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40-575: Insurance tycoon, former high school football coach and motivational speaker Art Williams was awarded a CFL expansion franchise in Birmingham. He wanted a nickname for the team that would "scare the spit out of people," and chose Barracudas. The Barracudas hired an experienced head coach in Jack Pardee , who had coached at the college level with the University of Houston and at the professional level with

80-454: A fairly consistent and numerous fan base comparable with the established CFL teams that didn't disappear when college football season started. Although Shreveport was far smaller than Birmingham, it was thought that moving the 'Cudas there would match a team that had made a good showing in its first season with a market that was at least potentially capable of supporting it. The relocation, which hinged upon league approval, would have been part of

120-605: A few years, including some who only played at the high school level. An NFL-funded study reported that high school football players suffered 11.2 concussions per 10,000 games or practices, nearly twice as many as college football players. According to 2017 study on brains of deceased gridiron football players, 99% of tested brains of NFL players, 88% of CFL players, 64% of semi-professional players, 91% of college football players, and 21% of high school football players had various stages of CTE. Other common injuries include injuries of legs, arms, and lower back. Below are

160-469: A group of investors called Ark-La-Tex Football Association, who intended to move the team to Shreveport as a replacement for the Shreveport Pirates , who had collapsed under the mismanagement of infamous CFL owner Bernard Glieberman . The Pirates had been barely competitive on the field (winning only eight games in two years) and hamstrung by Glieberman off it, but nevertheless had managed to attract

200-642: A new ownership group took over the Rough Riders name, colours, and history. General manager J. I. Albrecht hired John Huard as head coach, but the Gliebermans overruled him and installed Forrest Gregg as coach before the team took its first snap. They needed until week 15 to record their first victory, a 24–12 win over the Sacramento Gold Miners . After the historic victory, the team won two out of their last three games, but they still finished last in

240-822: A plan to keep at least three American teams in the CFL by concentrating the American teams in the Southwest: the Baltimore Stallions would have moved to Houston, while the San Antonio Texans would stay where they were. By the end of January, it became clear that the league was no longer interested in playing in the United States. The league rejected the sale of the Barracudas and ordered them shut down. The Stallions ownership group

280-600: Is Greg Stumon , who was a former winner of the same award). Uzooma Okeke went on to become one of the best linemen in the history of the Montreal Alouettes and won the 1999 CFL Most Outstanding Lineman award. He became a scout with the Alouettes in 2007. The Pirates booster club was formed during the team's first season to support the team, and remained active long after the team became defunct, spearheading various later attempts to get another professional football team in

320-563: Is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada . It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining, partly due to risk of injury, particularly concussions . According to The Washington Post , between 2009 and 2019, participation in high school football declined by 9.1%. It is the basic level or step of tackle football . The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) establishes

360-399: Is at greater risk in shear when the brain is young. Myelination is completed at about 15 years of age. Children also have larger heads relative to their body size and weaker necks. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is caused by repeated brain trauma, such as concussions and blows to the head that do not produce concussions. It has been found in football players who had played for only

400-566: The CFL East Division with a 3–15 record. Albrecht resigned and sued Glieberman and the Pirates. Top performers were wide receiver Charles Thompson with 641 yards receiving and three touchdowns and running back Martin Patton was the team leading rusher with 659 yards and eight touchdowns. Terrence Jones had 1,046 yards passing with four touchdowns and nine interceptions and Mike Johnson , of

440-575: The CFL's American franchises on and off the field. The Pirates were created when Bernard Glieberman and his son Lonnie, owners of the Ottawa Rough Riders , expressed a desire to move the struggling franchise to the United States. The CFL rejected this move, but engineered a deal in which the Rough Riders were essentially split in two. The Gliebermans received an expansion franchise in Shreveport, while

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480-581: The Edmonton Eskimos , Matt Dunigan left the game due to a shoulder injury, and Birmingham was forced to turn to back-up quarterback Jimmy Klingler . Despite the loss, the Barracudas still had a chance to claim home-field advantage in the playoffs. However, they lost a shootout of a season finale in San Antonio, finishing third in the Southern Division. They returned to San Antonio the following week for

520-510: The Houston Stallions (as Baltimore had proposed moving to Houston after the season) and created a three-team nucleus that would have made the CFL's long-term presence in the U.S. viable. It would have also matched a team that made a good account of itself on the field with a market that was at least potentially capable of supporting it at the box office. Instead, on February 2, 1996, the CFL folded four of its American franchises and allowed

560-492: The NCAA , although the NCAA has made five major modifications. Through the 2018 season, each possession started from the 25-yard line. Since 2021, this remains in force through the first two overtime procedures. In double overtime, teams must attempt a two-point conversion after a touchdown. Secondly, triple overtime & thereafter are two-point conversion attempts instead of possessions from

