Amateur to Professional Developmental Football League

Posted On 15 Feb 2019
By : Andrew Kulha

Thomasville, GA - “My expectations for the 2019 season are as high as as they are every year. Winning has always been our mindset,” Antonio Ivey, owner of the Georgia Cobras, told Developmental Football USA in the lead-up to the 2019 Amateur to Professional Developmental Football League Season.

The APDFL’s No. 8 ranked Cobras are looking to bounce back a little, though, because the sting of a 6-5 season in 2018 is still fresh. The team suffered through injuries, especially at the quarterback position, and according to Ivey, that really hindered the team’s success.

Putting the past in the past, Georgia has a clear goal for 2019. The Cobras expect to make the APDFL playoffs and they expect to be among the best of the best when all is said and done.

“Our goal is to be the 2019 APDFL champions,” Ivey boldly said.

Leading the way toward that goal are a handful of players that every fan of the APDFL or developmental football as a whole should know about. The Cobras have a stable of two talented running backs in Jarod Lewis and Curtis Brooks. They also feature a one-two punch of play makers at wideout in Javier McGriff and Lavon Downs.

Defensively, Ivey is excited about what the Cobras have up front.

“We have a real good group that’s about two-deep at each position and will be our strong-point on defense,” he said. “That’s a unit led by Williams Sweets, Erin Tooley, Jarvis Davis, and Chandler Sumin, to name a few.”

Ivey is excited to see what his team can do in 2019, but he’s also anticipating a good season from the league as a whole.

“The APDFL is one of the premier leagues, the talent level is off the charts,” he said. “That’s why my team is here. I feel the APDFL is where the big boys play. A lot of guys really have what it takes talent-wise to play at the next level.”

Speaking of playing, the Cobras kick off 2019 with an away game against the Florida Phoenix on March 2nd. And while every game is important to the team, this — being the season-opener — along with one other will have higher stakes for Georgia.

In-particular, Ivey mentioned a March 9th match up against the Tuskegee Ayrmen as one the Cobras have circled.

“We suffered a very embarrassing loss to them last year and we look to settle the score for a little payback,” he said. “It’s also a game that can have playoff implications later on in the season.”