Aakiel Greer is a 6-4 200lbs wide receiver for the Arena Football League’s Wichita Regulators. The son of Dewayne and Lakeisha Edwards, Aakiel grew up in Kosciusko, Mississippi—a town of just over 7,000 people about an hour north of Jackson, Mississippi.
Greer spent time in Mini Camp with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022 and has received interest from the Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, and Washington Commanders of the NFL. As well as the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Calgary Stampede.
Early Football Life
It all started for Aakiel at the age of four when his mother, Lakeisha, began enrolling him in sports like flag football, and his love only grew from there. Greer is an all-around athlete; “versatility” is the word most used to describe him whenever someone talks about him. Throughout his youth, Aakiel played basketball, baseball, soccer, ran track, and, of course, football.
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In high school, the Kosciusko Whippet realized he had the talent to play at the next level. He decided to go a few hours northwest and attend Division II Delta State. From there, it was on to Coahoma Community College in Clarksdale, Mississippi.
Aakiel settled in at Saint Augustine’s University, an HBCU in Raleigh, North Carolina. Greer made his mark at the school, setting several school records and, most memorably, making a leaping catch in 2019 for the Falcons over eventual NFL Draft pick Joshua Williams to set up the game-winning field goal for the upset victory in the defending CIAA Southern Division champions in Fayetteville State. During his college career, he was named twice to the All-CIAA team and a 2019 SSPS second-team All-American.
Professional Career
Greer, who ran a 4.51 40-yard dash with a 38-inch vertical, was invited to the Las Vegas Raiders Mini Camp in 2022. This led to an opportunity to sign with the Las Vegas Nighthawks of the Indoor Football League.
Greer explained, “There’s really nothing that can translate running into a wall and catching a football, except reps.”
At 6-4 200lbs, with great versatility, Greer has had some of the greatest receivers in the history of the game to model his game after and look up to. Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Julio Jones, and Calvin “Megatron” Johnson were a few of the players he mentioned studying throughout his youth and college years.
As far as today goes, Greer studies Mike Evans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the most and tries to model his game after him.
On game day, Greer follows many of the same routines he’s followed throughout his career. He always calls home to his mom, Lakeisha, because he owes her everything for helping him get this far. Religion is a big part of Greer’s world, so a prayer for safety and strength always precedes a game.
Aakiel loves to listen to music to drown out the noise and get focused. He is also a huge anime fan. Goku from Dragon Ball Z is his favorite character and always makes an accessory that Greer wears during the game.
When Aakiel has free time, it’s mostly spent in the gym. He’s a gym rat at heart, always working on improving himself and crafting his game. He also enjoys trying new food and new places to eat.
Wichita Regulators Head Coach Clinton Solomon is an Arena League Hall-of-Famer who played wide receiver. Greer feels like this is very helpful to him during his time in Wichita.
“It’s been amazing playing for Clinton Solomon. He teaches you the little things, every tool you need to be successful in this game.”
So, what’s it like for a kid from the Deep South of Mississippi to live in and play football in Wichita, Kansas?
“Being in Kansas is what you make it. My experience here has been nothing short of amazing—amazing people, amazing food. I love it here.”
Unfortunately, the Regulators have been eliminated from the playoffs this season, but Greer is still looking forward to finishing the season on a strong note, with a goal of winning each game.
He also hopes to impress the scouts by watching him play. Versatility is the biggest key for this tall, fast wide receiver.
Future Plans
“I can come into any NFL or CFL camp right now and be good at anything,” said Greer. Greer’s size and speed, mixed with his jumping ability and excellent route running, are all what makes him such a great and unique player.
He plans to play football for as long as possible, whether at the Arena League level or back in the outdoor game. When he’s done, Greer wants to return to the small Mississippi town of Kosciusko and help the next generation of football players, athletes, and leaders.
“I want to help kids in my home city.” Whether that be starting a 7-on-7 program or running a new facility, Greer wants to create opportunities that weren’t always available to him as a kid.
Aakiel just wants to pay it forward. His biggest advice for kids is: “Listen to your parents, get good grades, and work extremely hard every single day that you wake up. There’s always somebody out there working to be better than you, so put the time in.”
The 1-4 Regulators will finish up their season with three final games. In Week 8, they’ll host the Salina Liberty at Park City Arena. Salina is currently the #3 seed in the newly announced Arena League playoff format. Week 9, the Orlando Predators come to town.
They sit #4 in the playoff seeding, which gives the Regulators two great chances to play spoiler. Week 10 will end the season with a trip to Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, Washington, to take on the only other one-win team in the Washington Wolfpack.
