Chicago Rush
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Chicago Rush were a professional
arena football Arena football is a variety of gridiron football designed to be played indoors. The game is played on a smaller field than American or Canadian football, designed to fit in the same surface area as a standard North American ice hockey rink, an ...
team based in
Rosemont, Illinois Rosemont is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, located immediately northwest of Chicago. As of the 2020 census, the village had a population of 3,952. The village was incorporated in 1956, though it had been settled long before ...
. The team was founded in 2001 and played in the
Arena Football League The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 Arena Football League season, 1987 season, making it the third longest-runnin ...
's Central Division. The Rush qualified for the playoffs in 11 of 12 AFL seasons, during which they won ArenaBowl XX in 2006 and captured five division titles. The Rush played home games at
Allstate Arena Allstate Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Rosemont, Illinois, United States, northwest of Chicago, located at the corner of Mannheim Road and Lunt Avenue, just north of Mannheim Road's interchange with the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway ( I-90) ...
from 2001 to 2012. The team struggled to find a permanent owner and later relocated to
Rockford, Illinois Rockford is a city in Winnebago County, Illinois, Winnebago and Ogle County, Illinois, Ogle counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. Located in far northern Illinois on the banks of the Rock River (Mississippi River tributary), Rock River, Rockfor ...
in 2013 to play their final season. The AFL itself ceased operations in 2019.AFL Issues Statement on Rush, Blaze
Chicago Rush Media Relations, ArenaRush.com, September 9, 2013
In 2023, Chicago-based music producer Ernest Clark acquired the Rush and announced plans to join a revived AFL in 2025. However, the AFL folded again in 2024.


History


Founding

The Rush made its AFL debut in 2001. The team played its home games at the
Allstate Arena Allstate Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Rosemont, Illinois, United States, northwest of Chicago, located at the corner of Mannheim Road and Lunt Avenue, just north of Mannheim Road's interchange with the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway ( I-90) ...
(formerly known as the Rosemont Horizon), the same venue previously used by the
Chicago Bruisers The Chicago Bruisers were a professional arena football team based in Rosemont, Illinois. They were founded in 1987 as a charter member of the Arena Football League (AFL). They played their home games at Rosemont Horizon. History Founding (19 ...
, one of the four original Arena Football League teams.


