NAAF To Expand for the 1957 Season
In a press conference today regarding the future of the NAAF. Commissioner Ryan Jameson announced today that the league is looking to expand the league in time for the start of the 1957 season. The plan will start with the league taking in proposals from cities over the 1955 season. The announcement and selection of the cities will happen in the 1956 offseason, and then in the 1957 offseason, team brands will be released and will begin to compete. Nothing more will be confirmed this offseason as the league is in the preliminary process of this first major expansion.
*Note I am NOT taking suggestions right now, I still have not decided if I will select my new cities or if I will have an expansion council*
Royals Stadium
The new building for the Royals has been given an official name and will be known as “Royals Stadium at Brewer Park”. The new 45,210 seat stadium will be open for the season opener and the team will be raising the championship banner in the new stadium. There was talk about the opening game being at Lansdowne, but the Royals ownership decided that the final game at the historic stadium would be the McCallister Cup win.
1955 Retirements
QB Larry Larson - Brockton, MA - Boston Independents (1949-1954)**
Larson will go down as one of the greatest QB’s of all time and the best of his era. He was able to lead the Boston Football Club to many championships prior to joining the NAAF as well as winning the first 2 NAAF Championships. Larson had only one All-Star nod in 1949 but still was a top tier player through all 6 seasons he played in the NAAF. He also took home the 1949 Playoff and McCallister Cup MVP awards. Larson has earned respect from around the league and from his teammates. Many of the Boston vets are also retiring alongside Larson. The list includes LB Carlos Bennett, DB Clinton Benton, and DL Joel Jackson. The team has also mentioned that they don’t see anyone wearing #12 in Boston anytime soon or possibly ever at all.
WR Eugene Burns - Fall River, MA - Providence Gold Stars (1949-1952), Ottawa Royals (1953-1954)*
Through 1949-’52, Burns was one of the top targets for the Gold Stars, he would lead the Gold Stars through the air in the early part of the time period which would earn him an All-Star spot in 1950. Burns was a fan favourite as well, but in the 1953 offseason, Burns would be dealt to Ottawa in a surprise trade. Burns would go on to be a big part of the Royals offense earning him his second All-Star spot in 1953 and eventually helping the Royals to their first McCallister Cup.
LB Carlos Bennett - Boston, MA - Boston Independents (1949-1954)**
Many Boston players called it a career along with Larry Larson, but Bennett is the most notable one with 4 straight All-Star appearances from 1949-1952. Bennett was the top LB for Boston throughout the height of their success.
TE Darrell Hubbard - Windsor Locks, CT - Hartford Hawks (1949-1950), Montreal Rouge (1951-1954)**, Boston Independents (1954)
Hubbard is one of the better TE to play in the NAAF. certainly a notable one. The TE played the first two NAAF seasons with the Hartford Hawks before he was sent to Montreal in the massive WR John Rivera trade. Hubbard would earn an All-Star nod in 1951 and helped Montreal to their two McCallister Cups. Hubbard would finish his career in Boston after being dealt a second time during the 1954 season.
QB Evan Morrow - Rochester, NY - Buffalo Blue Wings (1949), Toronto Tigers (1950-1951), Ottawa Royals (1952-1954)*
Morrow had a long career in the NAAF as a traveling starter. He came into the league as the starter for the Blue Wings but would be replaced in 1950 by QB Angelo Medina which would land him in Toronto for a pair of seasons. He was able to get the winless Tigers a handful of wins before they acquired QB Duane Logan. That would mark the end of Morrow’s starting career as he would end up backing up QB Jean Matieau in Ottawa for the final few seasons of his career. He did start a pair of games for the Royals to rest Matieau and did quite well. He will walk away as a champion with the Royals win this season.
S Ralph Maynard - Providence, RI - Providence Gold Stars (1949-1954)
Maynard was a career Gold Star and a solid piece in the team’s defense. He would be often overshadowed by the other safeties in the NAAF, but he will leave as one of the best leaving a hole on the back end for the Gold Stars.
