Tag: Houston Roughnecks

Countdown to Kickoff, Day 95: Jack Heflin is the Saints Player of the Day

Jack Heflin spent the 2023 season on the Saints practice squad, but he’s hoping to make the team in 2024. He’s our Saints Player of Day 95 as we count down to kickoff:

We’ve got 95 days to go until the New Orleans Saints kick off their 2024 season against the Carolina Panthers, which means the current owner of the No. 95 jersey is our Saints player of the day. That’s defensive tackle Jack Heflin, who spent the 2023 season on the Saints practice squad. He’s hoping to make the team in 2024. Here’s some more information about him:

  • Name (Age): Jack Heflin (26)
  • Position: Defensive tackle
  • Height, weight: 6-foot-3, 304 pounds
  • Relative Athletic Score: 4.93
  • 2024 salary cap hit: $915,000
  • College: Iowa, Northern Illinois
  • Drafted: Undrafted in 2021 (Green Bay Packers)
  • NFL experience: 2 seasons

There’s room for one more defensive tackle in the Saints’ rotation after they let Malcolm Roach leave in free agency, and while Khristian Boyd is the early favorite to win that roster spot we can’t rule out guys like Heflin. Veteran free agent pickup Kendal Vickers is also in the mix, as is undrafted rookie Kyler Baugh.

So what could set Heflin apart? He already has a year of experience in the system working with the same coaches, which is significant. Before he came to New Orleans he played spring football with the Houston Roughnecks, where he earned All-XFL recognition. We’ll have to wait and see whether the lessons he’s learned translate to greater success in 2024. Heflin has a great opportunity in front of him. Now he needs to seize it.

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Jarrett Guarantano by the numbers against San Antonio

Former Vol Jarrett Guarantano by the numbers against San Antonio in the UFL.

San Antonio (5-2) defeated Houston (1-6), 15-12, at Rice Stadium in Houston, Texas during Week 7 of the inaugural UFL season.

Former Vol and Houston quarterback Jarrett Guarantano completed 11-of-18 passing attempts for 121 yards. He also recorded 14 yards on three rushing attempts.

Guarantano played quarterback at Tennessee from 2016-20. He appeared in 41 games for the Vols, totaling 6,174 passing yards, 38 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.

Guarantano transferred to Washington State in 2021. He was not selected in the 2022 NFL draft.

Houston will next play on Saturday at Birmingham. Kickoff between the Roughnecks and Stallions is slated for 8 p.m. EDT and will be televised by ESPN2.

READ: Former Vols on 2024 UFL rosters

Joseph Buvid-USA TODAY Sports

Jarrett Guarantano by the numbers at DC

Former Vol Jarrett Guarantano by the numbers against DC in the UFL.

DC (1-1) defeated Houston (0-2), 23-18, at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. during Week 2 of the inaugural UFL season.

Former Vol and Houston quarterback Jarrett Guarantano completed 3-of-8 passing attempts for 23 passing yards. He left the game during the second quarter with a back contusion and was replaced by Reid Sinnett.

Guarantano played quarterback at Tennessee from 2016-20. He appeared in 41 games for the Vols, totaling 6,174 passing yards, 38 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.

Guarantano transferred to Washington State in 2021. He was not selected in the 2022 NFL draft.

Houston will next play on Sunday at Michigan. Kickoff between the Roughnecks and Panthers is slated for noon EDT and will be televised by ABC.

READ: Former Vols on 2024 UFL rosters

Joseph Buvid-USA TODAY Sports

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 Panthers CB Corn Elder scores on 98-yard pick-six for UFL’s Roughnecks

We got a little former Panther-on-former Panther action in the UFL this weekend.

Matt Corral isn’t the only former Carolina Panther who’s made an early impression in the UFL.

On Sunday afternoon, the Houston Roughnecks met up with the DC Defenders as part of the league’s second week of action. Currently sitting in Houston’s secondary is a familiar name in cornerback Corn Elder, who sat on this pass from Defenders quarterback (and another ex-Panther) Jordan Ta’amu:

Elder, who brought the interception back for the game’s first points, spoke about the wild 98-yard return on the Roughnecks sideline shortly after:

Now 29 years old, Elder was selected by the Panthers in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL draft. The Murfreesboro, Tenn. native came into the league as a first-team All-ACC selection from the University of Miami (Fla.), where he stayed for four seasons.

He ultimately racked up three stints with the Panthers up until 2021. Elder appeared in 30 games for Carolina, totaling 43 combined tackles, a forced fumble and three passes defensed.

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Jarrett Guarantano by the numbers against Memphis

Former Vol Jarrett Guarantano by the numbers against Memphis in the UFL.

Memphis (1-0) defeated Houston (0-1), 18-12, at Rice Stadium in Houston, Texas during Week 1 of the inaugural UFL season.

Former Vol Jarrett Guarantano completed 16-of-21 passing attempts for 157 passing yards for Houston. He also recorded 22 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown.

Guarantano played quarterback at Tennessee from 2016-20. He appeared in 41 games for the Vols, totaling 6,174 passing yards, 38 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.

Guarantano transferred to Washington State in 2021. He was not selected in the 2022 NFL draft.

Houston will next play on Sunday at DC. Kickoff between the Roughnecks and Defenders is slated for 4 p.m. EST and will be televised by Fox.

READ: Former Vols on 2024 UFL rosters

Joseph Buvid-USA TODAY Sports

Former Alabama LB Reuben Foster has impressive UFL debut for Houston Roughnecks

Former Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster had a good showing in his UFL debut with the Houston Roughnecks. Foster recorded six tackles and one interception.

One former Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker starred in his UFL (United Football League) debut. On Sunday, Houston Roughnecks linebacker Reuben Foster recorded six tackles and one interception.

Foster has had an uphill battle since declaring for the NFL draft in 2017. He has had to overcome multiple injuries and off-the-field issues to get to where he is now. However, Foster has persevered and has put himself in a position to earn a spot on an NFL roster in the future.

Last year, Foster suited up for the Pittsburgh Maulers of the USFL. As a Mauler, Foster recorded 52 tackles and one interception.

It will be interesting to see how Foster performs in the newly-created, UFL  this season. He is one of several former five-star recruits participating in the league this season.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow former Alabama football players in the UFL.

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.

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.