Dallas Desperados

Arena football team

Dallas Desperados

Established 2002
Folded 2009
Played in American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas
League/conference affiliations
Arena Football League (2002–2008)

* American Conference (2002–2008)
* Eastern Division (2002–2008)

Current uniform

Team colors| Blue, white, black

Mascot| Kid Coyote
Personnel
Owner(s)| Jerry Jones
President| Shy Anderson
Head coach| Will McClay
Team history

* Dallas Desperados (2002–2008)

Championships
League championships (0)

Conference championships (0)

Division championships (0)

Playoff appearances (3)

* 2003, 2006, 2007

Home arena(s)

* American Airlines Center (2002, 2004–2008)
* Reunion Arena (2003)

The Dallas Desperados were a professional arena football team based in Dallas, Texas. They played in the Eastern Division of the Arena Football League from 2002 to 2008.

The franchise began as an expansion team and posted a winning record in all but one season. It was owned by Jerry Jones, who also owns the Dallas Cowboys. His son-in-law Shy Anderson was the chief operating officer and oversaw the day-to-day operations.

The team folded effective August 4, 2009, upon the dissolution of the original AFL. Unlike former owners of most defunct AFL teams, Jones maintains the intellectual property rights to the Desperados.

## History

[edit]

During a halftime interview at a Cowboys preseason game on August 12, 2000, Jerry Jones revealed to Babe Laufenberg that the AFL had granted him an expansion franchise to begin play in 2001.[1] On November 14, 2001, Dallas officially joined the AFL.[2] The team was originally going to be named the "Dallas Texans", following in the footsteps of Dallas' former AFL franchise which existed from 1990 to 1993, when he sold the rights to the name "Texans" for $10 million to the new Houston franchise. After a contest in which fans voted via the team's official website, the new Dallas team was eventually named the Desperados. Jones appointed Cowboys special teams coach Joe Avezzano as head coach, and on November 21, 2001, in the AFL expansion draft, they acquired their first player, lineman Aaron Hamilton.

The Dallas Desperados in action.

Avezzano, along with starting quarterback Andy Kelly, led the team to a respectable 7–7 record and a playoff appearance in the team's first season of play, and a 10–6 record and a second consecutive playoff berth in 2003 under new quarterback Jim Kubiak. He was fired from the Cowboys staff that season, then resigned as Desperados head coach when he accepted a job with the Oakland Raiders.

Before the 2004 season, Jones hired Will McClay to replace Avezzano, and McClay struggled to a 6–10 record his rookie season as coach. The team improved to 8–7–1 the following season and barely missed making the playoffs, and under the helm of quarterback/offensive coordinator Clint Dolezel, posted a 13–3 record in 2006 and made their first appearance in an AFL conference championship game, losing to the Orlando Predators. The following season saw the Desperados post an AFL record fifteen wins and the team appeared destined to make their first ArenaBowl appearance, but they were shocked by the Columbus Destroyers, who had entered the playoffs with a 7–9 record, in the first round. The upset is ranked by many among the greatest of all time. The following season saw no relief to the postseason failure as the Desperados at 12–4 lost to the 8–8 New York Dragons in Dallas. After the New Orleans VooDoo folded, the league placed the Desperados in the South Division after the team had spent five seasons as an Eastern Division powerhouse.

With the exception of one playoff game and the entirety of the 2003 season, the Desperados played all of their home games at American Airlines Center. The team's official mascot was Kid Coyote.[3]

### Memorable moments

[edit]

On June 9, 2007, the Desperados faced the 4–9 New Orleans VooDoo. The 13–1 Desperados found themselves losing late in the game. But Dallas Quarterback Clint Dolezel threw a touchdown with 30 seconds left on the clock to give the Desperados the lead. On the ensuing kickoff, the VooDoo fielded the ball off the net and found themselves looking at a long way to the endzone from their own one-yard line. They managed to put together a lengthy drive and were able to score with 1.7 seconds left to make the score 80–79. Rather than tie the game with an extra point, they elected to go for the win with a two-point conversion. VooDoo Quarterback Steve Bellisari dropped back and was sacked by 2007 AFL lineman of the year Colston Weatherington on the ten. The game was over along with the VooDoo playoff hopes. In the end, Dallas won 80–79.