Other Notable Retirements
DB Clinton Benton - Boston, MA - BOS (1949-1954)**
S Victor Webb - Montreal, QC - OTT (1949-1951), BOS (1952-1954)
DL Joel Jackson - Boston, MA - BOS (1949-1954)**
LB Ralph Maynard - Boston, MA - BOS (1949-1954)**
OL Dmitri Lortie - Saint-Jerome, QC - MTL (1949-1954)**
DB Jean-Luc Paget - Montreal, QC - MTL (1949-1954)**
DB Guy Logan - Peterborough, ON - OTT (1949-1951), MTL (1952-1954)*
DL Grégory St Martin - Quebec City, QC - MTL (1949-1954)**
RB Ellis Love - Pawtucket, RI - PRO (1949), HAR (1950-1951), OTT (1952-1954)*
DL Jose McDaniel - Bridgewater, MA - PRO (1949-1954)
DL Harvey Franklin - Ottawa, ON - OTT (1949-1950), WOR (1951), PRO (1952-1954)
Staff Changes
Providence Gold Stars
Not any major changes but the Gold Stars have let go to Defensive Coordinator Kerry Miles and have brought former Athletics DC, Patrick Taylor, on to replace him. Miles struggled this past year with the usually strong Gold Star defense. There was also some speculation of whether or not the team would let go of Head Coach Perry Powell but with one year left on his deal, the Gold Stars will give him one more shot.
Long Island
With Kerry Miles being let go from Providence, Long Island brought him on to replace DC George Mitchell after just one season. Many were surprised by the lack of changes coming from the winless Long Island squad, but GM/Owner Wayne Tillman understands that it is a process and may take some patience to get the team to a competitive place.
QB Larry Larson - Brockton, MA - Boston Independents (1949-1954)**
Larson will go down as one of the greatest QB’s of all time and the best of his era. He was able to lead the Boston Football Club to many championships prior to joining the NAAF as well as winning the first 2 NAAF Championships. Larson had only one All-Star nod in 1949 but still was a top tier player through all 6 seasons he played in the NAAF. He also took home the 1949 Playoff and McCallister Cup MVP awards. Larson has earned respect from around the league and from his teammates. Many of the Boston vets are also retiring alongside Larson. The list includes LB Carlos Bennett, DB Clinton Benton, and DL Joel Jackson. The team has also mentioned that they don’t see anyone wearing #12 in Boston anytime soon or possibly ever at all.
WR Eugene Burns - Fall River, MA - Providence Gold Stars (1949-1952), Ottawa Royals (1953-1954)*
Through 1949-’52, Burns was one of the top targets for the Gold Stars, he would lead the Gold Stars through the air in the early part of the time period which would earn him an All-Star spot in 1950. Burns was a fan favourite as well, but in the 1953 offseason, Burns would be dealt to Ottawa in a surprise trade. Burns would go on to be a big part of the Royals offense earning him his second All-Star spot in 1953 and eventually helping the Royals to their first McCallister Cup.
LB Carlos Bennett - Boston, MA - Boston Independents (1949-1954)**
Many Boston players called it a career along with Larry Larson, but Bennett is the most notable one with 4 straight All-Star appearances from 1949-1952. Bennett was the top LB for Boston throughout the height of their success.
TE Darrell Hubbard - Windsor Locks, CT - Hartford Hawks (1949-1950), Montreal Rouge (1951-1954)**, Boston Independents (1954)
Hubbard is one of the better TE to play in the NAAF. certainly a notable one. The TE played the first two NAAF seasons with the Hartford Hawks before he was sent to Montreal in the massive WR John Rivera trade. Hubbard would earn an All-Star nod in 1951 and helped Montreal to their two McCallister Cups. Hubbard would finish his career in Boston after being dealt a second time during the 1954 season.
QB Evan Morrow - Rochester, NY - Buffalo Blue Wings (1949), Toronto Tigers (1950-1951), Ottawa Royals (1952-1954)*
Morrow had a long career in the NAAF as a traveling starter. He came into the league as the starter for the Blue Wings but would be replaced in 1950 by QB Angelo Medina which would land him in Toronto for a pair of seasons. He was able to get the winless Tigers a handful of wins before they acquired QB Duane Logan. That would mark the end of Morrow’s starting career as he would end up backing up QB Jean Matieau in Ottawa for the final few seasons of his career. He did start a pair of games for the Royals to rest Matieau and did quite well. He will walk away as a champion with the Royals win this season.
