# Atlanta Legends

The Atlanta Legends were a professional American football franchise based in Atlanta, Georgia, and one of the eight members of the Alliance of American Football (AAF), which played one incomplete season from February 2019 to April 2019. They played their home games at Georgia State Stadium on the campus of Georgia State University. The Legends were one of two AAF teams based in a city that already had an NFL team (the Atlanta Falcons; the other team was the Arizona Hotshots, where the NFL's Cardinals were based). The Legends were coached by Kevin Coyle, one of two AAF coaches without prior head coaching experience, after the position became available when Brad Childress resigned a month before the season began. Billy Devaney was the general manager.
On April 2, 2019, the league's football operations were reportedly suspended, and on April 4 the league allowed players to leave their contracts to sign with NFL teams. The league filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on April 17, 2019.

## History

The Alliance Atlanta team was announced by the league on April 25, 2018, as its second initial team. Additionally, the head coach, Brad Childress, and offensive coordinator, Michael Vick, were announced. On September 20, the league announced for four eastern inaugural franchises' names and logos including Atlanta as the Atlanta Legends. The name and colors (purple, gold, white) are tributes to famous historical figures from the city, such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Hank Aaron.
Childress resigned a month before the start of the 2019 season, and Kevin Coyle, initially hired as the team's defensive coordinator, took Childress's place. On February 7, 2019, two days before their first game, head coach Coyle announced that Vick would be unable to fill his role as offensive coordinator and would instead act as an advisor to the team. Rich Bartel, who replaced Vick as de facto offensive coordinator and play-caller, abruptly resigned two days before the team's home opener, prompting the team to hire Ken Zampese to lead the offense.
The team's first game was at Spectrum Stadium against the Orlando Apollos on Saturday, February 9, 2019, where they lost 40–6. Their first home game was on February 24 against the Birmingham Iron, where they lost 28–12. After starting the season 0–3, the Legends recorded their first win against the Arizona Hotshots on March 3, 2019.

## Final roster
### Allocation pool

The Legends' assigned area, which designated player rights, included the following:

## 2019 season
### Final standings

2019 Alliance of American Football standingsvte :
| Eastern Conference ||||||||||
| Club | W–L | PCT | CONF | PF | PA | DIFF | SOS | SOV | STK |
| (x) – Orlando Apollos | 7–1 | .875 | 5–0 | 236 | 136 | 100 | .406 | .375 | W2 |
| (x) – Birmingham Iron | 5–3 | .625 | 3–2 | 165 | 133 | 32 | .406 | .300 | W1 |
| (e) – Memphis Express | 2–6 | .250 | 1–4 | 152 | 194 | -42 | .578 | .500 | L1 |
| (e) – Atlanta Legends | 2–6 | .250 | 1–4 | 88 | 213 | -125 | .609 | .438 | L3 |
| Western Conference ||||||||||
| Club | W–L | PCT | CONF | PF | PA | DIFF | SOS | SOV | STK |
| San Antonio Commanders | 5–3 | .625 | 3–2 | 158 | 154 | 4 | .516 | .450 | L1 |
| Arizona Hotshots | 5–3 | .625 | 3–2 | 186 | 144 | 42 | .469 | .500 | W3 |
| San Diego Fleet | 3–5 | .375 | 2–3 | 158 | 161 | -3 | .469 | .417 | L3 |
| Salt Lake Stallions | 3–5 | .375 | 2–3 | 135 | 143 | -8 | .547 | .417 | W1 |
| (x)–clinched playoff berth; (e)–eliminated from playoff contention ||||||||||

### Schedule
#### Preseason

| Week | Day | Date | Opponent | Results | Results | Location |
| Week | Day | Date | Opponent | Score | Record | Location |
| – | Monday | January 28 | at San Antonio Commanders | L 11–37 | | Alamodome |

