ATLANTA - Bryan Randall and Eric Crouch still long to play professional football.

Though the two quarterbacks might not earn another NFL paycheck, Randall and Crouch are grateful that the All American Football League will debut in April.

Former college standouts Randall and Crouch were the second and third picks in the league’s inaugural draft on Saturday, with Randall going to Tennessee and Crouch going to Texas.

Randall, a former Virginia Tech standout who spent time on the Atlanta Falcons’ squad, went to training camp last year with the Pittsburgh Steelers but didn’t make the team.

“It’s a great opportunity for me, and I can’t wait to get back on the field and compete,” Randall said. “I guess I’ve learned that you never get football out of your blood, or at least I haven’t been able to, over the last few months.”

The league will fill the void created when the NFL shut down NFL Europe earlier this year after 16 seasons. The league was losing a reported $30 million a season.

With teams in Detroit; Little Rock, Ark; Gainesville, Fla.; Birmingham, Ala.; Knoxville, Tenn.; and a yet-to-be-determined city in Texas, the league hopes to build on fans’ identification with former collegiate stars.

Former Troy offensive lineman Zarah Yisrael was drafted No. 1 overall by Arkansas.

Florida picked Marshall quarterback Eric Kresser fourth overall, and another quarterback, David Koral of UCLA, went to Michigan in the No. 5 spot.

Alabama drafted center Josh Sewell, formerly of Nebraska, with the sixth and final pick of the first round.

Crouch, who won the 2001 Heisman Trophy at Nebraska, is eager to show American fans that he can still play quarterback. Drafted No. 3 overall by the Texas team, Crouch was an NFL receiver for St. Louis and Green Bay.

Kansas City later designated him to NFL Europe, where he remained a wideout in 2006 for Hamburg. But not long after leaving Germany, Crouch was allowed to play quarterback again when he signed with the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts.

“I love the game of football, but quarterback really is my passion,” Crouch said. “I can’t deny that I’d like to get another chance to play in the NFL, but the fact remains that I’m really excited to play this spring for Texas. I think the atmosphere will be great.”

League CEO Marcus Katz, who made a fortune after co-founding a company that provided student loans, first announced plans last year for a professional league that would lean heavily on the year-round craze of big-time college programs.

So when the All American debuted its colors, logos, helmets and mascots during the draft, it was no surprise that everything was nearly identical to those used by each state’s most popular college program.

Florida, for example, will wear orange and blue and play three of its five home games at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville. Former Gators quarterback Shane Matthews is the head coach, and Kresser will face competition from Chris Leak, who helped the state’s biggest university beat Ohio State for 2006 national title.

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Hoping to avoid alienating fans from rival in-state schools, the league has encouraged teams to sign players with regional ties. Auburn running back Tre Smith will wear crimson and white and play at Birmingham’s Legion Field after signing with Alabama.

Receiver Peter Warrick, who starred at Florida State before the Cincinnati Bengals drafted him No. 4 overall in 2000, will play for Florida.

The league has yet to complete a television contract, but it used many of the techniques on Saturday that have helped the NFL make its annual draft a media phenomenon.

A studio at TBS hosted a central draft show, and the league set up a “war room” at its headquarters in suburban Sandy Springs. Each team hosted a draft-day event that was televised from hotel ballrooms in the clubs’ hometowns.

Former NFL stars and other celebrities made brief appearances in an attempt to lend credibility. Lem Barney, a Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee with the Detroit Lions, boxing legend Thomas Hearns and current Cleveland Browns receiver Braylon Edwards announced picks in Michigan.

Actor David Keith, a renowned Tennessee fan, did the same in Knoxville. Former SMU running back Craig James and former Houston quarterback David Klingler appeared for Texas.