2001–2005

Mike Hohensee Michael Louis Hohensee (born February 22, 1961) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the United States Football League (USFL), Canadian Football League (CFL), National Football League (NFL) and Arena Football Lea ...
was the franchise's first coach, and he remained the Rush's only coach until becoming the head coach of the
Philadelphia Soul Philadelphia soul, sometimes called Philly soul, the Philadelphia sound, Phillysound, or The Sound of Philadelphia (TSOP), is a genre of late 1960s–1970s soul music characterized by funk influences and lush string and horn arrangements. The ...
in 2011. In their inaugural year (2001), the Rush finished the regular season with a 7–7 and won their first playoff game, beating the
Orlando Predators The Orlando Predators were a professional arena football team based in Orlando, Florida and member of the Arena Football League (AFL). The team was most recently owned by Orlando Predators LLC, a company owned by David A. Siegel, and played it ...
41–26. They lost to the eventual
ArenaBowl XV ArenaBowl XV was the 2001 edition of the Arena Football League (1987–2008), Arena Football League's championship game, pairing the Grand Rapids Rampage of the Central Division with the Nashville Kats of the AFL's Southern Division, Southern Di ...
champion Grand Rapids Rampage 53–21. The team featured young players that would become Rush fixtures and fan favorites in the years to come, including quarterback
Billy Dicken Billy Charles Dicken (born December 28, 1974) is a former arena football quarterback who is currently the defensive quality coach for the NC State Football team. Dicken played in the Arena Football League (AFL) from 2001 to 2006 for the Chicago ...
,
Joe Douglass Joe Douglass (born January 21, 1974) is a former American football wide receiver/linebacker. He most recently played for the Las Vegas Gladiators in the Arena Football League (1987-2008), Arena Football League (AFL). High school career At South ...
, Damien Porter and Jamie McGourty, and Riley Kleinhesselink, Cedric Walker, and Anthony Ladd. In 2002, the Rush won the Central division with a 9–5 record and received a bye in the playoffs. Dicken returned at quarterback and Chicago added Antonio Chatman who was named to the All-Rookie team as the team's main wide receiver and return man. Chicago added defensive linemen
John Moyer John Robert Moyer (born November 30, 1973) is an American musician, best known as the bassist for the heavy metal band Disturbed. After the demise of his previous band, The Union Underground, Moyer took over for previous Disturbed bassist S ...
and James Baron. They defeated the
Dallas Desperados The Dallas Desperados were a professional arena football team based in Dallas, Texas. They played in the Eastern Division of the Arena Football League from to . The franchise began as an expansion team and posted a winning record in all but o ...
60–47, but fell in the semifinals to the
Arizona Rattlers The Arizona Rattlers are a professional indoor American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area that competes in the Indoor Football League (IFL). The Rattlers were founded in 1992 as an expansion team in the Arena Football League ...
46–35. In 2003, the AFL expanded from 14 games to 16. Dicken was the team's quarterback, but missed time after breaking his jaw in the middle of the season. Antonio Chatman broke Rush franchise records for All-Purpose and Return Yards. He caught 123 passes for 1,636 yards and 29 touchdowns. On special teams, he netted 2,062 return yards and got into the end zone seven times. Chicago also signed
DeJuan Alfonzo DeJuan R. Alfonzo (born January 12, 1977) is a former American football wide receiver/linebacker. Alfonzo attended Indiana State University. College and NFL career Alfonzo was a first-team All-American defensive back and a first team All-Ameri ...
early in the season from the
Indiana Firebirds The Indiana Firebirds were a team in the Arena Football League. The team was based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Home games were played at the Conseco Fieldhouse, also the home of the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association and Indiana ...
. Alfonzo would be with the team until 2010. Chicago also signed FB/LB Bob McMillen, who would play with the team until 2007 and became the Rush's head coach in 2011. After starting the season 0–3, the Rush finished 8–5 and got into the playoffs as a Wild Card Team. After the team's 0-3 start, Chicago squared off against the 3-0 Los Angeles Avengers, facing off against Tony Graziani and the league's top ranked offense. Dameon Porter sealed the win with a key interception at the goal line with one minute left to play. The victory turned around the Rush season. Chicago defeated the
Indiana Firebirds The Indiana Firebirds were a team in the Arena Football League. The team was based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Home games were played at the Conseco Fieldhouse, also the home of the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association and Indiana ...
on the final day of the regular season, 46–43 in overtime, to clinch a playoff berth. Chicago did not win a playoff game, and fell in the Wild Card Game to the
New York Dragons The New York Dragons were a professional arena football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Dragons participated in the Arena Football League's (AFL) National Conference as a member of the Eastern Division (AFL), Eastern Division. ...
48–45. Chatman went to the NFL after the season, signing with the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
. In 2004, the Rush signed
Raymond Philyaw Raymond 'Ray' Philyaw (born July 30, 1974) is a former arena football quarterback who was most recently the offensive coordinator of the Jacksonville Sharks of the Arena Football League (AFL). He also played for the Cleveland Gladiators, Chica ...
as their quarterback. Philyaw was known for his efficiency and record touchdown-interception ratio. In 2004, Philyaw threw just four interceptions. Chicago started the year 4–0, their best start in franchise history. The Rush won the Central division with an 11–5 record. They won their first-round game 59–49 over the
Orlando Predators The Orlando Predators were a professional arena football team based in Orlando, Florida and member of the Arena Football League (AFL). The team was most recently owned by Orlando Predators LLC, a company owned by David A. Siegel, and played it ...
but fell in the semifinals to the eventual ArenaBowl XVIII champion
San Jose SaberCats The San Jose SaberCats were a professional arena football team based in San Jose, California. The SaberCats had been members of the Arena Football League (AFL) since 1995 (the year in which the team was founded); and until 2015, they belonged to ...
49–35. Chicago led early in the game, but Philyaw tore his ACL on a scramble, and the Rush could not overcome the injury. In 2005, they went to the AFL playoffs as the #3 seed in the American Conference. They won the conference semifinal over the Los Angeles Avengers 52–45, but ended up losing the American Conference Championship Game to the eventual ArenaBowl XIX Champion
Colorado Crush The Colorado Crush were an arena football team based in Denver, Colorado. They began play as a 2003 Arena Football League expansion team. The Crush played in the Central Division of the American Conference until the Arena Football League suspen ...
in overtime, with a final score of 49–43. That game became known as the "Confetti Game", due to an arena employee firing a confetti cannon prematurely, when the game was extended due to a defensive penalty on the final play. After a ten-minute delay to clean the confetti, the Rush were able to tie the game on the untimed down, forcing the overtime period.


