The United Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce recently held a ribbon cutting for the Corpus Christi Rage. As a new indoor football team in a newly formed Area Developmental League, the Rage will begin its first season in March 2017 at the American Bank Center. Courtesy photo
A new indoor football team is coming to Corpus Christi. The newest charter team in the Arena Developmental League, the Rage will take over the American Bank Center for its first game of its first season in March 2017.
The Rage is a professional indoor football team founded in June 2016. Currently, the ADL has seven other teams forming with more to come before the season starts next spring.
Majority owner and CEO of the Corpus Christi Rage, Eric Smith told community leaders he is determined to change the atmosphere surrounding indoor football leagues and surpass the negative impact a failed indoor team has left on the city.
“It’s important to us to assure everybody that we have nothing to do with any previous arena football or indoor football team that is from Corpus Christi in the past,” Smith said at a recent media conference and ribbon cutting for the team.
Smith was referring to the Corpus Christi Fury, formerly known as the Hammerheads, the city’s original indoor football team. Formed in 2004, the Fury played for about 12 years before folding without explanation this year. It only played three games this season before disappearing.
“Our community deserves a fun, family-oriented professional atmosphere for arena football,” Smith said. “We will bring in the best front office people, the best coaches and the best players. We are determined to be competitive in the league that we’re in for our fans and our sponsors.”
Co-owner and general manager for the Rage, Leonard Harris, was a linebacker for the Fury. Harris recognized that, as a player, he was a role model in Corpus Christi, and the Fury didn’t do enough to help and inspire low-income kids in the community.
“The Rage came out of the need to make a change,” Harris said. “The Rage will be about winning first, but when we’re off the field, we’ll be out in our community helping.”
Head coach Steven Filmore agreed.
“Our purpose is to give back,” he said. “It’s not about the money. It’s not about the fame. It’s about the love of the game — giving something to the community and showing the kids that there are other things outside of drugs and violence and video games.”
Tryouts for the Rage will soon be set in Corpus Christi as well as Houston and San Antonio. Lady Rage dance team tryouts were held in late October.
Visit corpuschristirage.com or follow the team at facebook.com/corpuschristirage for updates and more information. A schedule has not yet been set for the next year.
