Mississippi Pride

Mississippi Pride
Founded1998
Folded1999
LeagueRegional Football League
Based inJackson, Mississippi
StadiumMississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium
OwnerWayne Van[1]
Head coachJohnny Plummer

The Mississippi Pride were a professional American football team that played during the 1999 season as part of the Regional Football League. They played their home games at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson, Mississippi.[2]

The team was announced as one of the league's charter members on November 12, 1998.[3] For their lone season, former Mississippi State Bulldogs assistant coach Johnny Plummer served as head coach.[4]

Although the team was scheduled to play a 12-game regular season,[5] poor attendance and sagging revenues would prove too much for the new league. In the shortened regular season, the Pride had a 4–4 record. In the postseason, the Pride were seeded third in the four-team playoff bracket, and lost to the second seed, the Houston Outlaws. Pride starter Stewart Patridge was named the all-RFL quarterback.[6] After the season, the team and league ceased operation.

1999 season schedule

Date Opponent Site W/L Score Attnd. Ref.
April 17 Shreveport Knights Away L 12–40 2,866 [7]
April 24 Houston Outlaws Home L 5–28 3,000 [8]
May 2 New Orleans Thunder Away W 30–14 4,000 [9]
May 8 Ohio Cannon Home W 20–17 3,500 [10]
May 15 Mobile Admirals Away L 13–36 [11]
May 22 Shreveport Knights Home W 35–10 4,800 [12]
May 29 Mobile Admirals Home W 28–20 6,500 [13]
June 5† New Orleans Thunder Home L 7–12 2,700 [14]
Playoffs
June 12 Houston Outlaws Away L 3–27 [15]

† The June 5 game was originally scheduled for June 6 in Toledo against the Ohio Thunder.[16]

References

  1. ^ McCloskey, John (April 18, 1999). "Knights Report". The Times. Shreveport, Louisiana. p. 50. Retrieved January 30, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Beginning of the Knights' Reign". The Times. Shreveport, Louisiana. April 17, 1999. p. 28. Retrieved January 26, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "League". Remember the RFL. Retrieved January 25, 2019 – via Google Sites.
  4. ^ "Patridge gets his shot at pro football". The Greenwood Commonwealth. Greenwood, Mississippi. February 25, 1999. p. 7. Retrieved January 26, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Mississippi Pride 1999 Schedule". Hattiesburg American. Hattiesburg, Mississippi. March 29, 1999. p. 1. Retrieved January 26, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Eight Pride players make All-RFL team". The Clarion-Ledger. Jackson, Mississippi. June 25, 1999. p. 31. Retrieved January 23, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  7. ^ McCloskey, John (April 18, 1999). "Knights blow out Pride in opener". The Times. Shreveport, Louisiana. p. 45. Retrieved January 24, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Goolsby, Henry (April 25, 1999). "Outlaws victimize error-prone Pride 28-5". The Clarion-Ledger. Jackson, Mississippi. p. 35. Retrieved January 26, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Pride pounces on Thunder for 1st RFL victory". The Clarion-Ledger. Jackson, Mississippi. May 3, 1999. p. 17. Retrieved January 25, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Goolsby, Henry (May 9, 1999). "Pride overcomes 10-point deficit to edge Cannon". The Clarion-Ledger. Jackson, Mississippi. p. 31. Retrieved January 26, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Interception helps Admirals stay afloat against Price 36-13". The Clarion-Ledger. Jackson, Mississippi. May 16, 1999. p. 33. Retrieved January 26, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  12. ^ Goolsby, Henry (May 23, 1999). "Patridge, Ashley prove unstoppable; Pride turns tables on Knights 35-10". The Clarion-Ledger. Jackson, Mississippi. p. 23. Retrieved January 24, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Goolsby, Henry (May 30, 1999). "Pride uses Patridge's pinpoint passing to sink Admirals". The Clarion-Ledger. Jackson, Mississippi. p. 2D. Retrieved January 26, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  14. ^ Goolsby, Henry (June 6, 1999). "Thunder rumbles past Pride". The Clarion-Ledger. Jackson, Mississippi. p. 27. Retrieved January 26, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  15. ^ Goolsby, Henry (June 15, 1999). "Curry: Pay woes contributed to Pride's losses". The Clarion-Ledger. Jackson, Mississippi. p. 23. Retrieved January 26, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  16. ^ Goolsby, Henry (June 9, 1999). "Pride relishes change to apprehend Outlaws". The Clarion-Ledger. Jackson, Mississippi. p. 23. Retrieved January 23, 2019 – via newspapers.com.

Further reading