S Ralph Maynard - Providence, RI - Providence Gold Stars (1949-1954)
Maynard was a career Gold Star and a solid piece in the team’s defense. He would be often overshadowed by the other safeties in the NAAF, but he will leave as one of the best leaving a hole on the back end for the Gold Stars.
Other Notable Retirements
DB Clinton Benton - Boston, MA - BOS (1949-1954)**
S Victor Webb - Montreal, QC - OTT (1949-1951), BOS (1952-1954)
DL Joel Jackson - Boston, MA - BOS (1949-1954)**
LB Ralph Maynard - Boston, MA - BOS (1949-1954)**
OL Dmitri Lortie - Saint-Jerome, QC - MTL (1949-1954)**
DB Jean-Luc Paget - Montreal, QC - MTL (1949-1954)**
DB Guy Logan - Peterborough, ON - OTT (1949-1951), MTL (1952-1954)*
DL Grégory St Martin - Quebec City, QC - MTL (1949-1954)**
RB Ellis Love - Pawtucket, RI - PRO (1949), HAR (1950-1951), OTT (1952-1954)*
DL Jose McDaniel - Bridgewater, MA - PRO (1949-1954)
DL Harvey Franklin - Ottawa, ON - OTT (1949-1950), WOR (1951), PRO (1952-1954)
Staff Changes
Providence Gold Stars
Not any major changes but the Gold Stars have let go to Defensive Coordinator Kerry Miles and have brought former Athletics DC, Patrick Taylor, on to replace him. Miles struggled this past year with the usually strong Gold Star defense. There was also some speculation of whether or not the team would let go of Head Coach Perry Powell but with one year left on his deal, the Gold Stars will give him one more shot.
Long Island
With Kerry Miles being let go from Providence, Long Island brought him on to replace DC George Mitchell after just one season. Many were surprised by the lack of changes coming from the winless Long Island squad, but GM/Owner Wayne Tillman understands that it is a process and may take some patience to get the team to a competitive place.
Introducing the Long Island Raiders
Owner Wayne Tillman was extremely excited to announce the team would be returning to the old "Raiders" name. The Raiders had been a long time name of the Long Island team and the roots and history dig deep into the area already. “It felt right, the people here know the Raiders and they want to see their team return. It was a process to decide, but after hearing feedback from fans, it was clear this was the right direction to go.”
The “Hawks” name was officially dropped after being the name of the Hartford Hawks for only 8 seasons after Jonathan Sampson had decided to rename the Hartford Maroons upon the return of football in 1946. Long Island was not able to rebrand after a quick ownership change and move, but with this season they would be able to put together a new design.
The new logo features two pirate swords crossed over the shape of Long Island with “Long Island Raiders” surrounding the logo. The team dropped silver and returned to green which the original Raiders had used. However, they decided to keep the burgundy rather than going to green and white. Tillman mentioned that he loved the burgundy from the Hawks brand and wanted to incorporate it into the new-look Raiders.
The uniforms look to introduce some new trends with the crossed swords on the helmet, becoming just the 4th team to have a major helmet design, but the first to have a proper logo on the side. They also introduced TV numbers with the increase of broadcasting games. If it is a popular addition to the jerseys the rest of the league may follow suit shortly. As for the overall jersey design, they kept some ideas from the Hawks with the stripping but introduced a more colourful set of uniforms. They move away from the Burgundy jerseys to go with the dark green, but also make the helmets burgundy.
Owner Wayne Tillman was extremely excited to announce the team would be returning to the old "Raiders" name. The Raiders had been a long time name of the Long Island team and the roots and history dig deep into the area already. “It felt right, the people here know the Raiders and they want to see their team return. It was a process to decide, but after hearing feedback from fans, it was clear this was the right direction to go.”
The “Hawks” name was officially dropped after being the name of the Hartford Hawks for only 8 seasons after Jonathan Sampson had decided to rename the Hartford Maroons upon the return of football in 1946. Long Island was not able to rebrand after a quick ownership change and move, but with this season they would be able to put together a new design.
