Former Enterprise star TJ Barnes comments on AAF closure, signs NFL contract

Just days after the Birmingham Iron secured a spot in the inaugural Alliance Playoffs, the Alliance of American Football has ceased football operations.

The announcement comes after co-owner Tom Dundon – the billionaire owner of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes – pulled funding from the league just two weeks after publicly stating that the league may fold if it doesn’t get cooperation from the NFL Player’s Association in regards to using NFL practice squad talent.

The Alliance sent out e-mails notifying players and employees that the league was suspending operations on Tuesday, April 2.

“Unfortunately, after careful consideration, the board has decided to suspend operations of the Alliance of American Football, effective immediately,” the e-mail read. “As part of this process, we expect to keep a small staff on hand to seek new investment capital and restructure our business.

“Should these efforts prove successful, we look forward to working with many of you on season two.”

Following the e-mail from “The Board” – which is made up of Dundon solely – the Birmingham Iron and other teams released statements publicly.

“On behalf of all of us with the Birmingham Iron organization, we were shocked and incredibly disappointed to learn of the Boards’ decision to suspend football operations,” the Iron statement read. “Charlie Ebersol and Bill Polian delivered a quality football product that fans nationally were watching on TV, online and here in Birmingham on each and every game day.

“While all startups encounter some challenges, we believed ours could be addressed in the offseason, after a successful completion of our first season.”

While the NFL and NFLPA have publicly offered support to the Alliance, the NFLPA has been against a modification of the NFLPA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement that would allow players that sign “futures contracts” with NFL teams to also play in the AAF and be protected in case of an injury; meaning their NFL contracts would still pay out if the player was seriously injured playing for the Alliance. The Alliance also wanted NFL teams to send NFL practice squad players to play in the league.

“It is just what we think would make this the most compelling league,” Dundon said in an interview with Forbes. “We don’t know what (the NFLPA) are going to do or if they will do it. That is kind of our thought. That’s what we are trying to figure out right now.”

Dundon agreed to invest more than $250 million into the league in February, and initially stated that as long as people were still watching the league then he would fund it.

“As long as the league is performing there is an unlimited (amount) of capital for the league,” Dunon said in a radio interview in early March. “I have more capital than the league will ever need and as long as people watch then there will be a league.

“No one stays in a business that people don’t want to consume. The money is the last issue on the table now. It’s about how we keep people engaged with this brand and keep growing it.”

The league’s TV ratings have remained strong since opening weekend and a number of teams – including Birmingham – have been able to average nearly 20,000 fans in attendance each week. San Antonio has even drawn nearly 30,000 fans twice this season. The Alliance’s ratings were strong enough that both TNT and CBS expanded their relationship with the league to add more games to their main networks.

Dundon’s tone changed on March 27 when he told USA Today that the league could fold without support from the NLFPA.

“If the player’s union is not going to give us young players, we can’t be a developmental league,” Dundon said. “We are looking at our options, one of which is discontinuing the league.”

According to a report from The Action Network, it became clear that after Dundon invested in the league that he had a much different objective than that of co-founders Charlie Ebersol and Bill Polian.

“Ebersol and Polian’s plan was to develop the league for three years on its own before becoming a feeder system to the NFL (officially),” the report said. “Dundon, however, wanted to create that minor league relationship immediately and sought to use the leverage of folding the AAF to get a deal with the NFLPA to better insure a flow between leagues.”

Polian issued his own statement after the announcement of the league ceasing operations and made it very clear that this was Dundon’s decision.

“I am extremely disappointed to learn Tom Dundon has decided to suspend all football operations of the Alliance of American Football,” Polian said. “When Mr. Dundon took over, it was the belief of my co-founder, Charlie Ebersol, and myself that we would finish the season, pay our creditors and make the necessary adjustments to move forward in a manner that made economic sense for all.

“The momentum generated by our players, coaches and football staff had us well positioned for future success. Regrettably, we will have not have that opportunity.”

TJ Barnes was an all-state defensive lineman at Enterprise High School before becoming an All-ACC nose tackle at Georgia Tech. Following his college career, he played a number of years in the NFL, and he joined the Alliance as a member of the Atlanta Legends in 2019.

Barnes said that players were blindsided by the news of the league shutting down, and that they also found out like the rest of the country, via social media.

“It was rumored about a week ago but no one ever came out and said anything about it publicly, so we just took it with a grain of salt,” Barnes said of the league shutting down. “We came out at walkthroughs on Tuesday and one of the guys had his phone and it was all over Twitter. It just came out of leftfield.”

Despite the way things ended Barnes said that the relationships he formed in the Alliance will last much longer than the league itself.

“I was able to get some good tape out of it and really was able to form some relationships that will hopefully last a lifetime, especially among our defensive line,” Barnes said. “I came into the league just wanting to be one of the best players in the league, but I came out of it with some great friendships and it’s something I’ll cherish always.”

Initially Barnes and the rest of the Alliance’s players were left in a sort of limbo as players legally couldn’t sign with other leagues or the NFL until the Alliance season came to a close.

“Everything (was) just kind of in limbo,” Barnes said. “You can’t go sign with an NFL team until everything clears up with the AAF and no one seemed to know.”

Then, on April 4 the Alliance officially announced that AAF players could officially sign with NFL franchises and other leagues. More than two dozen Alliance players signed with NFL teams after that announcement. Barnes himself signed with the Carolina Panthers on Monday, April. 8.

Barnes, who came into the Alliance at nearly 400 pounds, lost nearly 40 pounds before the season began and ended as one of the top interior pass rushers in the entire league according to Pro Football Focus. Barnes was able to show off his versatility, which would appeal to NFL teams, as he played all three spots across the Legends defensive line during the year.

“(Losing the weight) helped me a lot,” Barnes said. “I was able to last a lot longer in games and play throughout the game, instead of playing well in spurts. That was the biggest thing for me.

“It really helped me as a pass rusher, too. I was able to play nose (tackle), the three-technique (defensive tackle) and even defensive end. Being able to be versatile and play wherever the coaches needed me will help a lot.”