Two-time Super Bowl champion starts Beach Football League where NFL legends can shine
Tully Banta-Cain is a two-time Super Bowl champion edge rusher who played for the New England Patriots.
He helped start an all-boys high school, Canada Prep Academy in Ontario, to give young Canadian football players more exposure against American high schools.
He was recently a coaching intern with another former team, the San Francisco 49ers, but found himself taking notes and drawing a logo for his next pursuit.
The Beach Football League, where tackle football in an 8-on-8 format will be played on sandy beaches in the U.S. and internationally, will begin next year.
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The first event, The Beach Classic on Feb. 20-25, 2024, will have former NFL players such as Terrell Owens, Adam ‘Pacman’ Jones, Jamie Collins, Devin McCourty, Patrick Willis, Dexter McCluster, Lorenzo Alexander, Bryant McKinnie, Prince Amukamara, Tre Williams, and Corey Dillon expected to participate as either players or coaches.
And if Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman or any of Banta-Cain’s other former Patriots teammates want to join, they have an open invitation.
“We expect this to be the biggest thing on sand,” said Banta-Cain, who won Super Bowls 38 and 39 with New England
Banta-Cain has seen beach events like festivals and concerts, AVP beach volleyball and the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup work on the sand. The idea to create the tackle football league came to him, ironically, while running on the sand while living near Manhattan Beach, California.
Banta-Cain invited about 50 players to give the sport a trial run in 2019, when he said players were excited about the idea.
“I've been retired. I've always been looking to find bigger and better dreams than the NFL itself, which was a huge accomplishment. And I've always had the entrepreneurial spirit,” said Banta-Cain, who played in the NFL from 2003-10.
Through private funding, the BFL will use its February exhibition “to show the world what exactly beach football is all about.” Banta-Cain did not want to announce the location just yet. The league has plans for a multi-city tour with international stops, too.
Banta-Cain hopes the sport can tap into international appeal, finding talent and potentially hosting events in areas like Fiji, the Polynesian Islands, Australia, New Zealand, the coasts of Africa and the Caribbean.
Banta-Cain is meeting with Philip Davis, Prime Minister of the Bahamas, next week to discuss using a sand soccer stadium in Nassau as a location.
The hope is the sport will bring retired NFL players and amateurs together, with plans for women and youth leagues.
“We're excited about that, and being the new kid on the block as far as a league,” Banta-Cain said.
In addition to giving former NFL players another chance at playing football, the Beach Football League has opportunities for players to become owners and investors in the new venture.
McCourty, who won three Super Bowls with the Patriots, sees the Beach Football League like the BIG3 basketball league created by rapper and actor Ice Cube.
The beach league could serve as a space where former NFL players have another opportunity to participate in the sport they love.
And the appeal to football-loving fans should come easily.
“When he first hit me up and told me about it, I responded to him, ‘Tully, I’m not lying to you, I’m not tackling anybody ever again,'" McCourty said with a laugh.
“As he started to talk about it more, I thought it’s a really cool and unique opportunity. The cool aspect of the beach is it feels safer for the players. But it also gives fans a chance to bring your beach chair, get you a drink that’s tropical and have a good time watching some football at the beach.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Beach Football League by Tully Banta-Cain brings NFL action to sand
