Tag: USFL

Former Georgia Bulldogs DT signs with USFL team

Former Georgia Bulldogs defensive tackle signs with the Memphis Showboats in the USFL

Former Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman John Atkins has signed with the USFL’s Memphis Showboats. Atkins’ most recent professional football stint was with the Tampa Bay Bandits in the USFL.

The Thomson, Georgia, native went undrafted in 2018 but signed an undrafted free agent deal with the New England Patriots the same year. Atkins spent time with the Detroit Lions in 2019-2020 and with the Atlanta Falcons in 2021 before this move to the USFL.

John Atkins has 22 tackles in his NFL career. Last season, the USFL ran from April to July. Atkins, who played for Georgia from 2013 to 2017, racked up 81 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and five pass breakups in his career with the Bulldogs.

The Memphis Showboats announced the signing of John Atkins via social media:

We wish Atkins luck with the Memphis Showboats. The XFL and USFL combined ahead of next season. The Memphis Showboats are one of four USFL teams in the merger.

 

Dolphins to work out former 49ers LB again

The Dolphins will host the LB on another workout.

The Miami Dolphins got some fairly good news on Monday, as linebacker Jerome Baker’s MRI revealed an MCL injury that will have him considered week-to-week.

Still, the Dolphins, who are pursuing the top seed in the AFC and a deep postseason run, are considering outside help to, perhaps, fill in, in the meantime.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Dolphins will host former San Francisco 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster for a workout on Wednesday.

Foster, 29, was originally selected by the 49ers with the 31st overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft after a collegiate career at Alabama that included a national championship and a First-team All-SEC appearance.

In 16 games over his first two seasons, Foster recorded 101 tackles (10 for a loss), seven quarterback hits and two passes defensed. Legal issues led to his release by the 49ers in 2018. He spent time with Washington, but a torn ACL cost him his 2019 and 2020 seasons.

He was unsigned through 2021 and 2022, but he did work out with teams, including the Dolphins. And, this past year, he joined the Pittsburgh Maulers of the USFL in 2023. He recorded 53 tackles, one interception and a half-sack in his first season in the league.

Miami has some in-house options to fill the immediate hole left by Baker’s absence, including David Long Jr., Duke Riley and Channing Tindall. However, Foster might be as competitive as some of the team’s depth options at the position.

Former Notre Dame soccer star ties NFL record

Hollywood couldn’t write a better script.

The Dallas Cowboys have as good of kicker as there is the NFL this season.  Rookie placekicker Brandon Aubrey was 2-2 on field goal attempts for Dallas on Sunday, making him 18-18 on the season.  That 18-18 start ties an NFL record for most successful field goal attempts to begin a career.

If you’re here at Fighting Irish Wire then we assume you’re a fairly big Notre Dame football fan.  We also assume you know all about Brandon Aubrey’s career playing with the gold helmet.

Except Aubrey didn’t play football at Notre Dame, he only played soccer.  Aubrey was a defender for the Irish who scored 15 goals in 76 career games for the Irish.

Aubrey was drafted by Toronto FC of the MLS after his senior year but his professional soccer career lasted just a year.  Four years later he gave placekicking a shot and earned a spot on the USFL’s Birmingham Stallions where he made 14 of 15 attempts and all 35 extra point attempts last season.

That strong season led to a tryout with the Cowboys, one that Aubrey ran with, earning the starting kicking job this training camp.

Aubrey is now 18-18 on field goal attempts this year, tying him with Travis Coons of the Cleveland Browns in 2015 for the most successful field goal attempts to begin an NFL career.

Aubrey connected on two field goals Sunday as the Cowboys moved to 5-2 with a 43-20 win over the Los Angeles Rams.

Check out some of the best kicking photos of Brandon Aubrey below.  

XFL and USFL announce intent to merge

The XFL and USFL announce plans to merge

If you can’t succeed on your own, why not try and merge?

The XFL, which has already failed twice, and the USFL, which fell apart once decades ago, announced Thursday they are planning to merge.

It looks like the new league will be called the National Spring Football League.

The XFL is run by Dwayne Johnson and Co.

While this is a significant step, there is no guarantee a second league, even in the Spring, will succeed.

It is worth a try, as they say.

XFL, USFL holding significant merger talks

The XFL and USFL are on the verge of merging

Two “other” football leagues are looking to become one.

Axios.com reported Tuesday that the XFL and USFL are in advanced talks to merge. An announcement could come later this week.

Per the report:

The merger would be structured as a merger of equals and would require regulatory approval, one of the sources said. The leagues hope to combine before the 2024 seasons.

  • Fox Corp. owns the USFL, while the XFL is owned by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, his business partner Dany Garcia, and RedBird Capital Partners.
  • Game broadcasts of the combined league are likely to be split between Fox and XFL media partner Disney, according to the source. The USFL also has a broadcast agreement with NBC, although it’s not yet been determined if that will continue.

The XFL is on its third attempt to succeed with the first two failing under WWE boss Vince McMahon.

The USFL had a much stronger run decades ago before failing in part due to a legal flop that included Donald Trump.

