{{short description|2010s indoor American football team}} {{Use American English|date=March 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox indoor American football team | name = Florida Tarpons | current = | logo =Florida Tarpons Logo.png | founded = 2011 | folded = 2019 | city = RP Funding Center<br />in Lakeland, Florida | misc = [http://www.lakelandtarpons.com LakelandTarpons.com] | colors = Royal blue, red, sea blue, grey, orange, white<br />{{color box|#0F4486}} {{color box|#C10020}} {{color box|#A3A4A3}} {{color box|#FF8900}} {{color box|white}} | owner = A-League Sports<ref name = "A-League2019"/> | general manager = Michael Taylor | coach = Michael Taylor | cheerleaders = Reel Girls | mascot = Timmy the Tarpon | league = *Ultimate Indoor Football League (2012–2014) **South Conference (2012) *X-League Indoor Football (2015) *American Indoor Football (2016) **Southern Division (2016) *Arena Pro Football (2017) *American Arena League (2018) | team_history = *Florida Tarpons (2012–2018) *Lakeland Tarpons (2019) | no_league_champs = 2 | league_champs = *'''UIFL:''' 2013 *'''X-League:''' 2015 | no_conf_champs = 1 | conf_champs = *'''UIFL South:''' 2012 | no_div_champs = | div_champs = | no_playoff_appearances = 6 | playoff_appearances = *'''UIFL:''' 2012, 2013, 2014 *'''X-League:''' 2015 *'''AIF:''' 2016 *'''APF:''' 2017 | arena_years = *Germain Arena (2012–2017) *RP Funding Center (2018) }}
The '''Florida Tarpons''' were a professional indoor football team based in Lakeland, Florida, out of the RP Funding Center. Originally established in Estero, Florida, and playing out of Germain Arena, they began play in 2012 as an expansion team of the Ultimate Indoor Football League (UIFL). The Tarpons joined the X-League Indoor Football (X-League) during the 2015 season when the UIFL merged with the X-League. They played in the Arena Pro Football (APF) league in 2017 before the league became the American Arena League (AAL) for 2018. For 2019, there was an ownership transition that formed their own Florida-based league, called the A-League, and the team rebranded as the '''Lakeland Tarpons'''.<ref name = "ALeague"/> The team was removed from the A-League schedule at the start of the 2019 season.
The Tarpons were Estero's second indoor football team; their first since arenafootball2's Florida Firecats which played from 2001 until the af2's demise in 2009. In addition, they are the fourth indoor football team in the Cape Coral-Fort Myers metropolitan area, with them and the Firecats joining the unrelated Fort Myers Tarpons which played in the National Indoor Football League's final season of 2007 and the Florida Stingrays which played the 2008 American Indoor Football Association season. (Both teams played at the Lee County Civic Center). The founders of the Tarpons are Andrew and Leah Haines and Michael & Anna Taylor. The Tarpons moved to Lakeland prior to the 2019 season.
==Franchise history==
===2012: Expansion=== {{main|2012 Florida Tarpons season}} In July 2011, the Florida Tarpons were announced as an expansion team for the 2012 UIFL season.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.news-press.com/VideoNetwork/921380319001/Florida-Tarpon-Football-at-Germain-Arena |title=Florida Tarpons Football at Germain Arena |access-date=October 9, 2015}}</ref> On July 6, 2011, the Tarpons named, UIFL Co-Founder, Michael Taylor, as the team's inaugural head coach.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.naplesnews.com/sports/other-sports/pro-football-florida-tarpons-name-uifl-co-founder |title=Pro football: Florida Tarpons name UIFL co-founder as first head coach |author=Woody Wommack |date=July 6, 2011 |publisher=Naples Daily News |work=www.naplesnews.com |access-date=October 9, 2015}}</ref> The Tarpons went undefeated during the regular season, and advanced to Ultimate Bowl II after defeating the Lakeland Raiders in the UIFL South Finals. The Tarpons lost Ultimate Bowl II to the Cincinnati Commandos.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.naplesnews.com/sports/other-sports/indoor-football-perfect-season-not-cards-tarpons-f |title=Indoor football: Perfect season not in the cards as Tarpons fall in championship |author=Adam Fisher |date=July 2, 2012 |publisher=Naples Daily News |work=www.naplesnews.com |access-date=October 9, 2015 |archive-date=May 3, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150503075651/http://www.naplesnews.com/sports/other-sports/indoor-football-perfect-season-not-cards-tarpons-f |url-status=dead }}</ref> Four players from the Tarpons 2012 roster were invited/signed to NFL Rookie Mini Camps: DL Joshua Long, WR Dwayne Frampton, DB Willie Williams, and DB E.J. Whitley. WR Carlos Singleton signed with the Tampa Bay Storm of the Arena Football League after the Tarpons season ended.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=4453606 |title=Tarpons WR Carlos Singleton Moves up to AFL |date=July 22, 2012 |publisher=OurSports Central |work=www.oursportscentral.com |access-date=October 9, 2015}}</ref>
===2016: Move to the AIF=== {{main|2016 Florida Tarpons season}} On October 7, 2015, the Tarpons announced that they were joining American Indoor Football.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=5057512 |title=Florida Tarpons Join AIF |date=October 7, 2015 |publisher=OurSports Central |work=www.oursportscentral.com |access-date=October 8, 2015}}</ref> On July 18, 2016, the AIF ceased operations, leaving the Tarpons without a league.
