The Orlando Predators are an Arena Football League team based in Orlando, Florida that was founded in 1991. Their playoff streak is currently 17 seasons in a row, becoming the ArenaBowl champions in 1998 and 2000. They are coached by Jay Gruden, younger brother of Jon Gruden.

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History

The Orlando Predators franchise was awarded by the AFL to Davey Johnson, Tracy Allen and Mike McBath on February 28, 1991, and began play that same year, the only year so far that they missed the playoffs. Annually among the league-leaders in attendance, they have qualified for the playoffs 16 consecutive years and they even posted 15 consecutive winning seasons from 1992-2006, the longest active streak in the AFL. One noted administrator for the Predators was Hall of Fame lineman Jack Youngblood who came to the Predators in 1995 as vice-president and then later, president of the organization. He was with the team through the 1999 season. They are currently coached by Jay Gruden, younger brother of prominent National Football League coach Jon Gruden. Jay Gruden was formerly an outstanding Arena Football quarterback, leading the Tampa Bay Storm to four ArenaBowl championships, and then served one year as offensive coordinator for the Nashville Kats prior to becoming head coach of the Predators. Jay was the first quarterback in the AFL Hall of Fame. Orlando won the ArenaBowl in 1998 and 2000 under Gruden's coaching. He then attempted a comeback as a player, but subsequently returned to coaching following the death of his head coach replacement, Fran Papasedero, in a car accident.

The Predators are undoubtedly one of the premier franchises in the history of the Arena Football League, and have a legendary rivalry with Tampa Bay, who moved to St. Petersburg the same year the Predators formed. They have met twice in the ArenaBowl, with Tampa Bay winning in 1995 and Orlando winning in 1998. The rivalry, nicknamed the "War On I-4" after the interstate that connects the two cities, intensified when Jay Gruden, a legend in Tampa Bay's history as their quarterback, became Orlando's head coach. Orlando is tied with Tampa Bay for the longest tenure in a market by a team, and are unique in that they are now (2006) in their sixteenth season of playing in the same venue, Hummer Field at Amway Arena (formerly T.D. Waterhouse Centre), or, as it's called on game days, The Jungle due to the hostile environment from the fans, harsh smoke that fills the arena during the players intro, and a Guns N' Roses song which "welcomes" other teams followed by their impending death. They share Amway Arena with the Orlando Magic of the NBA. The Predators have played in the ArenaBowl a total of seven times, more than any other current team. If you include the Pittsburgh Gladiators' two ArenaBowl games before they moved to Tampa Bay, the Storm is the only team that has more (eight; six as the Storm). The Predators currently compete in the Southern Division of the National Conference.

The team's current mascot is a monster-like human named Klaw whom looks much like the alien (Predator) from the Predator films, with only different coloring.

The Predators will move to the new Amway Center beginning in the 2011 AFL season.

During the 2007-2008 Season, the Predators inaugurated the "Predator Fan Hall Of Fame". The sole inductee is Nancy Morris, who has been a superfan for almost sixteen years, is known to most of the team and the front office as "The PredMom", and is currently the president of the Orlando Predator In Your Face Fan Club.

Predator highlights

The Predators made Arena Football League history in consecutive weeks during the 1992 season:

• On June 13, 1992, the team defeated the San Antonio Force 50-0. San Antonio kicker Matt Frantz missed six field goals. This is the first game shutout in the history of indoor football. Although there have been shutouts in af2 and other indoor football leagues, it is still the only shutout in Arena League history to date.
• On Friday, June 19, 1992, in a Week 4 road game against the Detroit Drive, quarterback Ben Bennett and the Predators trailed 42-32 with only 49 seconds left. In a miraculous feat of strength, Wide receiver / Defensive back Barry Wagner would catch two touchdown passes, get two two-point conversions, recover an onside kick, and even make the game-winning tackle. Orlando would win 50-49. The comeback would become known as "The Miracle Minute". On the AFL's 20 Greatest Highlights Countdown, this comeback ranked #1. ^[1]

