San Diego Fleet
Professional American football franchise
San Diego Fleet Established 2018 Folded 2019
Alliance of American Football Current uniform
Team colors Battleship Gray, Gray, Yellow, White President Jeff Garner Head coach Mike Martz League championships (0) Conference championships (0) Division championships (0)
The San Diego Fleet was a professional American football team based in San Diego, California , that competed in the Alliance of American Football (AAF). The league began play in February 2019, with the team playing its home games at SDCCU Stadium .[ 1] They were coached by former NFL head coach Mike Martz .[ 1] The team was one of the two professional football teams playing in San Diego, along with the San Diego Strike Force of the Indoor Football League , and the first since the San Diego Chargers moved to Los Angeles in 2017.[ 2]
In April 2019, the league suspended football operations and allowed players to break their contracts. On April 17, the league filed for bankruptcy, cutting the season short and putting all eight teams out of business, since under the AAF organizational plan all teams were funded by the central organization.[ 3]
History
The Alliance San Diego team and head coach, Mike Martz, was announced by the Alliance of American Football on May 29, 2018.[ 1] Early reports had Rick Neuheisel coaching the team before he instead agreed to take the coaching job in Phoenix .[ 4] Alliance San Diego's name, logo and colors were revealed on September 25, 2018, as the San Diego Fleet (battleship gray, yellow and silver gray) along with the other three western teams. The name indicates the city's ties to the United States Navy .[ 2]
The team pays $25,000 per game in rent to use SDCCU Stadium and covers an additional $160,000 per game in other game-related expenses the city incurs.[ 5]
The Fleet held the first-overall pick in the league's 2019 AAF QB Draft ,[ 6] which was used to protect Josh Johnson .[ 7] Johnson, who signed with the NFL's Washington Redskins before the end of the 2018 season, never played for the Fleet.[ 8] The final 52-man roster was set on January 30.[ 9]
Dre Bly , who had played cornerback for Martz with the St. Louis Rams , was originally slated to coach defensive backs, but stepped down to take a similar position at the University of North Carolina .[ 10] Former NFL quarterback Jon Kitna was also announced as the team's offensive coordinator in June 2018.[ 11] However, he did not coach a game for the Fleet as he was hired by the Dallas Cowboys in January 2019 to become their quarterbacks coach.[ 12]
The team's first game was a loss at the Alamodome against the San Antonio Commanders on Saturday, February 9, 2019, with the game broadcast live on CBS .[ 13] The Fleet won its first three home games before enthusiastic crowds and was third in attendance among the eight-team league.[ 14]
On April 2, 2019, the Alliance for American Football suspended football operations,[ 15] [ 16] and on April 4 the league allowed players to leave their contracts to sign with NFL teams.[ 17] The effect was to cancel the final two regular season games and the scheduled post-season playoffs.[ 14] The Fleet athletes and coaches, who were in Orlando getting ready for a game against the Orlando Apollos , suddenly "found themselves paying their own hotel bills and buying their own plane tickets home."[ 3]
The league filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on April 17, 2019.[ 18] The Fleet's final record for the abbreviated season was 3-5.
Final Roster
2019 San Diego Fleet final roster
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
Reserve lists
Rights list
52 Active, 8 Inactive
Allocation pool
The team's assigned area, which designates player rights, includes the following:[ 19]
Staff
San Diego Fleet staff
Front office
President – Jeff Garner
General manager – Dave Boller
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
2019 season
2019 San Diego Fleet season General manager Dave Boller Head coach Mike Martz Home field SDCCU Stadium Record 3–5 League place 3rd (tie), Western Conference
Final standings
Schedule
Preseason
Regular season
All times Pacific
[ 20]
Game summaries
Week 1: at San Antonio
Week 1: San Diego Fleet at San Antonio Commanders – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Fleet
0
6
0 0 6
Commanders
0
6
0 9 15
at Alamodome , San Antonio, Texas
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
SA – Nick Rose 29-yard field goal, 10:39. Commanders 3–0.
SA – Nick Rose 23-yard field goal, 3:50. Commanders 6–0.
SD – Donny Hageman 47-yard field goal, 1:17. Commanders 6–3.
SD – Donny Hageman 28-yard field goal, 0:02. Tied 6–6.
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
SA – Kenneth Farrow II 3-yard run (run failed), 14:56. Commanders 12–6.
SA – Nick Rose 28-yard field goal, 3:34. Commanders 15–6.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 2: vs. Atlanta
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
SD – Donny Hageman 46-yard field goal, 1:39. Legends 9–3.
SD – Donny Hageman 43-yard field goal, 0:08. Legends 9–6.