The USFL filed an antitrust lawsuit with the NFL and won the case for just $1. The three-year court battle added to the league’s financial woes and the USFL was forced to close operations in 1986.

 

Trey Quinn getting another chance in the NFL after USFL stint

Trey Quinn spent two years at LSU before leading the country in catches at SMU.

A former LSU Tiger will be getting another chance in the NFL after a stint in the USFL.

Wide receiver [autotag]Trey Quinn[/autotag] joined the Detroit Lions in training camp.

Quinn last appeared in the NFL with the Jaguars in 2020. Before that, he spent two years with Washington, where he caught 35 passes and two touchdowns.

Quinn spent two years at LSU before transferring to SMU to finish his career. At SMU in 2017, he led the country in catches with 114 and racked up 1,236 yards.

According to Nick Baumgardner, Quinn made a strong initial impression.

It was another stark reminder of the misused talent throughout the [autotag]Les Miles[/autotag] era. Quinn was a blue-chip talent in 2014, but just like so many other talented receivers, he was never able to maximize his skills in LSU’s outdated attack.

In the USFL last year, Quinn finished 11th in receiving yards and fifth in touchdowns. He’ll now try to make the most of his second chance in the NFL.

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Packers bringing back center Cole Schneider after stint in USFL

The Packers are bringing back center Cole Schneider after he played this past season with the Birmingham Stallions of the USFL.

The Green Bay Packers are signing center Cole Schneider after a workout, per Aaron Wilson.

The team will need to make a corresponding move to fit Schneider on the 90-man roster.

Schneider signed with the Packers as an undrafted free agent out of UCF following the 2022 NFL draft. He was released during the first round of cuts last August, although an ankle injury played a role in his departure.

Schneider joined the Birmingham Stallions of the USFL this past season and appeared in nine games. He was a teammate of Pckers quarterback Alex McGough and former Packers tight end Jace Sternberger.

Schneider started 47 games for UCF.

The Packers clearly see a need for more depth at center. The team claimed James Empey off of waivers from the Tennessee Titans on Monday.

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Lions sign wide receiver Trey Quinn, waive Tom Kennedy

The Detroit Lions sign wide receiver Trey Quinn, waive WR Tom Kennedy

The Detroit Lions waived wide receiver Tom Kennedy, the team announced on Friday. Kennedy was waived with injury status. To replace Kennedy on the roster, the team signed wide receiver Trey Quinn.

Coming out of SMU for the 2018 NFL Draft, Quinn was a 6’0″ and 203 pound receiver that ran the 40-yard dash in 4.55 seconds and had a 3-cone drill of 6.91 seconds. He originally played football at LSU before transferring to SMU.

When going through the draft process, there was speculation that he could be a 4th or 5th round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. However, he ended up being the Draft’s Mr. Irrelevant as the last pick after he was selected by Washington.

Quinn ended up playing two seasons with Washington before being waived in September of 2020. During that time, he recorded 35 receptions for 273 yards and two touchdowns.

After being put on waivers, he was signed to the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad. As his practice squad contract expired, he ended up in Las Vegas before being placed on injured reserve.

Since then, he has had a brief stint with the Denver Broncos and ended up being a key contributor at receiver for the Michigan Panthers this spring in the USFL. For the Panthers, he ended up posting 37 receptions for 438 yards and four touchdowns.

As the Lions continue to look for depth at wide receiver, Quinn will look to make the teams 53-man roster. Players such as Marvin Jones and Jameson Williams not practicing due to injury and being on the NFI list will give Quinn the opportunity to compete.

Twitter reacts: Deon Cain signs with the Philadelphia Eagles, per reports

Deon Cain is back in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Former Clemson wide receiver Deon Cain had a successful season in the USFL, leading the Birmingham Stallions to a USFL Championship win, where he won MVP for his excellent performance. 

Following his impressive MVP performance, where he recorded four catches for 70 yards and three touchdowns, Cain was released from his contract with the Stallions as he was expected to sign with an NFL team. That has now happened, with reports releasing that Cain has signed a contract to join the Philadelphia Eagles. 

Much deserved, Cain has an opportunity to earn a roster spot with the defending NFC champions and make an impact for the team. Here is a look at how Twitter reacted to Cain singing with the Eagles.

Former Clemson wide receiver Deon Cain signs with the Philadelphia Eagles, per report

USFL Championship MVP Deon Cain has signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, per reports.

Former Clemson wide receiver Deon Cain is returning to the NFL. 

After reports that Cain worked out with the Eagles on Tuesday, Cain is signing with the Eagles, per NFL insider Aaron Wilson. The USFL Championship Game MVP is now back in the NFL after working hard to earn his place in the league. 

In Cain’s MVP performance, he caught four passes for 70 yards and three touchdowns, adding 101 return yards in the Birmingham Stallions’ 28-12 win over the Pittsburgh Maulers. A star in the USFL, Cain will look to work his way into playing time with the defender NFC Champions. 

During his career with the Tigers, Cain had 130 receptions for 2,040 yards and 20 touchdowns over 42 games (14 starts). The former Tiger is back where he belongs.

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