Tag: St. Louis Battlehawks

St. Louis Battlehawks DL Freedom Akinmoladun invited to tryout for Chiefs

The #Chiefs are taking a look at the XFL talent pool as they’re set to host a St. Louis Battlehawks defensive lineman for a tryout.

The Kansas City Chiefs are taking a look at what the XFL has to offer.

According to the XFL’s official Twitter account, the Chiefs have invited St. Louis Battlehawks DL Freedom Akinmoladun for a tryout. This is the first player from the XFL that has reportedly been brought into Kansas City for a tryout.

An undrafted free agent out of Nebraska in 2019, Akinmoladun is a Grandview, Missouri native who played at Grandview High School. He started his collegiate career as a tight end before switching to play defensive line for the Corn Huskers. He played three seasons in the NFL (2019-2021), spending time with each the New York Giants, New York Jets, Tennessee Titans and Cincinnati Bengals. He appeared in just five total NFL games, recording two tackles.

The 6-foot-4 and 286-pound defender appeared in 10 games with the St. Louis Battlehawks in the XFL during their inaugural season back under new management. The 27-year-old recorded 14 total tackles and one sack in 56 snaps on the year.

In addition to the Chiefs, Akinmoladun has also been invited to Miami Dolphins rookie minicamp.

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Dolphins invite XFL DE to minicamp

He played 10 games for the Battlehawks this season.

The Miami Dolphins added four players over the course of the 2023 NFL draft as well as over 20 undrafted free agents after the three-day event concluded.

Now, Miami’s focus turns to their offseason program, with rookie minicamp just around the corner. The Dolphins have invited a few players that we know about to the minicamp, including Harvard running back Aidan Borguet, Wyoming offensive lineman Eric Abojei and Duke cornerback Datrone Young.

The most recent reported player to receive an invite isn’t coming from the collegiate game but actually from the XFL. According to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, St. Louis Battlehawks defensive end Freedom Akinmoladun has been asked to join.

Akinmoladun appeared in 10 games for the Battlehawks this year, recording 14 tackles and one sack.

Prior to his XFL experience, he spent a season in the USFL and parts of three seasons in the NFL, with the New York Giants, Cincinnati Bengals, Tennesee Titans and New York Jets.

He’s appeared in five NFL games just four tackles.

With Miami’s depth on the defensive line and edge, Akinmoladun would really have to impress Mike McDaniel and Vic Fangio during this minicamp to earn a contract.

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Sea Dragons win, earn final XFL playoff spot via tiebreaker

The Seattle Sea Dragons earn an XFL playoff berth via the fifth tiebreaker

At the end of a difficult week, the Seattle Sea Dragons won an XFL game on Sunday and earned the final playoff spot in the league’s playoffs via a tiebreaker.

The Sea Dragons’ Chris Smith died on Monday at the age of 31. He had played for the team eight days earlier, making two tackles.

With Smith’s jersey hanging on the team’s sideline, and his No. 42 on the back of all the team’s helmets, they went out and downed the Vegas Vipers, 28-9.

The Sea Dragons and St. Louis Battlehawks each finished 7-3. However, the tiebreaking scenario went down to the fifth one and Seattle came out on top.

Seattle will play at the D.C. Defenders in the North Division final on April 30.

The South Division final will see the Houston Roughnecks play host to the Arlington Renegades on Saturday. Houston is 7-3 while the Renegades are 4-6.

XFL Sunday Preview: Sea Dragons need a big win to clinch playoff spot

Seattle has the inside track, but there is work to be done!

The grand finale to the XFL regular season is upon us. After 10 weeks, the re-rebooted XFL is about ready to conclude and move to its first postseason. The Seattle Sea Dragons will end the regular season with a home rematch at Lumen Field against the Vegas Vipers, whom they defeated 30-26 in Week 3 this year.

