_draft 19 June 2009 UFL-Football.com 28 November 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20091213111513/http://www.ufl-football.com/press/2009/06/19/_premiere_season_draft December 13, 2009 dead With their first selection, the Tuskers picked former Arkansas nose tackle Fred Bledsoe. = Indicates player signed with team Player Position CollegeFred Bledsoe NT Arkansas Brooks Bollinger QB WisconsinRonnie Cruz FB Northern State Mike Doss DB Ohio StateGreg Fassitt DB GramblingChas Gessner WR BrownKeith Heinrich TE Sam Houston StateRien Long NT Washington StateGrant Mason DB MichiganTim McGarigle LB Northwestern Chris Perry RB MichiganRob Petitti T PittsburghZach Piller OG FloridaEric Powell DE Florida StateAnthony Schlegel LB Ohio StateBo Schobel DE TCUDominique Thompson WR William & MaryDeJuan Tribble CB Boston College Larry Tripplett NT WashingtonDarius Vinnett DB ArkansasSeth Wand T Northwest Missouri StateJermaine Wiggins TE GeorgiaQuincy Wilson RB West VirginiaT. J. Wright DB Ohio Staff 2009 Florida Tuskers #0090C5 white black Owner – Stuart Sternberg (via Tampa Bay Rays) Vice-president/general manager (UFL) – Rick Mueller Director of football operations – Ricky Porter Head coach – Jim Haslett Offensive coordinator – Jay Gruden Running backs – Ricky Porter Wide receivers – Ike Hilliard Wide receivers/quality control – Sean McVay Special teams/tight ends – Al Roberts Offensive line – Bill Laveroni Defensive line – Carl Hairston Linebackers – Chuck Bresnahan Secondary – Bill Bradley Roster 2009 Florida Tuskers final roster Quarterbacks  8 Brooks Bollinger 14 Chris Greisen Running backs 25 Tatum Bell 34 Andrew Pinnock 22 Michael Pittman 21 Shaud Williams Wide receivers 15 Taye Biddle 18 Jayson Foster 11 Marcus Maxwell 82 Frank Murphy  9 Bobby Sippio 81 Micheal Spurlock Tight ends 83 Jonathan Dekker 87 Keith Heinrich 89 Ryan Neufeld 85 Jermaine Wiggins Offensive linemen 69 P. J. Alexander G 62 Dan Buenning G/C 66 Anthony Davis G 58 Enoka Lucas C 53 Fred Matua G 78 Rob Petitti T 77 Charles Spencer T 75 Seth Wand T 72 Julius Wilson T Defensive linemen 76 Fred Bledsoe DT 68 McKinley Boykin DT 56 Patrick Chukwurah DE 97 Josh Cooper DE 91 Eric Powell DE 93 Josh Savage DE 98 Darrion Scott DE 92 Willie Williams DT 99 Claude Wroten DT Linebackers 50 Colby Bockwoldt OLB 54 Quinton Culberson OLB 59 Tim McGarigle MLB 55 Terrence Melton OLB 51 Anthony Schlegel MLB 52 Odell Thurman OLB Defensive backs 31 Willie Andrews SS 35 Fakhir Brown CB 23 Jerome Carter FS 36 Michael Grant CB 28 Dexter Jackson FS 20 Ricky Manning CB 30 Derrick Richardson SS 27 DeJuan Tribble CB 24 Darius Vinnett CB Special teams  3 Matt Bryant K 57 Matt Overton LS 10 Todd Sauerbrun P Reserve lists 19 Chas Gessner WR (IR) 7px 62 Gene Mruczkowski C (IR) 7px rookies in italics 52 Active, 2 Inactive Schedule Regular season Round Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance 1 October 10, 2009 New York Sentinels W 35–13 1–0 Citrus Bowl 11,203 2 October 14, 2009 at Las Vegas Locomotives W 29–15 2–0 Sam Boyd Stadium 12,160 3 October 22, 2009 California Redwoods W 34–7 3–0 Citrus Bowl 12,021 4 October 30, 2009 Las Vegas Locomotives W 27–24 4–0 Tropicana Field 11,354 5 Bye 6 November 12, 2009 at New York Sentinels W 24–6 5–0 Rentschler Field 5,201 7 November 19, 2009 at California Redwoods W 34–27 6–0 AT&T Park 6,837 Championship Game Round Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Championship November 27, 2009 Las Vegas Locomotives L 17–20 (OT) 0–1 Sam Boyd Stadium 14,801 Standings Game summaries Week 1: vs. New York Sentinels background-color:#0090C5; color:white Saturday, October 10, 2009 7:00 p.m. ET Sentinels 7 6 0 0 Tuskers 0 14 14 7 Citrus Bowl, Orlando, Florida 11,203 Randy Christal HDNet Kenny Rice & Paul Maguire Recap 1st quarter NY – Craphonso Thorpe 11-yard pass from Quinn Gray (Piotr Czech kick), 12:52 2nd quarter NY – Piotr Czech 32-yard field goal, 15:00 FL – Frank Murphy 9-yard pass from Brooks Bollinger (Matt Bryant kick), 3:54 FL – Taye Biddle 35-yard pass from Brooks Bollinger (Matt Bryant kick), 2:52 NY – Piotr Czech 42-yard field goal, 0:13 3rd