Hammel Plays Veteran Role Well
Craig T. Mackey
Tuesday February 3, 2004
Hammel was originally a 12th round draft pick in 1990 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he was cut by Tampa Bay and then signed by the Atlanta Falcons, where he spent that season on the practice squad.
Hammel then played in the World League of American Football (WLAF) in 1991 for the New York/New Jersey Knights. He would get some more looks by other NFL teams, but the Arena Football League would be his true calling.
After spending one year in the WLAF, Hammel joined the Dallas Texans of the AFL in 1992. He played for the Texans for two years and then moved on to the Fort Worth Cavalry for one season. It was in Fort Worth where he first played for coach Mike Trigg.
Hammel then followed Trigg to the Milwaukee Mustangs the next season when the Calvary folded after just one year. This would be the longest stop in Hammel’s professional career, as he would spend five seasons in Milwaukee, but then the mileage started to pile up.
In the next five seasons, including this year, Hammel would play for five different teams. First it was in the Sunshine State with the Florida Bobcats. He would then move on to the Houston ThunderBears.
His next stop was with coach Trigg again with the Grand Rapids Rampage. He then played for the Las Vegas Gladiators last year before landing with the Philadelphia Soul for this upcoming season.
The Soul will be the fourth team that Trigg and Hammel have teamed up with. Even though Hammel knows he most likely will serve as the backup this year, he knows that Coach Trigg expects him to have a big role.
“Coach Trigg has brought me on this year to be kind of a coach on the field,” Hammel told me at last Wednesday’s media day. “Hopefully he can rely on me in tough situations with some of these young guys.”
Hammel’s track record speaks for itself and should help provide the leadership coach Trigg will entrust him with. He ranks in the top six in the four major quarterback statistics. He is sixth in touchdowns (374), fifth in yards (24,386) and pass completions (1,969), and second in pass attempts (3,515).
One thing that has eluded Hammel is playoff success. He has never been on a team that has passed the first round. He arrived in Grand Rapids a year after their ArenaBowl championship and they would be knocked out early his only year there. Hammel hopes his past playoff agony can help in the future.
Hammel’s bloodlines should also help a little. Todd’s great-great grandfather was the famous Commanche Chief Quanah Parker. Not bad when a great leader like that is part of your family tree.
Hammel is also a youth football coach in Oklahoma during the off-season. It is the whole package that he will try to use to help the Soul and the AFL reach the status that Philly fans hope it can.
“Hopefully we can show what this league is all about and then they will come out to see exciting football and a good football team,” said Hammel.
Hammel should know what it takes to accomplish these goals because he has been around and seen it all. There were only 12 teams in the league when he first came into the AFL and only four of them are still around. Just three of the four are still in the city that they started in; the Indiana Firebirds were playing in Albany back then.
When Hammel finally decides to hang up his cleats and start his coaching career, if he so chooses, he knows that AFL will be in good shape.
“The talent of the league and the NBC contract have really helped this league and will help the future of the league,” said Hammel.
Hammel’s travels have been plenty and there is no telling when it will end. He may never reach the NFL like former AFL quarterback alums Kurt Warner and Tommy Maddox, but he has definitely left his mark on the Arena Football League.
Craig T Mackey is a an engineer in Philadelphia. He is a huge philadelphia sports fan. He has worked for NFL Films in the past and is a 1999 graduate of Penn State University with a bachelors degree in journalism.
