Tag: Joe Powell

Will Hill among 6 ex-Giants to pick up XFL championship ring

The Arlington Renegades won the XFL Championship Game on Saturday night and six ex-New York Giants earned themselves a ring.

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The Arlington Renegades (4-6) defeated the D.C. Defenders (9-1), 35-26, on Saturday night to claim the XFL championship. And that improbable victory means several former members of the New York Giants get a ring.

Among them is former Giants defensive coordinator Tim Lewis, who served as the Renegades’ co-defensive coordinator, and former Giants linebackers coach/defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan, who coached linebackers in Arlington.

Also receiving an XFL ring is safety Will Hill, who played for the Giants from 2012-2013 and had a ton of potential but was routinely suspended for violating the NFL’s policy and program for substances of abuse.

Other ex-Giants to pick up an XFL title in 2023 include offensive lineman Garrett McGhin (2022), cornerback Darren Evans (2022) and safety Joe Powell (2016).

In the 35-26 Renegades victory, Evans made five tackles (four solo), while Hill picked up three tackles (two solo) and one pass defensed, and Powell recorded three tackles (one solo) and a key interception off of Hill’s deflection.

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Ex-Giants shined during 2023 XFL regular season

The 2023 XFL regular season has come to a close and several former members of the New York Giants shined bright.

The 2023 XFL season is now in the history books with the league moving forward with playoff football. But it’s never too early to look back and see which players dominated throughout the year.

More than 25 former members of the New York Giants suited up for the XFL’s third iteration and many of them were among those who shined.

Here’s a quick look at those Giants, how they fared, and where they stacked up against the XFL’s other competition (if the numbers are noteworthy enough).

See it: Ex-Giant records first kickoff return for TD in XFL history

Former New York Giants DB Joe Powell recorded the first kickoff return for a touchdown in XFL history over the weekend.

The XFL is unique in many ways, but perhaps none more so than its kickoff rules, which are a far cry from the NFL’s version, even after years of adjustments.

In the XFL, teams kick off from 30-yard line and are required to put the ball into the air and in play between the opponent’s 20-yard line and the end zone. Meanwhile, both the return team and coverage team stand in place at the other 30-yard line and 35-yard line, respectively. Neither side can move until the return man field the ball or three seconds have elapsed once the ball hits the turf.

Here is a more detailed explanation from the XFL:

Entering Week 3 of the regular season, the kickoff has been among the XFL’s most praised changes. And during a game between the New York Guardians and St. Louis BattleHawks on Sunday, the change yielded its first touchdown. And it was an exciting one.

Not only that, the first-ever kickoff return for a touchdown under the new rules came courtesy of Joe Powell, who had a cup of coffee with the Giants in the preseason a few years ago.

Check it out:

“We’ve been practicing it all week, and guys have been blocking it really well. I saw the hole and went for it. Once I got the ball, I heard the crowd, and when I thought I saw the opening, I ran down the sideline as fast as I can because I knew I had a chance to score,” Powell told reporters after the game.

After graduating from the now-defunct Globe Tech in 2014, Powell went undrafted and spent one season in the IFL and another season in the AFL before signing with the Giants in the 2016 preseason.

Powell went on to spend two seasons with the Buffalo Bills before bouncing around to various indoor and outdoor pro leagues.

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