quarter FL – Chas Gessner 16-yard pass from Brooks Bollinger (Matt Bryant kick), 9:58 FL – Ryan Neufeld 1-yard pass from Brooks Bollinger (Matt Bryant kick), 6:30 4th quarter FL – Tatum Bell 1-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 11:55 Passing NY – Quinn Gray – 12/29, 161 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT FL – Brooks Bollinger – 20/26, 225 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT Rushing NY – LaBrandon Toefield – 10 att, 34 yards FL – Tatum Bell – 15 att, 70 yards, 1 TD Receiving NY – Craphonso Thorpe – 4 rec, 77 yards, 1 TD FL – Chas Gessner – 4 rec, 59 yards, 1 TD The Tuskers opened the season with a convincing 35–13 win over the New York Sentinels. Quarterback Brooks Bollinger threw for 225 yards and four touchdowns. Week 2: at Las Vegas Locomotives background-color:#0090C5; color:white Tuskers 7 9 6 7 Locomotives 0 0 0 15 Sam Boyd Stadium, Whitney, Nevada 9:08 p.m. ET Versus 12,160 Dave Cutaia Recap 1st quarter FL – Frank Murphy 5-yard pass from Brooks Bollinger (Matt Bryant kick), 11:11 2nd quarter FL – Matt Bryant 22-yard field goal, 11:02 FL – Matt Bryant 41-yard field goal, 1:51 FL – Matt Bryant 30-yard field goal, 0:05 3rd quarter FL – Chas Gessner 12-yard pass from Brooks Bollinger (Matt Bryant kick), 4:33 4th quarter LV – DeDe Dorsey safety, 14:20 FL – Taye Biddle 17-yard pass from Brooks Bollinger (Matt Bryant kick), 9:39 LV – Samie Parker 11-yard pass from J. P. Losman (DeDe Dorsey rush failed), 7:10 LV – Samie Parker 2-yard pass from J. P. Losman (Graham Gano kick), 1:56 Passing FL – Brooks Bollinger – 24/32, 310 yards, 3 TD LV – J. P. Losman – 19/35, 239 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT Rushing FL – Tatum Bell – 11 att, 53 yards LV – Marcel Shipp – 10 att, 39 yards Receiving FL – Taye Biddle – 7 rec, 107 yards, 1 TD LV – Samie Parker – 6 rec, 85 yards, 2 TD On the road, Bollinger would surpass his total from a week before with 310 yards. Through the first three quarters, the Tuskers had kept the Las Vegas Locomotives from scoring, and led by 22 points. Kicker Matt Bryant connected on three field goals in the game, won by the Tuskers 29–15. With the win, the Tuskers moved into first place by themselves. Week 3: vs. California Redwoods Redwoods 0 0 0 7 Tuskers 0 17 10 7 Citrus Bowl, Orlando, Florida 7:00 p.m. EDT Versus 12,021 Randy Christal Recap Back in Orlando for Week 3, the Tuskers routed the California Redwoods 34–7, and improved to 3–0 on the season. The Tusker defense held the Redwoods to only 196 yards and forced five turnovers, including four interceptions. Taye Biddle was the Tuskers' leading receiver with 133 yards on five receptions, however no touchdowns. Week 4: vs. Las Vegas Locomotives background-color:#0090C5; color:white Friday, October 30, 2009 7:00 p.m. ET Locomotives 0 14 3 7 Tuskers 0 7 10 10 Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida 11,354 Dave Cutaia HDNet Kenny Rice & Paul Maguire Recap 2nd quarter FL – Marcus Maxwell 9-yard pass from Brooks Bollinger (Matt Bryant kick), 11:54 LV – Tab Perry 60-yard pass from J. P. Losman (Graham Gano kick), 5:11 LV – DeDe Dorsey 22-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 2:46 3rd quarter FL – Marcus Maxwell 46-yard pass from Brooks Bollinger (Matt Bryant kick), 12:04 LV – Graham Gano 40-yard field goal, 9:01 FL – Matt Bryant 31-yard field goal, 4:51 4th quarter FL – Tatum Bell 1-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 8:10 LV – John Madsen 2-yard pass from J. P. Losman (Graham Gano kick), 7:01 FL – Matt Bryant 40-yard field goal, 4:38 Passing LV – J. P. Losman – 19/31, 252 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT FL – Brooks Bollinger – 22/35, 323 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT Rushing LV – DeDe Dorsey – 12 att, 139 yards, 1 TD FL – Tatum Bell – 20 att, 65 yards, 1 TD Receiving LV – Tab Perry – 3 rec, 96 yards, 1 TD FL – Jayson Foster – 4 rec, 93 yards The Tuskers traveled to their secondary home stadium for Week 4, Tropicana Field, normally known as the home to the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball. The