Columbus Lions


The Columbus Lions are a professional arena football team based in Columbus, Georgia and a founding member of the National Arena League for the 2017 season. The Lions were founded in 2006 as an expansion team of the World Indoor Football League. After the WIFL went under in 2007, the Lions joined the American Indoor Football Association where they played for two seasons. When the AIFA broke apart, the Lions joined the Southern Indoor Football League. The Lions joined the Professional Indoor Football League in 2012 when the Southern Indoor Football League teams split up into two new leagues. After the 2015 season, the PIFL broke apart, and the Lions joined American Indoor Football for 2016.
In their first 12 seasons, the Lions have compiled a regular season record of 100–47 with division championships in 2009, 2011 and 2016. They have made five championship appearances: in the 2010 season where they defeated the Louisiana Swashbucklers in President's Cup II, in 2015 when they defeated the Richmond Raiders in PIFL Cup IV, in 2016 where they defeated the West Michigan Ironmen in the AIF Championship game, in 2017 when the Lions lost to the Jacksonville Sharks 21–27 in the inaugural NAL Championship, and in 2018 with 66–8 loss to the Carolina Cobras.

History

The Lions were founded in 2006. The Lions' inaugural game on February 26, 2007, was marred by tragedy when opposing defensive back Javon Camon of the Daytona Beach Thunder was killed after a hard but clean hit by Lions fullback Cedric Ware during the fourth quarter.
For the Lions' impressive inaugural season, head coach Jason Gibson won the league's inaugural Coach of the Year Award.
Following the Lions' 2015 PIFL Cup IV Championship, the Lions moved to American Indoor Football.
The Lions move to the AIF proved to be fruitful for the Lions, and they completed the regular season 8-0 and won the 2016 AIF Championship with a perfect record. One week after winning the championship, the Lions announced they were leaving the AIF for the 2017 season.
In July 2016, Lions' owners Skip Seda and his father, Keke Seda, announced the formation of a new league called the Arena Developmental League to begin play in spring 2017. They named former Canadian Football League, Arena Football League, and AF2 coach John Gregory as the league's commissioner. In November 2016, the Jacksonville Sharks joined and the Sedas yielded control over the new league for it to become the National Arena League.

Players

Current roster

Awards and honors

The following is a list of all Lions players who have won league awards:

Season-by-season results

League ChampionsConference ChampionsDivision ChampionsPlayoff BerthLeague Leader