West Texas Roughnecks

West Texas Roughnecks
Established 2004
Folded 2013
Played in Odessa, Texas
at the Ector County Coliseum
League/conference affiliations
Intense Football League (2004, 2006–2008)
National Indoor Football League (2005)
Indoor Football League (2009–2011)
Lone Star Football League (2012)
Current uniform
Team colorsBlack, Blue, Tan, White
       
MascotDigger
Personnel
Owner(s)Jay and Dale Morris
PresidentJay and Dale Morris
Head coachChris Williams
Team history
  • Odessa Roughnecks (2004–2009)
  • West Texas Roughnecks (2010–2012)
Championships
League championships (1)
2006
Conference championships (0)
Division championships (0)
Playoff appearances (2)
2011, 2012
Home arena(s)

The West Texas Roughnecks were a professional indoor football team based in Odessa, Texas that plays in the Lone Star Football League. The team's nickname was a tribute to the oil industry, which has been the source of Odessa's wealth over the past century.

The team began operations in 2004 as the Odessa Roughnecks, a charter member of the Intense Football League (IFL). In 2005, the IFL merged with the NIFL. For the 2006 season, the IFL was resurrected, and the Odessa Roughnecks returned to their original league. In 2008 the Intense Football League merged again, this time with the UIF to create the Indoor Football League.

The team played its home games at the Ector County Coliseum in Odessa. The team was sold by its original owner (Tommy Benizio) in September 2008 to Allegiance Pro Sports, Inc. In January 2010, Dale and Jay Morris of Midland, Texas purchased the Roughnecks from Allegiance Pro Sports.

The Roughnecks were coached by Chris Williams. The 2011 season will be Coach Williams's eighth season with the Roughnecks.

The Roughnecks won its first championship in 2006 at Intense Bowl 2 by beating the Corpus Christi Hammerheads 97–56, which was an Intense Football League record for most points scored by one team in a game. The team finished with an overall record of 14–2.

Up through the 2009 season games were broadcast on KMCM, and KQRX broadcast the games in 2009–2011. With the LSFL having games available online through America One, no radio contract was made during the 2012 season.

For the 2012 season, the Roughnecks moved to the Lone Star Football League. After the 2012 season, the team was put up for sale and never purchased. It was announced on October 16, 2013, that a new team would replace the Roughnecks at the Ector County Coliseum in 2014 – the West Texas Wildcatters. Like the Roughnecks did in their last season, the Wildcatters competed in the LSFL.[1]

  1. ^ "FOOTBALL: Professional indoor team returns to Odessa". Odessa American. Odessa, Texas. October 16, 2013. Retrieved April 11, 2014.