600-604: The National Football League . Williams knew that Birmingham was a high school and college football hotbed. Well aware the CFL's scheduling model would cause serious attendance problems in the fall, Williams persuaded the league to let the 'Cudas play their September and October home games on Sundays so as not to compete directly against high school teams on Fridays and Alabama or Auburn on Saturdays. Because Alabamians in general are not loyal to any one NFL team, Williams reckoned that competing with that league on television

640-689: The San Antonio Texans , Baltimore Stallions , Memphis Mad Dogs , and Shreveport Pirates . After losing their two pre-season games, they played their first game July 4, 1995, versus the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Winnipeg. They won 38–10, and would lose to the Tiger-Cats in Hamilton 31–13. They would get their revenge a week later at home by beating the Cats 51–28 in front of 31,000 fans. The biggest home game of

680-407: The University of Akron , passed for 1,259 yards and four touchdowns with 12 interceptions. The club averaged 17,871 fans per game (second-highest of the American teams, behind only Baltimore ), and once the team snapped its losing streak, attendance rose near the end of the season, with a high of 32,011 for their season-ending victory over the Ottawa Rough Riders , a single-game attendance record for

720-475: The WFL , USFL , and NFL . (Pardee is perhaps better known as one of the few six-man football players to have ever made it to the professional leagues; his knowledge of that wide-open game proved to serve him well in the similarly wide-open CFL.) The Barracudas were also led by veteran CFL quarterback Matt Dunigan , who had his greatest season while in Birmingham. Birmingham competed in the Southern Division along with

760-635: The 2010s, participation in high school football decreased in most states across the United States. Wisconsin saw the largest decrease, dropping by nearly a quarter from 2009 to 2019; only seven states saw an increased number of players. Robert Cantu, a Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery and Co-Founder of the CTE Center at the Boston University School of Medicine, believes that children under 14 should not play tackle football. Their brains are not fully developed, and myelin (nerve cell insulation)

800-509: The 2018 season, Massachusetts also based its rules on those of the NCAA, but it adopted NFHS rules in 2019. With their common ancestry, the NFHS rules of high school American football are largely similar to the college game, though with some important differences: At least one unique high school rule has been adopted by college football. In 1996, the overtime rules originally utilized by Kansas high school teams beginning in 1971 were adopted by

840-425: The 25-yard line, and successful attempts are scored as conversions instead of touchdowns. Thirty-four states have a mercy rule that comes into play during one-sided games after a prescribed scoring margin is surpassed at halftime or any point thereafter. The type of mercy rule varies from state to state, with many using a "continuous clock" after the scoring margin is reached (wherein, except for specific situations,

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880-464: The American teams outside of Baltimore. Shreveport averaged more than 26 points per game in 1995, but gave up more than 28 en route to a 5–13 record. Billy Joe Tolliver completed 252 of 429 passes for 3,440 yards and 14 touchdowns. His favorite target was fellow Texas Tech product Wayne Walker , who caught 51 passes for 790 yards. Curtis Mayfield led the team in receptions with 58 for 846 receiving yards and two touchdowns. The team's leading rusher

920-537: The Gliebermans tried to relocate the team to Norfolk, Virginia . However, officials there broke off talks after learning that Glieberman faced several lawsuits in Shreveport. Notable about the move to Virginia was "the Great Tucker Caper" when the City of Shreveport tried to seize Bernard Glieberman's 1948 Tucker (which was on loan to a classic automobile museum in downtown Shreveport) for defaulting on debts related to

960-434: The Pirates' lease at Independence Stadium, including payments for the scoreboard. Glieberman's lawyer, Mark Gilliam, tried to escape with the car and hide the vintage auto, but he ran out of gas along the way. The police spotted him, and took the car back to the museum where it was being stored until the case could be settled. Norfolk was not interested in the team in any event due to the Gliebermans' poor business record. By

1000-649: The Southern Division Semi-Final, but were whipped by the Texans 52–9, ending their first and only playoff run. Owner Art Williams estimated that he had spent $ 10 million to launch the Barracudas, and had probably lost at least that, if not more, during the season. He also began criticizing the Canadian Football League, and its unique concept. Along with other U.S. owners, Williams wanted several changes made: The biggest change Williams wanted, however,

1040-423: The clock keeps running on plays where the clock would normally stop). Other states end the game once the margin is reached or passed. For example, Texas uses a 45-point mercy rule (to stop the game) only in six-man football; for 11-man football there is no automatic stoppage but the coaches may mutually agree to use a continuous clock. High school football in the United States is played almost entirely by boys. Over

