BRUISERS

BRUISERS. A semi-pro football team in Dubuque, the Bruisers had their inaugural season in 2009. Coached by Peter Staranko, the team began with twenty men who showed up on March 21st to tryout for a slot on the team which would be a member of the North American Football League. The league described as having nearly 100 "adult amateur football teams." The league was founded by Robert F. Licopoli in 1999 to link the fragmented semi-pro teams across the country. (1) In November, Dubuque Bruisers quarterback Jermar Jackson led the North to a 24-21 victory over the South and earned a Most Valuable Player designation. Runnersup for MVP honors were Dubuque's Thoni Oriental (5 tackles) and Adam Kaiser (two interceptions, four passes defended). Jackson and Dominick Locascio were scheduled to play in the All-American Bowl in Minneapolis. (2) The Bruisers went from an expansion team to a playoff team in three months in 2009. On a 6-6 debut season the first-year the first year North American Football League team advanced into the NAFL postseason. The team also had none players selected for the NAFL All-Star Game on November 15th. First team all stars included Jermar Jackson, Marvin Maby, Darrell Walker, Travis Trowbridge, Derrick Dean, Darrell Moore, Dominick Locascio, Adam Kaiser, and Thoni Oriental. Second team all-stars were Thackery Carter, Torrey Smith, and Ed McIntosh. (3)

On July 17, 2010 the Bruisers, of the North American Football League, played their first-ever home game. They were also playing without their star quarterback Jermar Jackson who had taken a job to play professionally in Germany. Despite this, heavy roster turnover, and being outscored 93-37 in previous games, they defeated the Iowa Threshers 33-6 in a game viewed by an audience of about 200 at Dalzell Field. It was an especially nice victory over the team that had defeated the Bruisers twice in 2009 in the regular season and then again in the playoffs when the team was called Iowa Lightning. (4)

Jackson returned from professional play in Germany in time to play in the second round matchup. The team entered the playoffs as the No. 7 seed in the National Football Conference's Central Super Region. (5)

The Bruisers were off to their best start for a season in 2011 at 5-1 and was 3-0 for playing at home. (6) Playing in the Midwest Football Alliance, the team with a 7-2 record in September was suspended from the playoffs because of disparaging remarks made by some players against the league and its teams. They were able to compete in the Midwest Top Shelf Tournament involving eight teams in September. The team president stated that the Bruisers were negotiating with the Great Midwest Football League and Minor Football League about joining one of the organizations in 2012. (7) The team without a league advanced to the title game of the eight-team tournament. (8)

A 20-14 victory over the Illinois Spartans in 2011 resulted in the Bruisers winning the Midwest Top Shelf Football Championship Game at Apollo Park in Homewood, Illinois. The team finished 12-2 in the third-year semi-pro team's most successful season. Jermar Jackson threw touchdown passes to Eddie Blackmon and Matt Lewis and scored the game-winning 11-yard touchdown in overtime. (9)

Rising costs, especially transportation, led the team to disband in 2013.

---

Source:

1. Blanchard, Courtney, "Football Team Holds Tryouts," Telegraph Herald, March 22, 2009, p. 13

2. Bruiser's Jackson Scores All-Star MVP Honors," Telegraph Herald, November 26, 2009, p. 10

3. "Bruisers Capture Playoff Berth," Telegraph Herald, September 22, 2009, p. 9

4. O'Neill, Tim, "Bruisers Get 1st Victory," Telegraph Herald, July 18, 2010, p. 31

5. O'Neill, Tim, "Bruisers' Jackson Back for Playoff," Telegraph Herald, November 8, 2010, p. 9

6. Campbell, Clete, "Bruisers Going Pink," Telegraph Herald, June 22, 2011, p. 9

7. "Exiled Bruisers Return to Field," Telegraph Herald, September 1, 2011, p. 11

8. "Bruisers Rebound to Title Game," Telegraph Herald, September 23, 2011, p. 19

9."Bruisers Score Top Shelf Title," Telegraph Herald, September 24, 2011, p. 36