The Sea Dragons have the inside track to the playoffs over the St. Louis Battlehawks, but they still have work to do. Had St. Louis lost to the Orlando Guardians, all Seattle would’ve needed was an outright win over Vegas to clinch. Unfortunately, the Battlehawks pasted the Guardians 53-28.

While a St. Louis defeat would make this a lot simpler, the good news is the Sea Dragons now have a barometer of what they need to do on Sunday afternoon. If both teams win, then it goes to an intricate tiebreaker based on points scored and points allowed. The XFL’s website has an excellent explanation on the full details, but here is what you need to know:

  • St. Louis has scored 249 points in the regular season, while allowing 202
  • Seattle, to date, has scored 215 and allowed 168 – the best in the north division.

Bottom line: Seattle needs to score more than 34 points on Sunday – while also not allowing 34 points themselves – to edge out the Battlehawks for a playoff spot. If the Sea Dragons can score 35 points and allow less than 34, they are in the postseason over St. Louis. If they score less, then it goes to further tiebreakers.

Of course, all of this is moot if Seattle can’t win on Sunday.

The Sea Dragons will kick off on Sunday at 4:00 pm Pacific on ESPN2 or ESPN+.

An XFL punter turned a fake punt into a wild 84-yard touchdown pass to a former NFL tight end

A fake punt led to a wild 84-yard touchdown for the XFL’s Orlando Guardians.

While the Orlando Guardians aren’t having the best season in the XFL, they sure do have a punter who can chuck it.

During Saturday’s road game against the St. Louis Battlehawks, the 1-8 Guardians took a lead on a perfectly executed fake punt.

To start, Orlando punter Mac Brown, formerly of Ole Miss, threw an absurd pass to former Houston Texans tight end Jordan Thomas on 4th and 21 from the Guardians’ side of the field.

Thomas snagged the ball and stormed to the end zone to give the Guardians an advantage over the Battlehawks during the game’s second quarter. The entire touchdown play would go for 84 yards.

The touchdown pass is Brown’s second in two games on a fake punt formation, which could be a hint to NFL teams that he’d be quite an addition to any special teams unit.

Thomas also deserved a ton of credit for hauling in the pass and making such an impressive scramble to the end zone.

Hey, maybe NFL scouts will watch this play and give both Brown and Thomas chances in training camp. Put those two together, and maybe you’ll strike gold on any fake punt formation.

Feature photo courtesy of ESPN.

XFL Week 9 preview

The Sea Dragons need a win in the worst way

We’re officially down to the final two-week stretch of the XFL season. The playoffs are inching ever closer, but unfortunately, the Seattle Sea Dragons no longer control their own destiny.

In the XFL, there are two divisions and the top two teams from each division qualify for a one-game semifinal playoff showdown. The Sea Dragons are currently sitting in 3rd place, thanks to a narrow 34-33 loss to the division-leading DC Defenders. Losing last week really put Seattle behind the 8-ball, as the St. Louis Battlehawks came back and won 21-17 in double overtime – thanks to former Seahawk draft pick Gary Jennings.

Now the Sea Dragons have their rematch St. Louis on Sunday afternoon. The Battlehawks already took one at Lumen Field in Week 2, winning 20-18 on a last second field goal. If Seattle wants any slim chance of the playoffs, winning on Sunday is a necessity.

The Sea Dragons kick off at 12:00 pm Pacific on Sunday, airing on ESPN and ESPN+.

XFL: Sea Dragons fall 34-33 to DC Defenders

It was a costly defeat for Seattle

The Seattle Sea Dragons’ reign of terror over the XFL has come to an end. On Sunday night, Seattle narrowly lost to the first place DC Defenders at Lumen Field by a score of 34-33. It was a game the Sea Dragons desperately needed to win. Alas, no cigar.

Seattle fought valiantly after their 16-6 halftime deficit, but could not overcome the Defenders. On the Sea Dragons’ final possession, they did score a touchdown. Unfortunately, the ensuing two-point conversion was unsuccessful, as was the 4th-and-15 “onside” conversion attempt to gain one final possession.