2006: ArenaBowl XX champions

In 2006, despite their first losing record of 7–9, the Rush got into the playoffs, receiving the #5 seed in the American Conference. In the off-season, signed former
Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy ( ; also known simply as the Heisman) is awarded annually since 1935 to the top player in college football. It is considered the most prestigious award in the sport and is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust followin ...
finalist Michael Bishop and Matt D'Orazio to fight to be the team's starting quarterback, and D'Orazio got the game. During the regular season, Chicago started the year at 0–2, but during the season, the Rush picked up defensive back Jeremy Unertl and offensive specialist Bobby Sippio. Both made huge impacts on their respective sides of the ball. With a 5–9 record, the Rush won its last two games of the regular season to get a playoff spot. In the playoffs, the Rush managed to pull off key upsets. In the Wild Card Round, the Rush defeated the fourth-seeded
Nashville Kats The Nashville Kats were an Arena Football League team, located in Nashville, Tennessee. They were last coached by Pat Sperduto, who coached the team's original incarnation to two ArenaBowl appearances prior to the original franchise's move to A ...
55–47. In the Divisional Round, Chicago managed to pull off a huge upset by taking down the defending champion
Colorado Crush The Colorado Crush were an arena football team based in Denver, Colorado. They began play as a 2003 Arena Football League expansion team. The Crush played in the Central Division of the American Conference until the Arena Football League suspen ...
, 63–46. In the Conference Championship they upset the second-seeded
San Jose SaberCats The San Jose SaberCats were a professional arena football team based in San Jose, California. The SaberCats had been members of the Arena Football League (AFL) since 1995 (the year in which the team was founded); and until 2015, they belonged to ...
59–56, giving the Rush their first ArenaBowl appearance in franchise history. In ArenaBowl XX, the Rush defeated the
Orlando Predators The Orlando Predators were a professional arena football team based in Orlando, Florida and member of the Arena Football League (AFL). The team was most recently owned by Orlando Predators LLC, a company owned by David A. Siegel, and played it ...
, 69–61, to give Chicago their first Arena Bowl title. Quarterback Matt D'Orazio was Offensive Player of the Game, wide receiver/defensive back Dennison Robinson took Defensive Player of the Game honors, and fullback/linebacker Bob McMillen was named the Ironman of the Game. With the win, the Rush became the first team with a losing regular-season record to win a championship in any sport since the 1937–38
Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (N ...
.


