Tri-City Apollos


The Tri-City Apollos were a professional American football team based in Midland, Michigan.

Early years

The team began as the Macomb Arrows in 1962, playing in Pontiac, Michigan in the semi-pro Midwest Football League. After winning four MFL championships, the club changed their name to the Pontiac Arrows; in 1968, the team went fully professional by becoming the Michigan Arrows, moving their home games to Detroit, and joining the Continental Football League.

Continental Football League

Unfortunately, the Arrows did not have the organization nor the personnel to compete in the market of the NFL's Detroit Lions. The quarterback position was rotated among several players, including local product Ron Bishop, who played at U-D in the early sixties before the school dropped football.
Only 3,415 fans showed up for the Arrows' first game on September 7, 1968, at University of Detroit Stadium, an overtime loss to Omaha; the day would turn tragic when Mustangs' linebacker Glenn Hepburn was knocked unconscious and suffered a ruptured blood vessel in his brain. Hepburn, 30, would pass away four days later at Martin Place Hospital in Madison Heights, Michigan, the only fatality in CoFL history. On the field, Michigan would wind up losing all five of their home games, drawing just 4,554 per contest. The final home game of the season was shifted to Midland: a 62-6 pounding at the hands of Ohio Valley in front of 3,450, dropping Michigan's final record to 1-11.
In January 1969, the Arrows announced a permanent move to Midland, as well as a name change to the Tri-City Apollos. Things did not improve much on the field nor at the gate, however. Led by former Chicago Bears backup QB Larry Rakestraw, the Apollos lost their first eight games en route to a 2-10 record in front of tiny crowds: twice, Tri-City drew less than 1,000 for games at the Midland High School stadium. When the CoFL ceased operations in 1970, so did the Apollos.

Season-by-season