Memphis Express
The Memphis Express was a professional American football franchise based in Memphis, Tennessee. It was a member of the Alliance of American Football (AAF) during its single season in 2019.[1] They played their home games at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium,[2] and were coached by former NFL player and head coach Mike Singletary.[3]
 | |
| Established | 2018 |
|---|---|
| Folded | 2019 |
| Based in | Memphis, Tennessee |
| Home stadium | Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium |
| Head coach | Mike Singletary |
| General manager | Will Lewis |
| Team president | Kosha Irby |
| League | Alliance of American Football |
| Division | Eastern Conference (2019) |
| Colors | Red, blue & white |
On April 2, 2019, the league's football operations were reportedly suspended,[4][5] and on April 4 the league allowed players to leave their contracts to sign with NFL teams.[6]
History
The Alliance of American Football announced the awarding of the third inaugural league team, Alliance Memphis, on May 4, 2018.[7] This announcement was followed by the May 10, 2018, announcement of Mike Singletary as the team's head coach.[3]
On July 30, 2018, the Alliance announced team Memphis had signed its first 29 players.[8] On September 20, the league announced four eastern inaugural franchises' names and logos including Memphis as the Memphis Express.[9] The name is derived from Memphis' significance as a mail and cargo transport city being the "World Headquarters" of FedEx (formerly Federal Express), with an airplane being featured in the logo.[10] (FedEx CEO Frederick W. Smith had previously owned the Memphis Mad Dogs pro football team in the 1990s; as the AAF was a single-entity league that never progressed to selling individual franchises as originally planned, Smith had no involvement or investment with the Express, despite the use of the Express name and imagery.)
On January 5, 2019, training camp opened in San Antonio, Texas.[11] The final 52-man roster was released on January 30.[12] The Express' inaugural game, played against the Birmingham Iron at Legion Field on February 10, ended in a 26–0 shutout loss.[13] Their first home game was a 20–18 loss against the Arizona Hotshots during week 2.[14] Memphis notched their first win on March 2, with a 26–23 victory over the San Diego Fleet at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.[15]
On March 16, 2019, shortly after the Express fell to 1–5 in a 22–9 loss to the Salt Lake Stallions, the team announced they had signed Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Johnny Manziel.[16]
On April 2, 2019, the league's football operations were suspended,[4][5] and on April 4 the league allowed players to leave their contracts to sign with NFL teams.[6] On April 17, 2019, the league announced the cessation of business operations after filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.[17]
Final Roster
| Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
|
Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
|
Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
|
Reserve lists
Rights list
|
Allocation pool
The Express' assigned area, which designated player rights, included the following colleges:[8]
|
Colleges |
National Football League (NFL) Canadian Football League (CFL)
|
Staff
|
| |||||
2019 season
| 2019 Memphis Express season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Alliance of American Football |
| General manager | Will Lewis |
| Head coach | Mike Singletary |
| Home field | Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 2–6 |
| League place | 3rd (tie), Eastern Conference |
Final standings
| Eastern Conference | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Club | W–L | PCT | CONF | PF | PA | DIFF | SOS | SOV | STK |
| (x) – Orlando Apollos | 7–1 | .875 | 5–0 | 236 | 136 | 100 | .406 | .375 | W2 |
| (x) – Birmingham Iron | 5–3 | .625 | 3–2 | 165 | 133 | 32 | .406 | .300 | W1 |
| (e) – Memphis Express | 2–6 | .250 | 1–4 | 152 | 194 | -42 | .578 | .500 | L1 |
| (e) – Atlanta Legends | 2–6 | .250 | 1–4 | 88 | 213 | -125 | .609 | .438 | L3 |
| Western Conference | |||||||||
| Club | W–L | PCT | CONF | PF | PA | DIFF | SOS | SOV | STK |
| San Antonio Commanders | 5–3 | .625 | 3–2 | 158 | 154 | 4 | .516 | .450 | L1 |
| Arizona Hotshots | 5–3 | .625 | 3–2 | 186 | 144 | 42 | .469 | .500 | W3 |
| San Diego Fleet | 3–5 | .375 | 2–3 | 158 | 161 | -3 | .469 | .417 | L3 |
| Salt Lake Stallions | 3–5 | .375 | 2–3 | 135 | 143 | -8 | .547 | .417 | W1 |
| (x)–clinched playoff berth; (e)–eliminated from playoff contention | |||||||||
Preseason
| Week | Day | Date | Opponent | Results | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Score | Record | |||||
| – | Monday | January 28 | at Salt Lake Stallions | L 22–29 | Alamodome | |
Regular season
All times Central
| Week | Day | Date | Kickoff | TV | Opponent | Results | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Score | Record | |||||||
| 1 | Sunday | February 10 | 3:00 p.m. | CBSSN | at Birmingham Iron | L 0–26 | 0–1 | Legion Field |
| 2 | Saturday | February 16 | 7:00 p.m. | NFLN | Arizona Hotshots | L 18–20 | 0–2 | Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium |
| 3 | Saturday | February 23 | 7:00 p.m. | NFLN | at Orlando Apollos | L 17–21 | 0–3 | Spectrum Stadium |
| 4 | Saturday | March 2 | 3:00 p.m. | B/R Live† | San Diego Fleet | W 26–23 | 1–3 | Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium |
| 5 | Sunday | March 10 | 3:00 p.m. | CBSSN | at Atlanta Legends | L 20–23 | 1–4 | Georgia State Stadium |
| 6 | Saturday | March 16 | 3:00 p.m. | B/R Live | at Salt Lake Stallions | L 9–22 | 1–5 | Rice–Eccles Stadium |
| 7 | Sunday | March 24 | 7:00 p.m. | NFLN | Birmingham Iron | W 31–25 OT | 2–5 | Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium |
| 8 | Saturday | March 30 | 1:00 p.m. | TNT† | Orlando Apollos | L 31–34 | 2–6 | Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium |
| 9 | Saturday | April 6 | 11:00 a.m. | CBS† | at San Antonio Commanders | Not played | Alamodome | |
| 10 | Saturday | April 13 | 7:00 p.m. | NFLN | Atlanta Legends | Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium | ||
Week 1: at Birmingham
Week One: Memphis Express at Birmingham Iron – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Express | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Iron | 3 | 6 | 0 | 17 | 26 |
at Legion Field, Birmingham, Alabama
- Date: February 10
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. CT
- Game attendance: 17,039
- Referee: Brandon Cruse[21]
- TV announcers (CBS Sports Network): Ben Holden, Adam Archuleta, and John Schriffen
- NoExtraPoints AAF
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 2: Arizona
Week Two: Arizona Hotshots at Memphis Express – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotshots | 0 | 0 | 6 | 14 | 20 |
| Express | 9 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 18 |
at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Memphis, Tennessee
- Date: February 16
- Game time: 7:00 p.m. CT
- Game attendance: 11,980
- Referee: Reggie Smith[22]
- TV announcers (NFL Network): Dan Hellie, Brian Billick, Mike Smith
- NoExtraPoints AAF
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 3: at Orlando
Week Three: Memphis Express at Orlando Apollos – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Express | 0 | 0 | 6 | 11 | 17 |
| Apollos | 9 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 21 |
at Spectrum Stadium, Orlando, Florida
- Date: February 23
- Game time: 7:00 p.m. CT
- Game attendance: 20,394
- Referee: Jeff Heaser[23]
- TV announcers (NFL Network): Andrew Siciliano, Steve Mariucci, Jason Fische
- NoExtraPoints AAF
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 4: San Diego
Week Four: San Diego Fleet at Memphis Express – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fleet | 14 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 23 |
| Express | 3 | 12 | 0 | 11 | 26 |
at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Memphis, Tennessee
- Date: March 2
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. CT
- Game attendance: 13,621
- Referee: James Carter[24]
- TV announcers (B/R Live): Mark Malone, James Jones
- NoExtraPoints AAF
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 5: at Atlanta
Week Five: Memphis Express at Atlanta Legends – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Express | 6 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 20 |
| Legends | 3 | 11 | 0 | 9 | 23 |
at Georgia State Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: March 10
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. CT
- Game attendance: 10,829
- Referee: Tra Blake[25]
- TV announcers (CBS Sports Network): Ben Holden, Adam Archuleta, John Schriffen
- NoExtraPoints AAF
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 6: at Salt Lake
Week Six: Memphis Express at Salt Lake Stallions – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Express | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Stallions | 16 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 22 |
at Rice–Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, Utah
- Date: March 16
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. CT
- Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 47 °F (8 °C) • Wind: 5–10 mph
- Game attendance: 8,150
- Referee: Reggie Smith[26]
- TV announcers (B/R Live): Mark Malone, Marvin Lewis, Maurice Jones-Drew
- NoExtraPoints AAF
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 7: Birmingham
Week Seven: Birmingham Iron at Memphis Express – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron | 8 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 25 |
| Express | 0 | 8 | 6 | 11 | 6 | 31 |
at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Memphis, Tennessee
- Date: March 24
- Game time: 7:00 p.m. CT
- Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 71 °F (22 °C) • Wind: 13 mph
- Game attendance: 13,758
- Referee: Tra Blake[27]
- TV announcers (NFL Network): Matt "Money" Smith, Marvin Lewis
- NoExtraPoints AAF
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
This was the first overtime game in AAF history. Despite newly signed quarterback Johnny Manziel playing a few series for the Express, starter Brandon Silvers led the team to a comeback victory, keeping its slim postseason chances alive.[28]
Week 8: Orlando
Week Eight: Orlando Apollos at Memphis Express – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apollos | 3 | 11 | 8 | 12 | 34 |
| Express | 0 | 9 | 14 | 8 | 31 |
at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Memphis, Tennessee
- Date: March 30
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. CT
- Game attendance: 12,417
- Referee: Reggie Smith[29]
- TV announcers (TNT): Dan Hellie, Brock Huard
- NoExtraPoints AAF
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Media
In addition to league-wide television coverage through NFL Network, CBS Sports Network, TNT, and B/R Live, Memphis' games were also broadcast on local radio by KWNW, an iHeartMedia station branded as 101.9 Kiss FM.[30]
References
- "New pro football team could boost business in Memphis". WREG Memphis. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
- Froyd, Crissy (August 27, 2018). "Zach Mettenberger and Antonio Andrews reunite in new pro league". Titans Wire. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
- "Mike Singletary will coach Memphis team in upcoming Alliance of American Football". CBS Sports. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
- Kercheval, Ben (April 2, 2019). "AAF operations suspended, league's future in doubt after eight games of first season". cbssports.com. Retrieved 2019-04-02.