===2017: Arena Pro Football=== On October 20, 2016, the Tarpons were added to the Arena Developmental League (ADL) for the league's inaugural 2017 season.<ref name="tarponsadl">{{cite web | url=http://www.arenadl.com/news-m/62-league-to-welcome-former-two-time-champion-florida-tarpons.html | title=League to Welcome Former Two-Time Champion Florida Tarpons | publisher=ADL | date=October 20, 2016 | access-date=October 20, 2016 | archive-date=February 6, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170206121520/http://www.arenadl.com/news-m/62-league-to-welcome-former-two-time-champion-florida-tarpons.html | url-status=dead }}</ref> However, on November 10, the Tarpons announced they had joined the new Arena Pro Football (APF) instead and the ADL was soon renamed National Arena League upon the addition of the Jacksonville Sharks.
The Tarpons would play their first APF game against the Alabama Outlawz, also formerly of the X-League. The Tarpons won 42–18. At the end of the season, the Tarpons and the Richmond Roughriders played for the APF championship, losing to the Roughriders 61–75.
===2018: American Arena League=== During the 2017 APF season, the league announced it would be merging with the Can-Am Indoor Football League to create the American Arena League (AAL) for the 2018 season. By the end of the 2017 season, the Tarpons and Roughriders were to only teams that had played a complete season in the APF and both teams joined the AAL. The Tarpons relocated to Lakeland, Florida, and the RP Funding Center after their lease in Estero expired.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.floridatarpons.com/news/florida-tarpons-make-rp-funding-center-home |title=FLORIDA TARPONS MAKE RP FUNDING CENTER HOME |publisher=Florida Tarpons |date=September 21, 2017 }}{{Dead link|date=October 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref> The Tarpons opened the season on the road with a 48–21 loss to the Atlanta Havoc.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.floridatarpons.com/news/offense-can-t-get-on-track-as-tarpons-fall-in-open |title=OFFENSE CAN'T GET ON TRACK AS TARPONS FALL IN OPENER TO ATLANTA, 48-21 |work=Tarpons |date=March 17, 2018}}</ref> The following week they traveled to play the High Country Grizzlies, but the game was cancelled at the last minute due to winter weather and the game was not rescheduled.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.floridatarpons.com/news/tarpons-game-against-high-country-grizzlies-cancel |title=TARPONS GAME AGAINST HIGH COUNTRY GRIZZLIES CANCELLED BECAUSE OF WINTER WEATHER IN NORTH CAROLINA |work=Tarpons |date=March 24, 2018}}</ref> They played their first game at RP Funding Center on April 14, a 58–20 loss in a rematch with the previous season's APF champions, the Richmond Roughriders.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.floridatarpons.com/news/tarpons-fall-to-0-2-as-richmond-roughriders-take-d |title=TARPONS FALL TO 0-2 AS RICHMOND ROUGHRIDERS TAKE DOWN FLORIDA, 58-20 |work=Tarpons |date=April 14, 2018}}</ref> The Tarpons would not win their first game until a 50–20 win over an AAL-affiliated travel-only team, the Austin Wild, on May 5.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.floridatarpons.com/news/tarpons-tame-wild-50-30-to-pick-up-first-win-of-20 |title=TARPONS TAME AUSTIN WILD, 50-30, TO PICK UP FIRST WIN OF 2018 CAMPAIGN |work=Tarpons |date=May 6, 2018}}</ref> After another win over an AAL travel-only team, the Peach State Cats, the Tarpons were to travel to play the Georgia Doom in Macon, Georgia. However, the Tarpons then cancelled all remaining away games and announced their final game of the season would be at home against the Upstate Dragons on May 26.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.floridatarpons.com/news/tarpons-will-bring-2018-season-to-close-at-home-ma |title=TARPONS WILL BRING 2018 SEASON TO CLOSE AT HOME MAY 26 VS. UPSTATE DRAGONS |work=Tarpons |date=May 19, 2018 |access-date=May 24, 2018 |archive-date=May 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180525063127/http://www.floridatarpons.com/news/tarpons-will-bring-2018-season-to-close-at-home-ma |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Dragons then announced they would not travel to Lakeland and the Tarpons would then play the semi-professional Gulf Coast Tigers, thus ending their AAL season with a 2–3 record in league games actually played and a final league record of 3–5 after the various forfeits.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://aalfootball.com/index.php/apf-teams/35-league/220/2018-regular-season-final-standings-and-playoff-pairings |title=2018 American Arena League Final Regular Season Standings and Playoff Pairings |work=AAL |date=June 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613022742/http://aalfootball.com/index.php/apf-teams/35-league/220/2018-regular-season-final-standings-and-playoff-pairings |archive-date=June 13, 2018}}</ref>
