The Spring League‘s fall season is close approaching and the position groups have been announced!
There is a good mix of players from the XFL, CFL, NFL, and players fresh out of College who will be participating. We have reason to believe that all players will be treated as starters and there will be a good amount of rotating players in and out of the lineups.
This may seem strange, but The Spring League at its core is a development league. Players are paying to participate and are expecting playing time because of that.
Now to introduce The Alphas:
Head Coach – Steve Fairchild: 62yo
Steve Fairchild has held many different coaching positions since starting out at San Diego Mesa Community College in 1982, but he may be most well known for his time spent as the head coach of Colorado State from 2008 to 2011. His head coaching record is 16-33, also going 1-0 in bowl games, winning the New Mexico Bowl in 2009.
Aside from his head coaching career, Fairchild has held positions for various other colleges and NFL teams. He was hired as the Buffalo Bills running backs coach from 2001-2002, moving on to become the St Louis Rams offensive coordinator/QB coach from 2003-2005, followed by the Bills offensive coordinator from 2006-2007, before landing his spot at Colorado State. After his time in Colorado, Fairchild would go on to become an offensive assistant for the San Diego Chargers in 2012, before getting hired as the offensive coordinator/QB coach at Virginia.
Recently, Fairchild has been involved with The Spring League, coaching during their 2017 season and now making his return in 2020 to lead The Alphas. We’re excited to see what he can do with this talented squad.
Quarterbacks:
JT Barrett: 25yo (6’2″/225/4.70) – QB – Ohio State
JT Barrett is an extremely well-decorated quarterback out of Ohio State. He was named Conference Freshman of the Week 7 times, won the Big Ten’s Thompson-Randle El Freshman of the Year Award, received the Big Ten’s Griese-Brees QB of the Year Award in 2014, 2016, and 2017, was named First Team All-Big Ten in 2014, 2016 and 2017 by both conference coaches and the media, also receiving 9 Big Ten Offensive Player Of The Week Awards.
Barrett threw for a total of 9,434 yards and 104 touchdowns, rushing for 3,263 yards and 43 touchdowns in his time at Ohio State. He is also the only 3-time captain in history for the Buckeyes as well as the only QB on either side of the Michigan/Ohio State rivalry to go 4-0 as a starter.
After going undrafted in the 2018 NFL Draft, Barrett was signed by the New Orleans Saints. He had an impressive preseason performance but spent the year bouncing on and off of the roster and practice squad, being moved 23 times. He would go on to sign to the Seahawks the following season but was waived about a month after joining the team. He later joined the Saints for a second stint following an injury to Drew Brees, then on to the Steelers until final roster cuts of the 2020 season.
Chase Fourcade: 22yo (6’0″/200/4.70) – QB – Nicholls State
Chase Fourcade is one of the younger players participating in The Spring League at only 22 years old. Son of the former Ole Miss and New Orleans Saints QB, John Fourcade, Chase has made a name for himself at Nicholls State.
He finished his freshman season with the 3rd most passing yards in program history but was not satisfied. During his time at Nicholls State from 2016-2019, he put up a total of 10,707 yards passing and 70 touchdowns, along with 1,897 yards rushing and 35 rushing touchdowns. Forcade would receive the Southland Conference OPOY award and was named 2x All-Southland First Team, along with All-Louisiana 1st and 2nd Teams.
Earlier in his college career, Chase spent time at the annual Manning Passing Academy and was 1 of 43 college quarterbacks who worked out privately with the Manning’s. He was able to spend time coaching many of the younger players as a camp counselor, while simultaneously learning from the other top college QB prospects in attendance.
Running Backs
Brian Burt: 24yo (6’1″/205/4.31) – RB/WR – Fresno State
Brian Burt is a running back/wide receiver out of Fresno State, having played for the Bulldogs from 2015 – 2018. Being extremely quick, Burt ran a 4.31 40 yard dash and quickly made a name for himself as a speedster for the team. He was named the 2nd Team All-Purpose Honors and would rack up a total of 563 yards on the ground with 4 rushing touchdowns along with 212 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns through the air.
Burt had a short stint with the NFL’s Raiders but found no playing time before being waived. Burt definitely has the physical qualities to succeed at the next level and considering that he has not stopped working to get back to football, It will be exciting to see what he can do when given a starting role once again.
Reggie Gallaspy Jr: (5’11″/235/4.75) – RB – NC State
Reggie Gallaspy Jr is a running back out of NC State, having played for the Wolfpack from 2015-2018. While with the team he had a career total of 2,153 rushing yards with 31 touchdowns, also getting himself a receiving touchdown. He was also a productive member of the NC State Leadership Council for Football. Gallaspy is another player that has yet to get playing time at the next level and it will be exciting to see him hit the field once he suits up for The Spring Leagues Wolf Pack.