2007–2008

In 2007, the team won the American Conference Central Division with a record of 12–4. D'Orazio was the team's quarterback and Bobby Sippio, in his first full season with the Rush caught 125 passes for 1,742 yards and 53 passes. After the season, Sippio would sign with the
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...
. They defeated the L.A. Avengers on June 9, 2007 in the divisional finals. They then played the
San Jose SaberCats The San Jose SaberCats were a professional arena football team based in San Jose, California. The SaberCats had been members of the Arena Football League (AFL) since 1995 (the year in which the team was founded); and until 2015, they belonged to ...
for the conference final, yet they came up short losing 61–49. In 2008, the Rush made a free agency splash by signing AFL legends
Sherdrick Bonner Sherdrick Deon "Sed" Bonner (born October 19, 1968) is an American former professional football quarterback who played fifteen seasons in the Arena Football League (AFL). Early life Bonner attended Azusa High School in Azusa, California and was ...
and
Damian Harrell Damian Deron Harrell (born September 1, 1975) is a former arena football wide receiver. He played college football at Florida State University. In his career, Harrell had also played for the New England Sea Wolves, Toronto Phantoms, and Colorad ...
. The Rush opened its 2008 campaign against the defending ArenaBowl XXI champion
San Jose Sabercats The San Jose SaberCats were a professional arena football team based in San Jose, California. The SaberCats had been members of the Arena Football League (AFL) since 1995 (the year in which the team was founded); and until 2015, they belonged to ...
. Chicago convincingly defeated the Sabercats 70–47 in front of 15,409 fans at the
Allstate Arena Allstate Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Rosemont, Illinois, United States, northwest of Chicago, located at the corner of Mannheim Road and Lunt Avenue, just north of Mannheim Road's interchange with the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway ( I-90) ...
. Injuries allowed Russ Michna to become the team's starter over Bonner. Harrell, Donovan Morgan, and Travis LaTendresse would all post 1,000-yard receiving seasons. En route to an 11–5 season, Chicago locked up the conference's top seed and home field advantage for the entire playoffs. It was the first time Chicago had home field advantage and the Rush had never lost a home playoff game, going 3–0. The Grand Rapids Rampage drew Chicago in the divisional round. The Rampage finished the regular season 6–10 but stunned the Rush and 14,338 fans 58–41. The Rampage would lose a week later to the Sabercats at the HP Pavilion.


2009: Arena Football League restructuring

In 2009, the
Arena Football League The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 Arena Football League season, 1987 season, making it the third longest-runnin ...
suspended operations to refinance and restructure its business plan. After a one-year layoff, the AFL and Chicago Rush returned in 2010 with a single entity model.


2010: rebirth

On December 10, 2009, it was announced that the Rush would be returning for 2010 under new ownership as a member of Arena Football 1. The ownership obtained the rights to the name after a court auction granted the AF1 control of the AFL's assets. Two months later, the AF1 decided to adopt the former Arena Football League name. The 2010 Rush roster would feature many new faces. However, former Rush players
quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
Russ Michna, jack linebacker/wide receiver
DeJuan Alfonzo DeJuan R. Alfonzo (born January 12, 1977) is a former American football wide receiver/linebacker. Alfonzo attended Indiana State University. College and NFL career Alfonzo was a first-team All-American defensive back and a first team All-Ameri ...
, and linemen Joe Peters, Robert Boss, and Beau Elliot rejoined the team. Also on the roster was
wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...
Samie Parker Samie Jabar Parker (born March 25, 1981) is an American football coach and former player. He is the wide receiver's coach at Delaware State University, a position he has held since 2025. He was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth rou ...
, Thaddeus Coleman, and kicker Chris Gould. Chicago returned to the field on April 2, 2010 on the road against the
Iowa Barnstormers The Iowa Barnstormers are a professional indoor football team based in Des Moines, Iowa, that competes in the Indoor Football League (IFL). They play their home games at Wells Fargo Arena, known in indoor football circles as "The Well". Sever ...
. The game was broadcast on the
NFL Network NFL Network (occasionally abbreviated on-air as NFLN) is an American sports-oriented pay television network owned by the National Football League NTP and is part of NFL Media, which also includes NFL.com, NFL Films, NFL Mobile, NFL Now and N ...
and Chicago won 61–43. The Rush began the season 4–0 and were in first place in the division at 10–4. However, the team lost its last two games, first to the 1–13 Dallas Vigilantes and then closed out the year on the road losing to the
Spokane Shock The Spokane Shock were a professional indoor American football team based in Spokane, Washington, that played their home games at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. The team was initially a member of arenafootball2 (af2), the Shock won divis ...
. It cost the team a chance at the division title and forced the team to go on the road for the playoffs. The team ended the regular season at 10–6, and lost to the Milwaukee Iron in the playoffs.