1080-431: The end of 1995, anticipating that the Pirates would not continue beyond that season, a group of investors dubbing itself the "Ark-La-Tex Football Association" proposed purchasing the Barracudas and moving them to Shreveport. The Barracudas had compiled a winning record and made the playoffs, winning two more games than the Pirates had won in their entire existence. However, owner Art Williams had already decided not to bring

1120-474: The entire league after Regina, Saskatchewan . Also, the Shreveport market had four major college teams with large fan bases in the region– LSU , Texas , Texas A&M , and Arkansas . On paper, this should have resulted in attendance severely dropping off once college football started, as was the case with the CFL's other Southern teams, the Memphis Mad Dogs and Birmingham Barracudas . However, Shreveport

1160-451: The largest high school American football stadiums by capacity. Stadiums with a capacity of at least 10,000 are included. Shreveport Pirates The Shreveport Pirates were a Canadian Football League team, playing at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana , United States, in 1994 and 1995 . Despite a relatively strong fan base, they were one of the least successful of

1200-574: The owners of the fifth, the Stallions, to resurrect the Montreal Alouettes , ending the CFL's experiment south of the border. The Gliebermans eventually re-emerged in the CFL owning the Ottawa Renegades . Like their previous efforts, the Renegades were a failure. Some notable players include former New Orleans Saints running back Gill Fenerty and defensive end Dexter Manley . Kicker Björn Nittmo

1240-752: The past decade, girls have made up less than half a percent of the players of American high school football. Eight states have high schools that sanction the non-contact alternative of flag football , but none sanction tackle football for girls, and a 2021 lawsuit in Utah that claimed the state violated Title IX laws by not sanctioning the sport was struck down. According to the New York Times , in 2006, 70% of high school football players were white and 20% were black. By 2018, those figures were 30% white and 40% black. As of 2016 , black youth are nearly three times more likely than white youth to play tackle football. In

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1280-515: The rules of high school American football in the United States. In Canada, high school is governed by Football Canada and most schools use Canadian football rules adapted for the high school game except in British Columbia , which uses the NFHS rules. Since the 2019 high school season, Texas is the only state that does not base its football rules on the NFHS rule set, instead using NCAA rules with certain exceptions shown below. Through

1320-408: The season came against the Baltimore Stallions . It also proved to be the biggest disappointment, as the Barracudas lost 36–8. Attendance at Legion Field was very good at first. The Birmingham crowds were some of the largest in the league. However, the CFL traditionally plays on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, largely to avoid competing on television (both in its native country and the U.S.) with

1360-425: The team back to Alabama once it became clear the Barracudas could not successfully compete with the state's well-established college football programs for an audience late in the season. The Ark-La-Tex Football association bought the 'Cudas from Williams for a significant discount, provided that the league approve the sale. The sale would have brought the team closer to the San Antonio Texans and what would have been

1400-455: Was also a fan favorite, both for making some very long field goals and for being friendly to the fans, often attending meetings of their booster club. Jon Heidenreich played two seasons with the club, and later became popular as a wrestler ( WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship ). Curiously, two players, Joe Montford and Elfrid Payton , later went on to fame as winners of the CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award (added to this pair

1440-592: Was concurrently awarded the remains of the inactive Montreal Alouettes franchise, which started play in 1996. Without a second American team, Anderson was unwilling to go it alone and folded the Texans, ending the CFL's American experiment. Williams would go on to purchase the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League in 1998, and sell the club a year later. High school football High school football , also known as prep football ,

1480-402: Was far enough away from the campuses of LSU, Texas, Texas A&M, and Arkansas that high school football was the Pirates' biggest local sports competition in the second half of the season. As such, despite winning only eight games in their history, the Pirates' attendance remained roughly comparable with the established Canadian teams throughout their run. The problems continued off the field as

1520-404: Was former University of Miami player Martin Patton , who ran for 1,040 yards, third in the league. Kicker Björn Nittmo finished 46 of 53 in field goals and was sixth in the league in scoring. Despite their dreadful on-field record and the Gliebermans' mismanagement, the Pirates had a very loyal following. Shreveport was by far the smallest U.S. market to host a CFL team, and second smallest in

1560-468: Was the more sensible risk to take. Despite this, attendance still fell through the floor as most Birmingham-area fans stayed home to watch the NFL on TV. Their last four home games did not attract more than 9,000 people, and looked even smaller than that since Legion Field seated over 83,000 people at the time. The Memphis Mad Dogs were plagued by similar attendance problems. In the team's final home game, against

1600-476: Was to move the season to the spring; he was not willing to risk another season of going head-to-head with college football. When the league refused to go along, Williams decided to get out. A day after losing in the South semifinals, he announced that the 'Cudas would not return to Birmingham in 1996, if they returned at all. In January 1996, he sold the team for $ 750,000—a significant loss, based on his own estimates—to

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