Alabama Hammers

The Alabama Hammers were a professional indoor football team based in Huntsville, Alabama. The team played in the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL) from 2012 to 2015. The Hammers originally began play as an expansion team in the Southern Indoor Football League in 2011. The Hammers are the fourth indoor football team to play at the Von Braun Center; these were the Alabama Vipers of the AFL (2010), the Tennessee Valley Vipers of the af2 (2000–2004 and 2006–2009), and the Tennessee Valley Raptors of the United Indoor Football league (2005).[1] The owner of the Hammers is Southern Sports Entertainment, LLC. The Hammers play their home games at the Von Braun Center. Their name comes from the Yellowhammer, the state bird of Alabama.

Alabama Hammers
Established 2010 Folded 2016 Played in Huntsville, Alabama at the Von Braun Civic Center
Alabama Hammers logo
League/conference affiliations
Southern Indoor Football League (2011) Professional Indoor Football League (2012–2015)
Team colors	Green, gold, silver, white
Nicknames	Hammers
Mascot	Slammer the Hammer
Personnel
Owner(s)	Southern Sports and Entertainment LLC (Jeff Knight, CEO)
Chairman	Jeff Knight
President	Joe Stroud
Head coach	Scott Sharp
Team history
Alabama Hammers (2017–present)
Championships
League championships (1) PIFL: 2013
Conference championships (0)
Division championships (0)
Playoff appearances (1)
PIFL: 2013
Home arena(s)
Von Braun Civic Center (2012-2015)

Franchise history

2011

On November 5, 2010, it was announced that indoor football was to stay at the Von Braun Center in the form of the Alabama Hammers who would be playing in the Southern Indoor Football League (SIFL).[2] The nickname "Hammers" was chosen due to the state bird of Alabama being the yellowhammer.[3] On December 19, 2010, the Hammers announced that Marty Hammond, who had coached the Rio Grande Valley Dorados from 2006 to 2009, as their first ever head coach.[4] On March 19, 2011, the Hammers took the field for their first ever game as a franchise, losing 20–67 to the Columbus Lions.[5] The Hammers achieved the first victory in forfeit fashion, as the Mobile Bay Tarpons forfeited their April 29 game.[6] The Hammers finished the regular season with a 4–8 record, failing to qualify for the postseason.[7]

2012

Before the season began, the Hammers joined the Professional Indoor Football League after the Southern Indoor Football League dissolved. The Hammers went 3–9 in 2012, failing to making the playoffs.

2013

For the 2013 season, the Hammers hired former Alabama Vipers coach Dean Cokinos to be their head coach.[8] The Hammers have achieved the level of success expected of coach Cokinos, who has a great winning percentage in lower level indoor football. They won their first championship when they won the PIFL title over the Richmond Raiders 70–44.[9]

2014

The Hammers did not return to their championship form in 2014, losing their first 4 games of the regular season. After the Hammers seemed to have righted the ship with 3-straight wins, they went on another 4-game losing streak. The Hammers finished the season 4–8, tied for 4th placed in the American Conference, failing to qualify for the playoffs.

2015

During the offseason, Cokinos took a job as the head coach of the New Orleans VooDoo of the Arena Football League. He was replaced with Cosmo Dematteo, who had coached the filler team, Georgia Fire in 2014. However, in January 2015, Dematteo stepped down due to family issues before coaching a game for the Hammers. Scott Sharp was named the new Hammers' head coach on January 27, 2015.[10]

In 2015, the Hammers folded upon the league folding.

Players

Final roster

Alabama Hammers roster
Quarterbacks 22 Billy Cosh  8 Anthony Speight 10 Garrett Sutphen Running backs 11 Erwin McGuire Wide receivers 20 Philander Browder  3 Rob Brown  5 Maurice Dupree  4 Mico McSwain		Offensive linemen 70 Brandon Haskin -- Quintel Rutledge 54 John Smith 53 Derrick Ziegler Defensive linemen 72 Nicholas Finney -- Jason Gains -- Brandon McCauley 42 Tony Patterson  1 Desmond Rainford 19 Byron Sneed 90 Jeremiah Zene		Linebackers 33 Tyrell Dammerman  9 Keon Lattimore Defensive backs  7 Travis Blanchard  6 Justin Broome 18 Svante Davenport 21 Johnnie Dixon  2 Ginikachi Ibe Kickers 44 Brandon Rutherford		Injured reserve  5 Loucinel Fonfile WR -- Kenny Mainor DL 44 Marvin Newkirk DL -- Lance Smith FB -- Justin Williams DB Exempt list 18 Cameron Bailey WR -- Cameron Blake DL  3 Charles McClain WR  8 Austin Trainor QB Suspension Currently vacant Failure to report-exempt -- Dominique Bacon OL -- Jeremy Grier WR Left squad 54 Cole Alexander OL  9 Justin Kenyon WR -- Andrew Mick WR Rookies in italics Roster updated June 4, 2015 28 Active, 14 Inactive

