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.
Torrold DeShaun "Rod" Smart is a former professional American football running back. He played college football for Western Kentucky. He was originally signed by the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League (NFL) as an undrafted free agent after the 2000 NFL Draft.
Roderick Kevin Woodson is an American former professional football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. Woodson was drafted in the 1987 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers and played his first ten years there, and was a key member of the Baltimore Ravens' Super Bowl XXXV championship team. He also had two shorter stints for the San Francisco 49ers and two seasons with the Oakland Raiders. Widely considered one of the greatest all-time defensive players ever, Woodson holds the NFL record for fumble recoveries (32) by a defensive player, and interceptions returned for touchdown (12), and was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1993. His 71 career interceptions are the third-most in NFL history. He was an inductee of the Class of 2009 of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio on August 8, 2009. Woodson was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2016. He played most of his career as a cornerback then switched to safety during the later part of his career. Woodson was most recently the head coach of the XFL's Vegas Vipers.
Thomas Alfred Maddox is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons, most notably with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He also played one season each for the New Jersey Red Dogs of the Arena Football League (AFL) and the Los Angeles Xtreme of the XFL. In the XFL, Maddox became the league's sole MVP while leading the Xtreme to victory in its only championship.
Az-Zahir Ali Hakim is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the San Diego State Aztecs. He was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the fourth round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He also was a member of the Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints, San Diego Chargers, Miami Dolphins, and Las Vegas Locomotives.
Paul McCallum is a former Canadian football punter and placekicker. McCallum had been a member of four different CFL franchises, one XFL team, an NFL Europa team, and a Scottish third division club. At the time of his retirement, McCallum was the oldest active player in the CFL, having played in 23 seasons over the course of his career.
Jermaine Edward Lewis is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected in the fifth round of the 1996 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens, who he played for until 2001. With the Ravens, he won Super Bowl XXXV over the New York Giants. He played college football for the Maryland Terrapins.
Nicholas John Harris is a former American football punter. He played college football at the University of California, Berkeley, where he set the NCAA record for career punting yardage and earned All-American honors. The Denver Broncos chose him in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft, and he has played professionally for the Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Carolina Panthers of the NFL.
Reginald "Reggie" Terrell Swinton is a former American football wide receiver and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions and Arizona Cardinals. He played college football at Murray State University.
Lamont Darnell Thompson is a former American football safety in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He also played for the Tennessee Titans, Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars. He played college football at Washington State.
Reggie Devon Barlow is a former American football player and coach who is currently the head coach and general manager for the DC Defenders of the XFL. Barlow served as the head football coach at Alabama State University from 2007 to 2014 and at Virginia State University from 2016 to 2021. He played professionally as wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons, five for the Jacksonville Jaguars, two for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and one with the Oakland Raiders. He was used as a secondary wide receiver and punt returner. In 1997, Barlow led the NFL in punt return yards with 555 yards on 43 returns.
Leobardo Jaime Araguz is a former American football punter in the National Football League (NFL) for the Oakland Raiders, Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, and Seattle Seahawks. He also was a member of the Rhein Fire, New York/New Jersey Hitmen and Rio Grande Valley Sol. He played college football at Stephen F. Austin State University.
Scott Stewart Milanovich is an American football coach who is currently serving as a senior assistant coach for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was the head coach of the Toronto Argonauts and Edmonton Football Team of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Milanovich has also held positional coaching roles in the NFL Europe and the NFL.
John Frank Bonamego is an American football coach who serves as a senior coaching assistant for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He has two decades of college and pro coaching experience. He played college football at Central Michigan and also was head coach of the team from 2015 to 2018.
Corey Franklyn Sawyer is a former American college and professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons during the 1990s. He played college football for Florida State University, and earned consensus All-American honors. He played professionally for the Cincinnati Bengals and New York Jets of the NFL, the Memphis Maniax of the XFL, and the Tampa Bay Storm and Chicago Rush of the Arena Football League (AFL).
Edward Lynn Johnson is a former professional American and Canadian football punter. He most recently played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Idaho State.
Pharoh Cooper is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He played college football at South Carolina, and was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He has also played for the Cincinnati Bengals, Arizona Cardinals, and Carolina Panthers.
Eli Lamar Rogers is an American football wide receiver for the Orlando Guardians of the XFL. He played college football for the Louisville Cardinals. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2015.
Levonte "Kermit" Whitfield is an American football wide receiver and return specialist who is a free agent. He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles.
Saivion Smith is an American football cornerback who is a free agent. He played college football at the University of Alabama.
