Tag: D.C. Defenders

Former Penn State linebacker drafted to the UFL’s DC Defenders

Former Penn State starting linebacker drafted to the UFL D.C. Defenders in the UFL College Draft.

On Tuesday, the United Football League held its college player draft, where players were selected to play in the eight-team league that began play earlier this year. Former Penn State football linebacker [autotag]Curtis Jacobs[/autotag] was drafted into the UFL by the D.C. Defenders in the eighth round and the No. 60 overall selection.

Some players, like Jacobs, were signed to NFL teams as undrafted free agents after the NFL draft, making their status for the next UFL season a bit murky. Jacobs signed with the Kansas City Chiefs after the draft and is expected to report to training camp as an undrafted rookie in the coming days.

It remains to be seen what exact course of action Jacobs will take, but expect him to exhaust all NFL possibilities this summer before opting to join the Defenders in the UFL. If the linebacker does stick with the Chiefs or any other NFL team, the Defenders own his UFL rights should he ever choose to jump leagues.

Jacobs played four seasons at Penn State, racking up 171 tackles, 9.5 sacks and 24 tackles for a loss in 45 games. He started in 36 games throughout his career in Happy Valley and became a key piece of Penn State’s top-3 defense last year.

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Former Ohio State football player gets drafted in UFL

Former Ohio State football player drafted in UFL #GoBucks

The United Football League kicked off their 2024 college draft and one former Ohio State football player was selected. A little background information for those unfamiliar with the rules, all players are required to be NFL draft eligible to be UFL draft eligible and must have gone unselected in the NFL draft. Just like in the NFL, the players selected must be at least three years removed from high school. Prospects can also chose to waive their college eligibility.

The one and only Buckeye drafted was Dallas Gant, who actually finished his collegiate career at Toledo. Ohio State fans will likely remember him as a former four-star recruit from Ohio. He played for the Buckeyes for four seasons and played sparingly every season, then decided to move onto greener pastures his last two seasons as a Rocket.

Gant was selected with the fourth pick in the eighth round by the D.C. Defenders. It should be noted that Gant was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent, but he can take comfort knowing he has a job playing professional football either way.

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Former Ohio State football star is back in the NFL

Former Ohio State star is back in the NFL #GoBucks

The inaugural season of the United Football League is complete and by most accounts it was a great success. A big reason for thie league is to help football players continue their professional careers and hopefully get a shot back in the NFL.

One former Buckeye made the most of his opportunity with the D.C. Defenders this season and has now earned a contract with the Dallas Cowboys. Gareon Conley was a phenomenal defensive back during his Ohio State days and parlayed that success into becoming a first round selection by the Oakland Raiders. He struggled with injuries and was eventually traded to the Houston Texans. He again struggled to stay on the field and was out of the NFL.

Conley had a great season with D.C. in the UFL and at only 28 years old still has plenty of time to turn his career around. It is unreasonable to expect him to live up to his first round selection, but Conley has all of the skills to be a consistent contributor for Dallas.

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DC Defenders defeat Houston Roughnecks for first UFL win

The Defenders pick up their first UFL win on Sunday.

The D.C. Defenders returned home to Audi Field on Sunday to host the Houston Roughnecks in UFL Week 2 action. After a disappointing Week 1 loss to the San Antonio Brahmas, the Defenders won their first UFL game with a 23-18 win over the Roughnecks.

Dating back to their time in the XFL, the Defenders have won 10 consecutive games at Audi Field.

Quarterback Jordan Ta’amu completed a 17-yard touchdown to wide receiver Ty Scott with around six minutes remaining to give D.C. a 21-18 lead. The Defenders went for the two-point conversion and succeeded when Ta’amu found tight end Alex Ellis to extend their lead to 23-18.

The Roughnecks had another opportunity to win the game, but the D.C. defense shut down Houston, allowing only 18 yards on six plays to ensure the victory.

Ta’amu completed 16 of 32 passes for 212 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

Next up for the Defenders are the Arlington Renegades next week in Texas. It’s a rematch of the 2023 XFL championship, where the Renegades pulled off a big upset over the Defenders.

In case you were wondering, the beer snake is alive and well at Audi Field.

Former Washington linebacker Reuben Foster shines in UFL debut

Reuben Foster shines in UFL debut.

