Feb. 16th, 2019: "Trent Richardson scores game-winning TD in Birmingham Iron victory"

This summary of the Iron's second contest was written by Evan Dudley for al.com. 

The Birmingham Iron earned a second straight victory, as former Alabama running back Trent Richardson scored the go-ahead touchdown in a 12-9 victory over the Salt Lake City Stallions (0-2) today at Birmingham’s Legion Field.

The Iron forced two turnovers in the game, turning one into a score near the end of the third quarter as Shaheed Salmon’s fumble recovery off a muffed punt return by Salt Lake.

“I thought defensively, we did a nice job,” Iron coach Tim Lewis said. “Our defensive coordinator wasn’t here today, so I had the honor of calling a game for the first time in a long time and we did a nice job. The guys played hard, fast and tough. They played smart and did what we asked them to do. Did a nice job finishing the game.”

“Offensively, we just grounded it out. They’re a big strong team and it didn’t shock me," he continued. "Coach (Dennis) Erickson is a heck of a coach and brought a really big salty team in here. They lost their game to Arizona and they were meaning to do business to us and we stood up to the challenge.”

Birmingham Iron wide receiver Tobias Palmer breaks away from Salt Lake Stallions linebacker Greer Martini at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala., Saturday, Feb. 16, 2019. (Mark Almond | preps@al.com)

The Iron defense limited Salt Lake to 252 yards but only a single touchdown and 1-of-3 on field goals. Birmingham also tallied two sacks while putting the pressure on Stallion starter and former Arkansas quarterback Austin Allen, who finished 15-of-31 for 115 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.

...

Birmingham (2-0) was shut out in the first half – gaining 108 yards – and converted only 3-of-9 third-down conversions with two three-and-outs. Perez was an efficient 12-of-20 in the half but was sacked three times for a loss of 15 yards, which ultimately doomed promising drives by the Iron.

Birmingham Iron defensive tackle Casey Sayles tackles Salt Lake Stallions running back Branden Oliver at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala., Saturday, Feb. 16, 2019. (Mark Almond | preps@al.com)

Perez was more on his game in the second half – finishing today 24-of-38 for 184 yards with no turnovers – and led the Iron on its game-winning drive in the fourth quarter.

Richardson got his second straight start after battling a hamstring injury this week but had 31 yards on nine carries in the first half for a paltry 3.4 average. The former NFL first-round pick found little room in the second half and finished with 41 yards on 19 carries, but he scored the game-winning touchdown with 4:48 to go.

“We got back up and fought,” Richardson said. “And that’s what we did today. For me, fighting through all four quarters was a big step in the right direction.”

From that point, the Iron forced two missed field goals and a three-and-out from the Stallions while scoring the go-ahead touchdown on an 11-play, 54-yard drive that was capped by Richardson’s 3-yard touchdown.

Birmingham Iron linebacker Shaheed Salmon celebrates after Birmingham recovered a Salt Lake Stallions fumble in the endzone for a touchdown at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala., Saturday, Feb. 16, 2019. (Mark Almond | preps@al.com)

The Iron appeared to seal the game on a fourth-down incomplete pass but an unsportsmanlike penalty gave the Stallions a first down at the Birmingham 31-yard line with less than two minutes to play. Birmingham managed to force the Stallions into a 48-yard field goal attempt with 1:03 to play, and the kick sailed wide left.

“They fly to the ball,” Lewis said of his defense. “They do a fantastic job, we ask them to sprint to the ball everyday in practice, and they do it. So when the ball gets free or comes open, they’re there to make the play.”

April 17th, 1975: "It's Official: Birmingham, WFL To Play Again"

The Birmingham Vulcans have entered the chat. 

I wanted to work my way through the bulk of the 1974 Birmingham Americans existence before getting into the Vulcans, the team that essentially replaced them in 1975.

We've finally reached that point. This article from the Birmingham Post-Herald was published the day after the official announcement after several weeks of build up.

Apologies for the wavey effect in the bottom half, that's not my doing. 

"Little Joey Jones Heads For Big Time"

The following article appeared in the January 21st, 1984, Montgomery Advertiser and was written by one Phillip Marshall.  

Jones would play for the Stallions in 1984 and 1985 compiling 69 receptions for 1335 yards and 13 scores. He later went into coaching, spending nine years as head coach with South Alabama from 2009 to 2017 among other stops  

Joey Jones makes a diving catch for the Birmingham Stallions in 1985. (Birmingham News file photo by Tom Self)

April 23rd, 2022: Birmingham Stallions 33, Houston Gamblers 28

The 2022 Stallions season will be gradually recorded here when the mood strikes. Click on the Stallions '22 tag at right to view past articles. 

The rather brief game summary below appeared on Fox News at this page. The photograph of C.J. Marable was taken from the team's Instagram and is uncredited.

The Birmingham Stallions capitalized on a number of critical turnovers Saturday night to defeat the Houston Gamblers 33-28 in the USFL’s highest-scoring game of the season. 

Quarterback J’Mar Smith, who reunited with former Louisiana Tech head coach Skip Holtz, led the Stallions to their second win of the season, completing 20 of 30 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns, but it was the Stallions defense that stole the show. 

Cornerback Brian Allen, a former 5th-round NFL Draft pick, had a pick-six on the third play of the game to give Birmingham the earlier lead. 

Houston would respond with a 49-yard field goal on a day when kickers seemed to struggle with the USFL’s new ball and cornerback Will Likely had a pick-six of his own just minutes later to give the Gamblers a 10-9 lead. 

The Stallions began to pull ahead early in the second half but, despite struggling in their passing game, Houston climbed back to 26-21 by the fourth quarter. 

