Racine Raiders

The Racine Raiders are a semi-professional American football club based in Racine, Wisconsin. The team plays in the Gridiron Developmental Football League (GDFL).

Founded in 1953, they are the oldest minor league football team still operating in Wisconsin. They are the second-oldest, non-collegiate sports team in Wisconsin. They own a total of ten national titles, the second most of any semi-pro team in the United States. The Raiders have 667 wins, more wins than any other semi-pro team in the United States.

The Raiders were the first minor league football team to gain 501(c)(3) Not-For-Profit status from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in 1990. The organization is composed entirely of volunteers. The helmet design is a silver background with a cowboy bandit in black with an eye patch on the left eye with a half and half bandanna of cardinal and black.

Staff

 * President: Matt Nelson
 * Vice President of Football Operations/General Manager: Geoffrey Schick
 * Head Coach: Wilbert Kennedy

Summary
William "Wigs" Konicek, a graduate of Horlick High School and local restaurateur, started the Racine Raiders in 1953. The team began in the Central States Football League (CSFL) and won their first league championship as members of the Bi-States Football League (BI-SFL)in 1954.

The team was able to sustain itself until 1975 when it disbanded. Although they did not field a team for the 1976 and 1977 season, they remained organized for those seasons. New owners started the Racine Gladiators in 1978. They paid players and were successful on the field, winning three national championships. The team fell on hard times and disbanded following the 1985 season.

In 1986, Bob Milkie, a retired bearing company executive, Joe Mooney, a police sergeant, Jess Levin, a local banker, and others rebuilt the team, this time as community-owned, non-profit organization.

Perhaps the biggest moment in the team's history, as well as that of minor league football, came in 1989 when the team traveled to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, to play in a World Championship game. While the team won the game in five degree weather and a blizzard, just playing the game was the important element. The team was now able to apply for, and received, 501(c)3 Not-For-Profit status from the Internal Revenue Service, setting the tone for dozens of minor league football teams since to be able to do the same.

The Raiders have won ten national championships and have had dozens of players with National Football League (NFL) experience. They also have 38 players, coaches, or staff in the American Football Association (AFA) Semi Pro Hall of Fame, more than any other team.

Players that played professional outdoor football

 * Todd Cox - Chicago Blitz (1983), St._Louis_Cardinals_(NFL) (1983), Chicago Bears (1987)
 * Danny Crooks - Atlanta Falcons (1971)
 * Ron Daugherty - Minnesota Vikings (1987)
 * Don Deerwester - Chicago/Bloomfield Cardinals (1947)
 * Greg Dubinetz - Cincinnati Bengals (1975), Charlotte Hornets (1975), British Columbia Lions (1977), New York Giants (1977), Toronto Argonauts (1976, 1978), Washington Redskins (1979), Hamilton Tiger-Cats (1980)
 * Jim Haluska - Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns (1956)
 * Tony Lombardo - Philadelphia Eagles (1964)
 * Brian Lindstrom - Buffalo Bills (1972)
 * Phil Micech - Minnesota Vikings (1987)
 * Brent Moss - St. Louis Rams (1995)
 * Don Perkins - Green Bay Packers (1943–1945), Chicago Bears (1945–1946)
 * Tim Rucks - New York Jets (1983)
 * Dave Smith (fullback) - Houston Oilers (1960–1964) Sporting News All-AFL in 1960. Member of AFL's first two championship teams in 1960 and 1961.
 * Ralph Thomas - Chicago Cardinals (1952), Washington Redskins (1955–1956)
 * Matt Turk - Washington Redskins (1995–99), Miami Dolphins (2000–01, 2003–05), New York Jets (2002), St. Louis Rams (2006), Houston Texans (2007–2010;2011), Jacksonville Jaguars (2011).
 * Fred Venturelli - Chicago Bears (1948)
 * Adam Walker - Minnesota Vikings (1987)
 * Kevin Webster - Minnesota Vikings (1987)
 * Brett Wilson - Minnesota Vikings (1987)