Can the AAFL survive?

Saturday the AAFL holds it's player draft. "AAFL" you say? The All-American Football League gets started in April. Texas has a team made up, almost exclusively, of Texas college players. To play in the league, which will pay between $50-100,000 a player, you have to have a college degree. Good place to start.

Already the Texas team, which is based here in Houston and will play at Rice Stadium, has former Texas Tech QB's Kliff Kingsbury and BJ Symons on it's roster and John Jenkins as it's head coach and GM. You'll remember Jenkins as head coach at U of H and offensive coordinator with the Houston Gamblers. If you do, you know he loves the run and shoot.

The league begins play in April. Finishes in June. It's a 10 game schedule with teams from Arkansas, Tennessee, Michigan, Florida and Alabama. Florida's quarterback is expected to be Chris Leak, who led the Gators to college football's national title just one season ago. Put it all together and you're reminded of the USFL.

Question becomes can it have the success experienced by the USFL before that league got carried away and spent too much money on players. Remember, Jim Kelly, Herschel Walker and Steve Young started in the USFL. Can this upstart league survive? Do you want football 12 months a year? Doy you want this level of football to get you from Super Sunday until the NFL opens training camps? Let me know.

Tim Melton