Coaches

Head coach	Tenure	Regular season record (W-L)	Post season record (W-L)	Most recent coaching staff	Notes
Perry Moss	1991 - 1997	59-25	8-8
Jay Gruden	1998 - 2001	35-21 [2]	8-2		Re-signed as head coach to become starting quarterback. [3] Arena Football League Hall of Fame (1999) All-ArenaBowl Team - QB (1999) Second-team 15th Anniversary Team - QB (2001) 2x ArenaBowl winning coach (XII, XIV)
Fran Papasedero	2002 - 2003	19-11	3-2
Jay Gruden	2004 - 2008	47-33	3-5	Assis. Head Coach: Les Moss (1991 - present) [4] Line Coach: Willie Fears (2004 - present) [5] WR Coach: Sean Beckton (2008 - present) [6]	Arena Football League 20 Greatest Players - #4 (2006)

Notable players

• Ernest Allen - OL / DL
• Ben Bennett - QB
• Siaha Burley - OS
• Reggie Doster - DS
• Cory Fleming - WR / LB
• Jay Gruden - QB / Coach
• Joe Hamilton - QB
• Connell Maynor - QB
• Kenny McEntyre - DS
• Duke Pettijohn - FB / LB
• Shane Stafford - QB
• Barry Wagner -WR / LB
• Herkie Walls - WR
• Greg White - OL / DL

AFL Hall of Famers

• Ben Bennett
• Jay Gruden
• Durwood Roquemore
• Perry Moss
• Carl Aikens
• Reggie Smith
• Herkie Walls
• Barry Wagner

Season-by-season

Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties''

Season	W	L	T	Finish	Playoff results
1991	3	7	0	7th	--
1992	9	1	0	1st Southern	Won Week 1 (Cleveland 50-12) Won Semifinals (Tampa Bay 24-21 (OT)) Lost ArenaBowl VI (Detroit 56-38)
1993	10	2	0	1st NC	Won Week 1(Miami 41-13) Lost Semifinals (Tampa Bay 55-52)
1994	11	1	0	1st NC	Won Week 1 (Fort Worth 34-14) Won Semifinals (Massachusetts 51-42) Lost ArenaBowl VIII (Arizona 36-31)
1995	7	5	0	2nd NC Southern	Won Week 1 (San Jose 55-37) Won Semifinals (Iowa 56-49) Lost ArenaBowl IX (Tampa Bay 48-35)
1996	9	5	0	2nd NC Southern	Lost Week 1 (Arizona 65-48)
1997	10	4	0	1st NC Southern	Won Week 1 (New Jersey 45-37) Lost Semifinals (Iowa 52-34)
1998	9	5	0	2nd NC Southern	Won Week 1 (Nashville 58-43) Won Semifinals (Arizona 38-33) Won ArenaBowl XII (Tampa Bay 62-31)
1999	7	7	0	3rd NC Southern	Won Week 1 (Tampa Bay 41-19) Won Semifinals (Iowa 48-41) Lost ArenaBowl XIII (Albany 59-48)
2000	11	3	0	1st NC Southern	Won Quarterfinals (Tampa Bay 34-24) Won Semifinals (Arizona 56-44) Won ArenaBowl XIV (Nashville 41-38)
2001	8	6	0	3rd NC Southern	Lost Week 1 (Chicago 41-26)
2002	7	7	0	1st NC Southern	Won Week 1 (Buffalo 32-27) Won Quarterfinals (New Jersey 49-46) Lost Semifinals (San Jose 52-40)
2003	12	4	0	2nd NC Southern	Won Quarterfinals (New York 69-62) Lost Semfinals (Tampa Bay 60-50)
2004	10	6	0	2nd NC Southern	Lost Week 1 (Chicago 59-49)
2005	10	6	0	2nd NC Southern	Won Week 1 (New York 47-42) Lost NC Championship (Georgia 60-58)
2006	10	6	0	1st NC Southern	Won Week 2 (Philadelphia 31-27) Won NC Championship (Dallas 45-28) Lost ArenaBowl XX (Chicago 69-61)
2007	8	8	0	3rd NC Southern	Lost Week 1 (Philadelphia 41-26)
2008	9	7	0	2nd NC Southern	Lost Wild Card (Cleveland 69-66)
2009	Did Not Play
Totals	182	105	0	(including playoffs)

Notes

1. http://www.arenafootball.com/mediaPlayer/video.dbml?DB_MENU_ID=&SPSID=38064&SPID=3172&DB_OEM_ID=3500&CLIP_ID=31848&CLIP_FILE_ID=35915&CONTENT_TYPE=ONDEMAND
2. ArenaFan Online: AFL Coaches: Jay Gruden
3. Head Coach Jay Gruden
4. Les Moss
5. Willie Fears
6. Sean Beckton