Team History
A Timeline of Key Dates and Events in the History of the Jacksonville Sharks
January 6, 2010: The Sharks announce the schedule for the team’s inaugural 2010 season.
February 17, 2010: The Arena Football League announces a partnership with NFL Network, which will show one game per week on national television.
April 18, 2010: The Sharks play their first-ever home game, routing the in-state rival Orlando Predators by a 57-31 count.
June 25, 2011: The Sharks make Arena Football League history by defeating the Tampa Bay Storm, 66-41. The win is Jacksonville’s 13th consecutive victory, a mark that establishes a new AFL record. At 13-1, the Sharks clinch the team’s second consecutive South Division title with four games remaining in the season. July 22, 2011: The Sharks defeat the Spokane Shock in the regular-season finale. The win snaps a three-game losing streak and allows the team to finish the regular season at 14-4. For the second time in as many years, the Sharks enter the playoffs as the top seed in the American Conference.
August 8, 2011: The Georgia Force make their way to Sea Best Field for the American Conference Championship game. The Sharks hold a six-point lead in the final minute before Marco Capozzoli knocks a 37-yard field goal through the uprights to extend the team’s lead to nine. On the Force’s final possession, defensive back Bill Alford corrals a game-clinching interception to seal the Sharks’ 64-55 win.
August 18, 2011: The city of Jacksonville honors the champion Sharks with a parade that runs through downtown from City Hall to the Jacksonville Landing. September 26, 2011: The Arena Football League announces that the Tulsa Talons will move to San Antonio for the 2012 season. At their introductory press conference, the Talons announce that former Shark quarterback Aaron Garcia will join San Antonio. September 28, 2011: The Sharks announce that former Florida Gator quarterback Chris Leak has joined the roster to compete with 2011 backup Omar Jacobs for the team’s starting job. February 23, 2012: The Sharks begin 2012 Training Camp. March 3, 2012: For the second consecutive year, the Sharks team up with Second Harvest North Florida to hold a preseason benefit scrimmage. Through the generosity of Shark fans, donations at the pregame canned food drive surpass the previous year’s total. March 16, 2012: The Sharks open the 2012 regular season with a 52-28 victory over the Kansas City Command. March 22, 2012: Quarterback Bernard Morris returns to the Sharks. Morris had served as the team’s backup in 2010 before joining the Pittsburgh Power in 2011.
July 14, 2012: The Sharks clinch a playoff berth by defeating the Orlando Predators, 48-30. The win gives Jacksonville a five-game winning streak against this in-state foe. July 20, 2012: In the 2012 regular-season finale, the Sharks defeat the Pittsburgh Power to clinch the team’s third South Division title in as many seasons. In the game, defensive lineman Scooter Berry racks up two sacks to tie an all-time AFL rookie record with 13.0 sacks in a single season. The mark also establishes a new franchise record in the category.
April 27, 2013: In Week six of the 2013 season, the Sharks head up to Philadelphia for a rematch of the 2012 American Conference Championship game. Behind an eight-touchdown performance from Morris, the Sharks hold off the Soul to emerge with a 55-53 victory. After the Soul scored a touchdown in the final seconds, Smith knocks away a pass to keep Philadelphia from scoring a game-tying two-point conversion.
July 20, 2013: The Sharks head to the Big Easy for a rematch with the New Orleans VooDoo. The Jacksonville defense terrorized opposing quarterbacks all season long, and the Sharks' front four makes history in this victory. With six sacks in this game, the Sharks break the all-time AFL record for most team sacks in a single season (45). Jerry Turner's third-quarter takedown of Chris Dixon proves to be the record-breaker.
August 10, 2013: Jacksonville once again faces the Philadelphia Soul in the American Conference Championship, but this time gets the game on its home turf. Though the game remained close into the third quarter, Jacksonville was not able to keep up with a high-powered Philadelphia attack, as the Soul end the Sharks' season and advance to ArenaBowl XXVI.