===2019: A-League=== After one season in central Florida, the team rebranded as the Lakeland Tarpons.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lakelandtarpons.com/news/tarpons-amend-name-to-reflect-lakeland-identity |title=TARPONS AMEND NAME TO REFLECT LAKELAND IDENTITY |website=LakelandTarpons.com |date=September 4, 2018}}</ref> The Tarpons' ownership was also reorganized, with Micheal Taylor joined by former owner Andrew Haines, as well as Gary Tufford, Kacee Smith, and other locals.<ref>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170113013412/http://www.floridatarpons.com/office-staff |url=http://www.floridatarpons.com/office-staff |title=Florida Tarpons Office Staff |website=FloridaTarpons.com |archive-date=January 13, 2017 |access-date=September 13, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.aleaguefootball.com/staff |title=A-League Football Staff |website=ALeagueFootball.com |access-date=September 13, 2018}}</ref> The new ownership group then announced on September 13, 2018, that they were launching their own league, called the A-League, to begin play in 2019 with several Florida-based teams, including the Gulf Coast Fire, Manatee Neptunes and Sarasota BigCats.<ref name = "A-League2019">{{cite web |url=https://www.aleaguefootball.com/news/a-league-sports-acquires-tarpons-for-new-arena-lea |title=A-LEAGUE SPORTS ACQUIRES TARPONS, FOR NEW ARENA LEAGUE PLAY IN 2019 |website=www.aleaguefootball.com |date=September 13, 2018 |access-date=September 13, 2018 |archive-date=September 13, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180913223454/https://www.aleaguefootball.com/news/a-league-sports-acquires-tarpons-for-new-arena-lea |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name = "ALeague">{{cite web |url=http://www.aleaguefootball.com/ |title=A-League website |website=ALeagueFootball.com |access-date=September 30, 2018 |archive-date=October 1, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181001031334/https://www.aleaguefootball.com/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> However, the season was initially pushed back and then scheduled to only have games at RP Funding Center and Hertz Arena over several weeks in May and June 2019. In May 2019, the Tarpons and all games at RP Funding Center were removed from the schedule. The Gulf Coast Fire went undefeated and won the league championship, but after the season ended all other A-League websites, including the Tarpons, were redirected the Fire's website, which itself eventually suspended.
A Gulf Coast Tarpons was announced as a team in the International Football Alliance, but was removed shortly after announcement.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.prlog.org/12999108-international-football-alliance-announces-new-expansion-with-gulf-coast-tarpons-for-the-2025.html|title=International Football Alliance Announces New Expansion with Gulf Coast Tarpons for the 2025|work=PR}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report January 15, 2024|url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/weekly-sports-league-and-franchise-report/n-6048298|website=OurSports Central|date=15 January 2024 |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Notable players== ''See :Category:Florida Tarpons players''
===Awards and honors=== The following is a list of all Tarpons players who have won league awards:
