Tampa Silverstars

2024 Tampa Silverstars Season
The Tampa Silverstars are a virtual American football team that plays in the Valiant Football League, and play in the Pacific Conference as a member of the Pacific Conference Coastal Division. The team was formed in 2017.
Since entering the league as one of the four expansion franchises in 2017, the Tampa Silverstars have won one league championship and one Pacific Conference championship, both of which in 2018. Since being included in the Pacific Conference Coastal Division in 2018 alongside the Seattle Avengers, Vancouver Outlaws and Los Angeles Bolts, the Silverstars have won the Pacific Conference Coastal Division championship once, with that championship coming in 2018. Since their inception into the league and based on regular season success, postseason success, and managerial stability, the Tampa Silverstars have been seen as one of the most successful franchises in the history of the VFL.
Since their inception into the VFL, the team has only ever been coached by Evan Evans, who has earned an 18-10 record with the team since taking over as the head coach, and helped the team win the 2018 UFL League Championship, as well as the 2018 Pacific Conference championship and 2018 Pacific Conference Coastal Division championship.
The team currently plays their home games at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Silverstars played their home games at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida from their inception in 2017 until 2019.
== History ==
=== Inception, League Championship and the Evan Evans-JT Barrett IV era (2017-2023) ===
During the 2017 UFL offseason, the league expanded from twelve teams to sixteen teams, with the four additional expansion franchises being the Vancouver Outlaws, the Detroit Stingers, the Orlando Crusaders, and the Tampa Silverstars. During the 2017 UFL offseason, the Silverstars hired Evan Evans to serve as the team's head coach, and Evans would use his first move with power over the team's roster to draft quarterback JT Barrett IV in the league's first expansion draft to take over the offense going into the team's inaugural season. Under Evan Evans, the Tampa Silverstars played the most collegiate-like offense in the UFL, which would prove to be too much for many teams in the Pacific Conference as the Silverstars would finish their first season with a 3-3 record to earn their first playoff berth in team history as the fifth and final seed in the Pacific Conference. Despite being expected to lose their Wildcard Round game to the Cincinnati Lynx by a wide margin, the Silverstars only lost in a close game to end their inaugural season with a Wildcard round loss. After a successful outing by both head coach Evan Evans and starting quarterback JT Barrett IV, the team signed both to an extended deal, with JT Barrett IV being signed to remain the team's starting quarterback through 2022.
Going into the 2018 UFL offseason, the Tampa Silverstars looked to load up on more talent in hopes of finishing with a better record during the 2018 UFL Season in hopes of bringing a league championship to Tampa, Florida. With an improved offensive line and a stout defensive secondary unit, the Silverstars would coast through the regular season with a league-best 5-1 record to finish with the top seed in the Pacific Conference going into the playoffs, where they would easily defeat the Los Angeles Bolts in the Pacific Conference Divisional Round to advance to a game against the Cincinnati Lynx in the Pacific Conference championship game. In what would ultimately prove to be Skyler Howard's last game with the Cincinnati Lynx, the Silverstars would roll through the Lynx to win their first Pacific Conference championship in franchise history, advancing to the league championship game against the Atlantic Conference champion Atlanta Bravehearts. Despite a 20-6 lead going into the fourth quarter of the league championship, the Silverstars would begin breaking down to allow the Bravehearts to tie the game at the end of regulation to bring about the first league championship to go into overtime in league history. After forcing the Atlanta Bravehearts to give them the ball back with minimal time left on the clock, JT Barrett IV would bring the Silverstars down to the 29 yard line to allow Roberto Aguayo to kick the game winning field goal to earn the Silverstars their first league championship in franchise history.
Going into the 2018 UFL offseason, the Silverstars would lose key receiving talent and blocking on the offensive line, bring JT Barrett IV's effectiveness in comparison to the year prior into question. However; despite the loss in talent around JT Barrett IV, the Silverstars would finish in second place in the Pacific Conference during the 2019 UFL Season with a 10-6 record to earn the third seed in the Pacific Conference postseason, earning the Silverstars their third consecutive playoff berth. Despite high hopes that the Silverstars could pull off an upset against Pacific Conference Coastal Division rivals the Seattle Avengers in the Pacific Conference Divisional Round, the Silverstars season would end with a loss to the Avengers, forcing them out of the postseason with a Divisional Round exit. Despite the depressing end to the season in what many expected to be a strong possibility for the Silverstars to repeat as league champions, the Silverstars would continue surging into the offseason, acquiring 2018 UFL Draft number one pick Mark August to play as the team's starting halfback for the 2020 UFL Season, despite August struggling in his first two years in the league.