2023, June 3rd: Stars 24 @ Stallions 27

The UFL earlier today announced the three teams that would be joining the league following the demise of the Michigan, San Antonio, and Memphis clubs. Louisville, Orlando, and Colombus join the fun, while the Houston team rebrands back to the Gamblers name and the Arlington franchise is now known as the Dallas Renegades.

A lot to take in, and it all puts us in a mood to look at back at another game in the Stallions brief but successful history. The summary, image, and video below all look back on the team's early June 2023 victory against Philadelphia in week 8 of that season. 

Mark Inabinett for al.com:  The Birmingham Stallions defeated the Philadelphia Stars by three points in last year’s USFL Championship Game, and they did it again on Saturday in a clash between the league’s division leaders.

Tight end La’Michael Pettway caught a 7-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Alex McGough with 28 seconds remaining to lift the Stallions to a 27-24 victory over the Stars on Saturday at Protective Stadium in Birmingham.

Deon Cain #85 of the Birmingham Stallions stiff arms Samuel Akem #84 of the Philadelphia Stars during the first quarter of a game at Protective Stadium on June 03, 2023 in Birmingham, Alabama. (Photo by Alex Slitz/USFL/Getty Images for USFL)

After Pettway’s touchdown, Birmingham cornerback Nate Brooks intercepted Philadelphia quarterback Case Cookus’ long throw on the final snap of the game to end the only fourth-quarter possession that did not finish with points.

The Stallions took a 17-14 lead five seconds into the final period on McGough’s 10-yard TD pass to tight end Jace Sternberger. A 71-yard completion from McGough to wide receiver Davion Davis set up the score.

Philadelphia had to settle for a tying field goal of 25 yards by Luis Aguilar with 7:25 left after reaching first-and-goal at the Birmingham 9-yard line. Brandon Aubrey’s 41-yard field goal with 4:35 remaining put the Stallions up 20-17.

Three consecutive completions by Cookus moved the Stars 52 yards and back into the lead with 3:05 to play, with running back Dexter Williams scoring on a 7-yard reception.

A 23-yard McGough-to-Sternberger connection on fourth-and-8 with 46 seconds to play pushed Birmingham to the Philadelphia 12-yard line to set up the winning score.

McGough completed 24-of-35 passes for 333 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Davis had four receptions for 120 yards and one touchdown.

Stallions to sign WR Julian Hicks

Now that the UFL has announced which teams are relocating or folding, I guess it's safe to get into the Stallions again. It had previously been stated by new league investor Mike Repole that the team would return, but I was concerned about a last minute swerve. 

The league's free agency period began a few days ago. Damned if you'd ever know it judging from the lack of communication from the teams or the league.

There have been a couple of signings, apparently. LB Jordan Williams is said to be coming over from the relocating San Antonio Brahmas, another linebacker has been acquired in former Carolina Panthers draft choice Michael Barrett, and defensive tackle Shakel Brown, who played collegiately at Troy is on board for 2026 as well.

But I found this one to be the most interesting (so far).  

The young man has had a bumpy road. The text below is from this article by Bill Huber following Hicks' signing with the Packers.

As a graduate student at Albany in 2023, Hicks caught 50 passes for 820 yards (16.4 average) and 11 touchdowns. A big chunk of the production came in back-to-back game against New Hampshire and Rhode Island, with four catches for 162 yards and two touchdowns and seven catches for 188 yards and two more touchdowns in those games.

...

Albany reached the FCS semifinals; in the season-ending loss to eventual national champion South Dakota State, he caught seven passes for 76 yards.

At pro day, he measured 6-foot-1 7/8 and 201 pounds, with a 4.53 in the 40 and a 36 1/2-inch vertical.

It was a circuitous route to the NFL for Hicks, who played at Central Michigan in 2018 and Akron in 2019 in 2020. In 2018, the Chippewas went 1-11 and changed coaches. In 2019, the Zips went 0-12. In 2020, he caught two passes during the COVID-shortened season.

From there, he transferred to Albany. In 2021, he missed the start of the season due to thumb surgery. In his season debut, he stepped on a defender and tore a ligament in his ankle, which ended his season.

...

In 2022, he caught 24 passes for 345 yards. He had the only touchdown in a loss at powerhouse Baylor and scored the game-winning touchdown on the final play against Maine.

