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With Superbowl LII behind us, the post-season blues have set in for fans missing the bone-crushing hits of the NFL. Present in the news cycle year-round, the NFL will always be abuzz, but not enough to fill our Monday Night Football slots. Pennsylvania has long played a large role in football, producing elite football players from Central PA programs like Manheim Central and Bishop McDevitt. While you’re staving off your NFL blues, let me introduce a Central PA football influencer.
February to July, Central PA native Chris Thompson coaches on the sidelines of the Albany Empire Arena Football league (AFL), where he is the offensive coordinator and director of football operations. A niche within football, the AFL brings a fast tempo to the game, which is played indoors on a smaller field. Although he coaches in Albany, New York, during the season, he and his family still call Central PA home.
Football connections run deep, and bonds that were forged on the gridiron have been an anchor for Thompson throughout his career. A product of Manheim Central football, Thompson took his talents to the Bloomsburg Huskies. Initially opting to start his career outside of football, Thompson still felt the draw of the game pulling at him. He knew that he had more playing days in him as he set out to pursue a career in Arena Football, playing for five years. From there he launched his coaching career at Lebanon Valley College and has been coaching for 11 years. Thompson attributes his football development, knowledge and skill to a list of Central PA football legends.
“I love to give back and be a part of helping other guys achieve and reach their dreams. That’s how I live my life.”
Players at the Arena level are elite, with impressive resumes, coming from Division I-III college teams with All-American, All-Conference titles. Competition is dialed up in the AFL, with players who might have been on the NFL draft boards, drafted by the NFL, or spent some time in NFL camps. For the past 30 years, the AFL has provided a platform for improvement, competition, and a route into the NFL. By design or not, it has given fans a place to watch this elite competition during the NFL off-season.
Pennsylvania falls among the top five states in producing top football talent. There is nothing better than Central PA football (we might be biased). Pennsylvania is highly respected for the elite skill that is developed within its programs. With a 30-year history, the AFL has an uncertain path, but there is unmatched talent leading the vision for the league’s future. Right now, with the collective bargaining agreement and some uncertainty, a few teams have ceased operations for a year or two, but Thompson remains positive about the future of the game and the entertainment brought to the fans. From February to July, while you are waiting for your NFL team to take the field, check out the AFL in Albany, Baltimore, Philadelphia, or DC. You never know; you could be watching the next NFL star.