#### Regular season

All times Eastern
| Week | Day | Date | Kickoff | TV | Opponent | Results | Results | Location |
| Week | Day | Date | Kickoff | TV | Opponent | Score | Record | Location |
| 1 | Saturday | February 9 | 8:00 p.m. | CBS | at Orlando Apollos | L 6–40 | 0–1 | Spectrum Stadium |
| 2 | Sunday | February 17 | 8:00 p.m. | NFLN | at San Diego Fleet | L 12–24 | 0–2 | SDCCU Stadium |
| 3 | Sunday | February 24 | 4:00 p.m. | CBSSN | Birmingham Iron | L 12–28 | 0–3 | Georgia State Stadium |
| 4 | Sunday | March 3 | 8:00 p.m. | NFLN | at Arizona Hotshots | W 14–11 | 1–3 | Sun Devil Stadium |
| 5 | Sunday | March 10 | 4:00 p.m. | CBSSN | Memphis Express | W 23–20 | 2–3 | Georgia State Stadium |
| 6 | Sunday | March 17 | 4:00 p.m. | CBSSN | San Antonio Commanders | L 6–37 | 2–4 | Georgia State Stadium |
| 7 | Saturday | March 23 | 2:00 p.m. | TNT† | Orlando Apollos | L 6–36 | 2–5 | Georgia State Stadium |
| 8 | Sunday | March 31 | 4:00 p.m. | CBSSN | at Birmingham Iron | L 9–17 | 2–6 | Legion Field |
| 9 | Sunday | April 7 | 4:00 p.m. | CBSSN | Salt Lake Stallions | Not played | Not played | Georgia State Stadium |
| 10 | Saturday | April 13 | 8:00 p.m. | NFLN | at Memphis Express | Not played | Not played | Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium |
† Changed from original time and/or network.

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: at Orlando

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Legends | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Apollos | 0 | 22 | 3 | 15 | 40 |
at Spectrum Stadium, Orlando, Florida
* Date: February 9
* Game time: 8:00 p.m. ET
* Game attendance: 20,191
* Referee: John O'Neill
* TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, Gary Danielson, and Melanie Collins
* NoExtraPoints AAF
Game information :
First Quarter
(6:10) ATL – Younghoe Koo 38-yard field goal, Legends 3–0
Second Quarter
(14:14) ORL – Jalin Marshall 26-yard pass from Garrett Gilbert (De'Veon Smith run), Apollos 8–3
(11:55) ORL – De'Veon Smith 1-yard run (Garrett Gilbert pass to Matt Weiser), Apollos 16–3
(7:20) ATL – Younghoe Koo 27-yard field goal, Apollos 16–6
(0:06) ORL – Garrett Gilbert 5-yard pass from Jalin Marshall (pass failed), Apollos 22–6
Third Quarter
(3:22) ORL – Elliott Fry 33-yard field goal, Apollos 25–6
Fourth Quarter
(13:25) ORL – D'Ernest Johnson 33-yard pass from Garrett Gilbert (run failed), Apollos 31–6
(11:07) ORL – Terence Garvin 51-yard interception return (pass failed), Apollos 37–6
(2:53) ORL – Elliott Fry 21-yard field goal, Apollos 40–6
Top Passers
ATL – Matt Simms – 15/28, 126 yards, 2 INT
ORL – Garrett Gilbert – 15/25, 227 yards, 2 TD
Top Rushers
ATL – Tarean Folston – 12 carries, 32 yards
ORL – Akeem Hunt – 10 carries, 73 yards
Top Receivers
ATL – Seantavius Jones – 3 receptions, 43 yards
ORL – Charles Johnson – 4 receptions, 60 yards
Top Tackler
ATL – Tyson Graham, 6 tackles
ORL – Terence Garvin, 8 tackles :