Third quarter
SD – Donny Hageman 26-yard field goal, 12:10. Legends 9–9.
Fourth quarter
ATL – Younghoe Koo 26-yard field goal, 14:54. Legends 12–9.
SD – Ja'Quan Gardner 8-yard run (pass failed), 9:04. Fleet 15–12.
SD – Ja'Quan Gardner 7-yard run (run failed), 4:00. Fleet 21–12.
SD – Donny Hageman 33-yard field goal, 0:35. Fleet 24–12.
Top passers
Top rushers
ATL – Lawrence Pittman – 9 carries, 42 yards
SD – Ja'Quan Gardner – 15 carries, 104 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
Week 3: vs. San Antonio
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
SD – A. J. Tarpley 27-yard interception return (Terrell Watson run), 11:02. Fleet 14–8.
SD – Nelson Spruce 18-yard pass from Philip Nelson (Terrell Watson run), 2:13. Fleet 22–8.
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
Top rushers
SA – Trey Williams – 7 carries, 75 yards
SD – Ja'Quan Gardner – 12 carries, 122 yards, TD
Top receivers
SA – Mekale McKay – 4 receptions, 91 yards, TD
SD – Nelson Spruce – 4 receptions, 50 yards, 2 TD
Week 4: at Memphis
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
MEM – Austin MacGinnis 40-yard field goal, 10:58. Fleet 14–6.
SD – Marcus Baugh 30-yard pass from Alex Ross (run failed), 5:41. Fleet 20–6.
MEM – Austin MacGinnis 35-yard field goal, 1:55. Fleet 20–9.
MEM – Zach Mettenberger 1-yard run (pass failed), 0:18. Fleet 20–15.
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
SD – Donny Hageman 46-yard field goal, 14:03. Fleet 23–15.
MEM – Terrence Magee 6-yard pass from Zach Mettenberger (Zach Mettenberger run), 6:01. Tied 23–23.
MEM – Austin MacGinnis 45-yard field goal, 2:42. Express 26–23.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
SD – Dontez Ford – 3 receptions, 71 yards, TD
MEM – Reece Horn – 4 receptions, 63 yards
Week 5: vs. Salt Lake
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
SD – Donny Hageman 34-yard field goal, 13:15. Stallions 8–6.
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
SD – Kameron Kelly 23-yard interception return (run failed), 9:26. Fleet 24–11.
SL – Joel Bouagnon 4-yard run (run failed), 4:02. Fleet 24–17.
SL – Nick Truesdell 6-yard pass from Josh Woodrum (Josh Woodrum–Kenny Bell ), 0:51. Stallions 25–24.
SD – Donny Hageman 44-yard field goal, 0:00. Fleet 27–25.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 6: vs. Birmingham
Game information
First quarter
SD – Donny Hageman 36-yard field goal, 6:54. Fleet 3–0.
BIRM – Trent Richardson 13-yard pass from Luis Perez (pass failed), 0:27. Iron 6–3.
Second quarter
Third quarter
BIRM – Trent Richardson 2-yard run (pass failed), 10:38. Iron 21–9.
SD – Terrell Watson 2-yard run (Mike Bercovici–Brian Brown pass), 8:56. Iron 21–17.
SD – Terrell Watson 12-yard pass from Mike Bercovici (run failed), 4:57. Fleet 23–21.
Fourth quarter
BIRM – L'Damian Washington 23-yard pass from Luis Perez (Luis Perez–L'Damian Washington pass), 14:10. Iron 29–23.
SD – Francis Owusu 13-yard pass from Mike Bercovici (pass failed), 4:32. Tied 29–29.
BIRM – Nick Novak 44-yard field goal, 0:00. Iron 32–29.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
BIRM – L'Damian Washington – 4 receptions, 83 yards, 2 TD
SD – Dontez Ford – 3 receptions, 72 yards
Week 7: at Arizona
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
ARIZ – John Wolford 35-yard run (pass failed), 6:08. Hotshots 29–15.
ARIZ – Nick Folk 20-yard field goal, 3:52. Hotshots 32–15.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 8: at Salt Lake
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
On February 7, 2019, the Fleet announced that KLSD and KOGO would be the team's flagship radio stations.[ 29] Jon Schaeffer handled play-by-play with former Charger Rich Ohrnberger doing color commentary. KOGO also airs in greater L.A. [ 30]
References
^ a b c Krasovic, Tom. "AAF confirms San Diego is getting football team; what should it call itself?" . San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 29 May 2018 .
^ a b Benjamin, Cody (September 25, 2018). "LOOK: Here's a full list of team names and logos from the Alliance of American Football" . CBSSports.com . Retrieved October 3, 2018 .