He seems like exactly the kind of player that the UFL is for; those that for whatever reason just need another opportunity to showcase their ability. Already looking forward to seeing how he does!

2025, Sept. 8th: "Brown Receives Multiple Player of the Week Honors"

I hadn't paid much attention to this blog throughout the summer, so I'll be doing some catching up over the next few days. 

The graphic and (abbreviated) text below are from Alabama A&M's website. 

Alabama A&M University redshirt senior quarterback Cornelious Brown IV earned multiple weekly honors on Monday, including being selected the STATS Perform HBCU National Player of the Week.

Brown, who also earned Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Offensive Player of the Week, BOXTOROW HBCU National Co-Player of the Week, and HBCU Legends Co-Player of the Week honors, racked up 329 yards of total offense and was responsible for five touchdowns as the Bulldogs defeated Alcorn State 41-31 in the Louis Crews Classic.

The Birmingham, Ala., native completed 25-of-34 passes for 260 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions and rushed the ball seven times for 69 yards and two touchdowns. His seven-yard touchdown run with 2:43 remaining in the first quarter broke a 14-14 (tie)...

We may be seeing Brown's name a whole lot more on here in the coming weeks; he was named the SWAC's co-offensive player of the week on September 15th as well.

"Entering second season with Birmingham Stallions, former WSU DB Daniel Isom maintains NFL dream"

The article below, released yesterday, was written by Stephen Hunt for the the Spokesman-Review as part of their coverage of Washington State football. You can read the full version by clicking this link. I'm unsure as to who gets credit for the photo, however. 

ARLINGTON, Texas – Last season, Daniel Isom showed little rust in playing his first football in two years with Birmingham of the United Football League.

Isom, a defensive back who played at Washington State from 2019 through 2021, had 11 tackles and one interception in 10 regular-season games (five starts) – including a key 48-yard game-tying interception return for a touchdown in a come-from-behind win over Michigan in the UFL semifinals.

His Stallions won the inaugural UFL championship game a week later, beating San Antonio 25-0 in the city where Isom was born and raised, St. Louis – the perfect ending to a great season for the 27-year-old.

“Yeah, I think the first year (in the UFL) was really good. I was really thankful for the opportunity to get my feet back under me,” Isom said. “I had dealt with some issues that led me to not play for two years, so it was good to get out and play ball again. Obviously, we had a great year as a team. We ended up winning the championship. We came together as a team and were able to get it done. This year, we’ll focus on doing the same thing, taking it day by day and coming together to win games.”

Prior to landing in Birmingham, the defensive back’s last on-field action had come with the Los Angeles Rams, a short stint in the NFL which was truncated by injury.

“It was a good time, a good opportunity. I ended up unfortunately getting hurt and having to leave, but it was a good time,” Isom said. “I learned a lot about the game of football, about myself. It’s led me to the opportunity I’m at now.”

Being away from football for two years showed him how much he’d missed the game and maybe even increased his love for the sport.

“I definitely gained some sort of extra appreciation from being away from the game and coming back and being able to accomplish all the things we were able to accomplish as a team,” he said.

With the Stallions, he’s playing for Skip Holtz, son of Hall of Fame coach Lou Holtz. Skip Holtz took over as Stallions head coach prior to the 2022 season. It’s an experience he’s enjoying.

“I love his approach to the team. He wants us to be comfortable in our position on the team, never be too high or low,” Isom said. “We’re always worried about going 1-0 and what’s in front of us. The way he leads the team, he gives us a good way to lead our lives and worry about what we can take care of now.”

Isom arrived at Washington State in 2019 after playing his first two collegiate seasons at Northern Illinois and Iowa Western. He started the first five games that season before then-coach Mike Leach dismissed him from the program for “a violation of team rules.”

The following season, Leach’s replacement, Nick Rolovich, reinstated Isom, who was named Pac-12 honorable mention his senior season.

"Play It Again, Samford!"

My access to past high school and university yearbooks will come to an end soon, so I may do a run on that type of content in the coming days. 

The following images are snips from Samford's 1985 yearbook, the first following the program's return in 1984. 

"Tailback Greg Switzer goes off tackle for a long gain against Arkansas Monticello"

"Quarterback Tommy Bledsoe prepares to discharge the football down field while a fellow team(mate) protects him against the sack."

