The Alabama Silverbacks, a new semi-pro football team based in
Greensboro, will have their
next game at home against
the Alabama Chargers on
Saturday, April 23 in
Greensboro. Home games
are being played at the
Greensboro High School
football field.
The team’s last game,
against the Birmingham-based Alabama Steel, saw
the Silverbacks come up
short. The final score in that
contest was 30-16. There
are two more regular season
games scheduled for the
SIlverbacks this year, one
away game on April 30
against the Alabama Steel,
and a final home game on
May 14 against the Mississippi Dragons.
The team consists of
players from throughout the
Black Belt: Greensboro,
Marion, Tuscaloosa, Faunsdale, and Aliceville.
The team is open to players ages 18 and up, and is a
member of the fledgling
American Football Alliance
League. This is the league’s
first year, and the Silverbacks are the league’s only
first-year team. The league
includes 25 other teams, located throughout Alabama,
Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and
Florida. The league office is
located in Hixson, Tenn.
“It was created with a vision to inspire our local
youth with competitive and
professional level football.
Our goal is to bring our
community together with
something fun to do,” said
AFA league secretary Marquilla Ryans, who is also a
volunteer for the Silverbacks. “We all know how
the pandemic has hit home
to many families,” she said.
“This will bring positivity
back to the place we call
home.”
The Team was organized
in 2021 by Rashad Collins,
a graduate of and former
football player for Greensboro High School.
The roster for this year’s
Alabama Silverbacks includes: Anthony Rutledge,
Jacarri Threatt, Brian
Tubbbs, Q. Brown, Quinton
Edwards, J. Brown, Tyronta
Thomas, Pierre Coleman,
N. Davis, Ray Long, J.
Staten, J. Davis, Johnson,
Rashad Collins, Malik
Hunter, Joe Webb, Bryant,
W. Minor, J. Jackson, Burrell, Horace Windham Jr.,
K. Thomas, Lewis, James
Williams, Jalen Williams,
Sagal Webb, Tabb, Jacoby
Taylor, Demetric Goree, L.
Staten, and K. High.
The team is still looking
for sponsors to help finish
out this year’s season. If
you or your business or organization are interested in
sponsoring the Silverbacks,
please contact Marquilla
Ryans at 334-507-2074.
This year’s sponsors currently include: Robert
Shepherd, Dates Lawn Care
and Services, Judge Marvin
Wiggins, Catfish Heaven,
GHS Faculty and Staff,
Fred Jones, Rep. Ralph
Howard, Brandye Pickens,
Second II None Social and
Savings Club, Things Created, Frederick and
Latashia Clay, The T-Shirt
Bar, the Lee Family, LYD
Outreach, and Artist OneTre.