The Seattle defense that was so stout the week prior struggled to contain DC, and allowed two touchdown drives in the 4th quarter alone.

Sunday was a costly defeat for the Sea Dragons, especially since the St. Louis Battlehawks won this weekend as well. Now the Battlehawks are a full game and a half ahead of Seattle.

The Sea Dragons head to the Gateway to the West next week for a rematch with the Battlehawks. A win is required if they want to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.

XFL: Pressure continues to mount for the Seattle Sea Dragons

A win over the DC Defenders is crucial for the standings and to keep pace with St. Louis

Time is running out on this XFL season, and the margin of error continues to shrink for the Seattle Sea Dragons. Despite being the hottest team in the league, winners of five-straight, the Sea Dragons remain on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoff picture.

In the XFL, there are two divisions of four teams, with the top two qualifying for the postseason. Unfortunately, thanks to their Week 2 loss to the St. Louis Battlehawks, the Sea Dragons remain a half-game behind them. This means they remain 3rd in the standings.

Now they host the first place DC Defenders. DC is tough, but they showed some cracks in the armor last week by losing 37-36 to the previously winless Orlando Guardians.

It is critical they bring the Defenders down into a three-way tie at 6-2 between Seattle, DC and St. Louis. It will be a rematch of Week 1, and the Sea Dragons won’t get another crack at them unless they face off in the playoffs. More important than simply getting a win is keeping pace with the Battlehawks, who Seattle will take on in Week 9.

XFL: Former Seahawk Gary Jennings scores TD on fake punt in STL win

The Battlehawks win, thanks to a former Seahawks 2019 draft pick

Much to the dismay of the Seattle Sea Dragons, their division rivals the St. Louis Battlehawks prevailed once more… thanks, in part, to a former Seattle Seahawk draft pick.

In one of the more exciting comebacks of the XFL season, the Battlehawks outlasted the Las Vegas Vipers – who put up stiff resistance – by a score of 21-17 in two rounds of overtime. In the XFL, overtime is alternating 2-point conversion attempts. Each team gets at least three attempts, and St. Louis capitalized on their first two while Vegas did not.

However, it was a long process to even force overtime. Things did not look good for the Battlehawks, who trailed 17-8 with a little over five minutes left in the game. Facing a 4th-and-6, St. Louis dug deep in the playbook dialed up the right call.

The receiver who caught the pass was none other than former Seattle Seahawks draft pick Gary Jennings. Originally selected by the Seahawks in the 4th round of the 2019 NFL Draft, Jennings did not play for Seattle in a regular season game. He then bounced around the league from practice squad to practice squad, unable to find a permanent home.

Now, he is helping his XFL team win games. Unfortunately, at the expense of Seattle, who truly needs to win against the DC Defenders on Sunday evening.

Battlehawks top Vipers, 21-17, in XFL overtime clash

The Battlehawks won by 4 in XFL overtime against Vegas

Here’s something you don’t see every day — any day? — in a pro football game.

St. Louis Battlehawks 21, Vegas Vipers 17 in overtime.

Yes, the Battlehawks, minus quarterback A.J. McCarron (shoulder) rallied and downed Vegas by 4 points in OT.

How do you get a 4-point difference in a game that went to OT?

The XFL overtime rules feature a three-round shootout, where each team goes for 2-point conversions until the game is decided.

St. Louis was successful Saturday on its first 2-point conversions in OT.

Vegas appeared to have converted on its first try to start the first OT session in XFL 2023 but the replay booth said the player had been stopped short of the goal line.

After St. Louis went up 19-17 on a Nick Triano pass to Hakeem Butler, Vegas was called for offensive pass interference on its apparently successful conversion.

The penalty negated the conversion and gave St. Louis a chance to win the game.

Brian Hill took a handoff and ran into the end zone.

And that’s how you wind up with a 4-point difference in a football game that went to overtime.

Only in the XFL.

The Battlehawks, who specialize in comebacks, got a touchdown on a fake punt.