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, born on November 5, 1982, is a former professional American football player. He was a wide receiver, which means he caught passes from the quarterback. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers chose him in the 2005 NFL draft. He also played for many other teams, including the New York Jets, Philadelphia Soul, and Orlando Predators.
Contents
- Larry Brackins' Early Life and Sports
- College Football Journey
- Professional Football Career
- Time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- First Stint with the Philadelphia Soul
- Brief Time with the New York Jets
- Playing for the California Redwoods
- With the Dallas Vigilantes
- Second Stint with the Philadelphia Soul
- Time with the Orlando Predators
- Playing for the Cleveland Gladiators
- Final Season with the Jacksonville Sharks
- See also
Larry Brackins' Early Life and Sports
Larry Brackins grew up in Dothan, Alabama. He was a star athlete at Dothan High School. He was chosen as an All-State player in both basketball and football.
High School Football Achievements
During his last year of high school football, Larry caught 32 passes for 643 yards. He also scored six touchdowns by catching the ball and four touchdowns by running with it. Throughout his high school career, he was great at returning kickoffs. He also made 57 tackles and scored a touchdown after catching an interception.
High School Basketball Success
In basketball, Larry was just as impressive. He scored about 17 points per game and grabbed 12 rebounds. He also blocked about five shots per game. He helped his team reach the Class 6A state championship game.
College Football Journey
Larry Brackins went to Pearl River Community College. There, he studied physical education. He continued to shine in both football and basketball.
Freshman Year Highlights
As a freshman, he caught 43 passes for 772 yards and scored nine touchdowns. He was named First-team All-State and First-team All-Region in both sports.
Overall College Performance
During his college career, Larry started 23 games. He caught a total of 101 passes for 1,834 yards and 19 touchdowns. He also won several awards, including being named a First-team NJCAA All-American in 2004.
Professional Football Career
Larry Brackins played for several professional football teams. He started his career in the National Football League (NFL) before moving to the Arena Football League (AFL).
Time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked Larry in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL draft. He signed with the team in July 2005. He caught two passes for 19 yards in a preseason game. However, he was released before the regular season started. He re-signed with the Buccaneers in 2006 but was released again before the season.
First Stint with the Philadelphia Soul
In 2007, Larry joined the Philadelphia Soul in the Arena Football League (AFL). As a rookie, he played in 10 games. He was named Offensive Player of the Game twice. He caught 56 passes for 786 yards and 20 touchdowns. He even scored a touchdown by returning a fumble.
In 2008, Larry continued to be a top receiver for the Soul. He caught 107 passes for 1,395 yards and 29 touchdowns. He was named Offensive Player of the Game three times that season. He caught the game-winning touchdown pass in a playoff game against the New York Dragons. On July 27, 2008, he won his first championship. The Soul defeated the San Jose SaberCats 59–56 in ArenaBowl XXII.
Brief Time with the New York Jets
After his success in the AFL, the New York Jets signed Larry in August 2008. However, he was released later that month during the final team cuts.
Playing for the California Redwoods
In 2009, Larry was drafted by the California Redwoods in the United Football League. He signed with the team in September.
With the Dallas Vigilantes
Larry Brackins then 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 and 20 touchdowns. He also scored a touchdown by recovering a net in a game.
Second Stint with the Philadelphia Soul
Larry returned to the Philadelphia Soul in 2011. He was a key player on special teams and a specialist for scoring touchdowns in the "red zone." He earned "Ironman of the Game" honors twice. He was also named MVP and Offensive Player of the Game in a game where 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 where he scored 8 touchdowns in one playoff game. This set a new record for the Soul and for the Arena Football League playoffs. He helped the Soul win the American Conference championship.
In 2013, Larry caught 15 more touchdown passes for the Soul. He reached over 100 total touchdowns in his career. He even played defense in one game and made two interceptions. He scored three more touchdowns in the playoffs. However, he couldn't play in ArenaBowl 26 due to an injury. The Soul lost that game, and his absence was a big factor. Even though he didn't play, he was the first professional football player to play on three Philadelphia teams that reached a championship game.
Time with the Orlando Predators
On April 22, 2014, Larry was traded to the Orlando Predators. In 12 games with the Predators, he caught 48 passes for 612 yards and 17 touchdowns. He played in his third straight American Conference Championship game.
In 2015, Larry led the Predators in touchdown catches with 29. This tied his personal best. He also scored four rushing touchdowns, setting a new career high of 33 total touchdowns in one season. He helped the Predators win their division for the second year in a row. He had a career-high 154 receiving yards in one game. He also earned "AFL MVP of the Week" honors for a game where he caught 5 passes for 5 touchdowns. He scored touchdowns in the Predators' last nine regular season games.
In 2016, Larry played in eight games. He caught 31 passes for 315 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also had one rushing touchdown and one kickoff return for a touchdown. He even recovered a fumble for a touchdown after an Orlando kickoff. In the final week of the regular season, one of his touchdown catches was featured on SportsCenter's Top 10 plays. He continued to be a "Playmaker of the Game" in the playoffs.
Playing for the Cleveland Gladiators
On February 1, 2017, Larry Brackins joined the Cleveland Gladiators.
Final Season with the Jacksonville Sharks
Larry signed with the Jacksonville Sharks in 2018, which was his last professional team.
See also
- List of Arena Football League and National Football League players
 | John T. Biggers |
 | Thomas Blackshear |
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 | Beverly Buchanan |