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![]() April 7, 2014: Sharks activate veteran quaterback Aaron Garcia. Garcia had previously been acquired in a trade with the Orlando Predators on February 10 and was placed on refused to report on February 21. The AFL legend racked up 1,304 career touchdown passes a total unmatched in all of professional football. |
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April 14, 2014: Sharks trade for WR Jomo Wilson. Sharks announce a trade with the San Antonio Talons for Jomo Wilson in exchange for future considerations. Wilson recorded a team high 131 catches and 44 touchdowns with the Sharks in the 2011 Arena Bowl winning squad. Prior to the trade, Wilson saw action in four of the Talons first five games, catching 19 passes for 247 yards and five touchdowns. |
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April 30, 2014: Jacksonville Sharks introduce Vince Neil, the Sharks' newest minority partner. Motley Crue lead singer Vince Neil, CEO of Rockstar Investment Group Inc. joins the Sharks as a minority partner. |
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August 27, 2014: Sharks Medical Staff honored by AFL. Under the direction of Director of Sports Medicine, Joshua Gregoire and Team Physician Kevin M. Kaplan, MD, the medical staff earns AFL's Sports Medicine Program of the Year for the 2014 season. |
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September 22, 2014: Arena Football League announces that prominent Entertainment and Hospitality Executive Scott C. Butera has been named the new AFL Commissioner. Butera, becomes the seventh commissioner in league history. |
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December 30, 2014: Standout receiver Joe Hills joins Sharks. Hills spent the majority of his career with the Tampa Bay Storm racking up 100 receptions for 1,252 yards and 38 touchdowns during the 2014 Season. |
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January 12th, 2015: Elite pass rusher Joe Sykes joins Sharks. The 32-year-old enters his fifth Arena Football season as perhaps the most decorated pass rusher in league history. Sykes resume includes Defensive Player of the Year in 2012, Game Tape Exchange Defensive Lineman of Year award in both 2012 and 2013, and was named All-Arena honoree in those two seasons as well. |
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January 20, 2015: Sharks ink Quarterback Tommy Grady. Grady earned AFL's MVP honors in 2012 with the Utah Blaze recording 142 passing touchdowns, 507 completions for 5,870 yards. During his time with the Blaze he hit the 100-touchdown in both 2011 and 2012. |
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January 27, 2015: Director of Player Personnel Pat O'Hara leaves the Sharks for for the National Football League's Houston Texans. O'Hara will become the Texans Offensive Assistant Coach after serving with the Jacksonville Sharks, New Orleans Voodoo and Orlando Predators. |
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February 16, 2015: Sharks add four-time All-Arena receiver Tiger Jones. During Tiger's career in the AFL, he has compiled three consecutive 2,000-yard seasons, accomplishing the feat in 2011, 2012 and 2013. Jones is the first receiver in Arena Football history to do this. Jones joins the Sharks as a four-time All-Arena honoree earning his awards with the Milwaukee Iron, Georgia Force, Dallas Vigilantes and Philadelphia Soul. |
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March 15, 2015: Sharks to trade for AFL's all-time leading rusher. The Sharks trade with the Las Vegas Outlaws for All-Arena fullback Derrick Ross, in exchange, Las Vegas will gain Sharks wide receiver Jomo Wilson, offensive lineman Nyere Aumaitre and fullback Undra Hendrix. |
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April 29, 2015: Sharks add defensive back Greg Reid. The former Florida State Seminole played both cornerback and kick return for the noles, leading the country with an average of 18.43 yards per punt return. In Reid's last season with Florida State he totaled 32 tackles and two interceptions before transferring to Valdosta State for his final year of eligibility. Before joining the Sharks Reid signed with the St. Louis Rams in 2014 but was waved on August 30th, 2014. |
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August 8, 2015: Shark's Sea Best Seafood commercial earns national recognition. The Shark's announce that Spectrum Films was awarded the 2015 "Award of Excellence" by the Videographer awards for the 2015 Jacksonville Sharks Sea Best commercial. The commercial competed against 1,500 submissions on a national level where judges deemed the Shark's Seabest Seafood commercial fit for the "Award of Excellence". |
