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There’s football to watch this Saturday in the form of the Alliance of American Football (AAF) or ‘The Alliance’ as members call it.
One such member of the alliance is Tom Alexander, team reporter of the Orlando Apollos, one of eight teams in this league’s inaugural season. He joined Evan Winter of this very site and myself to talk professional football.
In his own words,
“It’s a complimentary league to the NFL. It’s guys who are trying to get back to the NFL, and get some more game film so that they can get a better look from scouts and GMs and coaches.”
Some of these players will be familiar to fans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Guys like Donteea Dye Jr. for example.
If fans are wondering just how serious to take the league, Alexander informed us during the interview that scouts have been attending camps and scrimmages throughout the build-up of the league, and are expecting the presence of most NFL teams during games this season.
One thing to watch is the base 3-4 defense being run by the Apollos in this first year. With the assumption largely being new Tampa Bay defensive coordinator will operate out of a 3-4 base, there may very well be some future pieces who could help the Bucs in the near future.
No matter how it all shakes out for the league, players and personnel involved, this league is looking to bring a solid brand of football.
At a minimum, they’re getting on the field, and like Bruce Arians says,
“You can’t find a diamond in the rough if he’s standing on the sideline watching.”
Catch the action as the Orlando Apollos take the field in Week 1 to face the Atlanta Legends. Check out the full interview with Apollos team reporter, Tom Alexander to get the rest of the information on what to expect when the AAF kicks off this weekend!