Ex-New England Patriot brings Beach Football League to Hampton Beach

Several former New England Patriots will be arriving at Hampton Beach for the Labor Day Weekend, participating 2X Super Bowl Champion Tully Banta-Cain’s travelling Beach Football League.

Banta-Cain, who was awarded Super Bowl rings in the New England Patriots in both 2003 and 2004, informed about his fresh pro football league on the sand last year and the teams consisted of NFL veterans along with hopeful players who wanted to get a chance. The first event is call tryout and it’s scheduled for August 31 at Hampton beach one can register online and is free. On the website it says registration will be $50 after July 30.

Players to be expected are former New England Patriots’ Jamie Collins and Devin McCourty Other former pro football players shall also grace the day as well as chances of meet and greet, Tackle and flag event Games to be played include Tackle and flag exhibition game. Like mentioned, the event is supported through Hampton Beach Village District and the Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce.

A recent fan of Hampton Beach, Banta-Cain said he fell in love with the ‘feel’ of Ocean Boulevard. He aims to make it one of the venues for the impending Beach Football League tournaments which will have 8 on 8 tackle football matches.

“Certainly, in that area, Hampton Beach will be listed as one of the best,” Banta-Cain added.

and Banta-Cain that came to Hampton Beach as the person who introduced sand football.

Banta-Cain said his new Beach Football League is staking a claim in the world of sand athletics that sports other than football has entered. He cited the instance of beach volleyball which has been an Olympics game since 1996 and FIFA affiliated beach soccer which has a FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.

“Why not now football?” Banta-Cain said.

Banta-Cain has personally wished to put into practice match-making football where players are allowed to host the game themselves and believed that the Beach Football League could be that chance. It came to him when he was living close to Manhattan Beach, jogging on the shores on 2019. He asked friends on social media for responses and in 2021 he conducted a private tryout and exhibition that showed to him the league could work.

The concept and the name Beach Football League were trademarked and officially introduced in 2023. Terrell Owens and Adam “Pacman” Jones, retired footballers participated in the NFL that year and the launch of a league and an event was planned for February in Bahamas but was later rescheduled.

Thus, Banta-Cain continued: “So, we could get some other things a little settled”

Now, games are intended for 2025; the initial offering is scheduled for August 31, Hampton Beach.

“This is actually our very first, let’s say public event, here in Hampton Beach. ” “This thing is still coming out of the starting blocks, but having an actual event sanctioned by the state of New Hampshire and in the (town) of Hampton is a big play for us,”

This will be followed by different activities that are tryouts at Hampton such practices as; Cone drilling, 30-yard dash, Broad jumping among other drills. Scrimmaging drills will include wide outs making receptions against defensive backs, the Oklahoma drill and pass rushers against lineman.

This was said by Banta-Cain and going to the extent of comparing it with what is known as a ‘combine’.

The drills will be concluded by an assessment whereby the forty best performers for that particular day are selected into two different teams al whereby each team drafts the performers. ’Well, the two teams are going to line up and have a preseason game that will conclude the day,’ Banta-Cain stated.

The teams will consist the NFL players incorporated in to the gameplay. Banta-Cain stated current Patriot Kendrick Bourne may come, though he said NFL preseason could affect that. He mentioned other ex-patriot players like Patrick Pass and Patrick Chung have claimed to be there and he intends to contact some of New England largest retired players.

“I’m going to start putting feelers out to Gronk, Edelman, Brady,” Banta-Cain said.

Unknown wrote, Banta-Cain said that the new comers who are coming to try their luck in the league should not be disregarded. He stated that some talented players are not given the right chances and he quickly pointed to some tryouts in which he saw talented players despite the fact that they had been practicing little.

“It’s growing,” Banta-Cain said noting that there is talent all over the place. “Once again this proves to be another event and I believe we would get a good breed of talent. ”

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Banta-Cain found Hampton Beach through former Patriot

Thus, Banta-Cain got acquainted with Hampton Beach through another Patriot, Max Lane who performed at the position of an offensive liner between 1994 and 2000. Lane resides in Newburyport, Massachusetts and has been known to go to the Goat especially at Hampton Beach and the latest branch at Newburyport.

”He’s one of my favorite customers,” Goat owner Al Fleury said of Lane.

Banta-Cain said Lane told him that Hampton Beach would be excellent for the event. He said he went there and visited Bernie’s, the Goat and Wally’s and these two others are owned by Fleury. …the rather noisy and crowded Ocean Boulevard where people are walking along the boardwalk, and the large beach where there is enough space for a football match.

“I just observing the feel of the people going to the beach and how this beach was setup,” Banta-Cain said. “I just pulled the trigger on this, and it should actually be a hit. ”

Playing in sand, according to Banta-Cain, reduces the agility and speed of the game which, in turn, increases the thinking time per move. He said players also enjoy it for the touches and the soft that is associated with it in a supposedly rough contact sport.

Banta-Cain said he knows that some can cringe at the idea of sand after the Patriots rookie first-round choice, Robert Edwards suffered a devastating knee injury in a rookie Pro Bowl flag football game in the sand in Hawaii in 1998. He said that has not stopped other pros from having fun in the sand, contributing that Charles Woodson and many others played that game and continued to have great careers.

“Well, I think football in general if you’re going to cry about playing football in sand or grass there is injury to cry about,” Banta-Cain said.

Banta-Cain is a California guy who presently resides in Rhode Island. The playing career of the prospect also saw him featuring at the San Francisco 49ers before he rejoined the Patriots in 2009/2010. He said engagements that allow him to share time with New England fans, like regarding the Beach Football League, are significant.

“I could never had come here and be apart of this organization,” Banta-Cain said. Indeed, there is no better way to extend gratitude to the place that helped him in building his career than to build something beneficial in the same place.