A Charged Riptide
San Diego signs two former NFL players with hopes of bringing an Arena Cup to the land of sun and surf.

Since its inception six seasons ago, the arenafootball2 [af2] has made no secrets about striving to make a commitment to hometown football.

Many of the league's teams have been successful in signing players with ties to the area, usually former local high school and college standouts.

In San Diego, the af2's Riptide have taken that philosophy one step further and recently signed two ex-NFL players to join their ranks.

Craig Whelihan, former Chargers starting quarterback and AFL veteran, is expected to make a huge impact to the Riptide's 2005 roster. Meanwhile, former Charger and four-time NFL Pro Bowler, Ed Flanagan, has been hired on as an assistant head coach.

The 33-year-old Whelihan will be entering his eleventh season of professional football, but shows no signs of slowing down.

He still has the fire and desire, not to mention the confidence, to lead his team to a title. "I will win every game," said Whelihan. "The personnel that Coach [Sean] Ponder has brought in are quality players and I'm looking forward to bringing home a championship." The veteran quarterback makes his return to San Diego after spending four years playing for teams in other leagues across the country.

"I'm really excited to play in San Diego again," Whelihan added.

QB Craig Whelihan talks to the media at a press conference after signing with the San Diego Riptide.

"I want to thank [operator] Jon Runyan for allowing me this opportunity. Being able to come back and play professionally again for my hometown was something I did not want to pass on."

Drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the sixth round of the 1995 NFL Draft, Whelihan was the third string quarterback behind Super Bowl XXIX starter Stan Humphries.

Halfway through the 1997 season, he got the starting job and threw 118 passes for 1,357 yards and six touchdowns.

The following year, he took over for a struggling Ryan Leaf and finished the season completing 149 passes for 1,803 yards and eight touchdowns. In total, Whelihan started 14 and played in 19 games with the Chargers.

After the '98 season, he made the move to Oakland where he spent time on the Raiders roster and attended their 2000 training camp.

In 2001, he had a brief stint in the XFL before finding his niche with the Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League.

"When it comes to playing arena football, you have to get the ball out there faster, use a three step drop and throw shorter angles. Now when I play on an outdoor field, I'm just amazed at how big it really is."

"Whelihan is a strong player and knows the game very well," said Coach Ponder. "He's a proven leader and a good local guy. He's enthusiastic to play for us and will definitely take this team to a championship."

Ed Flanagan is expected to be a great addition to the Riptide Football Operations Department, and brings with him an extensive football background that dates back to the 1960's.

His 12 years in the NFL coupled with nearly ten years of coaching experience adds veteran, old-school insight to the San Diego coaching staff.

"(Flanagan) has plenty of football experience that can help the younger guys out," said Coach Ponder. "He knows how this game used to be played."

The Detroit Lions selected Flanagan in the fifth round of the 1965 draft. After just four years with the Lions, he made his first Pro-Bowl appearance.

Although he was never on a winning team, Flanagan's performance never dipped and he went on to three more Pro-Bowls before being traded to the San Diego Chargers in 1975.

"I spent 10 years playing outside in the cold," said Flanagan. "When I was traded, I felt like I had died and gone to heaven. It was a great time for the Chargers and things were just starting to pick up. (Dan) Fouts was just starting to learn the game and I retired right before Coryell came in."

After two seasons with the Chargers, Flanagan retired to pursue a successful career in business. However, as with most players, he could not stay away from the game for very long.

"My final year, I took my NFL retirement and tried my hand at business. I was pretty successful, but in the end, I decided it was time to get into coaching. It's a great job and it's even better when you win."

Flanagan held the assistant coaching position with the Oakland Invaders of the United States Football League in 1983. Two years later, he helped lead the team to a 13-4-1 season and the Championship game.

"I'm a good teacher. When I see a guy make a mistake, I can tell him exactly what he did wrong and how to correct it. I received my teaching degree from Purdue. So everything went hand in hand."

Coach Flanagan will be primarily responsible for instructing the line positions when the 2005 af2 season begins in April.