Wide receiver Larry Brackins is the other active player on the squad. Lineman Phil Bogel is an assistant coach; and that's the extent of the 2008 squad.
Brackins' most memorable play was scoring the winning touchdown in the closing seconds as the Soul avoided a first-round upset by New York. That would have become the team's legacy and not the triumphant ride down Market Street.
"I definitely missed playing in Philly," said Brackins, who toiled for 3-13 Dallas last season. "There's not a city in America like Philly is with their sports. I love that and I just love being around the people of Philly."
It will take a few weeks for some of the stars on the current roster to begin to emerge. Quarterback Justin Allgood is coming off a season in which he threw a league-high 109 touchdowns for Tulsa. His main weapon should be Donovan Morgan, who caught a league-best 52 of those scores. On the other side, DeJuan Alfonzo is regarded as one of the best linebackers in Arena Football League history, and the secondary, also a strength in 2008, is supposed to be even better.
Brown is a recognizable face, but a changed person. Like everyone else, the 2009 work stoppage hit him hard. Brown sat out 2010 and was supposed to play this season in San Jose, but terms couldn't be worked out and he took the chance to come back to the city of his greatest conquests, some even on the playing field.
"That year, 2008, was probably the funnest time of my life, but it was probably the most lost I've been personally and spiritually," said Brown, who is now married but was in the running for some website's bachelor of the year in 2008.
"We didn't know how good we really had it," he continued. "Life is like that sometimes. But you learn from it and protect yourself for the hard times."