- "AAF to immediately suspend operations". ESPN. April 2, 2019. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
- Schwartz, Nick (April 4, 2019). "AAF star Keith Reaser becomes first player to sign NFL deal after league shutdown". USA Today. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
- "Memphis awarded Alliance of American Football team". Commercial Appeal. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
- Munz, Jason (August 1, 2018). "Alliance of American Football announces Memphis team has signed 28 players". The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
- Benjamin, Cody (September 20, 2018). "LOOK: Alliance of American Football unveils logos of four pro teams that will debut in 2019". CBSSports.com. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
- Munz, Jason (September 20, 2018). "Memphis' new pro football team now has a name and logo". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
- Thompson, Cole (January 5, 2019). "Alliance of American Football Training Camp Officially Underway in San Antonio". AAF.com. Archived from the original on January 20, 2019. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
- "Memphis Express sets final roster". Alliance of American Football. January 30, 2019. Archived from the original on January 31, 2019. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
- Kercheval, Ben (February 10, 2019). "AAF Week 1 scores, highlights: Trent Richardson scores two TDs after slow start in Iron debut". CBSSports.com. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
- "Hotshots come back to become first team with road win in AAF history". arizonasports. KTAR. February 18, 2019. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
- Mellor, Cam (March 3, 2019). "ReFocused: Memphis Express 26, San Diego Fleet 23". profootballfocus.com. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
- Rubino, Dylan (March 16, 2019). "Memphis gets Manziel: Heisman QB joins Alliance". AAF.com. Archived from the original on March 30, 2019. Retrieved March 17, 2019.
- "AAF Files for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy". Front Office Sports. April 17, 2019. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
- Florio, Mike (February 25, 2019). "AAF does its first-ever scheduling flex". NBC Sports. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
- "CBS SPORTS ELEVATES TWO ALLIANCE GAMES TO CBS TELEVISION NETWORK". Alliance of American Football. March 14, 2019. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
- "2019 Memphis Express Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
- Filipe, Cameron (February 9, 2019). "Alliance of American Football: Week 1, 2019". Football Zebras. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
- Filipe, Cameron (February 13, 2019). "Alliance of American Football: Week 2, 2019". Football Zebras. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
- Filipe, Cameron (February 22, 2019). "Alliance of American Football: Week 3, 2019". Football Zebras. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
- Filipe, Cameron (February 27, 2019). "Alliance of American Football: Week 4, 2019". Football Zebras. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
- Filipe, Cameron (March 9, 2019). "Alliance of American Football: Week 5, 2019". Football Zebras. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
- Filipe, Cameron (March 14, 2019). "Alliance of American Football: Week 6, 2019". Football Zebras. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
- Filipe, Cameron (March 21, 2019). "Alliance of American Football: Week 7, 2019". Football Zebras. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
- Anderson, Brett (March 24, 2019). "AAF Week 7 scores, updates, highlights: Johnny Manziel debuts, but other Express QB wins it in OT". CBSSports.com. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
- Filipe, Cameron (March 28, 2019). "Alliance of American Football: Week 8, 2019". Football Zebras. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
- Greer, Jarvis (December 14, 2018). "Local radio station tabbed as Memphis Express home". WMC-TV. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
Further reading
- Giannotto, Mark (April 2, 2019). "The AAF should be ashamed, but we should have all seen a quick demise coming". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis, Tennessee. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
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