NFL
By: Brock Vierra
We begin with congratulations to the 2023 XFL Champions, the Arlington Renegades. The Renegades who ended the regular season under .500 went into the dance due to the division structure of the league, much to the chagrin of St. Louis Battlehawk fans. Wasting no time making the most of their opportunity, they went on the road to upset the division favorites Houston Roughnecks before knocking off the D.C. Defenders in the championship game.
The win is a beautiful redemption story for Renegades QB Luis Perez who was traded to Arlington mid-season from Vegas. The turnover-prone QB put in a stellar performance in Bob Stoops’ offense with 26 completions on 36 passes with 3 TDs and 0 INTs. He did lose a fumble but when you win the championship game by nine points while the bookies expected you to lose by 8.5, enjoy the night young man.
Bob Stoops is once again a champion. Over 20 years removed from his national title with Oklahoma, Stoops guided the Renegades through murky waters in the regular season to finish on top. Aided by the fact that his squad was the only team not required to travel every week (XFL headquarters and team practices are held in Arlington, TX), the Renegades came into the playoffs with nothing to lose and a little bit more rest than everyone else. It would not surprise me if the XFL wasn’t his final stop. Though dedicated to the retired life, it seems various football opportunities have pulled him off the golf course and if Brent Venables fails to work out in Norman, we could once again see Stoops in Sooner red. Even sweeter for Stoops, the Alamodome is now home to his final win as a collegiate head coach and his first professional championship.
For the losers, not all is lost. A bitter ending to an outstanding season has boosted the stock of Defenders HC Reggie Barlow and his players. Jordan Ta’amu could once again see another NFL opportunity arise as he guided his team to a 10-2 record while DC Gregg Williams has rebounded from the horrific end of his NFL career. For Barlow, like Stoops, a career back in college could come calling soon. Barlow who has spent the majority of his career at HBCU programs Alabama State and Virginia State has proven he can coach with the best. Expect a Power 5 school to call soon. As for his workhorse running back Abram Smith, the league loves ball carries that can produce for cheap so expect the XFL rushing yards leader to be back on your TVs real soon.
For players and coaches of the league, the XFL represents redemption. The Battlehawks of St. Louis, the pride of spring football was a sight to see. The city set an attendance record, the place was jumping and for QB A.J. McCarron, he got a chance to show his kids what daddy does best. No longer will his children have to hear stories of how great his dad was or watch highlights of his dad in college while Brent Musburger drools over their mom, they got to see Dad play live and that is a beautiful thing. The bond between father and son is a strong, important one that can help a person grow so much in their personal and professional lives. For Battlehawks WR Austin Proehl and WRs coach and former St. Louis Ram Ricky Proehl, it’s like Deja Vu. On the same field where he tore it up as a member of the greatest show on turf, where he caught the game-winning touchdown against Tampa Bay in the NFCGC to take the Rams to the Super Bowl, he watched his son zip by DBs on his own way to the end zone.
Up in the pacific northwest, three former head coaches in Jim Haslett, Ron Zook, and June Jones guided the Sea Dragons to a 7-3 record and a dramatic win on the final day of the season to clinch a playoff spot for Seattle. Jones who was the HC of the Houston Roughnecks in 2020 already proved his Run N’ Shoot offense is a catalyst for players to return to the NFL. His work with P.J. Walker has proven dividend as Walker has spent the past three seasons in the league and having already signed a contract with the Chicago Bears, expect a fourth year as well. Josh Gordon looked decent at times but it was Jahcour Pearson who stole the show. One of the league’s best should expect a call from the NFL soon. For Jones who was rumored to get the Hawaii job, expect him and Zook to return to the XFL as head coaches alongside Haslett in 2023.
Wade Phillips and the Houston Roughnecks looked like early XFL favorites and they essentially cruised to the number one seed in the South Divison conference. A potent offensive attack brewed in the Air Raid offense supplemented by Phillips’ 3-4 defense gave fans a lot to love. OLB Trent Harris finished the year as the XFL sack leader but an upset loss to Arlington in the playoffs brought back some tough feelings for Phillips who is notorious for his inability to win in the postseason.
Some of the first-time head coaches struggled in their opening campaigns. Vegas Vipers’ Rod Woodson, Orlando Guardians’ Terrell Buckley, and San Antonio Brahmas’ Hines Ward combined for a record of six wins and 24 losses. It’s even worse when four of those six wins came against each other. Expect these teams and these coaches to improve and I have personally talked to Coach Buckley who said that he will be re-evaluating his drafting process while providing the often overlooked fact that these rosters were created in one draft. He’s identified his weaknesses and will be making the proper changes.
As for the players, we expected the “big names” to shine against “inferior” competition or players not to the standards of the NFL. We…more so I should say I was wrong. It was the unknown guys, the small school players, the players who were buried on the depth chart at big-name programs who showed up and balled out. I can not wait to see how the league improves and how the future turns out for these players and coaches. I hope to be back next year to cover the Vipers and the league, having the opportunity to watch these guys prepare and compete has been one of the privileges of my life. To the players, I say thank you for all you do for the game. How you prepare, how you play, and how you faced the mental, physical, and spiritual strain of professional football is a testament to your personal character and the human spirit. To the coaches, who have to find answers to questions not asked yet, and who face criticism from those who sit in an air-conditioned press box all night long, I say you are the pillar upon which the foundation of a great success story is built. To all who sit and answer questions at press conferences after giving your all to this game, after achieving great victories, after suffering demoralizing defeats, I say thank you and I appreciate you. To this and to those who followed my work, I say thank you and I leave you with the humbleness of a man looking for an opportunity like all those associated with the XFL. Enjoy this last piece of coverage with my XFL First Team Selections. Till next year, I say goodnight.
XFL First Team Offense
QB: Jordan Ta’amu, D.C. Defenders
RB: Abram Smith, D.C. Defenders
RB: Brian Hill, St. Louis Battlehawks
WR: Jahcour Pearson, Seattle Sea Dragons
WR: Lucky Jackson, D.C. Defender
WR: Hakeem Butler, St. Louis Battlehawks
TE: Cody Latimer, Orlando Guardians
OT: Jaryd Jones-Smith, St. Louis Battlehawks
OG: Steven Gonzalez, St. Louis Battlehawks
C: Mike Panasiuk, St. Louis Battlehawks
OG: G Liam Fornadel, D.C. Defenders
OT: Colin Kelly, Seattle Sea Dragons
XFL First Team Defense
EDGE: Trent Harris, Houston Roughnecks
EDGE: Pita Taumoepenu, Vegas Vipers
DL: Drew Beesley, San Antonio Brahmas
DL: Davin Bellamy, D.C. Defenders
DL: Austin Faoliu, Seattle Sea Dragons
LB: Jordan Williams, San Antonio Brahmas
LB: Tavante Beckett, Houston Roughnecks
LB: C.J. Avery, Vegas Vipers
DB: Deontay Anderson, Vegas Vipers
DB: Ajene Harris, Houston Roughnecks
DB: Lavert Hill, St. Louis Battlehawks
DB: Luq Barcoo, San Antonio Brahmas
XFL First Team Special Teams
K: John Parker Romo, San Antonio Brahmas
P: Daniel Whelan, D.C. Defenders
Returner: Darrius Sheppard, St. Louis Battlehawks
XFL Head Coach of the Year
HC: Tied. Reggie Barlow, D.C. Defenders/ Bob Stoops, Arlington Renegades