Tuskers hosted the Locomotives, who were coming off of their bye week and facing the Tuskers in their second consecutive game. In contrast to the teams' previous game, the game was tied at 24–24 late in the 4th quarter. Matt Bryant nailed a 40-yard field goal to give the Tuskers the lead with 4:38 to play. Las Vegas would get the ball back with just under two minutes left, but Florida's defense held strong and the Tuskers remained undefeated with their fourth win of the season. With the victory, the Tuskers clinched a spot in the 2009 UFL Championship Game. Week 6: at New York Sentinels Tuskers 10 0 7 7 Sentinels 3 3 0 0 Rentschler Field, Hartford, Connecticut 7:00 p.m. EDT Versus 5,201 Randy Christal Recap Coming off of their bye week, the Tuskers were on the road against the Sentinels in Week 6. The game was close in the 1st half, with the Tuskers holding a slight 10–6 lead at halftime. However, the Tuskers defense kept New York out of the end zone the entire night. Also behind Brooks Bollinger's arm, throwing for 215 yards and two touchdowns, the Tuskers won 24–6, keeping the undefeated season alive at 5–0. Week 7: at California Redwoods Tuskers 10 10 0 14 Redwoods 10 14 3 0 AT&T Park, San Francisco, California 9:08 p.m. EDT Versus 6,837 Dave Cutaia Recap In Week 7, the Tuskers played their final game of the regular season in California. After both of the Tuskers' first two scores in the first quarter, they boldly attempted an onside kick and successfully recovered both. In the 1st quarter, both teams traded a field goal and a touchdown, but the Tuskers were down at halftime 24–20. After that, the Tuskers defense stood tall as they had in the previous week, only allowing a 3rd-quarter field goal in the entire 2nd half. Still down 27–20, Brooks Bollinger put together a 67-yard drive capped off by a touchdown pass to Jayson Foster on the first play of the 4th quarter. Foster was drilled by a Redwoods defensive player immediately after making the catch, but Foster held on to the ball for the score to tie the game. Later in the 4th quarter, California moved the ball to the Tuskers' 33-yard line, but cornerback Darius Vinnett intercepted the ball for the Tuskers and returned it 58 yards to the Redwoods' 8-yard line. A few plays later, running back Michael Pittman dove over the goal line for the touchdown, putting the Tuskers ahead 34–27. The Redwoods would punt the ball back to Florida on the ensuing drive, and with a chance to ice the game on 3rd down with only a yard needed for the 1st down, Pittman fumbled, and California came up with the ball. However, the Redwoods were unable to capitalize on the turnover, as Josh Cooper recovered his own forced fumble on Redwoods quarterback Shane Boyd, sealing the win for the Tuskers. The game was considered as one of the most entertaining of the season. The Tuskers remained undefeated at the conclusion of the regular season, finishing with a 6–0 record going into the championship game against Las Vegas. Championship Game 2009 UFL Championship Game Locomotives 0 3 0 14 3 Tuskers 7 0 0 10 0 Sam Boyd Stadium, Whitney, Nevada 3:13 p.m. EDT Versus 14,801 Dave Cutaia Recap Though it was announced as the location of the championship game before the two teams clinched a spot, the Tuskers traveled back to Las Vegas to play the Locomotives at Sam Boyd Stadium, attempting to beat them for the third time in the season. It was a defensive battle through the first three quarters, until both teams' offenses came alive in the fourth quarter. Tied with 17 points each at the end of regulation, the game went to overtime, the first overtime game in league history. The Tuskers won the coin toss and received the ball first in OT, but Brooks Bollinger threw an interception deep in Tuskers territory. The Locos ran one play to line the ball in between the goal posts, and kicker Graham Gano made the game-winning field goal just inside the right upright to win the championship for Las Vegas, and end the Tuskers' chance at a perfect season. References Florida Tuskers Season, 2009 Category:Florida Tuskers seasons Florida Tuskers