Chicago Area Announced As Site for Semi-Pro Football National Convention/Seminar/Trade Show

The American Football Association recently announced that it would be hosting its 25th Annual Semi-Pro Football Hall of Fame Induction Dinner at the Oakbrook Terrace Hilton Suites/Drury Lane Conference Center on Saturday, June 4th in conjunction with its 2005 National Semi-Pro Football Convention/Seminar/Trade Show. The Hilton is located in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois due west of downtown Chicago.Over the past two and a half decades the AFA has enshrined 461 players, coaches, executives, trainers, equipment managers, pioneers, officials and even a few ladies for their outstanding careers in the semi-pro (adult amateur) level of America's greatest sport – football.The AFA is a national 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit corporation dedicated to the advancement of adult, junior and youth football in the United States. The AFA currently monitors the game action of nearly 800 semi-pro football teams playing in more than 65 different leagues coast-to-coast. Those leagues and teams provide playing venues for some 75,000 post high school and college players, coaches, trainers, officials as well as team and league administrators having a burning desire to continue their football careers. All for - ‘the love of the game'.Although the AFA has had its National headquarters located in Sarasota, Florida for the past 10 years, it got its start in 1980 in Elmhurst, Illinois just a few short miles from the Oakbrook Terrace Hilton Suites Hotel."As a matter of fact the AFA national office was once located right next door to the Hilton in the Oakbrook Terrace (tall glass building) Office Complex", says the AFA president of 25 years Ron Real.

"Coming back to the Elmhurst area to celebrate the AFA's Silver Anniversary will be very exciting for me and my wife as our family (seven married children and 12 grandkids) are still located in that area.While the AFA is in the process of officially notifying this years inductees it was noted by the AFA founder that several people making up the Semi-Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2005 are from the Chicagoland area. The names of those scheduled for enshrinement in June will be released in the near future.In addition to the HOF induction dinner - the AFA will also be hosting a Silver Anniversary 25 year Reunion ‘Huddle' cocktail party at the Hilton Suites on Friday evening (June 3rd) for all those previously enshrined into the AFA's unique semi-pro football brotherhood. The Chicago area has always been rich with talented semi-pro football athletes, coaches, administrators and officials. Over the years the AFA has inducted more than 100 footballers who were involved with semi-pro teams in Illinois and neighboring Wisconsin, Iowa, Indiana and Michigan. Many of these semi-pro greats are already making plans to bring their best 'football stories' to the 2005 AFA/HOF 'huddle' in June.The old Elmhurst Travelers operated for 38 years between 1927-1967 and accumulated an outstanding overall win/loss record of 292-79-29.

A few of the Traveler stand-outs of old are expected to be inducted this year and join their old coach George Kulton in the AFA Semi-Pro Football Hall of Fame. Coach Kulton was inducted in 1986 and died in 1987. Over the years a few of Kulton's players have also been enshrined. Several modern day (1980 to president) Illinois area footballers have been nominated for the ‘Class of 2005' and are waiting notification from the AFA selection committee.While the AFA Hall of Fame events tend to honor those who have been retired from the game for years, the AFA day-to-day operation revolves around current day semi-pro teams and leagues so the national association has scheduled a Semi-Pro Football Convention/Seminar/Trade Show (also at the Hilton/Drury Lane Center) in conjunction with the Hall of Fame Induction Dinner. Saturday morning (June 4th) will find team and league representatives from hundreds of teams across the country attending a convention and seminar specifically geared at the semi-pro level of the sport.

Seminar speakers, for the most part, will be AFA Hall of Fame ‘Legends' from across the country who have been very successful on the semi-pro level and are willing to share their experiences with their peers. Because the convention attendees will be made up of many team and league decision makers (team presidents/owners, GM's, league commissioners) from coast-to-coast, the AFA has invited representatives from several football equipment manufacturers and football related service companies to show their new equipment lines. The trade show portion of the AFA convention will open at 8:30 am and run until 3:00 pm on Saturday, June 4th. The convention is FREE to all ‘card carrying' AFA members, AFA Alumni members and Hall of Fame ‘Legends'. AFA memberships are available ‘on-line' for a $10 donation to the AFA non-profit corporation.

Contact the AFA national office at 941-388-3510 or via e-mail at e-mail protected from spam bots or e-mail protected from spam bots for a membership application.Contact:Dave Burch at AFA National Office (877) 624-4485 or (941) 388-3510(e-mail) e-mail protected from spam bots (or) e-mail protected from spam bots(website) http://www.americanfootballassn.com/.