#### Week 2: at San Diego

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Legends | 9 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 12 |
| Fleet | 0 | 6 | 3 | 15 | 24 |
at SDCCU Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: February 17
* Game time: 8:00 p.m. ET
* Game attendance: 20,019
* Referee: Brandon Cruse
* TV announcers (NFL Network): Andrew Siciliano, Marvin Lewis, Maurice Jones-Drew
* NoExtraPoints AAF
Game information :
First Quarter
(7:17) ATL – Younghoe Koo 29-yard field goal, Legends 3–0
(3:21) ATL – Matt Simms 19-yard pass to Malachi Jones (pass failed), Legends 9–0
Second Quarter
(1:39) SD – Donny Hageman 46-yard field goal, Legends 9–3
(0:08) SD – Donny Hageman 43-yard field goal, Legends 9–6
Third Quarter
(12:10) SD – Donny Hageman 26-yard field goal, Legends 9–9
Fourth Quarter
(14:54) ATL – Younghoe Koo 26-yard field goal, Legends 12–9
(9:04) SD – Ja'Quan Gardner 8-yard rush (pass failed), Fleet 15–12
(4:00) SD – Ja'Quan Gardner 7-yard rush (rush failed), Fleet 21–12
(0:35) SD – Donny Hageman 33-yard field goal, Fleet 24–12
Top Passers
ATL – Matt Simms – 17/25, 160 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
SD – Philip Nelson – 14/30, 142 yards, 1 INT
Top Rushers
ATL – Lawrence Pittman – 9 carries, 42 yards
SD – Ja'Quan Gardner – 15 carries, 104 yards, 2 TD
Top Receivers
ATL – Akrum Wadley – 8 receptions, 70 yards
SD – Nelson Spruce – 4 receptions, 58 yards :

#### Week 3: Birmingham

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Iron | 0 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 28 |
| Legends | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 12 |
at Georgia State Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
* Date: February 24
* Game time: 4:00 p.m. ET
* Game attendance: 10,717
* Referee: Reggie Smith
* TV announcers (CBS Sports Network): Ben Holden, Adam Archuleta, and John Schriffen
* NoExtraPoints AAF
Game information :
First Quarter
No scoring plays
Second Quarter
(14:08) ATL – Younghoe Koo 21-yard field goal, Legends 3–0
(10:26) BIRM – Nick Novak 39-yard field goal, Tied 3–3
(2:36) BIRM – Trent Richardson 5-yard rush (pass failed), Iron 9–3
(1:06) ATL – Younghoe Koo 35-yard field goal, Iron 9–6
Third Quarter
(8:20) BIRM – Nick Novak 27-yard field goal, Iron 12–6
(0:05) BIRM – Luis Perez 2-yard pass to Trent Richardson (Luis Perez pass to Trent Richardson), Iron 20–6
Fourth Quarter
(4:28) BIRM – Trent Richardson 6-yard rush (Luis Perez pass to L'Damian Washington), Iron 28–6
(1:41) ATL – Matt Simms 23-yard pass to Montay Crockett (pass failed), Iron 28–12
Top Passers
BIRM – Luis Perez – 17/31, 160 yards, 1 INT
ATL – Matt Simms – 28/48, 328 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT
Top Rushers
BIRM – Trent Richardson – 17 carries, 46 yards, 3 TD
ATL – Matt Simms – 2 carries, 27 yards
Top Receivers
BIRM – Quinton Patton – 4 receptions, 58 yards
ATL – Seantavius Jones – 4 receptions, 72 yards :

