COLUMBUS, GA, Nov. 1 --  Columbus Lions Head Coach and Director of Football Operations Jason Gibson today announced the hiring of Ian Harris as Director of Player Personnel and Special Teams Coach for the 2012 Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL) season.
Harris spent the 2011 season as the Assistant Director of Football Operations and Special Teams Coach for the Green Bay Blizzard of the Indoor Football League (IFL).  While with Green Bay, the team set numerous team records, including many from special teams as he coached the 2011 “Special Teams Player of the Year”. Harris was Pro Player Personnel Director for the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz (Arena Football League) in 2010.
Before transitioning into professional football, Harris served as Assistant to the Recruiting Coordinator at Marshall University, and helped recruit such future NFL players as C.J. Spillman, Cody Slate, and Super Bowl winners Ahmad Bradshaw and Doug Legursky. The Yadkinville, North Carolina native graduated from Marshall University with high honors in 2006.
“Ian will help us tremendously this upcoming year,” said Gibson. “He comes from a successful indoor franchise in Green Bay which, like Columbus, is one of the top indoor football organizations in the country. To have someone in the front office to concentrate on players and player’s needs will take our already winning tradition to another level -- a level that will make Columbus proud and continue to attract top-tier players.”
Harris added "I am thrilled to be joining a first-class organization like the Columbus Lions that has not only had a history of winning, but is 100% committed to bringing championships to Columbus in the near future. What Coach Gibson and his staff have done is amazing, and I look forward to helping them win and bringing the fans a top-notch product that they can be proud of."

UNITED WAY TO RECEIVE PRESEASON GAME TICKET RECEIPTS 

COLUMBUS, GA, Nov. 1 -- Half the gate proceeds from the Lions’ Saturday, March 3, 2012 preseason game (opponent to be announced) will be donated to The United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley, the team announced today, to include single-game and group ticket sales.
 United Way President and CEO Scott Ferguson said “We are excited to be a partner with the Columbus Lions at their March 2012 exhibition game. The Lions will be giving the United Way 50% of every group ticket they sell, so we certainly hope that the community comes out and supports two great organizations.”
 Regular-season ticket prices will be in effect, as the game is priced into all the Lions’ season ticket packages:  $13 Upper Level, $18 Lower Level, $35 Rows B and C and $50 in Row A.  The first three rows, just off the playing field, are commonly referred to as “The Jungle”.  Group ticket prices begin with just five or more tickets purchased together for the same game, and can save the group as much as $10 per ticket.
 “We are encouraging companies to thank and reward their employees for their United Way contributions by taking them out to the Lions’ preseason game, knowing that half the cost of their tickets will wind up back in The United Way’s general campaign,” said Rick Jacobson, Lions V.P. of Sales and Marketing.  “Not only does this enable dozens of deserving agencies to receive more funding, we’ll recognize participating companies at halftime with a parade where employees circle the playing field carrying their corporate banners.”
 The Lions preseason game holds a great deal of importance for Head Coach Jason Gibson and staff, as it provides their only chance to evaluate their training camp roster in game situations for the purpose of making final player cuts to the 20-man roster limit.
 Last Friday, the Lions generated $450 for The United Way at TSYS’ fundraising golf tournament.  From the tee box of Hole #5 at Bull Creek West, golfers were challenged to outdrive Gibson and/or Jacobson for $5 each or paid $10 for the privilege of moving up from the men’s tee to the ladies tee, a 150-yard advantage. Nine days earlier, the Lions sold T-shirts and ran contests to raise money for The United Way at TSYS’ Employee Field Day on its downtown Columbus campus.   

FT. BENNING TOPS CSU IN DOUGHBOY BOWL, VISITS LAGRANGE SUNDAY

FT. BENNING, GA, Nov. 1 --  Fresh off a 41-6 win over Columbus State University last Thursday in Doughboy Bowl II, the Fort Benning Doughboys football team travels to Callaway Stadium in LaGrange for a return match with the Panthers Junior Varsity Sunday at 1 p.m.
 Lions Head Coach Jason Gibson and his assistants, mostly Lions coaches and players, have led the Doughboys to a 2-1 record in the first season of formal off-post football competition at Ft. Benning since the mid 1970’s.   Having beaten LaGrange, 33-13, on October 2 and lost to Georgia Military College, 38-0, on October 15, the Doughboys make their only road trip this weekend before hosting the Team James All-Stars of metro Atlanta on November 10 at 7 p.m.
 Former Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Marv Levy, a World War II veteran, handled the opening coin toss last Sunday as the U.S. Mint and Army together introduced a commemorative silver coin honoring the Infantry Soldier.  A crowd of approximately 3,000 enjoyed the festivities at Doughboy Stadium, built by Ft. Benning soldiers in 1925 and named in honor of American veterans of World War I, commonly referred to as “doughboys”.

