Orlando Predators (NAL)

The Orlando Predators are a professional indoor football team based in Orlando, Florida, with home games at the Amway Center and is a member of the National Arena League. They played their first season in 2019 and are marketed as a revival of the Orlando Predators, who played 25 seasons in the Arena Football League from 1991 to 2016. The original owners of the NAL team acquired the Predators' trademarks in late 2018 after the previous owner, David A. Siegel, allowed them to lapse.[4][5]

This article is about the National Arena League team that launched in 2019. For the defunct Arena Football League team that operated from 1991 to 2016 of the same name, see Orlando Predators.
Orlando Predators
Current season
Established 2019
Play in Orlando, Florida
at the Amway Center
OrlandoPredatorsFootball.com
League/conference affiliations
National Arena League (2019–present)
Current uniform
Team colorsBlack, red, gold, white
       
Personnel
Owner(s)Nate Starling[1]
John Cheney[2]
General managerShawn Knapp[3]
Head coachHerkie Walls
Team history
  • Orlando Predators (2019–present)
Championships
League championships (0)
Conference championships (0)
Division championships (0)
Playoff appearances (1)
NAL: 2021
Home arena(s)

History

The relaunch of the Orlando Predators was announced in January 2019 and was owned by Kenny McEntyre and Nate Starling after acquiring the trademarks for the team in late 2018.[6] McEntyre and inaugural head coach Doug Miller were both former players with the AFL incarnation of the team. In their inaugural 2019 season, the team finished with a 2–12 record and last place in the league. During the season, players claimed the team was poorly operated including failed payments and evictions from team housing.[7]

Prior to the team's second season, the ownership of the Predators were removed by the league[8] and replaced by another local ownership group composed of co-owner Nate Starling and the Trideco family.[1] The new ownership group brought in former AFL Predator Ben Bennett as head coach. The 2020 season never took place due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On May 21, 2021, the team announced the Trideco family's minority ownership had been purchased by John Cheney, allowing the Trideco family to focus on launching the expansion Albany Empire.[2] Under Bennett, the team went 4–4 and qualified for the playoffs for the first time. Bennett left the team following the season was replaced by Jeff Higgins.[9]

On September 16, 2022, the Predators announced veteran player Herkie Walls as their new head coach. [10]

Current roster
Orlando Predators roster
Quarterbacks
  • -- Joseph Hess
  • 12 Jack Sheehan

Running backs

Wide receivers

  • 15 Richy Anderson
  • -- Jared Dangerfield
  • -- Robert Jones
  •  9 Lonnie Outlaw
  •  1 Prince Shonola
  • 22 Caleb Walls
  •  3 Clarence Williams
 Offensive linemen
  • -- David Beale Jr.
  • -- Malik Jones
  • -- Jonathan MacCollister
  • 70 Dequan Murray
  • 75 Darius Tolbert
  • -- Jeremiah Zene Jr.

Defensive linemen

  •  7 Freddie Booth
  • -- Brian Johnson
  • -- Rashaad Miller
 Linebackers
  • 17 Kewan Alfred

Defensive backs

  •  6 Anthony Davis
  • -- Brandon Fuentes
  •  2 Joshua Jenkins
  •  3 Dezariah Johnson
  •  0 Delvon Randall
  • -- Jacques Session

Special teams

  • -- Shane McInerney
 Reserve lists
  • Currently vacant
  • Rookies in italics
  • Roster updated April 8, 2023
  • 28 Active, 0 Inactive

→ More rosters

Statistics

Season-by-season results
League champions Playoff berth League leader
Season League Regular season Postseason results
FinishWinsLossesTies
2019 NAL 6th 2 12 0 Did not qualify
2020 NAL Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021 NAL 3rd 4 4 0 Lost semifinal (Columbus) 43–61
2022 NAL 6th 3 9 0 Did not qualify
2023 NAL
Totals 9250All-time regular season record (2019–2021)
01—All-time postseason record (2019–2021)
9260All-time regular season and postseason record (2019–2021)

Head coaches

Note: Statistics are correct through the 2022 National Arena League season.

Name Term Regular season Playoffs Awards
WLTWin%WL
Doug Miller20192120.14300
Ben Bennett2021440.50001
Jeff Higgins2022390.25000
Herkie Walls2023–present000–00

References
  1. "Orlando Predators Announce New Ownership and the Addition of Ben Bennett as Head Coach". NAL. October 30, 2019.
  2. "ORGANIZATION ANNOUNCEMENT: PREDATORS WELCOME JOHN CHENEY". Orlando Predators. May 21, 2021.
  3. "WELCOME TO THE TEAM SHAWN KNAPP!". Orlando Predators. August 16, 2022.
  4. "P ORLANDO PREDATORS - Trademark Details". trademarks.justia.com. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  5. "ORLANDO PREDATORS - Trademark Details". trademarks.justia.com. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  6. J.C. Carnahan (January 16, 2019). "Kenny McEntyre revives Orlando Predators in National Arena League". Orlando Sentinel.
  7. "Orlando Predators player claims team's financial troubles led to bounced checks, evictions". WFTV. August 2, 2019.
  8. "New Faces to Join the Orlando Predators in 2020 New Ownership Group and Head Coach". NAL. October 12, 2019.
  9. "NEW HEAD COACH". Orlando Predators. November 18, 2021.
  10. "ORLANDO PREDATORS NAME HERKIE WALLS NEW HEAD COACH". National Arena League. September 16, 2022.
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