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August 23, 2015: Sharks take down Soul for Conference Championship, 61-56. LaRoche Jackson snared a deflected pass for a game-ending interception as time expired on Sunday night, sealing the Jacksonville Sharks' 61-56 victory over the Philadelphia Soul in the American Conference Championship at Wells Fargo Center. Sharks advance to Arena Bowl XXVIII against the San Jose SaberCats on Saturday, August 29th, 2015. |
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August 27, 2015: Greg Reid named AFL Rookie of the Year. Reid lead the league with 150 interception return yards and lead the Sharks with nine interceptions. |
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August 27, 2015: Joe Sykes was awarded AFL's Defensive Player of the Year. Sykes lead the league with 22.5 tackles for a loss, 18.5 sacks and 10 forced fumbles. The league leading pass rusher embarked on a unprecedented streak of 10 consecutive games with at least one sack. |
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August 29, 2015: Sharks fall to SaberCats in ArenaBowl XXVIII, 68-47. The Sharks led by six points at halftime in ArenaBowl XXVIII, but opened the third quarter with back-to-back turnovers on offense. The miscues allowed San Jose to take the lead for good, as the Sharks fell by a 67-48 count at Stockton Arena. |
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December 11, 2015: Sharks Open Team Shop for the first time in franchise history. The Sharks team store is located at the Sharks corporate offices at 1000 W. Bay street in the Prime Osborn Convention Center. The new Team Shop will be a one stop shop for all Jacksonville Sharks gear. |
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March 10, 2016: Sharks add linebacker Dexter Jackson. Jackson returns to his hometown to join the Sharks. The former Tampa Bay Storm linebacker recorded 26.5 tackles, six sacks and two fumble recoveries in his rookie season with the Milwaukee Mustangs. Last season with the Storm, Jackson contributed to the defensive line totaling 8.5 tackles, 2.5 sacks and two fumble recoveries. |
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May 25, 2016: Joe Hills breaks franchise record for most touchdowns in a single game. Grady hits Hills for eight touchdowns in the 59-56 crucial win over the rival Orlando Predators at Amway center. |
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July 19, 2016: Sharks name Bob Landsee Interim Head Coach. Landsee began his coaching career in 1999 with the Milwaukee Mustangs and has been the head coach of the Toronto Phantoms (2002), Indiana Firebirds (2003), Green Bay Blizzards (2005) and Milwaukee Iron (2010). Previous to his coaching career, Landsee was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles and played two seasons for Philadelphia before a knee injury ended his NFL playing career. |
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August 6, 2016: Sharks top Predators in overtime of the first Round of the 2016 Playoffs, 69-68. The Sharks picked the perfect time for the first overtime win in franchise history. Derrick Ross took a hand off into the end zone and then scored again on the ensuing two-point conversion, clinching the Sharks' 69-68 victory over the Orlando Predators at Amway Center. |
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August 14, 2016: Sharks fall to Soul in American Conference Championship game, 55-50. The Jacksonville Sharks used a second-half surge to erase a 15-point deficit against the Soul. But a six-yard touchdown pass from Dan Raudabaugh to Darius Reynolds with four seconds left proved decisive, as the Sharks fell by a 55-50 count at the PPL Center, in Allentown, PA. |
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August 25, 2016: Joe Hills named AFL's Offensive Player of the Year. Hills ended his historic season with 161 receptions for 2,020 yards and 58 touchdowns. Breaking his own single season franchise record for rececptions (150,2015) and shattering the franchise record of single season touchdowns previously set by Jomo Wilson (44, 2011). Hills lead the league in all three major receiving categories during his dominant 2016 campaign. |
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![]() October 12, 2016: The Jacksonville Sharks of the Arena Football League announced today they are in the final stages of moving to a rival league for the 2017 season.
