Washington Wolfpack underway, bringing arena football back to Everett

It’s hard to believe it’s been 12 years since arena football has been played in Everett. But as we saw here yesterday, especially for the person sitting in this front row seat, it’s back.

"You will find a player in your lap," Washington Wolfpack head coach JR Wells said. "Here’s the thing though: When you find a player in your lap, give the player back and keep the football."

The Wolfpack played their first home game yesterday – the second of a ten-game regular season. They’re the first arena football team in Everett since the Raptors of the Indoor Football League disbanded in 2012.

"All the fans could talk about is how much fun they had, the excitement, the energy, the love – it’s amazing," Wells said.

It’s a full circle moment for Wells, who once played for the Everett Hawks. And it’s also a chance for players like former Husky Austin Joyner to continue chasing their dream. 

"A lot of these players are guys who were told ‘No’ by somebody," former Husky Austin Joyner said. "We all have aspirations of playing at a higher level, to keep climbing that ladder, and as long as we’re playing, that’s the goal."

"That’s one of our mottos: ‘Hungry and Humble’," added Wells. "They’re working their butts off to get that look. And that’s what we need in life – that one opportunity."

An opportunity that comes on a shorter field, in an intimate setting, sometimes forcing players into situations we saw last night. 

"It’s a lot more friendly here when you go over the wall," Joyner said. "You go into somebody’s lap instead of onto concrete."

The Wolfpack have four more home games this season, including the next three weeks. Their full schedule can be found here.