IFL History
The Ironman Football League (IFL) was founded by Chris Chudada of Pewaukee, Wisconsin in 1996. Chris had a vision, that vision was to create a semi-pro football league for individuals who desire to play full-contact organized football beyond their high school and/or college career. He wanted to create "A Working Man's NFL," so in 1996 with the help of his Father, Joseph Chudada they were able to buy equipment and recruit players aggressively through any means possible. Forging ahead and expanding the league, they began with 2 full-uniformed teams that quickly grew to 6 the following year; and thus the IFL was born.
Front Row: John Wenner, Alan Sukarski, Jason Tomczyk, Jeff Wason, Rick Grooms; Back Row: Brad Goldman, Mike Sucharski, Dale Polinski, Chris Chudada, Rick Day; Not pictured: Ryan Chudada, Troy Tomczyk, Tim Mote, Dave Gollnick, Paul Polinski, Mark Hefner, Jon Inzel and JJ Mclean
Sadly, later in the 1997 season, Joseph Chudada passed away with lung cancer. Chris named the Iron Bowl trophy after him in rememberance of his Father and biggest supporter. After the passing of his Father, Chis set goals for the himself and went after them with full force. Chris recruited new teams, players and college-level referees to insure quality and stability in the league. He went out and hired Pete Narrai who had been running sports leagues on a national level. Pete also brought 61 years experience to the young league. Chris also created and hand-picked a board of directors to keep the league respectable and with one goal in their mind: to expand the league with more quality teams and to one day receive statewide recognition.
For more specific information on the history of the IFL, please visit the IFL Historical Timeline.