November 17, 2016: The Jacksonville Sharks announced today that Sharks assistant coach Mark Stoute will be the Sharks’ head coach for the 2017 season and the second head coach in team history. Stoute also served as head coach for the Cedar Rapids Titans for three seasons and was named the IFL’s Head Coach of the Year in 2013. Stoute ended his three-year reign in Cedar Rapids with an impressive 41-17 record.
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November 18, 2016: The Jacksonville Sharks join the National Arena League. The NAL season will begin in March 2017. |
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November 30, 2016: The Jacksonville Sharks announced today that Tommy Grady has signed a deal to remain the Sharks gunslinger for the 2017 season. This was the first player signing for the Sharks since joining the National Arena League in November 2016. |
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December 1, 2016: The Jacksonville Sharks announced that veteran offensive lineman and First Team All-Arena selection Cornelius Lewis will be back for his seventh year in arena football and fifth year with the Sharks.
December 5, 2016: The Jacksonville Sharks announced today that defensive back Jabari Gorman has been assigned to the Jacksonville roster for the 2017 season. |
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December 9, 2016: The Jacksonville Sharks announced that All-Arena fullback Derrick Ross will return to Jacksonville for the 2017 season. Ross has earned First Team All-Arena honors in each of his five years of arena football. He led the league in all rushing categories in 2016 and is expected to do the same in the National Arena League in 2017.
December 10, 2016: The Jacksonville Sharks announced today that kicker Nick Belcher has been signed to the Jacksonville roster for the upcoming 2017 season.
December 12, 2016: The Jacksonville Sharks announced today that wide receiver/jack linebacker Charlie Hunt has been signed to the Jacksonville roster for the 2017 season. |
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December 22, 2016: The Sharks signed defensive back and 2016 Rookie of the Year Marvin Ross to the roster. |
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January 18, 2017: Fan-favorite Tiger Jones announced his retirement after eight seasons in arena football and two incredible seasons with the Sharks. Thanks for the great memories, Tiger! |
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February 7, 2017: The Sharks announced that in collaboration with the Georgia Firebirds, they will be battling against each other in the Sharks first preseason game in three years and their first appearance as a National Arena League team. The game will benefit the victims of the tornadoes that struck Albany, Georgia in January. The Sharks will host a food drive prior to the event and take all donations to the game in Georgia. Fans also are encouraged to bring non-perishable items such as clothes, sheets, and hygiene products for the cause as well.
February 7, 2017: The Jacksonville Sharks announced today that they signed defensive lineman Jermiah Price.Jeremiah Price enters his fifth season in arena football and his first year with the Jacksonville Sharks. Price was named First Team All-IFL for his 2016 season with the Indoor Football League’s Cedar Rapids Titans and was the 2016 and 2015 Defensive Player of the Year.
May 6, 2017: The (7-0) Jacksonville Sharks defeated the (0-6) Corpus Christi Rage 0-0, leading the Sharks to beat their best starting record in franchise history. Their best season before this took place in 2013 with a 6-0 start. |
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May 23, 2017: The Jacksonville Sharks have announced today that Mark Stoute has been relieved of his head coaching position effective immediately.“While this move may seem highly irregular to many, it is in the best interest of the Sharks to move in a different direction at this time,” stated Operating Manager Jeff Bouchy, “We wish Coach Stoute the best of luck in his future endeavours.”
May 23, 2017: The Jacksonville Sharks have announced today that they have hired Siaha Burley as their third head coach in the franchise's history.Burley brings 11 years of playing experience as well as 6 years of coaching, including most recently with the Cleveland Gladiators as their Offensive Coordinator.
June 24, 2017 - Jacksonville Sharks defeated the Monterrey Steel 43-32 in the National Arena League Playoffs for the right to go to the NAL Championship on Monday, July 10 against the Columbus Lions. The Shark Tank was filled with 9,483 fans dressed in red as they cheered the Sharks to victory.