^ a b Curlee, Doug (May 10, 2019). "The Fleet's fleeting success in San Diego" . Mission Times Courier . Retrieved 28 May 2019 .
^ "Rick Neuheisel: "Nothing has been finalized" with coaching return" . Pro Football Talk . April 10, 2018. Retrieved April 11, 2018 .
^ Schrotenboer, Brent (February 18, 2019). "Pro football returns to San Diego: Here's what it's like at an AAF Fleet game" . USA Today . Retrieved February 22, 2019 .
^ Scott, Dana (October 31, 2018). "Alliance of American Football league to hold 'Protect or Pick' quarterback draft" . AZ Central . USA Today Network. Retrieved November 5, 2018 .
^ Wilson, Ryan (November 27, 2018). "Alliance of American Football QB Draft: Aaron Murray, Christian Hackenberg highlight QBs taken" . CBSSports.com . Retrieved November 27, 2018 .
^ "Redskins Sign Josh Johnson, Three Others; Place Quinton Dunbar, Trey Quinn And Jonathan Cooper On Injured Reserve" . Redskins.com . December 5, 2018.
^ "San Diego Fleet sets final roster" . Alliance of American Football . January 30, 2019. Retrieved January 30, 2019 .
^ "New coach Dré Bly, a former star cornerback, remembers his UNC 'rude boy' days (it's a mindset)" . Charlotte News & Observer . December 11, 2018. Retrieved February 3, 2019 .
^ Crabtree, Curtis (June 1, 2018). "San Diego AAF team to have coaching staff filled with NFL names" . Profootballtalk.com . Retrieved October 11, 2018 .
^ "Cowboys to hire Jon Kitna as quarterbacks coach" . ESPN . January 20, 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2019 .
^ "Alliance of American Football schedule released for Arizona Hotshots, other 7 teams" . AZ Central . USA Today Network. October 16, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2018 .
^ a b Krasovic, Tom (April 2, 2019). "Alliance of American Football pulls the plug, taking San Diego Fleet down with it" . San Diego Union Tribune . Retrieved 28 May 2019 .
^ Kercheval, Ben (April 2, 2019). "AAF operations suspended, league's future in doubt after eight games of first season" . cbssports.com . Retrieved 2019-04-02 .
^ "AAF to immediately suspend operations" . ESPN . April 2, 2019. Retrieved April 2, 2019 .
^ Schwartz, Nick (April 4, 2019). "AAF star Keith Reaser becomes first player to sign NFL deal after league shutdown" . USA Today . Retrieved April 4, 2019 .
^ "AAF files for bankruptcy, officially closes down" , USA Today , April 17, 2019, retrieved April 17, 2019
^ Inabinett, Mark (July 12, 2018). "Alabama, Auburn players to go on Birmingham AAF team's assignment list" . AL.com . Alabama Media Group. Retrieved December 5, 2018 .
^ "2019 San Diego Fleet Schedule" . FBSchedules.com . Retrieved February 3, 2019 .
^ Filipe, Cameron (February 9, 2019). "Alliance of American Football: Week 1, 2019" . Football Zebras . Retrieved March 22, 2019 .
^ Filipe, Cameron (February 13, 2019). "Alliance of American Football: Week 2, 2019" . Football Zebras . Retrieved March 22, 2019 .
^ Filipe, Cameron (February 22, 2019). "Alliance of American Football: Week 3, 2019" . Football Zebras . Retrieved March 22, 2019 .
^ Filipe, Cameron (February 27, 2019). "Alliance of American Football: Week 4, 2019" . Football Zebras . Retrieved March 22, 2019 .
^ Filipe, Cameron (March 9, 2019). "Alliance of American Football: Week 5, 2019" . Football Zebras . Retrieved March 22, 2019 .
^ Filipe, Cameron (March 14, 2019). "Alliance of American Football: Week 6, 2019" . Football Zebras . Retrieved March 22, 2019 .
^ Filipe, Cameron (March 21, 2019). "Alliance of American Football: Week 7, 2019" . Football Zebras . Retrieved March 22, 2019 .
^ Filipe, Cameron (March 28, 2019). "Alliance of American Football: Week 8, 2019" . Football Zebras . Retrieved March 30, 2019 .
^ Goldberg, Jeff (February 6, 2019). "XTRA 1360 to be Fleet's flagship station in 2019" . aaf.com . Retrieved February 8, 2019 .
^ "Fleet and IHeartMedia Announce Flagship Agreement" . Our Sports Central . February 7, 2019. Retrieved February 10, 2019 .
Further reading
Teams
Eastern Conference Western Conference
Seasons