The Canton Legends were a professional indoor football team based out of Canton, Ohio. They were a charter member of the American Indoor Football Association, which played their first season under the name Atlantic Indoor Football League, and their second season as the American Indoor Football League. They played their home games at Canton Memorial Civic Center. The team name is in reference to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, since Canton is where the building is located.
During their inaugural season, the Legends ended up at a mediocre 3–7, just beating the Raleigh Rebels for 4th Place in the league. Since the league only had six teams, everyone (including the Legends) made the playoffs. They won the opening round against the Rebels, but their season ended when they lost to the Erie Freeze in the semifinals.
Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl winning Head Coach Nick Sirianni played for the Legends in 2005.
On Saturday, May 6, 2006, the Legends won 54–41 against the Huntington Heroes on the road, but not without controversy. The Legends were in violation for having an illegal roster, for they added some players to their rosters illegally. At first the AIFL awarded the win to Huntington; later Canton got the win, but had to pay an $800 fine for its actions.
Despite that little controversy, the Legends eventually managed to win the AIFL's ultimate title for 2006, beating the Rome Renegades 61–40.
The Legends also held an AIFA record for longest winning streak (12 games), beginning on May 6, 2006, against the Huntington Heroes (the same Heroes game mentioned above) at Veterans Memorial Fieldhouse, and ending on March 11, 2007, with a 39–36 loss to the Lakeland Thunderbolts at the Lakeland Center. (The Baltimore Mariners later broke this record in 2010.) The Legends are also the last of the six charter AIFL teams to fold, ceasing operations only four seasons after its debut. (Johnstown and Erie folded in 2007 and the other three teams folded in 2006.)
Season-by-season
| colspan="6" align="center" | Canton Legends (AIFL) |- |2005 || 3 || 7 || 0 || 4th League || Won Round 1 (Raleigh)Lost League Semifinals (Erie) |- |2006 || 10 || 4 || 0 || 2nd Northern || Won Round 1 (Erie)Won Northern Division Championship (Reading)Won American Bowl II (Rome) |- | colspan="6" align="center" | Canton Legends (AIFA) |- |2007 || 10 || 4 || 0 || 2nd Northern || Won Round 1 (Huntington)Lost NC Championship (Reading) |- |2008 || 3 || 11 || 0 || 4th EC Northern || |- !Totals || 31 || 28 || 0 |colspan="2"| (including playoffs)
2006 season schedule
DateOpponentHome/AwayResultFebruary 25Steubenville StampedeHomeWin 66–33March 3Erie FreezeAwayLost 53–61March 18Reading ExpressAwayWin 52–41March 22Johnstown RiverhawksHomeWin 62–48March 26Syracuse SoldiersAwayWin 58–39April 1Johnstown RiverhawksAwayLost 36–50April 8Miami Valley SilverbacksAwayLost 28–44April 15Steubenville StampedeAwayWin 62–26April 23Reading ExpressHomeLost 18–56May 6Huntington HeroesAwayWin 54–41May 13Syracuse SoldiersHomeWin 88–41May 20Erie FreezeHomeWin 50–27May 27Huntington HeroesHomeWin 75–49June 8Miami Valley SilverbacksHomeWin 50–28June 17Erie Freeze (Playoffs)HomeWin 54–45June 22Reading Express (Playoffs)AwayWin 44–24July 3Rome Renegades (A.B. II)AwayWin 61–40
2007 season schedule DateOpponentHome/AwayResultFebruary 2Johnstown RiverhawksAwayWon 60–46February 9Erie FreezeHomeWon 43–26February 17Huntington HeroesAwayWon 69–52February 23Pittsburgh RiverRatsHomeWon 45–11March 11Lakeland ThunderboltsAwayLost 36–39March 23Reading ExpressHomeLost 19–50April 6Baltimore BlackbirdsHomeWon 38–2April 14Reading ExpressAwayLost 56–63April 21Erie FreezeAwayWon 48–44April 28Pittsburgh RiverRatsAwayLost 33–62May 6Danville DemolitionHomeWon 72–14May 18Johnstown RiverhawksHomeWon 38–16May 24Danville DemolitionAwayWon 53–19June 1Huntington HeroesHomeWon 52–50June 7Huntington Heroes (Playoffs)HomeWon 76–43June 16Reading Express (Playoffs)AwayLost 51–66
2008 season schedule DateOpponentHome/AwayResultMarch 15Erie RiverRatsHomeLost 24–38March 22Carolina SpeedHomeLost 35–38March 29Florence PhantomsAwayLost 39–55April 12Augusta ColtsHomeLost 35–38April 19Huntington HeroesAwayLost 6–49April 25Reading ExpressAwayLost 7–36May 3Erie RiverRatsAwayLost 48–50May 10Reading ExpressHomeLost 54–67May 17Augusta ColtsAwayLost 38–57May 23Fayetteville GuardHomeWon 34–22May 31Erie RiverRatsAwayLost 37–45June 7Baltimore MarinersHomeWon 59–56June 14Baltimore MarinersAwayLost 34–48June 21Huntington HeroesHomeWon 43–39
External links Official Site of the Canton Legends Canton Leatherheads(Legends fan club) website Around the Turf, a Canton Legends fan blog Legends' 2005 Stats Legends' 2006 Season & Results Legends' 2007 Season Legends' 2008 Season