Larry Brackins facts for kids
Brackins with the Cleveland Gladiators in 2017
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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | November 5, 1982 Dothan, Alabama, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 218 lb (99 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Dothan (AL) | ||||||||
| College: | Pearl River CC | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2005 / Round: 5 / Pick: 155 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career Arena statistics | |||||||||
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| Player stats at ArenaFan.com | |||||||||
Larry Brackins was born on November 5, 1982. He is a former professional football player. He played as a wide receiver, catching passes for his team. Larry was chosen by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2005 NFL draft. He also played for many other teams, including the Philadelphia Soul and Orlando Predators.
Contents
Early Life and High School Football
Larry Brackins grew up in Dothan, Alabama. He went to Dothan High School. There, he was a top athlete in both basketball and football.
In his final year of high school football, he caught 32 passes. These catches gained 643 yards and led to six touchdowns. He also scored four rushing touchdowns. He was known for his great kickoff returns.
On the basketball court, Larry was just as impressive. He averaged 17 points, 12 rebounds, and five blocks per game. He helped his team reach the state championship game.
College Football Career
Larry attended Pearl River Community College. He studied Physical education there. As a freshman, he caught 43 passes for 772 yards. He scored nine touchdowns.
He was named First-team All-State and All-Region in both football and basketball. During his college career, he caught 101 passes. These gained 1,834 yards and led to 19 touchdowns. He started 23 games.
Larry also won several awards in college. These included being named a First-team NJCAA All-American in 2004.
Professional Football Journey
Starting with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked Larry Brackins in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL draft. This happened on April 24, 2005. He signed with the team a few months later.
He played in a preseason game and caught two passes. However, he did not make the final team roster. He was released in September 2005. He signed with the Buccaneers again in 2006 but was released before the season started.
First Time with the Philadelphia Soul
In 2007, Larry joined the Philadelphia Soul. This team played in the Arena Football League (AFL). As a new player, he played in 10 regular season games.
He was named Offensive Player of the Game twice. He caught 56 passes for 786 yards. He scored 20 receiving touchdowns. He even scored a touchdown after recovering a fumble!
In 2008, Larry continued to shine. He ranked 17th in the league for receiving yards. He caught 107 passes for 1,395 yards. He scored 29 touchdowns that season.
He was named Offensive Player of the Game three times. Larry caught the game-winning touchdown pass in a playoff game. This helped the Soul advance. On July 27, 2008, he won his first championship. The Soul beat the San Jose SaberCats 59–56 in ArenaBowl XXII.
Brief Stints with Other Teams
After his first time with the Soul, Larry signed with the New York Jets in 2008. However, he was released before the regular season began.
In 2009, he was drafted by the California Redwoods. This team was part of the United Football League. He signed with them in September.
Larry also played for the Dallas Vigilantes. In his first game, he caught 6 passes for 104 yards and one touchdown. He finished the season with 61 catches for 734 yards. He scored 20 receiving touchdowns.
Second Time with the Philadelphia Soul
Larry returned to the Philadelphia Soul in 2011. He was a key player on special teams. He also became a specialist for scoring touchdowns in the "red zone" (close to the goal line).
He earned "Ironman of the Game" honors twice that year. He was also named MVP and Offensive Player of the Game in one game. In that game, he caught 9 passes for 133 yards and 3 touchdowns.
In 2012, Larry became the Soul's all-time leader in touchdown catches. He had an amazing game in the playoffs against the Jacksonville Sharks. He scored 8 touchdowns in that single game! This set a new record for the Arena Football League playoffs.
In 2013, he caught another 15 touchdown passes. This brought his career total to over 100 touchdowns. He even had his first regular season kick return touchdown. He also played defense in one game and made two interceptions.
Larry was injured and could not play in ArenaBowl 26. The Soul lost that game. Even though he was hurt, he became the first player to play on three Philadelphia teams that reached a championship game.
Playing for the Orlando Predators
On April 22, 2014, Larry was traded to the Orlando Predators. In 12 games with them, he caught 48 passes for 612 yards. He scored 17 receiving touchdowns.
He played in his third straight American Conference Championship game. He caught 5 passes for 69 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for another touchdown.
In 2015, Larry led the Predators in touchdown catches with 29. This tied his personal best. He also scored four rushing touchdowns. This gave him a new career high of 33 total touchdowns in one season. He helped the Predators win their division.
He had a career-high 154 receiving yards in one game. In another game, he caught 5 passes for 5 touchdowns! This earned him AFL MVP of the Week honors. He scored touchdowns in the Predators' last nine games of the season.
In 2016, Larry played in eight regular season games. He caught 31 passes for 315 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also had one rushing touchdown and one kick return touchdown. He even recovered a fumble for a touchdown!
One of his touchdown catches was featured on SportsCenter's Top 10 plays. He continued to be a strong player in the playoffs. He had four receiving touchdowns and over 100 receiving yards in his final two games.
Later Career Teams
On February 1, 2017, Larry Brackins joined the Cleveland Gladiators. In 2018, he signed with the Jacksonville Sharks.
See also
- List of Arena Football League and National Football League players