The game was voted 2007 "Game of the Year" leaguewide in July 2007.

### Season-by-season

[edit]

Main article: List of Dallas Desperados seasons

### Coaches

[edit]

Head coach | Tenure  | Regular season
record (W-L)  | Postseason
record (W-L)  | Most recent coaching staff  | Notes

|
|
|
|
|

Joe Avezzano | 2002 – 2003 | 17–13  | 1–2  | DC: Will McClay (2002–2006)  |
Will McClay | 2004 – 2008 | 54–24–1  | 1–3  | Offensive Line: Steve Criswell
Special Teams: Adriel Fenton
DC: James Fuller (2007 – 2008)  | Continued as DC
for three seasons.
2006 Arena Football League
Coach of the Year

## Players

[edit]

### Final roster

[edit]

Dallas Desperados roster

Quarterbacks

* 13 Clint Dolezel
*  5 Chris Sanders

Fullbacks

* 40 Josh White

Wide receivers

* 17 Anthony Armstrong
* 18 Josh Bush
* 82 Marcus Nash
*  2 Will Pettis
*  7 Joe Haden

|  | Offensive/defensive linemen

* 96 Jeremy Calahan
* 66 Jeff Chase
* 84 Terrance Dotsy
* 90 Daleroy Stewart
* 55 Colston Weatherington

|  | Linebackers

* 50 David Dixon
* 45 Duke Pettijohn

Defensive backs

* 37 Johnnie Harris
* 20 Pete Hunter
*  7 Jermaine Jones
*  6 Bobby Perry

* 3 Leonardo Collins

Kickers

* 19 Remy Hamilton

|  | Injured reserve

*  2 Chris Brown DB
* 77 Cyron Brown OL/DL
* 21 Dennis DaShane DB
* 11 Jason Fife QB
* 94 Robert Pollard OL/DL
*  9 Andrae Thurman WR

Practice Squad

* 89 Troy Mason WR
* 10 Perry Patterson QB

Rookies in italics
Roster updated July 26, 2008
19 Active, 8 Inactive

### Arena Football Hall of Famer

[edit]

Dallas Desperados Hall of Famers

No.  | Name  | Year inducted  | Position(s)  | Years w/ Desperados
13 | Clint Dolezel | 2013 | QB | 2006–08

### Individual awards

[edit]

| Lineman of the Year

Season  | Player  | Position
2003 | Tom Briggs | OL/DL
2006 | Colston Weatherington | OL/DL
2008 | Colston Weatherington | DL

| Ironman of the Year

Season  | Player  | Position
2007 | Will Pettis | WR/DB
2008 | Will Pettis | WR/DB

### All-Arena

[edit]

The following Desperados players were named to All-Arena Teams:

* QB Clint Dolezel (2)
* FB Josh White (1)
* FB/LB Duke Pettijohn (1)
* WR/DB Will Pettis (3)
* OL/DL Tom Briggs (1), Colston Weatherington (1)
* OL Devin Wyman (1), Terrance Dotsy (1)
* DL Colston Weatherington (2)
* LB Duke Pettijohn (2)
* DB Jermaine Jones (1)
* K Remy Hamilton (1)

### All-Ironman

[edit]

The following Desperados players were named to All-Ironman Teams:

* FB/LB Duke Pettijohn (3)
* WR/DB Will Pettis (5)
* OL/DL Tom Briggs (1)

### All-Rookie

[edit]

The following Desperados players were named to All-Rookie Teams:

* QB Clint Stoerner
* FB/LB Ja'Mar Toombs
* WR/DB Will Pettis
* WR/LB Andy McCullough
* OL/DL Shante Carver, Colston Weatherington
* DB Bobby Keyes
* DS Kareem Larrimore, Jermaine Jones

## See also

[edit]

* Dallas Texans
* Fort Worth Cavalry
* Dallas Vigilantes

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Dallas awarded Arena Football team". www.oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. August 19, 2000. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
2. ^ "Dallas joins AFL family". www.oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. November 14, 2001. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
3. ^ "Kid Coyote". Dallas Desperados. Archived from the original on July 1, 2008. Retrieved May 1, 2016.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* Dallas Desperados at ArenaFan

* v
* t
* e

Dallas Desperados

* Founded in 2002
* Folded in 2009
* Based in Dallas

Franchise|

* Franchise
* Seasons
* Players
* History of the Arena Football League in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex

Arenas|

* American Airlines Center
* Reunion Arena

Head coaches|

* Avezzano
* McClay

Playoff appearances (5)|

* 2002
* 2003
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008

Division championships (3)|

* 2003
* 2006
* 2007

Hall of Fame members|

* Clint Dolezel

Seasons (7)

2000s|

* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008

* v
* t
* e

Defunct Arena Football League franchises

* Alabama Vipers (2010)
* Anaheim Piranhas (1994–1997)
* Arizona Rattlers (1992–2016)
* Austin Wranglers (2004–2007)
* Bossier–Shreveport Battle Wings (2010)
* Carolina Cobras (2000–2004)
* Charlotte Rage (1992–1996)
* Chicago Bruisers (1987–1989)
* Chicago Politicians (1986)
* Chicago Rush (2001–2013)
* Cincinnati Rockers (1992–1993)
* Cleveland Thunderbolts (1991–1994)
* Colorado Crush (2003–2008)
* Columbus Destroyers (1999–2008)
* Connecticut Coyotes (1995–1996)
* Dallas Desperados (2002–2008)
* Dallas Texans (1990–1993)
* Dallas Vigilantes (2010–2011)
* Denver Dynamite (1987, 1989–1991)
* Detroit Fury (2001–2004)
* Florida Bobcats (1992–2001)
* Fort Worth Cavalry (1994)
* Georgia Force (2002–2008, 2011–2012)
* Grand Rapids Rampage (1998–2008)
* Houston ThunderBears (1996–2001)
* Indiana Firebirds (1990–2004)
* Iowa Barnstormers (2010–2014)
* Jacksonville Sharks (2010–2016)
* Kansas City Brigade/Command (2006–2012)
* Las Vegas Outlaws (2015)
* Los Angeles Avengers (2000–2008)
* Los Angeles Cobras (1988)
* Los Angeles Kiss (2014–2016)
* Massachusetts Marauders (1988–1994)
* Miami Vise (1987)
* Milwaukee Mustangs (1994–2001)
* Milwaukee Iron/Mustangs (2010–2012)
* Minnesota Fighting Pike (1996)
* Nashville Kats (1997–2001, 2005–2007)
* New England Steamrollers (1988)
* New Orleans Night (1991–1992)
* New Orleans VooDoo (2004–2005, 2007–2008, 2011–2015)
* New York Dragons (1995–2008)
* New York Knights (1988)
* Oklahoma Wranglers (1995–2001)
* Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz (2010)
* Orlando Predators (1991–2016)
* Pittsburgh Power (2011–2014)
* Portland Thunder/Steel (2014–2016)
* Rockford Metros (1986)
* San Antonio Force (1992)
* San Antonio Talons (2010–2014)
* San Jose SaberCats (1995–2008, 2011–2015)
* Spokane Shock (2010–2015)
* St. Louis Stampede (1995–1996)
* Tampa Bay Storm (1987–2017)
* Toronto Phantoms (1997–2002)
* Utah Blaze (2006–2008, 2010–2013)
* Washington Commandos (1987–1989)

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