Wide Receivers
Davon Grayson: 27yo (6’2″/187/4.51) – WR – East Carolina
Davon Grayson is out of East Carolina, playing for The Pirates from 2013 – 2017. He was able to record 1,767 yards on 135 receptions, scoring 13 touchdowns for ECU. Although he was not on kick return duties often, he would occasionally make an appearance, recording 2 returns for 49 yards.
Grayson was able to earn himself a spot on the Chief roster during the 2019 preseason but was injured when playing the Bengals, landing himself on IR. He would later be waived from IR after reaching an injury settlement with the team.
Following his recovery, Grayson would sign with the XFL, originally on the league’s reserve team (Team 9), later to be bumped up to the Battlehawks roster before the league’s eventual halt. Sadly he didn’t find much playing time with the team before the league stoppage.
Damon Sheehy-Guiseppi: 25yo (6’0″/181/4.38) – WR/KR – Phoenix College
Damon Sheehy-Guiseppi has one of the more interesting stories of how he landed himself on an NFL Roster. Following his time at Phoenix College in 2016 where he was an NJCAA All-American and lead the nation in kick return yardage, Damon would not receive an invite to any of the NFL training camps, but that would not stop him and his pursuit of having a career in football.
Despite not receiving an invite, Sheehy-Guiseppi received a tip about the location of the Browns 2019 free agent workouts and showed up anyway. He claimed to know the VP of Player Personnel, Alonzo Highsmith and was given the opportunity to work out with the team, impressing enough to earn a roster spot for the preseason. During a preseason game against Washington, Sheehy-Guiseppi would return an 86 yard punt for a touchdown but sadly did not impress enough to earn a spot on the 53 man roster. He was waived at the team’s final roster cuts that year.
Sheehy-Guiseppi would go on to sign with the XFL 2020’s New York Guardians but was injured and placed on IR a month before the season began. Now being fully recovered and looking for his next opportunity, Damon will play in The Spring League to continue his football journey.
Ronnie Moore: 25yo (5’9″/170/4.58) – WR/KR – Bowling Green
Ronnie Moore played college ball at Bowling Green from 2013-2016 totaling 198 receptions, 2,701 receiving yards, and 19 touchdowns through the air along with 343 yards on the ground and 5 rushing touchdowns. Also being a return specialist, Moore gained 770 yards on 38 kick returns and 58 yards on 6 punt returns. Before graduating he was able to land himself on The Biletnikoff Award watchlist, which recognizes the college football season’s outstanding FBS receiver, regardless of position.
Some have pointed out a drop off in his stats during his senior year, but this is very likely due to the fact that the quarterback throwing to him for the first few years of his college career had graduated, leaving him with a freshman quarterback for his final year at Bowling Green.
Moore was able to attend the Cleveland Browns Rookie Minicamp in 2017, making good impressions on the coaches, but he was injured and placed on IR for the remainder of the year.
Kameron Williams: (6’2″/232/4.67) – WR – Incarnate Word
Kameron Williams is one of the taller receivers selected by The Alphas standing at 6’2”. He played college ball for Incarnate Word in 2018-2019, gaining a total of 1,102 yards on 71 receptions and scoring 7 touchdowns. His teammates would often refer to him as “the go-to guy” or “the for sure catch when throwing his way.” His short time at Incarnate Word was productive and we are definitely excited to see what he can do in The Spring League.
TJ Rahming: 23 (5’10”/170/4.41) – WR – Duke
TJ Rahming is another player now on The Alphas with some wheels on him. In 2018 Rahming led Duke in receiving across all categories with 75 catches for 811 yards and 8 touchdowns. He currently holds the record for single-game I-Bowl all-purpose yards with 276.
Following the 2019 NFL Draft, he signed as an undrafted free agent with the Washington Redskins only to be cut at the end of the preseason. He would spend the remainder of the year on the Dolphins practice squad until he was waived in March 2020.
Yoshihito Omi: 24yo (5’11″/180/4.5) – WR – Ritsumeikan University, Japan
Yoshihito Omi, being from Ritsumeikan University, Japan may be one of the most interesting players to watch in the entire fall showcase in my opinion. He led Japans X-League in receiving, and in 7 games during 2019, he recorded 33 catches for 544 yards and 7 touchdowns. Omi averaged 16.4 yards per catch that season.
Yoshihito would go on to play in The Spring Leagues international showcase and torched The Spring Leagues corners for 106 Yards and 1 TD on only 4 catches. He will surely be a player to watch in the coming fall season.
For more details about X-League Japan check out the following video:
Tight Ends
Deandre Goolsby: 24yo (6’4″/244/4.79) – TE – Florida
XFL fans will be excited to see this man’s name again. Deandre Goolsby played college ball at Florida from 2014-2017, ranking tied for first on the team in touchdown receptions and 3rd in catches.
Goolsby would go on to play short stints with both the Lions and the Jaguars, but found himself as a free agent in 2019.