The new logo features two pirate swords crossed over the shape of Long Island with “Long Island Raiders” surrounding the logo. The team dropped silver and returned to green which the original Raiders had used. However, they decided to keep the burgundy rather than going to green and white. Tillman mentioned that he loved the burgundy from the Hawks brand and wanted to incorporate it into the new-look Raiders.
The uniforms look to introduce some new trends with the crossed swords on the helmet, becoming just the 4th team to have a major helmet design, but the first to have a proper logo on the side. They also introduced TV numbers with the increase of broadcasting games. If it is a popular addition to the jerseys the rest of the league may follow suit shortly. As for the overall jersey design, they kept some ideas from the Hawks with the stripping but introduced a more colourful set of uniforms. They move away from the Burgundy jerseys to go with the dark green, but also make the helmets burgundy.
The 1955 draft looks to be one of the deepest drafts the NAAF has seen to date. More and more young players are deciding to go to the NAAF instead of other American or Canadian leagues. A lot of the draw has been based on how the league is with their players. With Ryan Jameson being a former athlete himself, he has always made sure the players have felt important and taken care of around the league. This attraction leads to the draft pool being loaded with talent. The big-name will be UConn QB, Lyle Painter. Painter is looked at as the next legend. He plays a similar style to that of Larry Larson and Jean Matieau which are both regarded as the best. Scout George Stefanakis has regarded the QB as being better than Kiernan entering the draft. The question will be where he goes through as the Raiders still have previous 1st overall pick QB Lee Rogers and Providence is set on Connor O’Rourke. Following the top tier QB, the Gains Report has highlighted a pair of top tier defensive prospects in DL Calias McDonough and DB Quentin Xavier. McDonough is a speedy lineman that has a knack for creating havoc in the backfield. Xavier is a zone coverage specialist with the ability to cover a lot of ground. OL Magnus Gunnersson also makes a statement on the Gains Report following behind the two defenders. WR McKenzie Jones will be a popular target with several teams interested in adding to their WR core. Johnny Singleton has high regard for the strong WR. A Couple of players on the edge of the first round are DL Olympus (Ollie) Heights and LB Harrison Bennett. Heights looks to have all the makings of a first-rounder, but he shows a lack of experience in certain situations in which some teams have a concern. Bennett has the talent but some character issues may steer some teams away. There is plenty of more talent throughout the first couple rounds, here is the top 20.
Prospect Rankings
1 - QB Lyle Painter - George Stefanakis
2 - DL Calias McDonough - Lawrence Gainsborough
3 - DB Quentin Xavier - Lawrence Gainsborough
4 - OL Magnus Gunnersson - Lawrence Gainsborough
5 - WR Mackenzie Jones - Johnny Singleton
6 - DB Lou Lake - George Stefanakis
7 - LB Marco Price - Johnny Singleton
8 - TE Micheal Bowman III - Abigail Winter
9 - LB Harrison Bennett - Barry Williams
10 - S Johan Eckart - Lawrence Gainsborough
11 - DL Olympus Heights - Roger Roy
12 - LB Gene Bensen - Johnny Singleton
13 - WR Benedict Spencer - Barry Williams
14 - DL Kenny Evans - Johnny Singleton
15 - OL Sal Valcano - Lawrence Gainsborough
16 - RB Eddie Thompson - Johnny Singleton
17 - DB Clinton Gates - Johnny Singleton
18 - LB Alister Henry - Lawrence Gainsborough
19 - TE Paul McDowell - Joseph Brewer
20 - DB Ricardo Salvador - Lawrence Gainsborough
The Draft Order/Needs
1 - Long Island Raiders - S, RB, OL, DB
Picks: 1, 9, 17, 19, 22, 25
2 - Providence Gold Stars - OL, DL, TE, WR
Picks: 2, 10, 18, 26
3 - Ontario Tigers - DL, TE, S, DB
Picks: 3, 11, 27
4 - Worcester Athletics - OL, LB, DB, WR
Picks: 4, 12, 20, 28
5 - Montreal Rouge - DB, S, OL, RB
Picks: 5, 13, 21, 29
6 - Buffalo Blue Wings - DB, WR, LB
Picks: 6, 14, 30
7 - Boston Independents - OL, DL, LB, RB
Picks: 7, 15, 23, 31
8 - Ottawa Royals - DL, LB, WR
Picks: 8, 16, 24, 32
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