Pittsburgh Maulers (2022)

Last updated

Pittsburgh Maulers
AmericanFootball current event.svg Current season
Established 2021
Folded 2023
Played in Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium
in Canton, Ohio
Pittsburgh Maulers Logo 2023.png
League/conference affiliations
United States Football League (2022–2023)
  • North Division (2022–2023)
Current uniform
Team colorsBlack, gold, white
   
MascotMarty the Mauler
Personnel
Owner(s)National Spring Football League Enterprises Co, LLC, (Fox Sports)
Head coach Kirby Wilson (2022)
Ray Horton (2023)
Team history
  • Pittsburgh Maulers (2022–2023)
Championships
League championships (0)
Conference championships (0)
Division championships (1)
2023
Playoff appearances (1)
2023
Home stadium(s)

The Pittsburgh Maulers were a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania but played their home games in Canton, Ohio. The Maulers competed in the United States Football League (USFL) North division.

Contents

Founded in 2021, the Maulers were one of the eight inaugural teams for the re-launch of the original United States Football League which ceased operations in 1986. They played their home games at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio in 2023, which also hosts the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game. Prior to Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, the Maulers had played their home games in Protective Stadium and at Legion Field in 2022. The Maulers posted a 3–15 record through their first 18 games, identical to the original Maulers franchise during its lone season in 1984. However, the Maulers then won their final two games of the 2023 season to clinch the USFL North division title, and then won their first playoff game to advance to the 2023 USFL Championship Game.

On December 19, 2023, the USFL informed its players union that the Maulers would not be included in the league's upcoming merger with the XFL. [1]

History

The Pittsburgh Maulers were one of eight teams that were officially announced as a USFL franchise on The Herd with Colin Cowherd on November 22, 2021, [2] Their first head coach was announced on January 20, 2022, when it was announced on The Herd with Colin Cowherd that former NFL running backs coach Kirby Wilson was named the Head Coach and General Manager of the Maulers. [3] Wilson revealed on February 9, 2022, that UConn Defensive Coordinator Jarren Horton would become the Defensive Coordinator for the Maulers, while Wilson would call the offense. [4] They made their first draft pick in franchise history, selecting quarterback Kyle Lauletta 7th overall. [5] They drafted 35 players from February 22–23 in 2022.

The team begun the season 0–4, the worst in the league, but defeated the Houston Gamblers 21–20 behind an off the bench effort by newly signed quarterback Vad Lee. [6] Finishing with a record of 1–9, the worst record in the league, the team did not win the rights to the first overall pick in the 2023 USFL draft, after the league decided that the winner of the Week 10 game between the 1–8 Maulers and 1–8 Michigan Panthers, would win the first overall pick. The Panthers were victorious 21–33. [7]

On October 18, 2022, the Maulers named Lonnie Young as the team's new general manager. [8] In early January, 2023, Wilson stepped down as the head coach of the Maulers, citing personal reasons. He was replaced on January 17, 2023, by Ray Horton. [9]

On December 19, 2023, the USFL informed its players union that the Maulers were not one of the four USFL teams chosen to participate in the league's upcoming merger with the XFL. [1]

Logo and uniforms

The team's 2022 colors of orange and purple were slightly different from what was used by the Pittsburgh Maulers team in the original USFL, as they used red and purple. In any event, the colors were a radical departure from the city's traditional sporting colors of black and gold and are more or less of an ode to the original Maulers franchise.

The logo depicts a worker swinging a large hammer, as an ode to the steel workers that Pittsburgh's history is known for. The current jerseys were a different design than the originals, with the home being purple with an orange bar across the shoulders and the away being white with a purple bar along the shoulders.

In 2023, the Maulers changed their team's colors to the traditional city colors of black, gold, and white. [10]

Player history

Current NFL players

USFL SeasonPosNameNFL Team
2022LS Mitchell Fraboni Denver Broncos
2022DT Jeremiah Pharms Jr. New England Patriots

Notable players

USFL SeasonPosNameNotes
2023LB Reuben Foster Former San Francisco 49ers Linebacker, 2017 1st Round Pick

Coach history

Head coach history

#NameTermRegular seasonPlayoffsAwards
GCWLWin %GCWL
Pittsburgh Maulers
1 Kirby Wilson 20221019.100–––
Pittsburgh Maulers
2 Ray Horton 20231046.400211