Reuben Foster was once a can’t miss-prospect. A star linebacker at the University of Alabama, Foster was a first-round pick in the 2017 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers.

Unfortunately, things didn’t work out for Foster in San Francisco, as Foster battled some off-field issues and was released in November 2018.

Washington, badly needing linebacker help, claimed Foster on waivers. Then-Washington president/general manager Bruce Allen took heat for the move as Foster was released by the 49ers due to a domestic violence arrest.

However, Washington stated it had done homework on Allen, with several of his former teammates on the roster, including Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne, they felt comfortable with Foster’s character. Foster was eventually cleared of the charges and the NFL reinstated him to Washington’s roster.

Big things were expected of Foster, who had drawn praise from his coaches and teammates, but in May 2019, his NFL career changed forever. In an offseason practice, Foster tore his ACL and LCL. He spent the following two seasons on Washington’s roster but would never play in a game.

In January 2024, Foster was selected by the Houston Roughnecks in the UFL draft. The United Football League was a new spring league combined of former XFL and USFL teams.

On Sunday, Foster made his UFL debut, recording six tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery.

What a performance from Foster.

There was a scary moment late when Foster went down with an apparent injury. Afterward, it appeared that Foster was fine.

Next week, Foster returns to the DMV when the Roughnecks face the D.C. Defenders at Audi Field.

Defenders lose to Brahmas in UFL debut

The Defenders drop their UFL opener.

The D.C. Defenders were one of the XFL’s top teams when it was revealed the XFL and USFL would merge in 2024 into a new league called the United Football League (UFL).

The Defenders, the Arlington Renegades, the St. Louis Battlehawks, the San Antonio Brahmas, and the Houston Roughnecks are five of the eight teams in the UFL that transferred over from the XFL.

On Saturday, the UFL debuted with two games. On Sunday, there were two mores, one of which featured the Defenders against the Brahmas. D.C. was 9-1 in 2023 — the XFL’s final season — before losing in the championship game.

Unfortunately for the Defenders, this season didn’t begin as well as their final XFL season, as San Antonio dominated D.C. 27-12 in a battle of former XFL teams.

San Antonio quarterback Chase Garbers was excellent, completing 19 of 25 passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns in the win. The University of California graduate spent parts of two seasons with the Raiders on their practice squad and offseason roster.

For the Defenders, quarterback Jordan Ta’amu returned for another year. Ta’amu completed 25 of 45 passes for 235 yards and an interception. He was with D.C. last season and has had multiple NFL stints on offseason rosters.

The Defenders did not score a touchdown, and kicker Matt McCrane connected on four field goals in the loss. McCrane booted field goals of 50, 34, 48 and 28 yards.

The Defenders return home to Audi Field next week and host the Roughnecks in another battle of former XFL teams. The Roughnecks also dropped their UFL debut.

10 former Ravens are signed to UFL teams

With the NFL season now in the rearview and the UFL set to debut, we’re looking at 10 former Baltimore Ravens who are participating in the spring league

With the NFL season now complete and the offseason underway, Baltimore has one of the most extended lists of players who are getting another shot in the new eight-team UFL, which kicks off season kicks off on Saturday, March 30, 2024, with the battle of the 2023 champions: Arlington Renegades vs Birmingham Stallions.

A combination agreement (the “UFL”) is the premier spring football league that resulted from the merger of the XFL and USFL.

Russ Brandon, former President and CEO of the XFL, will lead the UFL as President and CEO. Former USFL President of Football Operations Daryl Johnston will lead football operations.

Founded in 2001, the XFL was a collaboration between NBC and WWF (WWE), spearheaded by Vince McMahon. After a hot start, poor ratings ultimately led to the league’s lasting just one season. The league returned in 2020, with McMahon again leading the reboot, but it had to close its doors again after COVID-19 shut things down after just five weeks.

The league filed for bankruptcy and was forced to sell.

A group headed by Dany Garcia, including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, bought the league out of bankruptcy for $15 million, eyeing 2023 as its return season.

The UFL has eight teams in Arlington (TX), Birmingham (AL), Detroit (MI), Houston (TX), San Antonio (TX), Memphis (TN), St. Louis (MO), and Washington D.C.

With action to begin this weekend, we’re looking at 10 former Ravens on UFLrosters.

