The XFL was a professional American football league that played its only season in 2001. The XFL was operated as a joint venture between the World Wrestling Federation and NBC. The XFL was conceived as an outdoor football league that would begin play immediately after the National Football League (NFL) season ended, to take advantage of the perceived lingering public desire to watch football after the NFL and college football seasons conclude. It was promoted as having fewer rules to encourage rougher play than other major leagues, while its telecasts featured sports entertainment elements inspired by professional wrestling, including heat and kayfabe, and suggestively-dressed cheerleaders. Commentary crews also featured WWF commentators joined by sportscasters and veteran football players. Despite the wrestling influence, the games and their outcomes were legitimate and not based on scripted storylines.
The World Football League (WFL) was an American football league that played one full season in 1974 and most of its second in 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a worldwide stage, only one team – the Hawaiians in Honolulu, Hawaii - was headquartered outside of continental North America. The league folded in 1975 midway through its second season.
The Las Vegas Outlaws were an American football team in the XFL. They played in the Western Division with the Los Angeles Xtreme, San Francisco Demons and Memphis Maniax. They played their home games at Sam Boyd Stadium. On February 3, 2001, The Outlaws hosted the first nationally televised XFL game on NBC against the New York/New Jersey Hitmen.
The Chicago Enforcers were an American football team of the XFL based at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. The XFL was begun by Vince McMahon of the WWE and by NBC, a major television network in the United States. NBC dropped XFL broadcasts after the first season in 2001 due to dismal ratings, and the league was dissolved shortly thereafter.
The Orlando Rage was an American football team based in Orlando, Florida as part of the XFL, begun by Vince McMahon of the World Wrestling Federation and by NBC, a major television network in the United States.
The San Francisco Demons were a short-lived springtime American football team based in San Francisco, California. This team was part of the failed XFL begun by Vince McMahon of World Wrestling Entertainment and by NBC, a major television network in the United States. Originally they were to be based in San Jose but prior to the start of the season they were moved to San Francisco. They were in the Western Division with the Los Angeles Xtreme, Las Vegas Outlaws and Memphis Maniax.
The New York/New Jersey Hitmen were an American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Hitmen were the members of the Eastern Division of the XFL. The team played their home games in Giants Stadium of the Meadowlands Sports Complex.
Patrick Joseph Sullivan was an American professional football player and college coach. An All-America quarterback for the Auburn Tigers, he won the Heisman Trophy in 1971 and then played six seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Atlanta Falcons and Washington Redskins. Sullivan was a head football coach at Samford University, a position he held from 2007 to 2014. He was previously the head football coach at Texas Christian University (TCU) from 1992 to 1997 and the offensive coordinator at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) from 1999 to 2006. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1991.
Tamaurice Nigel "Tee" Martin is an American football coach and former quarterback who is the quarterbacks coach for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as an assistant coach at the University of Tennessee, University of Southern California, University of Kentucky, University of New Mexico, North Atlanta HS, North Cobb HS, and Morehouse College.
Gerard Paul DiNardo is an American former college football player and coach. He played college football as a guard for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish where he was selected as an All-American in 1974. DiNardo served as the head football coach at Vanderbilt University (1991–1994), Louisiana State University (1995–1999), and Indiana University (2002–2004), compiling a career college football record of 59–76–1. In 2001, he was the head coach of the Birmingham Thunderbolts of the XFL.
William Casey Weldon is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles in the late-1980s and early-1990s. During his senior season in 1991, Weldon was a first-team All-American and finished runner-up in the Heisman Trophy balloting to Desmond Howard of Michigan.
Harry Jerome “Jay” Barker is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, earning third-team All-American honors in 1994. After his playing career, he became a Birmingham radio personality.
Peter Vaas is an American football coach and former player. He served as the head football coach at Allegheny College from 1986 to 1989 and at the College of the Holy Cross from 1992 to 1995, compiling a career college football record of 43–41–1. He played football as a quarterback at Holy Cross from 1971 to 1973.
Curtis Alexander is a former football player. He played four years of college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, from 1994 to 1997. He later played professional football in the XFL, NFL Europe, and Canadian Football League (CFL). During the 2002 Frankfurt Galaxy season, he set an NFL Europe single-game total yardage record with 279 yards against Barcelona.
Raymond Anthony "A. J." McCarron Jr. is an American professional football quarterback. He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, becoming the first quarterback to win consecutive BCS National Championship Games with victories in 2012 and 2013. McCarron also received the Maxwell, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm, and Kellen Moore Awards.
Jimmy Brumbaugh is a former American and arena football defensive tackle / offensive lineman who is the defensive line coach at Coastal Carolina. He played college football at Auburn. He was originally signed as an undrafted free agent in 2000 by the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL).
Quincy Jackson is a former gridiron football wide receiver. He played college football at Alabama Crimson Tide football. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL).
Steve Smith is an American former arena football offensive specialist. He played college football at Utah State. He was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
The St. Louis Battlehawks are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. The Battlehawks compete in the United Football League (UFL) as a founding member of the XFL Conference. The team was founded by Vince McMahon’s Alpha Entertainment and are owned-and-operated by Dwayne Johnson's Alpha Acquico and Fox Corporation. The Battlehawks play their home games at The Dome at America's Center. The Battlehawks have a franchise regular season record of 17–8 (.680), as of its 2024 season.
Anthony Blevins is a former American football player and coach who is currently a defensive assistant for the Birmingham Stallions of the United Football League (UFL). Blevins played in the original XFL with the Birmingham Thunderbolts and had been a full-time coach in the NFL from 2013 to 2022.
