photo by Jeff Harbin, Life of Riley Photography

Amarillo Venom

A Sport You Can Sink Your Teeth Into

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Jon Lyles and Julian Reese are back, which means if you aren’t watching the Amarillo Venom, you should be.

“Our goal this season is to win every single game, one at a time,” says Jon.

The new head coach is no stranger to the Panhandle. In 2003, Jon spent one year as a Wide Receivers coach at his alma mater – West Texas A&M University – and went on the following year to the formerly-named Dusters, Amarillo’s indoor football team, as the Offensive Coordinator. It was then, in 2004, that he saw footage of a young athlete with good mechanics and fancy footwork from Indiana. By April, Julian was in Amarillo and in that first season, led the then-Dusters to its only division title, conference title and league championship.

“All of my professional development happened here,” says Jon, an Arp, Texas, native. “It’s very special to me to be back. It’s good to be back with him.”

With Julian comes great expectation. He holds the team’s all-time record for passing yards, passing touchdowns, rushing yards, and rushing touchdowns. Yet, while this teacher-by-week, quarterback-by-weekend may bring impressive stats, when the game is over you’ll find him on the field with his teammates tossing the ball back and forth with fans.

“It’s really for the kids and families,” says Julian. “The whole thing is family oriented. You don’t even have to like football to come down here and have a good time.”

Indoor football, they say, is mostly misunderstood. Sure, the field is only 50 yards long, but that only adds to the pace and spectator interaction. The game is fast and intense. There’s music playing at all times, and once you add the hot dog eating competitions, kids’ relay races and performances from the dance team, you’ve more than got your money’s worth. Staying after the game to meet and greet the team is just the icing on a really big cake.

While a night of indoor football is guaranteed-fun family time, Jon and his team are ready to win. With more than a decade of coaching experience, earning Assistant Coach of the Year in 2008 with the Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings, Jon is eager to start the 2010 season with the quarterback he met so many years ago.

Julian is the seventh of 13 children, so there was always a sibling or cousin around to play football with while growing up in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. He played metro youth football as a kid, going on to play in middle and high school and eventually college. (First, Iowa Central Community College, and then Indiana State, where he graduated with a degree in Recreational Sports Management) After playing arena football with the Everett Hawks in Washington and the South Georgia Wildcats in Albany, he came back to Amarillo to join the Dusters. Julian married his sweetheart, Erica, in 2008, and together they had son Julian Reese II, nicknamed “Deuce,” last summer.

“You always have to put your family first,” he says. “It’s all about time management, and we’re pretty good about arranging schedules if we need to.”

Only about 10 percent of the players actually live in Amarillo. While it takes up the bulk of a player’s time during the season, playing Indoor Football is not a full-time job. The team is currently made up of teachers, counselors, coaches, accountants and even one who works in juvenile detention. The Amarillo Independent School District also temporarily hires players as substitute teachers, those who come in town just for the season. The IFL is often thought of as a stepping stone for younger players who have the potential to go on to the National Football League.

“We want guys who have their lives together off the field,” says Jon. “And we take care of them. We pay for meals, housing and entertainment, so their check is just pocketed.”

More than anything, Jon and Julian insist that the Venom cannot be a success without community support. In fact, they refer to their sponsors as partners and make volunteering a priority.

“We work with the library a lot, reading to the kids,” says Julian. “You know, an hour of influence in a kid’s life can end up being a lifelong influence.”

“It’s about being something special, bigger than ourselves,” adds Jon.

Spectators beware – the rule in the stands is that if you catch a ball, it’s yours to keep. But if you catch a player, you have to give him back.

2010 Schedule
Saturday, March 13 Odessa, Away 7:11 p.m.
Saturday, March 20 BYE
Saturday, March 27 Odessa, Home 7:05 p.m.
Friday, April 2 Austin, Away 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 10 Corpus Christi, Home 7:05 p.m.
Sunday, April 18 Colorado, Away 2:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 24 Colorado, Home 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, May 1 Abilene, Home 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, May 8 Corpus Christi, Away 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, May 15 San Angelo, Home 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, May 22 Arkansas, Home 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, May 29 Abilene, Away 7:00 p.m.
Friday, June 4 Arkansas, Away 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, June 12 Austin, Home 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, June 19 San Angelo, Away 7:05 p.m.

Click here for more information about the Amarillo Venom.

by Jennie Treadway-Miller

Jennie was a columnist for the Chattanooga Times Free Press for eight years prior to moving to Amarillo in 2008. She is an avid reader, runner and writer.

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