July 5, 2017 - The National Arena League and the Jacksonville Sharks announced today that five Sharks have earned spots on the NAL's 2017 All-NAL defensive Team. Defensive Lineman Jermiah Price, Jack Linebacker Charlie Hunt, Defensive Backs Erick McIntosh and Marvin Ross earned First-Team All-NAL honors. Defensive Back Micheaux Robinson and Dale Pierson earned Second Team honors. Kicker Nick Belcher was named First-Team All-NAL kicker for his performance during the 2017 season.
July 6, 2017 - The National Arena League and the Jacksonville Sharks announced today that five Sharks have earned spots on the NAL's 2017 offensive team. Fullback Derrick Ross, Offensive Linemen Cornelius Lewis and Mo Ruffins, and center AJ Harmon have all earned First-Team honors. Wide Receiver Moe Williams earned Second-Team honors.
July 9, 2017 - The National Arena League announced today that Jacksonville's JLB Charlie Hunt has won the NAL Award for Defensive Player of the Year and Kicker Nick Belcher, Special Teams Player of the Year.
July 9, 2017 - The Jackonville Sharks hosted the first NAL Championship Media Day open to the public, followed by the NAL Awards Ceremony that night.
July 10, 2017 - The Jacksonville Sharks defeated the Columbus Lions 27-21 in the National Arena League Championship to become the NAL Champions in front of 9,730 of the best fans in the league. |
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July 18, 2017 - The Jacksonville Sharks were invited to Duval County City Hall to meet Mayor Lenny Curry. Mayor Curry declared July 18th, 2017 as Jacksonville Sharks Day.
August, 14, 2017 - All- Arena Quarterback Tommy Grady returns to the Sharks. Prior to getting injured in 2017, Grady threw 71 completions for 1,060 yards and 23 touchdowns while only throwing one interception. He also earned NAL Offensive Player of the Week twice.
August 16, 2017 - All-NAL Lineman Mo Ruffins rejoins Sharks for 2017. He is one of the Sharks team captains that helped Jacksonville become the number one ranked total offense, number one ranked rushing offense and number two ranked scoring offense in the league, and aso helped lead the Sharks to a National Arena League Championship victory.
August 28, 2017 - League's leading rusher rejoins Sharks for 2017. Derrick Ross recorded 27 touchdowns, 110 rushing attempts, 521 rushing yards and 25 rushing touchdowns. Following the 2017 regular season, Ross was awarded First Team All-NAL Honors.
August 30, 2017 - Jacksonville Sharks re-sign All- NAL Defensive Lineman Jermiah Price. In 2017, he landed 19.5 tackles, 9.5 for a loss, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and led the team in sacks with 9.5.
September 7, 2017- All-NAL Defensive back signs with Sharks for the 2018 season.
October 9, 2017 - Jacksonville Sharks add All-IFL Defensive Back Robert Brown. In 2017, Brown played in 11 games landing 40 tackles, 10 pass breakups and three touchdowns. He was also named First Team All-IFL in 2016.
November 6, 2017- Sharks add 2016 IFL Rookie of the Year Trevor Kennedy to roster.
August 24, 2018 - Sharks Lineman Derrick Ziegler named First Team All-NAL Offensive Honors.
August 27, 2018 - Sharks Sweep 2018 NAL Awards taking home eight league awards.
March 29, 2019 - Sharks Name Lisa Green new Dance Team Coordinator.
April 26, 2019 - Sharks add Nick Furris to the Jacksonville Sharks ownership group.
June 27, 2019 - Sharks have a record breaking victory of 85-30 over the Orlando Preadators, taking them to the playoffs.
August 6, 2019 - Sharks beat the Lions in the NAL Playoffs, 67-43, and advance to the NAL Championship.
August 14, 2019 - Nine of the Sharks make the All-NAL First Team.
August 16, 2019 - Sharks win 13 NAL awards.
August 17, 2019 - Sharks win the 2019 NAL Championship.
September 18, 2019 - James Fuller is named the new Head Coach of the Sharks.
November 15, 2019 - Stephanie Hillin is promoted Attack Dance Team Director. |