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |- !Season!! Player!! Position!! Award |- |2012|| Terrance Jones || DB || UIFL South Defensive Player of the Year |- |2012|| Ross Gornall || K || UIFL South Special Teams Player of the Year |- |2012|| Chris Wallace || QB || 1st Team All-UIFL North |- |2012|| Carlos Singleton || WR || 1st Team All-UIFL North |- |2012|| Donald Fusilier || WR || 1st Team All-UIFL North |- |2012|| James Barker || OL || 1st Team All-UIFL North |- |2012|| Greg Walls || OL || 1st Team All-UIFL North |- |2012|| Josh Long || DL || 1st Team All-UIFL North |- |2012|| Darrell Roseman || DL || 1st Team All-UIFL North |- |2012|| Harriel Moore || LB || 1st Team All-UIFL North |- |2012|| Tavares Woodley || LB || 1st Team All-UIFL North |- |2012|| Terrance Jones || DB || 1st Team All-UIFL North |- |2012|| Ross Gornall || K || 1st Team All-UIFL North |- |2012|| Sean Callahan || OL || Honorable Mention All-UIFL North |- |2012|| E.J. Whitley || DB || Honorable Mention All-UIFL North |- |2012|| Steven Turner || All-purpose || Honorable Mention All-UIFL North |- |2015|| Javarous Faulk || DL || X-Bowl MVP |}
==Statistics and records==
===Season-by-season results=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:75%;" |- | style="background:#fcc;"|'''League Champions''' | style="background:#dfd;"|'''Conference Champions''' | style="background:#d0e7ff;"|'''Division Champions''' | style="background:#96cdcd;"|'''Playoff Berth''' | style="background:#c8a2c8;"|'''League Leader''' |}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size: 95%;" |- !rowspan="2" | Season !rowspan="2" | Team !rowspan="2" | League !rowspan="2" | Conference !rowspan="2" | Division !colspan="4" | Regular season !rowspan="2" | Postseason results |- ! Finish !! Wins !! Losses !! Ties |- ! 2012 | 2012 || UIFL || bgcolor=#dfd | South || | bgcolor=#96cdcd | 1st || bgcolor=#c8a2c8 | 11 || 0 || || align=left | '''Won''' UIFL South Finals (Raiders) 60–29<br />'''Lost''' Ultimate Bowl II (Commandos) 44–61 |- ! 2013 | 2013 || bgcolor=#fcc | UIFL || || | bgcolor=#96cdcd | 1st || 5 || 1 || || align=left | '''Won''' Ultimate Bowl III (Fury) 40–32 |- ! 2014 | 2014 || UIFL || || | bgcolor=#96cdcd | 2nd || 4 || 4 || || align=left | '''Lost''' Ultimate Bowl IV (Fury) 23–60 |- ! 2015 | 2015 || bgcolor=#fcc | X-League || || | bgcolor=#96cdcd | 1st || bgcolor=#c8a2c8 | 6 || 2 || || align=left | '''Won''' X-Bowl II (Marine Raiders) 65–23<ref name="pant150604">{{cite news |newspaper=The Pantagraph |publisher=Lee Enterprises |location=Bloomington, IL |title=Edge season over as X-League skips to title game |url=http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/professional/football/indoor/edge/edge-season-over-as-x-league-skips-to-title-game/article_f217fc78-8d62-5b64-b97e-5513b3ee4391.html |date=June 4, 2015 |access-date=June 5, 2015}}</ref> |- ! 2016 | 2016 || AIF || || Southern | bgcolor=#96cdcd | 2nd || 7 || 1 || 0 || align=left |'''Won''' Southern Semifinal (Steam) 71–20<br />'''Lost''' Southern Championship (Lions) 66–79 |- ! 2017 | 2017 || APF || || | bgcolor=#96cdcd | 2nd || 5 || 1 || 0 || align=left | '''Lost''' Championship (Roughriders) 61–75 |- ! 2018 | 2018 || AAL || || | {{abbr|DNF|Did not finish}} || 2{{efn|3 wins including a forfeit win}} || 3{{efn|5 losses including the games they decided to forfeit}} || 0 || align=left | |- ! rowspan="5" colspan="6" | Totals ! 40 !! 12 !! 0 !! colspan="3" | All-time regular season record (2012–2018) |- | '''4''' || '''4''' ||—|| colspan="3" | '''All-time postseason record (2012–2018)''' |- ! 44 !! 16 !! 0 !! colspan="3" | All-time regular season and postseason record (2012–2018) |} {{notelist}}
===Head coaches' records=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |- ! rowspan="2" style="width:140px;"|Name ! rowspan="2" | Term ! colspan="4" | Regular season ! colspan="2" | Playoffs ! rowspan="2" | Awards |- ! W !! L !! T !! Win% !! W !! L |- | align=left | Michael Taylor || 2012–2018 || 40 || 12 || 0 || {{winperc|40|12}} || 4 || 4 || align=left | UIFL South Coach of the Year (2012) |}
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
==External links== *[http://www.lakelandtarpons.com/ Lakeland Tarpons official site]
{{UIFL}} {{AIF}}
Category:Florida Tarpons Category:American Arena League Category:American football teams in Florida Category:Former American Indoor Football teams Category:Former X-League Indoor Football teams Category:Sports in Fort Myers, Florida Category:Ultimate Indoor Football League teams Category:American football teams established in 2012 Category:American football teams disestablished in 2018 Category:2012 establishments in Florida Category:2018 disestablishments in Florida Category:Sports in Lakeland, Florida