Albert Connell
Encyclopedia
Albert Gene Anthony Connell (born May 13, 1974 in Fort Lauderdale
, Florida
) is a former American football
wide receiver
who played for the Washington Redskins
and the New Orleans Saints
of the National Football League
, and for the Calgary Stampeders
of the Canadian Football League
.
at Trinity Valley Community College
in Athens, Texas
for two years, and was a member of the 1994 Junior College National Championship team. He was teammates with Al Harris of the Packers
, Matt Bryant
of the Buccaneers
, coach Frank Induisi of St Thomas Aquinas High School, and coach Mark Sartain of East Texas Baptist University
. He then went on to play two years at Texas A&M University
. In the Aggies' game against Colorado on September 28, 1996, he had 18 receptions.
in the fourth round of the 1997 NFL Draft
, the 115th overall pick. The 6'2", 190-pound receiver played in five games in his first season
with the Washington Redskins
. He had nine receptions for 138 yards and two touchdowns. In 1998
, he played in fourteen games and had 28 receptions for 451 yards and two touchdowns. In 1999
, he played in fifteen games and had 62 receptions for 1,132 yards and a career high seven touchdowns. In 2000
, he played in 13 games and had 39 receptions for 762 yards and three touchdowns.
In the spring of 2001, the New Orleans Saints
signed him to a five-year, $13 million contract that included a $2.5 million signing bonus. In 2001
, he played 12 games for the Saints, recording 12 receptions for 191 yards and two touchdowns. His future in the NFL was cut short when he was accused of stealing from Deuce McAllister
. He allegedly stole $4,000 from his former Saints teammate and was released from the team. He never played in the NFL again.
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
) is a former American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
who played for the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
and the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, and for the Calgary Stampeders
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
.
College career
He played college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Trinity Valley Community College
Trinity Valley Community College
Trinity Valley Community College is a community college in the state of Texas.TVCC operates four campuses serving the Texas counties of Anderson, Henderson, and Kaufman, southeast of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex:...
in Athens, Texas
Athens, Texas
Athens is a city in Henderson County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 12,710. It is the county seat of Henderson County. According to the Texas Legislature, Athens is the "Original Home of the Hamburger"...
for two years, and was a member of the 1994 Junior College National Championship team. He was teammates with Al Harris of the Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
, Matt Bryant
Matt Bryant
Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
of the Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
, coach Frank Induisi of St Thomas Aquinas High School, and coach Mark Sartain of East Texas Baptist University
East Texas Baptist University
East Texas Baptist University is a private, coeducational Christian university in Marshall, Texas, United States associated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas.- History :...
. He then went on to play two years at Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
. In the Aggies' game against Colorado on September 28, 1996, he had 18 receptions.
Professional career
Connell was draftedNFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
in the fourth round of the 1997 NFL Draft
1997 NFL Draft
The 1997 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 19–20, 1997. No teams elected to claim any players in the supplemental draft that...
, the 115th overall pick. The 6'2", 190-pound receiver played in five games in his first season
1997 NFL season
The 1997 NFL season was the 78th regular season of the National Football League. The Oilers relocated from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee...
with the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
. He had nine receptions for 138 yards and two touchdowns. In 1998
1998 NFL season
The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League.The Tennessee Oilers moved their home games from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, still awaiting construction on a new stadium in Nashville.This was the first season that CBS...
, he played in fourteen games and had 28 receptions for 451 yards and two touchdowns. In 1999
1999 NFL season
The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 season...
, he played in fifteen games and had 62 receptions for 1,132 yards and a career high seven touchdowns. In 2000
2000 NFL season
The 2000 NFL season was the 81st regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXXV when the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Giants.Week 1 of the season reverted to Labor Day weekend in 2000...
, he played in 13 games and had 39 receptions for 762 yards and three touchdowns.
In the spring of 2001, the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
signed him to a five-year, $13 million contract that included a $2.5 million signing bonus. In 2001
2001 NFL season
The 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League.Following a pattern set in 1999, the first week of the season was permanently moved to the weekend following Labor Day...
, he played 12 games for the Saints, recording 12 receptions for 191 yards and two touchdowns. His future in the NFL was cut short when he was accused of stealing from Deuce McAllister
Deuce McAllister
Dulymus Jenod "Deuce" McAllister is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
. He allegedly stole $4,000 from his former Saints teammate and was released from the team. He never played in the NFL again.