| 2023 Memphis Showboats season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | National Spring Football League Enterprises Co, LLC, (Fox Sports) |
| General manager | Dave Razzano |
| Head coach | Todd Haley |
| Home field | Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 5–5 |
| League place | 4th in South Division |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
The 2023 season was the Memphis Showboats' inaugural season in the United States Football League, their first at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, and their first under the head coach/general manager tandem of Todd Haley and Dave Razzano. [1]
Shortly before the completion of the 2022 season, the USFL announced plans to move into two or four hubs for teams to play in. [2] In November, the USFL was reportedly exploring options of having a hub in Metro Detroit, with possible locations being the Eastern Michigan Eagles' Rynearson Stadium and the Detroit Lions' Ford Field. [3]
When it was announced that the Showboats would be added to the USFL to take the place of the former Tampa Bay Bandits, it was announced that Memphis would be one of the hub cities for the 2023 season. They will share their hub with the Houston Gamblers. [4]
The Showboats clinched the 4th pick in the 2023 USFL draft and hold the fourth pick in each round.
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Mason Brooks | Offensive tackle | Mississippi State | |
| 2 | 11 | Isaiah Bolden | Cornerback | Jackson State | |
| 3 | 19 | Brevin Allen | Defensive end | Campbell | |
| 4 | 27 | Benny Sapp III | Defensive back | Northern Iowa | |
| 5 | 35 | Michael Ezeike | Tight end | UCLA | |
| 6 | 43 | Jerome Carvin | Offensive lineman | Tennessee | |
| 7 | 51 | Nehemiah Shelton | Cornerback | San Jose State | |
| 8 | 59 | Trea Shropshire | Wide receiver | UAB | |
| 9 | 67 | Silas Dzansi | Offensive lineman | Virginia Tech | |
| 10 | 75 | Antonio Fletcher | Safety | Southern Illinois |
The Showboats, like all other teams, have a 38-man active roster with a 7-man practice squad. [5]
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
| Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
| Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
| Reserve lists
Rookies in italics | ||||||
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
| Defensive coaches
|
| Week | Date | Time (ET) | Opponent | Result | Record | TV | Venue | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 15 | 4:30 p.m. | vs. Philadelphia Stars | L 23–27 | 0–1 | Fox | Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | April 22 | 7:00 p.m. | at Birmingham Stallions | L 2–42 | 0–2 | Fox | Protective Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | April 29 | 7:00 p.m. | at Houston Gamblers | L 26–30 | 0–3 | Fox | Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | May 6 | 7:30 p.m. | at Michigan Panthers | W 29–10 | 1–3 | NBC | Ford Field | Recap |
| 5 | May 14 | 3:00 p.m. | at New Orleans Breakers | W 17–10 | 2–3 | Fox | Protective Stadium | Recap |
| 6 | May 20 | 12:30 p.m. | vs. Pittsburgh Maulers | W 22–0 | 3–3 | USA | Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium | Recap |
| 7 | May 28 | 3:00 p.m. | vs. Houston Gamblers | W 23–20 | 4–3 | USA | Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium | Recap |
| 8 | June 4 | 1:00 p.m. | at New Jersey Generals | W 25–16 | 5–3 | Fox | Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium | Recap |
| 9 | June 10 | 3:00 p.m. | vs. New Orleans Breakers | L 3–31 | 5–4 | NBC, CNBC [lower-alpha 1] | Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium | Recap |
| 10 | June 17 | 4:00 p.m. | vs. Birmingham Stallions | L 20–27 | 5–5 | Fox | Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium | Recap |
Bold indicates divisional opponent.
| South Division | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | W | L | PCT | GB | DIV | PF | PA | STK | |||
| 1 | (y) Birmingham Stallions | 8 | 2 | .800 | - | 4–2 | 287 | 196 | W5 | ||
| 2 | (x) New Orleans Breakers | 7 | 3 | .700 | 1 | 4–2 | 237 | 184 | W3 | ||
| 3 | (e) Houston Gamblers | 5 | 5 | .500 | 3 | 2–4 | 223 | 236 | L2 | ||
| 4 | (e) Memphis Showboats | 5 | 5 | .500 | 3 | 2–4 | 190 | 213 | L2 | ||
| (x)–clinched playoff berth; (y)–clinched division; (e)–eliminated from playoff contention | |||||||||||
The Memphis Showboats were an American football franchise in the United States Football League. They entered the league in its expansion in 1984 and made the 1985 playoffs, losing in the semifinal round to the Oakland Invaders. Perhaps the most prominent players on the Showboats' roster during their two seasons of existence were future Pro Football Hall of Fame member Reggie White and future professional wrestler "The Total Package" Lex Luger.
Sage Surratt is an American football tight end for the Memphis Showboats of the United Football League (UFL). He was signed by the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent after not being selected in the 2021 NFL Draft, and was on their practice squad for 2021. He played college football at Wake Forest.
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The Memphis Showboats are a professional American football team based in Memphis, Tennessee. They compete in the United Football League (UFL). The team is owned and operated by Dwayne Johnson's Alpha Acquico and Fox Corporation. The Showboats play their home games at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.
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The 2023 USFL Championship Game was an American football game that was played on July 1, 2023, at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. The contest determined the champion of the 2023 USFL season and was played between the Pittsburgh Maulers and the Birmingham Stallions, eventually crowning Birmingham the champion of the league for the second year in a row.
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