Lions sign First Team All-NAL Kicker

After struggling with special teams last season, with a revolving door of kickers throughout the year and inconsistency with extra point attempts, the Lions have filled a crucial need ahead of the 2022 NAL season. Craig Peterson, the First Team All-NAL kicker from the Albany Empire, is heading to Columbus and joining the Lions.

As a member of the NAL champions in Albany, Peterson was used often in the league’s No. 1 offense. He finished the year with just three field goal attempts, going 1-3, but led the league in points with 69.

He made 66 of his 77 extra point attempts, giving him a make percentage of 86%, the second-best in the entire NAL. 

Before his stint with Albany, Peterson has been a member of a number of teams across professional football. His career started with the Ottawa Redblack, but only during the offseason.

After that, he went to the Tampa Bay Storm of the AFL and the Spokane Shock of the IFL from 2015-2017.

The next year he was with the Hamilton Tiger Cats in the offseason and then the Carolina Cobras of the NAL. He went to the Columbus Destroyers in 2019 before all pro football leagues suspended activities and this brought him to Albany and the Empire. 

While the new NAL Ironman rules have changed the roles for a number of returning players, teams are allowed to designate one player as a special teams-only player and that designation will likely be reserved for kickers.

Peterson will play a crucial role for the Lions, a team that had to rely on two-point conversions at times last season due to the instability at the kicker position.

Season tickets for the 2022 NAL season are already on sale and can be found here. The full 2022 NAL schedule has been released and fans can check it out here.

ABOUT THE COLUMBUS LIONS

The Columbus Lions are members of the National Arena League (NAL). Founded in 2007, the Columbus Lions are starting their 16th season in 2022. The Lions are a 3x league champion and 14 playoff appearances in their rich history. The Lions play their home games at Hughston Field in the Columbus Civic Center. Lions Season Ticket Memberships are on sale now call (706) 322-3336 or visit columbuslions.com. Follow the Lions on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Lionsfootball/, twitter @columbuslions and instagram.com/Columbuslions.

ABOUT NATIONAL ARENA LEAGUE

The National Arena League was founded in 2016 and hosted its inaugural season in 2017 as the premier league in arena football. The National Arena League will kick off its sixth season in 2022. For more information regarding expansion opportunities or partnerships, contact Commissioner Chris Siegfried at chris@nationalarenaleague.com For more information about the NAL visit www.nationalarenaleague.com, facebook.com/nationalarenaleauge, twitter.com/NALfootball, Instagram.com/nationalarenaleague.