RECAP OF LIONS NEWS SINCE END OF 2011 SEASON

 With the Columbus Lions newsletter subscriber database of client and fan e-mail addresses more than tripling since the season-ending loss to Albany in the Eastern Conference championship game, we’ve found that many newer additions have missed some or most news of off-season developments:

August 1 – GIBSON SIGNS TO COACH 6TH LIONS SEASON; SALES V.P. JACOBSON JOINS OWNERSHIP –Head   Coach Jason Gibson, sporting a 57-19 record with the Lions returns for 2012; Rick Jacobson, veteran of 16 years professional sports management in Columbus is named V.P. Sales & Marketing / Part-Owner.
August 9 – REED, BRASWELL ADDED TO LIONS STAFF – Defensive Coordinator Brandon Reed, former NFL defensive back out of Russell County H.S. and Troy, returns for 3rd season;  Jack Braswell added to sales staff
August 15 – LIONS PLAY IN BENNING FLAG FOOTBALL TOURNEY … LIONS DONATE $1,400 TO CHILDREN’S
MIRACLE NETWORK … SEASON TICKET SALES NEAR 200, FIRST DEADLINE SEPT. 2 – The Lions went on to win the “Joes vs. Pros” tournament behind Jason Gibson at QB;  donation from mid-season game vs. Albany
August 29 – LIONS LOOKING FOR TALENT, POST TRYOUT SCHEDULE – Civic Center tryouts for the 2012 Columbus Lions are set for Sept. 10, 2011 and Jan. 14, 2012.  Details at www.columbuslions.net/Team/Tryouts
September 9 – LIONS SEEK TALENT AT SATURDAY TRYOUTS, DOUGHBOYS BEGAN WEEKLONG MINI-CAMP –
Tryouts registration 8 a.m., $40 advance, $50 at tryout.  27 Lions have been signed to NFL, CFL, AFL contracts.
September 12 – LIONS COACHES PREP DOUGHBOY FOOTBALL TEAM … NEW WEBSITE BLOGS AND FEATURES UNVEILED – Ft. Benning All-Soldier team practicing nightly;  Coach’s Blog, Lions TV now on website.
September 26 – GIBSON’S DOUGHBOYS PLAY FIRST OF 5 SUNDAY… “LIONS LEGION” SALES FORCE FORMED – Doughboys host LaGrange College JV’s on post;  commissioned salespersons sought for local, outlying towns
September 29 – COLUMBUS LIONS ANNOUNCE 2012 INDOOR FOOTBALL SCHEDULE – Lions release home and away schedule the earliest by far in team history.  Travel trimmed as regional, all-Saturday slate is put together.
October 2 – DOUGHBOYS DOWN PANTHERS IN HOME OPENER, 33-13 – Coach Gibson and staff’s hard work and preparation pay off as brand-new Ft. Benning football team wins first game over LaGrange College JV’s.
October 5 – LIONS INSTRUMENTAL IN FORMING NEW PROFESSIONAL INDOOR FOOTBALL LEAGUE (PIFL) …
GIBSON, REED TRAIL PACK IN LIONS’ FANTASY LEAGUE – Lions Managing Partner John Hargrove works closely with solid, stable franchise owners to form new Southeastern circuit as Lions and others depart SIFL.
October 12 – FIRST LIONS SIGNEES FORMER PACELLI, SHAW STARS … MATT DUNHAM, DEMETRIUS JACKSON INK 2012 CONTRACTS – Big-name, local high school stars are first on the 2012 Lions roster.  Dunham broke Herschel Walker’s all-time Georgia touchdown record before an injury-filled career at Florida State. Jackson was a top-flight defensive back at The Citadel.  Both are thrilled to be playing pro football in Columbus.
October 17 – LIONS PLAYERS, COACHES APPEAR AT TSYS FIELD DAY TUESDAY – Head Coach Gibson and Lions staffers sold Lions T-shirts and ran football contests, generating United Way donations from employees.
October 24 – LIONS STYLING FOR CSO FUNDRAISER – PLAYERS AND COACHES TO ESCORT SPRING HARBOR LADIES MODELING DILLARD’S FASHIONS … DOUGHBOY BOWL II PITS FT. BENNING, CSU – Lions QB Chris McCoy, WR Gerald Gales, Coaches Gibson and Reed escorted The Ladies of Spring Harbor as they raised funds for the Columbus Symphony Orchestra through a delightful show of Dillard’s fashions.

FOR MORE DETAILS ON THESE STORIES, VISIT WWW.COLUMBUSLIONS.NET/NEWS

CONTACTS:  Rick Jacobson 706-393-0646 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  
Jason Gibson 706-322-3336  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it