Philadelphia Soul facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Philadelphia Soul
Established 2004 Folded 2019 Played in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. PhiladelphiaSoul.com
League/conference affiliations
Arena Football League (2004–2019) National Conference (2004–2008) American Conference (2011–2016) East Division (2004–2008, 2011–2015)
Team colors	Light blue, gray, white, black
Mascot	Soul Man
Personnel
Owner(s)	Trifecta Sports and Entertainment
General manager	Beau Bell
Head coach	Clint Dolezel
Team history
Philadelphia Soul (2004–2019)
Championships
League championships (3) 2008, 2016, 2017
Conference championships (4) 2008, 2012, 2013, 2016
Division championships (4) East: 2008, 2012, 2013, 2015
Playoff appearances (11)
2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
Home arena(s)
Spectrum (part-time, 2004–2008) Wells Fargo Center (2004–2008, 2011–2019) Boardwalk Hall (Atlantic City, one game, 2015) PPL Center (Allentown, Pennsylvania, late season 2016)

The Philadelphia Soul was a professional arena football team from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They played in the Arena Football League (AFL). The Soul played in five championship games called the ArenaBowl. They won three of these championships.

Their first win was in 2008 against the San Jose SaberCats. They lost their next two championship games in 2012 and 2013 to the Arizona Rattlers. The Soul won again in 2016, beating the Rattlers 56–42. They also won their fifth championship in 2017 against the Tampa Bay Storm, with a score of 44–40.

The team started in 2004. A group led by musician Jon Bon Jovi helped create the team in Philadelphia. The Arena Football League stopped playing in 2009 but came back in 2010. After not playing in 2009 and 2010, the Soul returned in 2011 with Ron Jaworski leading the team. The AFL stopped operations again after the 2019 season.

Team History

The Bon Jovi Years (2004–2008)

The team was owned by Jon Bon Jovi and Craig Spencer. Other owners included Richie Sambora and Ron Jaworski, a former quarterback for the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles. The Soul started playing in February 2004. They played their home games at the Wells Fargo Center. This arena is also home to the Philadelphia Flyers (NHL) and the Philadelphia 76ers (NBA).

If there were scheduling conflicts, games were played at the Wachovia Spectrum. The Soul played in the Eastern Division of the National Conference in the AFL. The team's name "Soul" was a nod to the Philadelphia soul music style. The team's mascot was "Soul Man."

In 2005, the Soul started strong but then lost several games. This led to their head coach, Michael Trigg, being replaced. The team signed Tony Graziani, making him the highest-paid player in the league. However, this left less money for other players, especially for defense. As a result, they did not make the playoffs that year.

In 2006, the Soul had a good start, winning their first two games. They finished the season with 9 wins and 7 losses. This earned them their first playoff spot. They won their first playoff game against the Austin Wranglers. However, they lost their next game to the Orlando Predators.

The Soul started the 2007 season with four wins in a row. But then they lost to the Georgia Force. Their quarterback, Tony Graziani, got injured and missed four weeks. The team lost all those games. Graziani returned and helped the team win a crucial game against the Columbus Destroyers. This win secured their second trip to the playoffs. They beat the Orlando Predators but then lost to the Georgia Force.

In 2008, the Soul signed wide receiver Chris Jackson. Many people thought the Soul would win the championship that year. Quarterback Tony Graziani got injured again. But this time, backup quarterback Matt D'Orazio played very well. He played so well that he kept the starting job even after Graziani recovered. The Soul finished the 2008 season with an excellent 13–3 record. They earned a first-round break in the playoffs.

The Soul defeated the New York Dragons in the divisional round. They then beat the Cleveland Gladiators in the conference finals. This sent them to their first ArenaBowl. On July 27, 2008, they won their first ArenaBowl championship. They beat the San Jose SaberCats 59–56 in ArenaBowl XXII.

The Arena Football League stopped playing in 2009. Jon Bon Jovi later tried to buy the National Football League's Buffalo Bills but was outbid.