2011, Nov. 13th: "Doormat No More: Miles Wins Inaugural Title Game"

Not much to add here. The image comes from the Atlanta Constitution newspaper. The article did as well, originally, but I copied the version displayed in the Birmingham News because the layout was better suited to the task. 

1985, Jan. 3rd: "Stallions Make Rice No. 1 Pick"

Birmingham News coverage of the Stallions' draft results in preparation for the 1985 season. The last two images are from the January 4th edition.

2023, May 27th: "Stallions find that winning song, rock past Breakers to division lead"

Fox Sports' RJ Young provides the summary below of the Stallions win over the Breakers. 

Did I miss something? Did this game have a classic rock theme to it at the time? I have no idea why Young is referencing 70s songs all over the place, but I love seeing someone enjoy his work! 

Photography credit provided where available.

I've probably said it in an earlier post involving these two teams, but man, I loved to hate the Breakers for a variety of reason. Hopefully they are brought back some day.  

The Birmingham Stallions got it on, banged a gong, and sang that winning song after their 24-20 victory against the New Orleans Breakers on Saturday.

...

(Alex McGough) has proven to be the most valuable player in the Birmingham locker room since taking over the job due to a season-ending injury to J'Mar Smith. But he needed — needs — help. For the second week in a row, he received that from the run game and the defense.

McGough completed 16 of 23 passes and accounted for 198 total yards with two TDs against John DeFilippo's Breakers.

...

Defensively, Birmingham linebacker Quentin Poling, a native of Gomer, Ohio, rocked out with 11 tackles, including three tackles for loss, two sacks, and a fumble recovery in the win.

"We've been doing a great job as a unit," Poling said. "We just have to keep growing."

Despite out-gaining the Stallions 186-96 in the first half, not to mention converting seven of 10 third downs and getting off 40 offensive plays, the Breakers walked into halftime down 10-6 due to two costly turnovers. 

With outstanding field position after a Wes Hills fumble and a mistake by the New Orleans punt team, Birmingham needed just 21 plays to put double-digits on the field and build quite a bit of momentum. 

...

QB Alex McGough

Coming out for the third quarter, it was like Holtz looked down at the stat sheet, saw running back CJ Marable had just four carries, and decided to let the Chanticleer crow. Marable accounted for just 46 total yards against the Breakers a month ago, but he matched that on the ensuing drive alone.

Former North Carolina State running back Ricky Person finished what Marable started on that drive, punching it in to give the Stallions a 17-6 lead in the third. 

(Photo by Stew Milne/USFL/Getty Images USFL)

Marable ended the game with 23 touches for 138 total yards from scrimmage, his second straight game with 100-plus yards.

After a stop by the Birmingham defense on New Orleans' next possession, the Stallions looked to be putting a Ted Nugent stranglehold on the game. That's until Breakers defensive back Michael Stevens ripped the ball free of wideout Adrian Hardy to take over possession on the Birmingham 19 yard-line.

The turnover amounted to three points and put New Orleans back on the Stallions' scent, and here the Breakers come again now, baby. Or so Breakers fans thought, because on the next drive McGough and the offense made like they heard one guitar just blow them away, saw stars in their eyes and decided to become something like jukebox heroes.

McGough started rocking, up eight in the third, scrambling, dipping, ducking and diving to find La'Michael Pettway, and then Myron Mitchell, and then Jace Sternberger — twice — to extend the Stallions' lead to 24–9 with less than a minute left to play in the third.

(Photo by Stew Milne/USFL/Getty Images USFL)

(Bethel-Thompson) found wideout Lee Morris for six and then converted the two-point try with a pass to Surratt to make it a one-score game with 12:10 left to play, giving New Orleans fans permission to dream on.

After a defensive stop, the Breakers took possession of the southern rock on their own 35-yard line looking like making a bigger mess than George Thorogood & the Destroyers at a bachelorette party. The Stallions came up with a stop to force a 55-yard field goal but to close the game to 24-20 with 5:40 left to play.

DB Jojo Tillery, photo credit unavailable)

Four inches, fourth down, up four, 1:26 left to play, the Stallions let their defense finish the game. It was a fitting end for a team that had given up 45 points to New Orleans in Week 4.