Unlikely Runt Survives Pro Football
Steve Sgambelluri
Thursday April 19, 2001
After all, you’d be looking at a guy that used to get picked last at family sporting events, weighs in at approximately 105 pounds after being drenched with a fire hose and couldn’t catch a cold if he was put on the Arctic circle, given only a pair of boxer shorts and some Kleenex, let alone catch a pigskin.
But all of that changed for Foley not so long ago, and now he gets to claim the title, “former professional football player.”
“War on the Floor,” Foley’s autobiographical account of his temporary time as an Albany Firebird of the Arena Football League, is proof of his short time in the spotlight.
“I was a timid little kid,” Foley said in reference to his youth. “If I said that I was going to play professional football, it would have been like giving the class laughing gas.”
That didn’t stop him. He went through the vigorous drills and exercises during training camp. He suited up for and played in two Arena Football preseason games, one against the Carolina Cobras, and the other against the Milwaukee Mustangs. He got the chance to be a part of something that he never thought possible.
Foley’s book idea was born in 1999 when he was freelance writer for the Albany Times Union. He went to a free agent tryout with the Firebirds and thought it would make a funny story to make a ‘jackass’ out of himself.
 Arenafan`s Jeff Foley in full gear for the Albany Firebirds. Image courtesy of John Ferlazzo |
“I was absolutely amazed that Brian didn’t hang up on me, “ Foley said. “He brought it to (General Manager) Joe Hennessey and he thought it would be a good promotional thing.”
Foley then met with Hennessey, French, assistant media relations director Tim Farrell, and Firebirds head coach Mike Dailey to discuss the bit and pieces of the idea.
“I first thought he was crazy,” Farrell said. “But I was very optimistic. I saw how determined he was to succeed and thought that the book would be great for the game.”
“Coach ‘D’ welcomed me aboard in a preseason meeting,” Foley said. “He told me that he was going to treat me as one of his players and that I probably would get yelled at, just like everyone else.
“He also told me that he might get so mad that he would grab my notebook and rip it all up into shreds. If he didn’t want me taking notes at a particular time, he said he’d let me know about it.”
So off Foley went, into a world he never thought he’d ever have the chance to live in. He was to live in the players’ apartments during his stay. He would eat with them, play video games with them, and do just about everything that they did. He was a professional football player, doing what professional football players do, living in a professional football player’s life.
Staying after practice and working on pass routes with defensive back Derek Stingley or trying to keep up with wide receivers Greg Hopkins and Evan Hlavacek during sprints made for a typical day for Foley during his grueling training camp experience.
 Tina Foley cheers husband Jeff on in a pre-season match-up. Image courtesy of Jim Franco |
Foley made it through training camp and even got his name in the books as an official player for the Firebirds.
Foley played in two preseason games, even making a catch against the Milwaukee Mustangs for –2 yards. He checked into the game with about 1 minute to play and after a good luck pat on the helmet from teammate Jake Hoffart, Foley was good to go.
With 12.7 seconds remaining, quarterback Raymond Philyaw tossed Foley the pigskin, getting the assist for Foley’s first and only professional catch.
“I thought I was going to get killed,” Foley said, trying to recall the moment when he caught the ball. “I never ever caught any of Raymond’s passes in practice, so it was weird.”
Foley claims that his orders were to hit the deck immediately after catching the football, but even in the heat of the battle, Foley swears the hit felt more serious than it appeared to be.
“It sounded like an atomic explosion,” said Foley, referring to the hit he endured with the football. “It was really just a pat though, I got hit a lot harder than that in practice.
“I just wanted to succeed and catch the ball. Who the heck wants to write a book about football without even catching the ball?”
 War on the Floor will be available at many Arena Football games across the country this May. Image courtesy of Jeff Foley |
“If you told me back then that I would have played professional football, I’d say I wouldn’t have a shot in hell,” Foley said. “I don’t know how I stumbled into this.”
Mike Virtanem, who is an Associated Press editor in Albany, actually planted the seed in Foley’s mind about the book. A good friend of Foley’s, Virtanem told Foley that he should consider writing a book about his experiences. Three years later, the book is ready to be released.
“He’s a determined guy and a hard worker,” said Virtanem, who also edited the final copy of the book. “It’s worth reading. It turned out really well. It’s pretty amazing what Jeff has done.”
Foley’s fame is growing. He’s been featured on TNN (The Nashville Network) and has been interviewed on every local television station in the Capital District. Kids ask for his autograph and he even has his own football card. Mix in his public speaking appearances and throw in his love for what he does and you have a great recipe for success.
“I would do it all over again in a heartbeat,” Foley said, sitting amidst his Firebirds memorabilia and pictures. “I’m actually going through withdrawal now because the season is starting. I miss my teammates and I’ll always love that uniform. What I did took a lot of heart.”
For now, Foley will take what he has. He’s already done something that millions of people can only dream about. And while his classmates, teachers, even friends might have laughed at him during his youth, no one is laughing today.
No one, that is, except for Jeff Foley.
Steve Sgambelluri was a writer for ArenaFan Online from 2000 to 2001.
