Former Ranger Player Lands Pro Contract

New member of the Bemidji Axemen, Ayoub Hamidah, LHS, Class of 2011.

Former Ranger football player Ayoub Hamidah (Class of 2011) has made the rare leap from amateur to professional sports as he recently signed a contract to play with the Bemidji (Minnesota) Axemen of the Indoor Football League. Hamidah was signed for the team's three remaining games with a chance to earn a new contract for next season.

Hamidah earned three varsity letters as a tight end and defensive lineman for the Rangers before moving on to continue his education and to play defensive line at the University of Toledo. He joined the football team as a walk-on and earned a full athletic scholarship for his final three years as a Rocket. He graduated from Toledo in early May with a degree in criminal justice in four years while balancing life as a full-time student and athlete.

Hamidah is a defensive lineman for the Axemen, a second-year franchise in the Indoor Football League, a 10-team league with franchises stretching from Green Bay, Wisc. to Kennewick, Wash. The Axemen’s games are streamed live through the team’s web site, www.bemidjiaxemen.com. In his first game on May 31, Hamidah played every defensive down and recorded six tackles.

Congrats to Ayoub on a great accomplishment and fulfillment of a lifelong dream!