#### Week 4: at Arizona

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Legends | 2 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 14 |
| Hotshots | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 11 |
at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
* Date: March 3
* Game time: 8:00 p.m. ET
* Game weather: Partly cloudy • Temperature: 74 °F (23 °C) • Wind: 5–10 mph
* Referee: Jeff Heaser
* TV announcers (NFL Network): Andrew Siciliano, Marvin Lewis, Shaun O'Hara
* NoExtraPoints AAF
Game information :
First Quarter
(0:26) ATL – Rashad Ross tackled in end zone by Ed Reynolds for a safety, Legends 2–0
Second Quarter
(1:49) ATL – Denard Robinson 9-yard rush (pass failed), Legends 8–0
(0:00) ARIZ – Nick Folk 39-yard field goal, Legends 8–3
Third Quarter
No scoring plays
Fourth Quarter
(13:34) ATL – Younghoe Koo 27-yard field goal, Legends 11–3
(5:20) ARIZ – John Wolford 20-yard pass to Rashad Ross (John Wolford pass to Marquis Bundy), Tied 11–11
(1:03) ATL – Younghoe Koo 33-yard field goal, Legends 14–11
Top Passers
ATL – Aaron Murray – 20/33, 254 yards
ARIZ – John Wolford – 17/31, 185 yards, 1 TD
Top Rushers
ATL – Aaron Murray – 7 carries, 54 yards
ARIZ – Jhurell Pressley – 14 carries, 110 yards
Top Receivers
ATL – Tarean Folston – 5 receptions, 66 yards
ARIZ – Rashad Ross – 4 receptions, 74 yards, 1 TD :

#### Week 5: Memphis

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Express | 6 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 20 |
| Legends | 3 | 11 | 0 | 9 | 23 |
at Georgia State Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
* Date: March 10
* Game time: 4:00 p.m. ET
* Game attendance: 10,829
* Referee: Tra Blake
* TV announcers (CBS Sports Network): Ben Holden, Adam Archuleta, John Schriffen
* NoExtraPoints AAF
Game information :
First Quarter
(7:33) ATL – Younghoe Koo 38-yard field goal, Legends 3–0
(4:55) MEM – Zac Stacy 7-yard rush (pass failed), Express 6–3
Second Quarter
(13:25) ATL – Tarean Folston 2-yard rush (Aaron Murray pass to Justin Thomas), Legends 11–6
(9:18) MEM – Zac Stacy 3-yard rush (pass failed), Express 12–11
(0:00) ATL – Younghoe Koo 25-yard field goal, Legends 14–12
Third Quarter
(3:39) MEM – Zach Mettenberger 1-yard rush (Terrence Magee rush), Express 20–14
Fourth Quarter
(11:50) ATL – Aaron Murray 2-yard pass to Tarean Folston (pass failed), Tied 20–20
(0:09) ATL – Younghoe Koo 35-yard field goal, Legends 23–20
Top Passers
MEM – Zach Mettenberger – 9/17, 181 yards, 1 INT
ATL – Aaron Murray – 27/43, 306 yards, 1 TD
Top Rushers
MEM – Zac Stacy – 13 carries, 41 yards, 2 TD
ATL – Tarean Folston – 11 carries, 83 yards, 1 TD
Top Receivers
MEM – Sherman Badie – 1 reception, 56 yards
ATL – Seantavius Jones – 5 receptions, 89 yards :

#### Week 6: San Antonio

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Commanders | 6 | 20 | 3 | 8 | 37 |
| Legends | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
at Georgia State Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
* Date: March 17
* Game time: 4:00 p.m. ET
* Game attendance: 10,619
* Referee: James Carter
* TV announcers (CBS Sports Network): Ben Holden, Adam Archuleta and John Schriffen
* NoExtraPoints AAF
Game information :
First Quarter
(7:38) SA – Kenneth Farrow 13-yard rush (pass failed), Commanders 6–0
Second Quarter
(13:35) SA – Logan Woodside 5-yard pass to Mekale McKay (Logan Woodside pass to Mekale McKay), Commanders 14–0
(9:55) SA – Logan Woodside 33-yard pass to Evan Rodriguez (pass failed), Commanders 20–0
(2:37) ATL – Aaron Murray 1-yard pass to Tarean Folston (pass failed), Commanders 20–6
(1:00) SA – Greg Ward Jr. 79-yard punt return (pass failed), Commanders 26–6
Third Quarter
(8:39) SA – Nick Rose 23-yard field goal, Commanders 29–6
Fourth Quarter
(8:40) SA – Derron Smith 87-yard interception return (Kenneth Farrow rush), Commanders 37–6
Top Passers
SA – Logan Woodside – 17/23, 164 yards, 2 TD
ATL – Aaron Murray – 30/41, 215 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT
Top Rushers
SA – Kenneth Farrow – 9 carries, 35 yards, 1 TD
ATL – Brandon Radcliff – 6 carries, 24 yards
Top Receivers
SA – Cam Clear – 5 receptions, 45 yards
ATL – Keith Towbridge – 5 receptions, 42 yards :

#### Week 7: Orlando

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Apollos | 8 | 6 | 14 | 8 | 36 |
| Legends | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
at Georgia State Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
* Date: March 23
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. ET
* Game attendance: 11,416
* Referee: Brandon Cruse
* TV announcers (TNT): Mark Malone, Marvin Lewis
* NoExtraPoints AAF
Game information :
First Quarter
(8:18) ORL – De'Veon Smith 1-yard rush (De'Veon Smith rush), Apollos 8–0
Second Quarter
(14:54) ATL – Aaron Murray 8-yard pass to Malachi Jones (rush failed), Apollos 8–6
(6:31) ORL – De'Veon Smith 1-yard rush (pass failed), Apollos 14–6
Third Quarter
(10:33) ORL – De'Veon Smith 4-yard rush (pass failed), Apollos 20–6
(6:54) ORL – Deji Olatoye 65-yard interception return (Garrett Gilbert rush), Apollos 28–6
Fourth Quarter
(9:57) ORL – Garrett Gilbert 7-yard pass to Charles Johnson (D'Ernest Johnson rush), Apollos 36–6
Top Passers
ATL – Aaron Murray – 16/22, 135 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
ORL – Garrett Gilbert – 19/23, 217 yards, 1 TD
Top Rushers
ATL – Tarean Folston – 8 carries, 37 yards
ORL – D'Ernest Johnson – 7 receptions, 54 yards
Top Receivers
ATL – Malachi Jones – 6 receptions, 53 yards, 1 TD
ORL – Rannell Hall – 2 receptions, 60 yards :

#### Week 8: at Birmingham

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Legends | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
| Iron | 0 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 17 |
at Legion Field, Birmingham, Alabama
* Date: March 31
* Game time: 4:00 p.m. ET
* Game attendance: 17,328
* Referee: Jeff Heaser
* TV announcers (CBS Sports Network): Rich Waltz, Adam Archuleta and Melanie Collins
* NoExtraPoints AAF
Game information :
First Quarter
(1:39) ATL – Younghoe Koo 33-yard field goal, Legends 3–0
Second Quarter
(14:51) BIRM – Nick Novak 35-yard field goal, Tied 3–3
(8:13) BIRM – Trent Richardson 2-yard rush (Luis Perez pass to Quinton Patton), Iron 11–3
(2:13) ATL – Younghoe Koo 31-yard field goal, Iron 11–6
Third Quarter
(12:46) BIRM – Nick Novak 37-yard field goal, Iron 14–6
(9:01) ATL – Younghoe Koo 35-yard field goal, Iron 14–9
Fourth Quarter
(10:14) BIRM – Nick Novak 28-yard field goal, Iron 17–9
Top Passers
ATL – Matt Simms – 13/22, 135 yards, 1 INT
BIRM – Luis Perez – 10/24, 65 yards
Top Rushers
ATL – Brandon Radcliff – 6 carries, 30 yards
BIRM – Trent Richardson – 18 carries, 83 yards, 1 TD
Top Receivers
ATL – Justin Thomas – 4 receptions, 74 yards
BIRM – Wes Saxton – 3 receptions, 36 yards :

## Media

In addition to league-wide television coverage through NFL Network, CBS Sports Network, TNT, and B/R Live, Legends' games were also broadcast on local radio by WCNN ("680 The Fan").