The Ron Jaworski Years (2011–2019)

On February 17, 2010, the Arena Football League invited the Soul to return. The team accepted and came back in 2011. They played all their home games at the Wells Fargo Center. Ron Jaworski returned as an owner. Jon Bon Jovi did not return as an owner due to his music tour, but he still supported the team. The team hired Mike Hohensee as their new head coach. Despite high hopes, the Soul finished the 2011 season with only 6 wins and 12 losses.

In 2012, the Soul got a new head coach, Doug Plank. They had the best record in the league, with 15 wins and 3 losses. They made it to ArenaBowl XXV but lost to the Arizona Rattlers 72–54. Soon after, Coach Plank resigned.

In 2013, the Soul hired Clint Dolezel as their new head coach. He was already familiar with many of the players. The team continued to do well, finishing with 12 wins and 6 losses. They won the Eastern Division title for the second year in a row. Coach Dolezel led the Soul back to ArenaBowl XXVI. However, they lost to the Arizona Rattlers again, 48–39.

In September 2014, New Orleans Saints wide receiver Marques Colston bought a part of the team. Ron Jaworski remained the main owner. In August 2015, other famous athletes joined the ownership group. These included Jahri Evans, a teammate of Colston, and former Eagles coach Dick Vermeil.

In 2016, the Soul finished the regular season with a great 13–3 record. This was the best record in their conference. In the playoffs, they beat the Tampa Bay Storm and then the Jacksonville Sharks. This made them the American Conference Champions. In ArenaBowl XXIX, they defeated the Arizona Rattlers 56–42. This win gave them their second AFL Championship.

Before the 2017 season, the AFL became smaller, with only five teams. The conferences were removed. In 2017, the Soul had an amazing 13–1 record. On August 12, 2017, the Soul beat the Baltimore Brigade 69–54. This sent them to their fifth ArenaBowl, ArenaBowl XXX. On August 26, 2017, at the Wells Fargo Center, they played the Tampa Bay Storm. The Soul came back from being 13 points behind to win 44–40. This made them AFL Champions for the second year in a row!

In March 2017, the Philadelphia Soul started using Total Turf Experience in Mantua Township, New Jersey, as their practice facility.

A New Team (2024)

A different team with the same name played in the short-lived 2024 Arena Football League. This team was not connected to the original Philadelphia Soul.

Team Highlights

One of the Philadelphia Soul's end zones

• On February 13, 2005, quarterback Tony Graziani threw six touchdowns in a game. One amazing play involved him tripping but still throwing a 45-yard touchdown pass. The Soul won that game.
• On April 24, 2004, the Soul were losing by one point with only 1.3 seconds left. Kicker Ken Hinsley made a field goal from far away as time ran out. The Soul won the game 60–58.
• The Philadelphia Soul team was very involved in helping the community. In 2006, they created The Philadelphia Soul Foundation. This foundation worked on projects to improve the Philadelphia area.
• On July 12, 2008, the Philadelphia Soul beat the Cleveland Gladiators 70–35. This win sent them to their first ArenaBowl.
• On July 27, 2008, the Philadelphia Soul won their first ArenaBowl championship. They defeated the San Jose SaberCats 59–56 in ArenaBowl XXII.
• On August 26, 2016, the Soul won their second championship. They beat the Arizona Rattlers 56–42 in ArenaBowl XXIX. Some of their home playoff games that year were played in Allentown, Pennsylvania, because the Wells Fargo Center was busy.
• On August 26, 2017, the Soul won their third AFL title. They defeated the Tampa Bay Storm 44–40 in ArenaBowl XXX. This made them back-to-back AFL champions.

Team Rivalries

In sports, a rivalry happens when two teams often play against each other and have a strong competition. The Philadelphia Soul had several exciting rivalries.

Pittsburgh Power

The Soul and the Pittsburgh Power were both from Pennsylvania. They were in the same division and played each other twice a year. Their series was tied 4–4 when the Power team stopped playing in 2014. Many of the Power's best players then joined the Soul.

Dallas Desperados

The Dallas Desperados were one of the Soul's biggest rivals. This rivalry was similar to the one between the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys. The Soul and Desperados often competed for division titles. Their all-time series ended tied at 5–5 when the Desperados team stopped playing.