2011: 10-year anniversary

The Rush celebrated its 10th season in 2011. Bob McMillen replaced
Mike Hohensee Michael Louis Hohensee (born February 22, 1961) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the United States Football League (USFL), Canadian Football League (CFL), National Football League (NFL) and Arena Football Lea ...
to become the team's second head coach in team history, and Russ Michna returned at quarterback. Chicago finished the regular season with a 13–5 record and finished first in the Central Division. It was the most regular season wins in Rush history, breaking the 2007 team's 12-4 mark. Defensive back Vic Hall broke AFL record for interceptions in a season with 15, doing it as a rookie. The Rush defense led the league in points allowed (46.3 per game) and broke league records for the most turnovers (56) and interceptions (42) in a season. Wide receiver Reggie Gray finished the year with the most catches (130) and receiving yards (1,969) in franchise history, and tied the Rush record with 53 total touchdowns. Bobby Sippio held the old records. Chicago defeated the Dallas Vigilantes at Allstate Arena in the first round of the playoffs, but the Rush season ended the following week, falling to the
Arizona Rattlers The Arizona Rattlers are a professional indoor American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area that competes in the Indoor Football League (IFL). The Rattlers were founded in 1992 as an expansion team in the Arena Football League ...
in the National Conference Championship Game. Arizona advanced to ArenaBowl XXIV, but lost to the Jacksonville Sharks in the championship. For the Rush, it marked the sixth time in franchise history the team had advanced to the AFL Conference Championships.


2012: AFL's Silver Anniversary

The 2012 season marked the AFL's 25th season and number 11 for the Rush. The ownership group, Chicago Gridiron LLC, declared bankruptcy before the season started and abandoned the team. The league stepped in and ran the Rush during the 2012 season. Chicago began the year with a 70–48 home victory against the
Tampa Bay Storm The Tampa Bay Storm were a professional arena football team based in Tampa, Florida, US. It played in the Arena Football League (AFL). Originally the team was located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and operated as the Pittsburgh Gladiators. The ...
on March 10 at Allstate Arena. In 2012, the Rush re-signed quarterback Russ Michna, the franchises all-time leading passer, 2011 Second Team All-Arena WR Reggie Gray and 2011 AFL Defensive Player of the Year DB Vic Hall, jack linebacker Kelvin Morris, and offensive lineman T.J. Watkins.


2013: ownership struggles and relocation to Rockford

On November 12, 2012, the Chicago Rush were purchased by a group, headed by Julee White of Testarossa Entertainment, but the purchase was terminated by the AFL three months later due to the ownership's failure to meet league obligations. On February 7, 2013, the Rush were purchased by Star Rush Football, LLC, an ownership led by private-equity firm manager David Staral Jr. Weeks later, they finalized a deal with Allstate Arena in Rosemont to play all but two home games. The other two home games (June 8 against the
Utah Blaze The Utah Blaze was a professional arena football team based in Salt Lake City, Utah and competed in the West Division of the Arena Football League. Home games were played at the EnergySolutions Arena. In 2013, the team did not submit proper ...
and June 15 versus the
San Antonio Talons The San Antonio Talons were a professional arena football team based in San Antonio, Texas. They played in the Arena Football League (AFL). Their home arena was the Alamodome, following their relocation to San Antonio for the 2012 season. The ...
) were played at the BMO Harris Bank Center in
Rockford, Illinois Rockford is a city in Winnebago County, Illinois, Winnebago and Ogle County, Illinois, Ogle counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. Located in far northern Illinois on the banks of the Rock River (Mississippi River tributary), Rock River, Rockfor ...
, which hosted the first "test game" for the AFL in 1986. One week before the season opener, the new ownership group introduced the team's new logo and uniforms, which removed the gray from the logo and replaced it with red. In May 2013, David Staral Jr. bounced a check needed to secure Allstate Arena for two upcoming home games. Upon the news, the AFL took over control of the franchise. Staral later pleaded guilty to Federal bankruptcy and wire fraud charges for concealing that he was undergoing bankruptcy proceedings while in negotiations to buy the team. On August 1, 2013 the Rush traveled to
Spokane, Washington Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south o ...
to play the 14-4
Spokane Shock The Spokane Shock were a professional indoor American football team based in Spokane, Washington, that played their home games at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. The team was initially a member of arenafootball2 (af2), the Shock won divis ...
in the first round of the AFL playoffs. They lost to Spokane, 69–47. Three costly turnovers in the fourth quarter sealed the deal. Spokane went on to win another playoff game. The league has announced that the Rush did not sign a two-year commitment form to play in 2014 or 2015. The team's roster was liquidated in a dispersal draft.