15 former Eagles are signed to United Football League teams

With the NFL season now in the rearview and the UFL set to debut, we’re looking at 15 former Philadelphia Eagles who are participating in the spring league

With the NFL season now complete and the offseason underway, Philadelphia has one of the most extended lists of players who are getting another shot in the new eight-team UFL, which kicks off season kicks off on Saturday, March 30, 2024, with the battle of the 2023 champions: Arlington Renegades vs Birmingham Stallions.

A combination agreement (the “UFL”) is the premier spring football league that resulted from the merger of the XFL and USFL.

Russ Brandon, former President and CEO of the XFL, will lead the UFL as President and CEO. Former USFL President of Football Operations Daryl Johnston will lead football operations.

Founded in 2001, the XFL was a collaboration between NBC and WWF (WWE), spearheaded by Vince McMahon. After a hot start, poor ratings ultimately led to the league’s lasting just one season. The league returned in 2020, with McMahon again leading the reboot, but it had to close its doors again after COVID-19 shut things down after just five weeks.

The league filed for bankruptcy and was forced to sell.

A group headed by Dany Garcia, including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, bought the league out of bankruptcy for $15 million, eyeing 2023 as its return season.

The UFL has eight teams in Arlington (TX), Birmingham (AL), Detroit (MI), Houston (TX), San Antonio (TX), Memphis (TN), St. Louis (MO), and Washington D.C.

With action to begin this weekend, we’re looking at 15 former Eagles on UFL rosters.

Former Ohio State football star signs with XFL

A former Ohio State star gets an opportunity in the #XFL. #GoBucks

The XFL 3.0 just ended its first season and it was an extreme success. It saw two former Ohio State football players really shine when given an opportunity in the upstart league with Rod Smith starting for the Vegas Vipers and Antwuan Jackson for the Seattle Sea Dragons.

Jackson shined so bright he was actually able to parlay that opportunity into an NFL shot with the Carolina Panthers, which is ultimately the goal for most of these players. The XFL, which is owned by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, has announced that there will be a season in 2024. The league is already beginning the process of adding free agents.

One of the largest free agents of note for the D.C. Defenders is former Ohio State cornerback, Gareon Conley. The former All-Big Ten defensive back has not had the smoothest NFL career. After being drafted in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders, Conley was not horrible, but not at the quality of a first-round selection. As a result, they elected to trade him to the Houston Texans in 2019.

Conley was again OK in Houston — he continued to deal with some injuries and his final season in the NFL was in 2020. He is still only 28 years old and has some juice left in the football tank, so getting another shot in the XFL appears to be an ideal situation. But he did not seem sold on the situation according to his X account, formerly known as Twitter.

I’m unsure why Conley has labeled the situation as “complex,” but we wish him good luck.

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Former Washington OL Raleigh McKenzie announced as one of team’s Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellows

McKenzie played 10 seasons for Washington and was a part of two Super Bowl champions.

The NFL established the Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellowship in 2015 as a way to give exposure to interested and qualified candidates who desire a career in professional scouting.

The Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellowship is named after Bill Nunn, longtime personnel director for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and John Wooten, a former NFL player and front-office executive.

Interested candidates must meet the following criteria:

  • Former NFL player
  • Former college football player
  • Current college football employee working in recruiting/personnel

Every team names two scouting fellows, and the Commanders announced their winners Tuesday. One is former NFL offensive lineman Raleigh McKenzie, and the other is the current D.C. Defenders [XFL] director of team operations, Stacie Johnson.

McKenzie spent 16 seasons in the NFL, including the first 10 of his career with Washington, where he won two Super Bowls. His twin brother, Reggie, is a former general manager for the then-Oakland Raiders.

Here’s more on Johnson and McKenzie from the Commanders’ official website.

Johnson manages and coordinates all football-related logistics for the club. She has held internships with both the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets. Johnson is a 2013 graduate of Rutgers University and worked with both the football and women’s basketball programs in operations. She also held the role of operations and analytics manager with the Orlando Apollos of the Alliance of American Football.

Raleigh McKenzie played for 16 seasons in the NFL, including 10 with Washington from 1985-94. He was a member of both the 1987 and 1991 Super Bowl teams. McKenzie worked in Washington’s personnel department in 2001. McKenzie was also a scout for the Oakland Raiders until 2019. He is a member of the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.