Cleveland Gladiators

The Cleveland Gladiators became a major rival for the Soul. The rivalry started in 2008 when the Gladiators moved to Cleveland, putting them in the same division as the Soul. In 2017, the Soul and Gladiators played four times, with Philadelphia winning all four games. The Gladiators later stopped playing for a few seasons due to arena renovations.

Jacksonville Sharks

The rivalry between the Soul and the Jacksonville Sharks became strong in 2012. The Soul beat the Sharks 89–34 in the conference championship that year. The next season, the Soul won against the Sharks again in the conference championship, 75–59. In 2015, the Sharks finally beat the Soul in a conference championship game. But in 2016, the Soul got their revenge, beating the Sharks in the conference championship. The Jacksonville Sharks left the AFL after the 2016 season, ending this rivalry.

Arizona Rattlers

The Arizona Rattlers became the Soul's biggest rival. These two teams played against each other in two ArenaBowls in a row, in 2012 and 2013. The Rattlers won both of those championship games. The Soul finally beat the Rattlers in ArenaBowl XXIX in 2016. After that season, the Rattlers moved to a different league, ending their rivalry with the Soul.

In Popular Culture

• The Soul team logo appeared in a 2008 episode of the TV show It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
• Ashton Kutcher's character wore a Soul T-shirt in an episode of the TV show The Ranch.
• On the TV show Impractical Jokers, Joe Gatto had to shoot his own clothes into the crowd at a Soul game as a punishment.

Team Look and Uniforms

The Soul's logo is a music note with a white football inside. Their first home jersey was dark grey, and their away jersey was white. They used a dark grey helmet. In 2008, they added a blue alternate jersey with "PHL" on the chest. They wore this blue jersey during their 2008 championship run.

When the team returned in 2011, they did not keep the blue jerseys. In 2012, they brought back a modified blue jersey as their new home uniform. They also had matching white road jerseys and a light blue helmet for away games. For 2016 and 2017, they went back to grey home jerseys. In 2019, their jerseys became blue with a large black logo.

Notable Players

The Soul in 2017

Arena Football League Hall of Famers

These people from the Philadelphia Soul are in the Arena Football League Hall of Fame:

Individual Awards

Some Soul players won special awards for their great performance:

All-Arena Players

These Soul players were named to All-Arena Teams, meaning they were among the best players in the league:

• QB Matt D'Orazio (1), Dan Raudabaugh (2)
• FB Derrick Ross (3), Tommy Taggart (1), Jeramie Richardson (1)
• WR Chris Jackson (1), Donovan Morgan (1), Tiger Jones (2), Marco Thomas (1)
• OL/DL Ernest Allen (1)
• OL Phil Bogle (2), Mike Mabry (1), Martin Bibla (1), Brennen Carvalho (1), Christian Johnson (1), Wayne Tribue (1), Shannon Breen (1), Adam Smith (2), Neal Tivis (1)
• DL Bryan Save (1), Gabe Nyenhuis (1), Bryan Robinson (3), Ted Jennings (2), Jake Metz (1)
• LB Joe Goosby (1)
• DB Eddie Moten (2), Kent Richardson (1), Rayshaun Kizer (2), James Romain (1), Tracy Belton (1), Dwayne Hollis (1)
• DS Eddie Moten (1)
• K Carlos Martinez (1), Tommy Frevert (2)

All-Ironman Players

These Soul players were named to All-Ironman Teams. Ironman players play well on both offense and defense:

• FB/LB Idris Price (1), Clifton Smith (1)
• WR/DB Mike Brown (1)
• WR/KR Jeff Hughley (1)

All-Rookie Players

These Soul players were named to All-Rookie Teams, meaning they were top players in their first year:

• OL Phil Bogle, Martin Bibla
• DL Bryan Save
• K Todd France, Connor Hughes

Coaches and Team Staff

Head Coaches

Here are the head coaches for the Philadelphia Soul:

Team Staff

Here are some of the people who worked for the Philadelphia Soul team:

See also

• Sports in Philadelphia
• Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame