San Antonio Talons

Arena Football League (2012-2014)

Tombstone

Born: September 21, 2011 – The Tulsa Talons relocate to San Antonio, TX
Folded: October 2014

First Game: March 10, 2012 (W 54-48 vs. Utah Blaze)
Last Game: July 26, 2014 (W 38-35 @ New Orleans Voodoo)

Arena Bowl Championships: None

Arena

Alamodome
Opened: 1993

Branding

Team Colors:

Ownership

Owners:

2011-2012: Jason Lohe
2012-2013: David Lynd
2014: Arena Football League

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Background

The San Antonio Talons were the second go-round for the Arena Football League in San Antonio. The team arrived 20 years after the short-lived San Antonio Force, owned by Spurs owner Red McCombs, played just a single season back in the summer of 1992.

Prior to arriving in San Antonio, the franchise had enjoyed a long run (by Arena Football standard) in Oklahoma as the Tulsa Talons from 2000 to 2011.

With a three-season run, the Talons managed to outlive all other members of the Alamo City’s extensive roster of pro football flops:

San Antonio Wings of the World Football League (less than one season, 1975)
San Antonio Gunslingers of the United States Football League (two seasons, 1984-1985)
San Antonio Riders of the World League of American Football (two seasons, 1991-1992)
San Antonio Force of the Arena Football League (1992)
San Antonio Texans of the Canadian Football League (1995)
San Antonio Matadors of the Spring Football League (2000)
San Antonio Commanders of the Alliance of American Football (less than one season, 2019)

In Competition

The Talons got off to a hot start in their debut season of 2012. The club lured 41-year old Aaron Garcia, arguably the greatest quarterback in indoor football history, away from the defending Arena Bowl champion Jacksonville Sharks in free agency. Garcia was characteristically superb in 2012, ranking second in the league in touchdown passes (118) while leading the Talons to a 14-4 mark and a division title.

The Talons looked well positioned for a deep playoff run. San Antonio held the #1 seed in the National Conference and home field advantage at the Alamodome, where the team was virtually unbeatable (8-1) during the regular season. But the Talons lost their first round playoff game to the Utah Blaze 35-34 in an unusually low-scoring contest.

Aaron Garcia declined to re-sign with the Talons after the 2012 season. The club never again found a stable quarterback and regressed in the standing over the next two years. Former LSU star Rohan Davey, who won two Super Bowl rings with the New England Patriots as a backup to Tom Brady in the early 2000’s, split time with six other QBs in 2013. The Talons went 10-8 and narrowly missed the playoffs.

De-Clawed

In 2014 the team endured a wretched 3-15 campaign that included losses in all nine of their home games at the Alamodome.

The team’s on-field suffering mirrored behind the scenes turmoil. The Arena Football League seized the franchise from local real estate developer David Lynd in January 2014 due to the owner’s financial problems and unmet bills. The Talons played out their final grim season as a league-owned franchise. With no new investors on the horizon, the league folded the club in October 2014.

Lee Johnson, a former Arena Football League lineman during the 1990’s, coached the Talons for all three of their seasons.

The Arena Football League filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in November 2019 and closed its doors after 32 seasons.