Tag: D.C. Defenders

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.

 

Report: Vikings working out XFL QB Jordan Ta’amu

With three quarterbacks on the roster, the Minnesota Vikings aren’t done looking at the position.

The Minnesota Vikings are bringing in a quarterback for a workout. According to The Score’s Jordan Schultz, the Minnesota Vikings are bringing in XFL quarterback Jordan Ta’amu for a workout. Last season, he was the starting quarterback for the D.C. Defenders and won XFL player of the year honors.

Going into mandatory minicamp, the Vikings currently have three quarterbacks on the roster in Kirk Cousins, Nick Mullens and fifth-round pick Jaren Hall. When training camp hits, it’s a good thing to have a fourth quarterback around during practices. It will allow receivers to get extra reps which helps the coaching staff make tough decisions.

Ta’amu had a really solid season for the XFL runner-up Defenders. Going 9-1 in the regular season, Ta’amu completed 62.6% of his passes for 1,878 yards, 14 touchdowns and three interceptions along with 301 yards and three touchdowns on 67 carries.

In his professional career, Ta’amu has spent time with the AAF, USFL and XFL while also spending some time with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Commanders sign XFL linebacker

If Ferrod Gardner sounds familiar, he was a part of Washington’s roster in 2022.

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For the second time in a week, the Washington Commanders are adding a player from the XFL to their 90-man roster. Last week, Washington signed offensive tackle Jaryd Jones-Smith, who had spent the spring with the St. Louis Battlehawks and was an All-XFL performer.

On Monday, the XFL Communications Department’s official Twitter account revealed another signing for the Commanders.

D.C. Defenders linebacker/safety Ferrod Gardner.

Does Gardner sound familiar to you?

An undrafted free agent out of Louisiana, Gardner signed with the Commanders after the 2022 NFL draft, where he joined former college teammate Percy Butler.

Gardner spent training camp with Washington, but he was waived last summer. The Commanders re-signed Gardner to the practice squad, where he spent time last season.

At 6-foot-1, 220 pounds, Gardner is a hybrid safety/linebacker, which the Commanders like. Gardner was selected in the 10th round of the XFL draft, and he spent the 2023 season with the Defenders.

The Commanders have yet to announce Gardner’s signing, so we don’t have of a corresponding move as of this time.

D.C. Defenders come up short in the XFL championship game

The Defenders finish the year with a 10-2 record, and had fans in D.C. excited about pro football again.

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Defeating the same team back-to-back in a period of a few weeks can be a difficult task in football. The D.C. Defenders learned this hard lesson Saturday night in the XFL championship, falling to the Arlington Renegades 35-26. Arlington is the first XFL champion since 2001 — the league’s first season in existence.

D.C. and Arlington last met in Week 9 — the second-to-last game of the regular season — and the Defenders walked away with a hard-fought 28-26 overtime win.

In Saturday’s XFL championship played in San Antonio, the Renegades jumped out to a 14-0 lead over D.C. and never looked back. Anytime the Defenders looked like they were about to mount a rally, Arlington responded with either a touchdown or a turnover. D.C. quarterback Jordan Ta’amu, the XFL’s offensive player of the year in 2023, completed 16 of 30 passing attempts for 245 yards and two touchdowns. However, it was his three interceptions that doomed the Defenders.

Meanwhile, his counterpart, Arlington’s Luis Perez, completed 26 of 36 attempts for 288 yards and three touchdowns. Perez was named the MVP of the championship game.

Arlington finished the XFL season 6-6, while the Defenders lost only their second game and finished the year with a 10-2 record.

Overall, it was a successful season for the Defenders, who brought excitement back to the nation’s capital. Audi Field was the best atmosphere in the league, and it was praised by XFL co-owner Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson on multiple occasions. Johnson and fellow owner, Dany Garcia, were in town to present the trophy to the Renegades.

Congrats to the Defenders on a fun and successful season and we look forward to 2024.