2024: attempted revival

The unused logo for the 2024 Rush. In February 2023, the AFL was relaunched. In October, the league announced the return of the Rush for the 2025 season. However, the new AFL ceased operations and the league's surviving eight teams transitioned to the newly-formed Arena Football One (AF1) in September 2024. The Rush were not included in the AF1's inaugural 2025 season.


Notable players


Retired uniform numbers


Arena Football Hall of Famers


All-Arena players

The following Rush players were named to
All-Arena An All-Arena Team, an all-star team consisting of the best players of their position was selected every season in the Arena Football League (AFL). Teams * 1987 All-Arena Team, 1987 * 1988 All-Arena Team, 1988 * 1989 All-Arena Team, 1989 * 1990 Al ...
Teams: * WR Reggie Gray (3),
Damian Harrell Damian Deron Harrell (born September 1, 1975) is a former arena football wide receiver. He played college football at Florida State University. In his career, Harrell had also played for the New England Sea Wolves, Toronto Phantoms, and Colorad ...
(1), Bobby Sippio (1) * WR/DB Dameon Porter (2) * C Billy Eisenhardt (1), Beau Elliot (1) * OL/DL
John Moyer John Robert Moyer (born November 30, 1973) is an American musician, best known as the bassist for the heavy metal band Disturbed. After the demise of his previous band, The Union Underground, Moyer took over for previous Disturbed bassist S ...
(4), James Baron (1), Khreem Smith (1) * JLB
DeJuan Alfonzo DeJuan R. Alfonzo (born January 12, 1977) is a former American football wide receiver/linebacker. Alfonzo attended Indiana State University. College and NFL career Alfonzo was a first-team All-American defensive back and a first team All-Ameri ...
(3), Kelvin Morris (1) * DB Vic Hall (1), Dennison Robinson (1), Jeremy Unertl (1) * K Chris Gould (1) * OS Antonio Chatman (1)


Notable coaches


Head coaches

''Note: Statistics are correct through the end of Week 1 the
2013 Arena Football League season The 2013 Arena Football League season was the 26th season in the history of the league. The regular season began on March 23, 2013, with a five-game slate, the first of which to kick off being between the Utah Blaze and the Pittsburgh Power, and ...
.''