Offensive coordinator history

#NameTermRegular seasonPlayoffsAwards
GCWLWin %GCWL
Pittsburgh Maulers
Pittsburgh Maulers
1John Tomlinson2022–202320515.250211

Defensive coordinator history

#NameTermRegular seasonPlayoffsAwards
GCWLWin %GCWL
Piitsburgh Maulers
Pittsburgh Maulers
1 Jarren Horton 2022-202320515.250211

Championships

North Division championships

SeasonCoachLocationOpponentScore
2023 Ray Horton Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium (Canton, Ohio) Michigan Panthers 31–27
Total North Division Championships won: 1

Records

All-time Maulers leaders
LeaderPlayerRecordYears with Maulers
Passing Yards Troy Williams 1,414 passing yards2023
Passing Touchdowns Troy Williams

Vad Lee

6 passing touchdowns2023

2022

Rushing Yards Madre London 669 rushing yards2022-2023
Rushing Touchdowns Troy Williams 3 rushing touchdowns2023
Receiving Yards Bailey Gaither 698 receiving yards2022-2023
Receiving Touchdowns Isiah Hennie 6 receiving touchdowns2022-2023
Receptions Bailey Gaither 59 receptions2022-2023
Tackles Kyahva Tezino 180 tackles2022-2023
Sacks Olive Sagapolu 6.0 sacks2022–2023
Interceptions Mark Gilbert
Arnold Tarpley III 		4 interceptions2023
2022–2023
Coaching wins Ray Horton 4 wins2023

Statistics and records

Season-by-season record

Note: The Finish, Wins, Losses, and Ties columns list regular season results and exclude any postseason play.

Legend
USFL champions†Division champions^Wild Card berth#
Pittsburgh Maulers season-by-season records
SeasonTeamLeagueDivisionRegular seasonPostseason resultsAwards
FinishWinsLossesTiesPct
2022 2022 USFLNorth4th190.100––
2023 2023 USFLNorth1st^460.400Won Division Finals (vs. Panthers) 31–27 (OT)
Lost USFL Championship (vs. Stallions) 12–28		Jarren Horton (Assistant Coach of the Year)
Totals5150.250(2022–2023, regular season)
110.500(2022–2023, playoffs)
6160.273(2022–2023, regular season and playoffs)

Rivalries

Key Stone State Battle

The Pittsburgh Maulers shared a rivalry with their cross-state foes the Philadelphia Stars called the Key Stone State Battle. [11] The Maulers went 1–3 against Philadelphia during both USFL seasons.

Franchise matchup history

TeamRecordPct.
Michigan Panthers 3–2.600
Houston Gamblers 1–1.500
New Jersey Generals 1–3.250
Philadelphia Stars 1–3.250
Memphis Showboats 0–1.000
Tampa Bay Bandits 0–1.000
New Orleans Breakers 0–2.000
Birmingham Stallions 0–3.000

References

  1. 1 2 "Four USFL teams survive merger with XFL". NBC Sports. December 19, 2023. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  2. ↑ "USFL unveils team cities, nicknames, and logos for 2022 debut". FOX Sports. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  3. ↑ "What you need to know for USFL in 2022:Two more head coaches revealed". Fox Sports. January 20, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  4. ↑ "Jarren Horton Tapped as Defensive Coordinator for Pittsburgh Maulers". Pro Football Newsroom. February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  5. ↑ Kevin Gorman (February 22, 2022). "Pittsburgh Maulers select QB Kyle Lauletta with 1st-round pick in USFL Draft". www.triblive.com. Trib Total Media. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  6. ↑ Austin Bechtold (May 15, 2022). "Pittsburgh Maulers Get First Win, Beat Houston on Final Play". www.steelersnow.com. Pittsburgh Sports Now. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  7. ↑ Jeff Kerr (June 19, 2022). "USFL Week 10 takeaways: Panthers earn first pick in 2023 draft by winning matchup of two worst teams". www.cbssports.com. CBS Sports Interactive. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Lonnie Young named Maulers general manager". www.triblive.com. Trib Total Media. October 18, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Ray Horton named Pittsburgh Maulers head coach in USFL". www.wtae.com. Hearst Television Inc. January 17, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  10. ↑ Alan Saunders (January 24, 2023). "USFL Maulers Get New Look, Move Closer to Pittsburgh". www.steelersnow.com. Pittsburgh Sports Now. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  11. ↑ "USFL's divisional rivalries unveiled for every team". FOX Sports. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
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