Awards and honors

The following is a list of all Hammers players who won league awards:

Season	Player	Position	Award
2013	Mico McSwain	WR	Most Valuable Player
2013	Mico McSwain	WR	Offensive Player of the Year
2013	Jake Trantin	LB	Defensive Rookie of the Year

Head coaches

Name	Term	Regular season				Playoffs		Awards
		W	L	T	Win%	W	L
Marty Hammond	2011–2012	7	17	0	.292	0	0
Dean Cokinos	2013–2014	13	10	0	.565	2	0	PIFL Coach of the Year (2013)
Scott Sharp	2015	5	7	0	.417	0	0

Coaching staff

Alabama Hammers staff
	Front Office Founder/Owner – Southern Sports and Entertainment LLC President / Director of Operations - Joe Stroud Director of Corporate Sales - Trent Iley Head Coach Head Coach - Scott Sharp Offensive Coaches Offensive Coordinator – Running Backs - Wide Receivers – Offensive Line –			Defensive Coaches Defensive Coordinator – Defensive Line/Linebackers – Secondary –

Season-by-season results

League Champions

Conference Champions

Division Champions

Wild Card Berth

League Leader

Season	Team	League	Conference	Division	Regular season				Postseason results
					Finish	Wins	Losses	Ties
2011[11]	2011	SIFL	Eastern	South	3rd	4	8	0
2012[12]	2012	PIFL			5th	3	9	0
2013	2013	PIFL			1st	9	2	0	Won PIFL Semifinals 61–46 vs. Albany Won PIFL Cup II 70–44 vs. Richmond
2014	2014	PIFL	American		4th	4	8	0
2015	2015	PIFL			6th	5	7	0
Totals					25	34	0	All-time regular season record
					2	0	–	All-time postseason record
					27	34	0	All-time regular season and postseason record

References

1. McCarter, Mark (March 25, 2015). "Von Braun Center has celebrated much sports success, but also been graveyard for some franchises". The Huntsville Times. Huntsville, AL: Advance Publications. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
2. Bryant, Bill (November 4, 2010). "Indoor football to return to Von Braun Center next spring". The Huntsville Times. Archived from the original on October 13, 2012. Retrieved November 5, 2010.
3. Bill Bryant (November 13, 2010). "Hammers officially Huntsville's latest indoor football team". www.al.com. Alabama Media Group. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
4. Reggie Benson (December 19, 2010). "Alabama Hammers name Hammond head coach". www.al.com. Alabama Media Group. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
5. Bill Bryant (March 19, 2011). "Alabama Hammers routed by Columbus in SIFL opener". www.al.com. Alabama Media Group. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
6. "Former Viper QB Eakin Now a Hammer". www.oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. April 27, 2011. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
7. "Hammers end 2011 SIFL season with loss at Albany". www.oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. June 11, 2011. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
8. McCarter, Mark (October 4, 2012). "Dean Cokinos returning to Huntsville as head coach of Alabama Hammers' football team". The Huntsville Times. Archived from the original on October 13, 2012. Retrieved October 12, 2012.
9. http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/07/alabama_hammers_roll_impressiv.html
10. Daniel Boyette (January 27, 2015). "Scott Sharp makes preps-to-pros jump to become new Hammers coach". www.al.com. Alabama Media Group. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
11. "SIFL - 2011 Regular Season, Alabama Hammers". The Stat Guys.
12. "PIFL - 2012 Regular Season, Alabama Hammers". The Stat Guys. Archived from the original on October 13, 2012. Retrieved October 12, 2012.

External links

• Official website