Back to the Gridiron

A second chance. That’s what Joliet Buccaneers President Michael Ingram said his organization offers to former high school and college athletes.

Part of the Mid States Football League, the minor-league team is open to men ages 18 and older.

“I look at it as an opportunity for a young man to shine,” said Ingram, who acts as player, team president and coach. “These young men go out to find jobs and they miss playing. They miss organized, structured football.”

The league is an opportunity for athletes to get back to the gridiron once their high school or college football career is over, he said.

“Who get the chance to play football again?” Ingram said.

The team was created in 2004 as the Bolingbrook Buccaneers. Though the team spent several years playing at Joliet Memorial Stadium, the name change was prompted when the Buccaneers made the move to .

“We now play in Romeoville due to costs,” Ingram said. It’s also a return to the Ingram family’s roots, he said.

“My wife is from the Romeoville area,” he said, referring to the team’s CEO and General Manager Sandra Geib-Ingram.

There’s another advantage to bringing the league to Romeoville.

“Now we don’t have to charge for our games,” Ingram said. “People can come out and watch the local football action.”

The Buccaneers are one of 17 teams in the Mid States Football League, which includes organizations from Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.

This year, pre-season play kicks off June 11 in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with a matchup against the Green Bay Blackjacks. The season officially begins July 9, Ingram said.

Now, the league, a recent member of the Romeoville Area Chamber of Commerce, is looking to get the word out to attract both players and sponsors to the non-profit organization.

To get involved, players can visit the team’s website at www.jolietbuccaneers.com and click on the “recruiting” link, or contact Ingram at 815-302-8700.

“The only eligibility requirement is you have to be 18,” Ingram said. Membership on the team does not affect a player’s college football eligibility, he said.

Information on sponsorship opportunities is also available on the site, Ingram said.