FXFL Blacktips

FXFL Blacktips

Founded	2014
Folded	2016
League	Fall Experimental Football League (2014–2016)
Team history	Florida Blacktips (2014, 2015–2016) Blacktips (2014)
Based in	Florida, New York
Stadium	None
Colors	Black, Aqua Blue, White
Championships	0
Conference titles	0
Division titles	0
Playoff berths	0

The Florida Blacktips were a professional American football team, operating as a traveling team. They were a charter member of the Fall Experimental Football League, which was trying to become the developmental league for the National Football League. They were to play their home games at FIU Stadium in Miami, also the home to the FIU Panthers football and track and field teams. However, it was announced on September 22, 2014, that the Blacktips would drop 'Florida' from its name and play a truncated road schedule of only three games.^[1] The Blacktips' inaugural season began on October 15, 2014. They finished the 2014 season in last place at 0–3.

On September 18, 2014, the Blacktips announced the signing of former Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd,^[2] however Boyd never played for the Blacktips, moving to the Boston Brawlers before the season started.

The team was initially expected to permanently settle in a market it will share with an unspecified New York–Penn League baseball team for the 2015 season.^[3] However, a later announcement indicated the Blacktips would return in the same traveling-team status it held in 2014, solely owned and operated by the league.^[4] The team later quietly re-added the "Florida" portion back to its name. The Blacktips were unusual among FXFL teams in that it did not rely on NFL preseason castoffs for the majority of its roster (indeed, an article in The New York Times described the Blacktips as having "no set roster").^[5] Its players were also paid significantly less than the other FXFL franchises, receiving only $300 for each of the two games that were played as opposed to the $1000 per game payout of the other teams.^[6]

The FXFL, and thus the Blacktips as well, suspended operations on September 2, 2016.^[7]

Helmet

Blacktips helmet (2014-present)

Final Roster

Blacktips roster
Quarterbacks 12 Kevin Rodgers  2 Austin Trainor Running backs 35 Trevor Barlow 33 Andre Dixon 41 Jasen Isom 22 Lyle McCombs Wide receivers 11 Royce Adams 17 Carrington Hanna 18 Robert Johnson 14 Nigel King 15 Andrew Opoku  1 Kelsey Pope Tight ends 88 Les Brown 82 Steven Jones		Offensive linemen 68 Betim Bujari 66 Dashon Johnson 72 Chad Kolumber 70 Antwan Lowery 50 Viondy Merisma 71 Keith Newell 69 Larry Westphal Defensive linemen 56 Chris Alvarez 91 James Castleman 64 Sean Daniels 57 Ruben Frank 65 Ted Jennings 55 James Lawson		Linebackers 54 Victor Aiyewa 52 Dijon Benton 53 Matt Oh 58 Phillip Steward Defensive Backs 28 Rodney Barnes 25 James Caine 20 Dashawn Goodwin 16 Michael Lee 27 Christian Milstead 30 Aaron Moore 26 Derrick Morgan 21 Brandon Reddish 31 Zach Richardson 19 Lance Slaughter Special teams 73 Drew Basil K/P		Injured Reserve Currently vacant Transfer List Currently vacant Refused to Report Currently vacant Rookies in italics Roster updated October 15, 2014 36 Active, 0 Inactive → More rosters

References

1. "FXFL Blacktips Become Travel Team". SportsBlog. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
2. "Tajh Boyd signs with Florida team in startup football league". The Post and Courier. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
4. "Brawlers will be part of FXFL". Vindy.com. The Vindicator. July 16, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
5. Ex-Buc Josh Freeman tries to restart career in fledgling league. The New York Times. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
6. Setar, Cal (November 5, 2015). Fall Experimental Football League: The NFL's First Sustainable Farm System?. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
7. Daniel S. Weiss (August 30, 2016). "The Experiment Has Failed; FXFL Ceases Operations". Brooklyn Baseball Banter.

External links

• Official FXFL website
• Official Twitter page