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2007 Roster of Players
Below is the roster of the 2007 Quad City Steamwheelers. To see a players bio and statistics click on their name.
(updated: 7/31/2007)
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Sean Ponder
Head Coach/Director of Football Operations
Ponder, 36, joins the Steamwheelers staff as head coach after serving in the position of assistant coach/offensive
coordinator during the 2006 season. Ponder brings three seasons of head coaching experience to the Steamwheelers.
While in the assistant coach/offensive coordinator role with the Steamwheelers last season, Ponder oversaw
arguably the best offense in the af2. Ponder’s offense was ranked first in both total offense (315.2 yards per game)
and passing offense (298.4 yards per game). Under his leadership the offense also tied or established six team single-game
and 10 team regular season records. Ponder oversaw an offense that had individuals set numerous game, season and career records
last season as well.
The Huntington Beach, Calif., native received his first opportunity to be a head coach seven games into the
2003 season when he was appointed as the interim head coach for the Wichita Stealth. The Stealth, who was 4-3 at the time
Ponder took over, went on to finish the season 8-7-1 and earned a playoff berth, before losing to the Hawaiian Islanders in
the first round. After being named head coach in the off season the Stealth won their first five games and nearly made the
playoffs finishing with an 8-8 record. The offense averaged nearly seven touchdowns a game during the 2004 season. He left
the Stealth with a 12-12-1 overall record in his one and a half seasons as head coach.
In 2005 Ponder took over the reigns of the San Diego Riptide where he went 5-11 on the season. Under his oversight
the Riptide averaged 251.8 yards a game, of which, 232.3 came through the air.
Ponder also brings multiple seasons as an assistant coach in the college ranks, where his teams set numerous
offensive records.
Troy Biladeau
Assistant Coach/Defensive Coordinator
Troy Biladeau, 35, is returning to the Quad City Steamwheelers, the team that gave him his start in arenafootball2
during the 2001 season, as the new defensive coordinator. Biladeau is also being reunited with head coach Sean Ponder, who
played quarterback under Biladeau and also coached with him while in Wichita.
Biladeau joins the Steamwheelers after spending last season as the defensive coordinator for the ArenaCup
Champion Spokane Shock. Biladeau’s defense was ninth in total defense, giving up 258.6 yards per game and 11th in scoring
defense allowing 47.4 points per game during the regular season. However, in the playoffs the defense led the af2 in scoring
defense (37.0) and held the Green Bay Blizzard to just 34 points in the championship game.
Biladeau’s was reunited with current Steamwheelers head coach, Sean Ponder, during a stint with the
Wichita Stealth in 2004 that was sandwiched between appearances with the South Georgia Wildcats. The return to Wichita was
also a homecoming of sorts as Biladeau was previously a head coach with a Wichita team in another indoor league in 2000. As
the defensive coordinator in 2004, the defense was ranked seventh in the league in points allowed (43.4) and fourth in total
defense (229.6) on their way to an 8-8 finish, just missing a playoff berth.
The Silver Lake, Kansas native's served as a head coach in 2000 as a 27-year old taking
the reigns of the Wichita Warlords, a team playing in another indoor football league. Biladeau and Ponder, met for the first
time as Ponder was the quarterback for the Wichita team.
Shon King
Wide Receiver Coach
Shon King is returning to the Quad Cities, where he wrote the Steamwheelers record book as a player, for his
first year as a professional football coach. King, who was known as “Mr. Saturday Night” during the Steamwheelers
inaugural season, still owns many Steamwheelers single season records today including: receptions (135), yards receiving (1,814),
touchdown receptions (38), missed field goal return yards (373), scoring by points (284) and scoring by touchdowns (47). King
accumulated a 27-2 record as an af2 player including time spent with the Tulsa Talons and Wilkes-Barre Scranton Pioneers.
In addition to his time in the af2 King also has AFL playing experience with the New York Dragons and Philadelphia
Soul. King has three years of high school coaching experience and also ran an Arena Football camp at a YMCA, while coaching
a basketball travel team for two years.
Ed Flanagan
Line Coach
Ed Flanagan joins
the Steamwheelers for the 2007 season after serving as the line coach with the Arena Football League’s Arizona Rattlers.
The Altoona, Penn., native has over 10 years of coaching experience at multiple levels. He has coached with San Bernadino
(Calif.) Valley College, Chaffey College, Oakland Invaders (USFL) and Milwaukee Mustangs (AFL).
In addition, he coached under Head Coach Sean Ponder in 2005 with the San Diego Riptide. Prior to starting
a successful coaching career Flanagan played for the NFL’s Detroit Lions and San Diego Chargers from 1965-1976. The
four time NFL Pro-Bowler played his first 10 seasons with Detroit before finishing his last two seasons in San Diego.
Merv Habenicht
Linebacker Coach
Merv Habenicht is returning to the football coaching ranks as the Steamwheelers linebacker coach after retiring
as the Head Football Coach at Bettendorf High School in 1999. Habenicht helped build the Bettendorf Bulldogs into a legendary
program in the state of Iowa by leading them to the state playoffs 15 times. The Fort Dodge, Iowa native led the Bulldogs
to five State Championships, including back-to-back titles in 1987-88 and 1991-92. His other State Championship came in 1981.
Habenicht was inducted into the Iowa Football Hall of Fame in 1987 and the Quad City Times Sports Hall of
Fame in 1998
John Lavelle
Defensive Ends Coach
John Lavelle is also entering his first year on the Steamwheelers coaching staff. The Chicago, Ill., native
brings 25 years of coaching experience, including 21 years as an assistant coach with the Bettendorf Bulldogs to the team.
He was a part of all five State Championships that the team won during the 1980’s and early 90’s. In 1991 he was
named the Iowa Football Coaches Associations “Assistant Coach of the Year.”
Prior to joining the Bettendorf program, the Western Illinois graduate spent time coaching with the Rock Island
High School football team.
 Mark Taylor
Football Operations
Mark Taylor is entering his seventh season as Football Operations for the Steamwheelers. One of the many things
Taylor does for the Steamwheelers is tape all practices for the coaches. Taylor and his wife are rabid Steamwheelers fans
who have not missed a game, home or away, since the first season.
 Darrick Reaves
Equipment Manager
Reaves is entering his second season as the head equipment manager for the Steamwheelers. He has extensive
experience and has served as the equipment manager for Norfolk State University from 1996-2000.
 Craig Wainwright
Head Certified Athletic Trainer
Craig, originally from Aledo, IL, is the head certified athletic trainer for the Steamwheelers and is in his sixth
season with the team. Craig also works at Plaza Physical Therapy and assists the physicians at Orthopedic Specialists
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