Quarterback Clayton Thorson managed to get the Gamblers within five points of the Stallions. With less than two minutes on the clock, he secured a first down on fourth-and-10 with an 11-yard run, but Lorenzo Burns would intercept the ball with 1:13 left to end Houston’s chances of scoring.

July 9th, 2004, Birmingham Post-Herald: "Reed Overcame Racism Fears in Birmingham"

"Stallions '84: Sklar Looks Forward To Second Year"

The interview with Stallions president Jerry Sklar below appeared in the January 16th, 1984, edition of the Birmingham Post-Herald as a preview of the 1984 season.

As polite as Sklar is, generally, in regard to Trump's involvements and plans, it is rather clear that he saw the potential for trouble there well before it had ballooned. Ah well. 

January 5th, 1984, Birmingham Post-Herald: "Stallions Fill Needs On USFL Draft Day"

Alabama Airborne Announces Coaching Staff

No disrespect intended, but this team has been in the formative stages for so long, to no apparent forthcoming conclusion, that I'd kind of given up on looking into them.

Major League Football has been much more active on social media in recent months, however, so they do appear to be preparing to pull the trigger on their inaugural season. It's supposed to start August 9th, so...They'd better haul ass! 

I'm not even 100% certain that this is intended to be a Birmingham-based club. Past releases indicated Birmingham specifically but this one does not. I get the approach of wanting to embrace the entire state, but people really should know where you're playing...

Today, we are...pleased to announce the coaching staff of our fourth and final team for the MLFB’s inaugural season starting August 9.

With hundreds of years of coaching experience, the Alabama Airborne staff is eager to get to training camp and start the process of building a team that plays exciting football. Airborne players will benefit from some of the finest football minds ever assembled and Airborne fans will find these coaches will do everything in their power to construct a team that is fun to root for.

Coaches for the 2022 Alabama Airborne include:

Head Coach-Jerry Glanville. With more than 50 years of coaching experience, Glanville has been devoted to the game since his own high school playing career. Beyond his extensive NFL coaching resume, Glanville worked as an analyst and broadcaster for major networks such as Fox. 

During his tenure as Head Coach for the Atlanta Falcons from 1990 – 1993, Glanville was literally “too legit to quit” appearing in the iconic MC Hammer music video synonymous with his Atlanta Falcons. Coach Glanville’s teams are known for their defensive tenacity, and he has coached multiple all-pro players and developed hungry defenders at all levels of football. Glanville brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the MLFB.

Offensive Line-Kris Cinkovich. Boasting nearly 30 years of coaching experience, Cinkovich has been known throughout his career as a great mentor, tremendous recruiter, and a coach who does everything to assist his players. Cinkovich began his collegiate playing career at Spokane Falls Community College before finishing at Carroll College. 

Cinkovich’s first coaching position was linebacker coach at Central Washington. His coaching career also included positions with Oregon Tech, UNLV, Green Valley HS, Las Vegas HS, UNLV, and Arkansas. Cinkovich finished his collegiate coaching career as Assistant Head Coach, Offensive Coordinator, and Offensive Line Coach at the University of Idaho.

Assistant Coach-“Dynomite” Daniel Kuhn. Dynomite Kuhn is no stranger to the gridiron having served in multiple coaching and football operations positions. During his time at Tennessee State University, Dynomite served as Director of Operations spearheading team travel and assisting with business logistics for the program. At Georgia Southern, Kuhn served as the executive assistant to the head coach and was responsible for the construction oversight of a $13 million football end zone complex. 

Dynomite has a long-standing relationship with Coach Jerry Glanville serving him in various capacities while head coach of the NFL’s Houston Oilers and Atlanta Falcons. Kuhn’s prior positions include being chief of staff with the Hartford Colonials (2011-12), director of video and football operations at Portland State (2006), director of football operations with the University of Pennsylvania (2006-09), and director of operations with the Austin Wranglers (2003-06).

Defensive Line and Linebacker Coach-Robert Lyles. Following a successful college playing career at TCU, Lyles was drafted in the fifth round of the NFL draft. Lyles enjoyed a long professional playing career with the Houston Oilers, Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Storm, and Memphis Pharaohs. Lyles transitioned to coaching in 1996 as defensive coordinator with the Portland Forest Dragons and over the years has held numerous coaching positions including head coach for the Los Angeles Avengers and Georgia Force of the Arena Football League (AFL). 

Defensive Back Coach-Kim McCloud. Following a successful college playing career at the University of Hawaii as well as a professional career playing in both American and Canadian football, McCloud took a short break from the football world before beginning his coaching career at the high school level. This sparked a passion for coaching that led McCloud to eventually work at Baylor, Eastern Illinois, Syracuse, and eventually his alma mater. 

Quarterback and Wide Receiver Coach-Jeff Reinebold. Originally from Canada, Reinebold is truly a “coach’s” coach having worked in Canadian Football League (CFL), the collegiate level, and even NFL Europe. Reinebold brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to MLFB and is excited about the upcoming season.  

Special Teams Coordinator-Jesse Thompson. After a college playing career at Portland State and Southern Oregon, Thompson began his coaching career at Madison High School in Portland, Oregon before moving on to the collegiate ranks. From 2004 to 2006, Thompson was an assistant coach at Lewis and Clark College in Portland.

Thompson worked as running backs coach at Northern State University during the 2007 season before returning to Portland State. During his two years at Portland State, Thompson honed his craft under legendary coaches Jerry Glanville and Mouse Davis. Thompson assisted in an offensive unit that led the country in passing yards per game during the 2008 season. As the Vikings running backs coach, Thompson helped develop running back Bobby McLintock into a 2009 First-Team All-Big Sky Conference player.