Media coverage

The Chicago Rush originally had games broadcast on the now defunct
Fox Sports Net Fox Sports Networks (FSN), formerly known as Fox Sports Net, was the collective name for a group of regional sports channels in the United States. Formed in 1996 by News Corporation, the networks were acquired by the Walt Disney Company on Mar ...
Chicago during its first two seasons from 2001–02 with mostly Saturday night telecasts. When the AFL signed with
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
from 2003–06, the Rush was one of the most prominently featured teams during the national NBC broadcasts as well as playoff games and the majority of Chicago's games moved to Sunday afternoons. A few of the games not picked up by NBC remained on FSN Chicago until 2006. Beginning in the 2007 season, the AFL began a TV partnership with
ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
and FSN Chicago went under and Comcast SportsNet Chicago took its place. Once again the Rush were widely featured during the national ESPN telecasts on Monday nights and Sunday afternoons. The regional telecasts went to Comcast SportsNet. From 2001 to 2008, the Rush games were broadcast by Tom Dore and former
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
offensive lineman James "Big Cat" Williams. The radio deals bounced between 670 The Score and
ESPN Radio ESPN Radio, which is alternatively branded platform-agnostically as ESPN Audio, is an American sports radio network and extension of the ESPN television network. It was launched on January 1, 1992, under the banner "SportsRadio ESPN". The netw ...
1000. When the Rush returned in 2010, the AFL signed its TV deal with
NFL Network NFL Network (occasionally abbreviated on-air as NFLN) is an American sports-oriented pay television network owned by the National Football League NTP and is part of NFL Media, which also includes NFL.com, NFL Films, NFL Mobile, NFL Now and N ...
, but the Rush were not featured as often as they had been with ESPN and NBC, averaging between 2 and 3 telecasts a year on NFL Network in 2010 and 2011, but were shutout from the national spotlight in 2012. Regional games aired on CSN and WGN's CLTV, and all AFL games streamed for free online on
UStream IBM Watson Media (formerly Ustream and IBM Cloud Video) is an American virtual events platform company which is a division of IBM. Prior to the IBM acquisition, it had more than 180 employees across San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Budapest office ...
. Online Radio and TV Broadcasts were handled by former
Chicago Bruisers The Chicago Bruisers were a professional arena football team based in Rosemont, Illinois. They were founded in 1987 as a charter member of the Arena Football League (AFL). They played their home games at Rosemont Horizon. History Founding (19 ...
Broadcaster
Les Grobstein LES or Les may refer to: People * Les (given name) * Les (surname) * L.E.S. (producer), hip hop producer Space flight * Launch Entry Suit, worn by Space Shuttle crews * Launch escape system, for spacecraft emergencies * Lincoln Experimental S ...
in 2010 through 2013 without a color commentator.


Awards and records

This section contains all records, awards, and honors acquired by Rush players in individual seasons. Career records weren't included as not all players spent career with Rush


Team awards

* Chicago Rush ** Commissioner's Award *** 2004, 2007


Player awards

*
DeJuan Alfonzo DeJuan R. Alfonzo (born January 12, 1977) is a former American football wide receiver/linebacker. Alfonzo attended Indiana State University. College and NFL career Alfonzo was a first-team All-American defensive back and a first team All-Ameri ...
** 2006 *** All-Ironman Team WR/LB ** 2007 *** Assists Season Leaders, 49 *** Fumble Returns Season Leaders, 5 *** Interception Yards Season Leaders, 147 *** Interception TDs Season Leaders, 3 *** First Team All-Arena JLB *** All-Ironman Team WR/LB **2010 ***AFL Ironman of the Year ***AFL All-Arena First Team, Jack Linebacker ***AFL All-Arena First Team, Ironman * James Baron ** 2002 *** First Team All-Arena OL/DL * Antonio Chatman ** 2002 *** All-Rookie Team OS ** 2003 *** Kick Returns Season Leaders, 84 *** Kick Return Yards Season Leaders, 2062 *** Kick Return TDs Season Leaders, 7 *** Second Team All-Arena OS * Matt D'Orazio ** 2006 *** Completion Percentage Season Leaders (min. 150 Attempts), 70.3% *** ArenaBowl XX Offensive Player of the Game ** 2007 *** QB Rating Season Leaders (min. 150 Attempts), 126.24 *** Completion Percentage Season Leaders (min. 150 Attempts), 69.1% *
Dan Frantz Daniel Lee Frantz (born July 9, 1977) is an American former professional football kicker who played in the Arena Football League for the San Jose SaberCats, Chicago Rush, and Orlando Predators. Early life Frantz attended Columbia River High S ...
** 2007 *** Extra Points (1 pt) Season Leaders, 104 * Keith Gispert ** 2003 *** All-Rookie Team K ** 2005 *** FG Percentage Season Leaders (min. 15 Attempts), 61.1% * Jamie McGourty ** 2002 *** TD/Rush Pct. Season Leaders (min. 25 rushes), 34.5 * Bob McMillen ** 2004 *** Rushes Season Leaders, 79 *** Rushing Yards Season Leaders, 285 *** Rushing TDs Season Leaders, 22 *** All-Ironman Team FB/LB ** 2006 *** ArenaBowl XX Ironman of the Game * Etu Molden ** 2004 *** All-Rookie Team WR/LB ** 2005 *** All-Ironman Team WR/LB * John Moyer ** 2002 *** Second Team All-Arena OL/DL ** 2003 *** Sacks Season Leaders, 9.0 *** First Team All-Arena OL/DL *** All-Ironman Team OL/DL ** 2004 *** Sacks Season Leaders, 9.0 *** Blocked Kicks Season Leaders, 3 *** First Team All-Arena OL/DL *** All-Ironman Team OL/DL *** Lineman of the Year ** 2005 *** Blocked Kicks Season Leaders, 3 *** Second Team All-Arena OL/DL *
Raymond Philyaw Raymond 'Ray' Philyaw (born July 30, 1974) is a former arena football quarterback who was most recently the offensive coordinator of the Jacksonville Sharks of the Arena Football League (AFL). He also played for the Cleveland Gladiators, Chica ...
** 2004 *** TD/Rush Pct. Season Leaders (min. 25 rushes), 32.4 * Dameon Porter ** 2001 *** Yards/Reception Season Leaders (min. 40 receptions), 16.3 *** Interceptions Season Leaders, 12 *** First Team All-Arena WR/DB *** All-Ironman Team WR/DB *** Breakout Player of the Year *** Ironman of the Year ** 2002 *** Interceptions Season Leaders, 10 *** First Team All-Arena WR/DB *** All-Ironman Team WR/DB * Dennison Robinson ** 2006 *** ArenaBowl XX Defensive Player of the Game ** 2007 *** Tackles Season Leaders, 95 * Bobby Sippio ** 2007 *** Receiving Yards Season Leaders, 1742 *** Receiving TDs Season Leaders, 53 TDs *** TD/Reception Pct. Season Leaders (min. 40 receptions), 42.4 *** First Team All-Arena WR * Khreem Smith ** 2006 *** Forced Fumbles Season Leaders, 5 *** Second Team All-Arena OL/DL *** All-Rookie Team OL/DL * Jeremy Unertl ** 2007 *** Second Team All-Arena DB


Miscellaneous

* The Rush's official mascot was a
construction worker A construction worker is a person employed in the physical construction of the built environment and its infrastructure. Definitions By some definitions, construction workers may be engaged in manual labour as unskilled or semi-skilled workers ...
named Grabowski, a reference to Chicago's
blue collar A blue-collar worker is a person who performs manual labor or skilled trades. Blue-collar work may involve skilled or unskilled labor. The type of work may involve manufacturing, retail, warehousing, mining, carpentry, electrical work, custodia ...
background. The name was coined by
Mike Ditka Michael Keller Ditka ( ; born Michael Dyczko; October 18, 1939) is an American former professional American football, football player, coach, and television commentator. During his playing career, he was UPI NFL-NFC Rookie of the Year, UPI NFL R ...
in January 1986 to describe the difference between his
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
and the
Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...
. * Dancin' Steve was the original unofficial mascot for the Chicago Rush Arena Football team. He made his first appearance at the premier game March 30, 2001. * The Rush shared the
Allstate Arena Allstate Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Rosemont, Illinois, United States, northwest of Chicago, located at the corner of Mannheim Road and Lunt Avenue, just north of Mannheim Road's interchange with the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway ( I-90) ...
with the DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team and the
Chicago Wolves The Chicago Wolves are a professional ice hockey team based in Rosemont, Illinois. They are the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Wolves play home games at the Allstate Arena ...
hockey team.


Season-by-season


References


General

*


Specific


External links


Chicago Rush at ArenaFan.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chicago Rush 2001 establishments in Illinois 2013 disestablishments in Illinois American football teams established in 2001 American football teams disestablished in 2013