He would eventually find himself playing for the Orlando Apollos in the AAF and later the Tampa Bay Vipers in the XFL. He played in 4 of 5 XFL games for the Vipers, having 5 receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown. Needless to say, we are excited to see Goolsby hit the field once again.
Paul Butler: 27yo (6’6″/255/4.91) – TE – California (PA)
Paul Butler is one of the older players on The Alphas team at 27 years old. Butler played college ball at California (PA) from 2013-2016 and earned Honor Roll 3 times.
He would later sign with the Raider as an undrafted free agent in 2017, where he bounced on and off of the practice squad. That season he would end up jumping from Raiders practice squad to the Lions, back to the Raiders, then to the Patriots.
After his travels around the NFL, it seems that Bulter is looking for another shot at more playing time. He has been listed in the past as a TE/Special Teams/Long Snapper so it will be interesting to see what The Alphas do with him.
Offensive Line
Kent Perkins: 25yo (6’5″/305) RT/RG – Texas
Kent Perkins is another XFL alumni who will join The Alphas. He played at Texas from 2013-2016 and was named to the Big-12 Second Team.
Following his time at Texas, Perkins pursued an NFL career where he spent the 2017 and 2018 NFL seasons on and off of the Bengals practice squad after signing with the team as an undrafted free agent. He retired from the NFL on Aug 13, 2019.
Although he was now out of the NFL, Perkins continued to pursue football through the XFL. He would go on to be drafted by the St. Louis Battlehawks, playing for them until the season folded due to the pandemic.
Jordan Murray (6’9″/323) LT/RT/LG – North Texas
Jordan Murray played his college ball at North Texas and was named 2x C-USA All-Conference Honorable Mention, also being a member of the team’s leadership council.
After his time at North Texas, he went on to sign as an undrafted free agent with the Seattle Seahawks in 2019 where he made an especially large impression on Pete Carol. Despite his rather large impression on their head coach, Murray would eventually be waived.
Jaylen Flye-Sadler: (6’6″/325) LT/RT – Austin Peay/Lindenwood
Jaylen Flye-Sadler originally played college ball from 2015-2018 beginning at the D1 FCS school, Austin Peay State University, but wanted a better education without losing a year of eligibility. In order to do that he decided to transfer to Lindenwood in Missouri and became part of a Lions offensive line that would produce 602 yards of offense against Emporia State and rushed for 294 yards against the Hornets. Flye-Sadler would go on to be named 1st Team All-Conference.
Kamryn Bennett: (6’3″/315) LG/LT – University of California
In his time at Cal, Kamryn Bennett was able to help running back Patrick Laird reach 1,000 yards rushing in a single-season making him only the 16th player at Cal to ever do so. Bennett also provided protection for QB Ross Bowers, who completed over 3,000 passing yards in a single season, being only the 7th player in Cal history to accomplish this. Before graduating he tallied a team-best 30 knockdown blocks.
In 2018-2019 Bennett went on to play in the Arena Football League, for both the Nebraska Danger and the Arizona Rattlers before eventually deciding to showcase his skills in The Spring League this fall.
Chris Schleugler: 25yo (6’4″/305) LG/LT – Alabama-Birmingham
Chris Schleugler earned National JUCO Athletic Association Honors for his Iowa West Community College team going 11-1 and appearing in an NJCAA National Championship game. He’d go on to transfer to a D1 team, the UAD Blazers. While on the Blazers he helped block for UAB’s record-setting backfield, which produced two 1,000 yard rushers for the first time in school history. Schleugler was also a member of the team that advanced to the second round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs before falling to North Dakota State.
Following his college career, Schleugler went on to sign with the Steelers as an undrafted free agent only to be waived at the end of the 2018 preseason. He would later sign with the CFL, playing for the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Montreal Alouettes, getting 13 starts in the league. He would also make an appearance in the short-lived AAF playing for the Birmingham Iron.
Kirk Barron: 25yo (6’2″/300) LG/C – Purdue
Regarded as one of the top offensive lineman announced to play in The Spring League, Kirk Barron is another face that many XFL fans should recognize.
Barron played college ball at Purdue from 2014-2018 and signed as an undrafted free agent to the Miami Dolphins following the 2018 NFL Draft. Sadly he was waived and left out of work for 3 months. He would later receive a call from the Bengal’s who had him learn their offense in 2 days before playing the majority of their final preseason game. Barron graded out as the top O-lineman in the game, but was waived at final roster cuts.
Barron would go on to play for the XFL’s Seattle Dragons under coach Jim Zorn. After starting the season as a backup, he earned himself a starting position by week 2 and thrived, eventually being named to the XFL All-Midseason Team.
Defensive Line
Dewayne Hendrix: 24yo (6’4″/265/4.9) DE – Pittsburgh
Dewayne Hendrix started 7 games as a true freshman for Tennessee before transferring to Pitt in search of a better opportunity. Sadly he lost his sophomore season due to injury, but In his career at Pittsburgh, He played in 25 games and made 50 tackles, including 10 for a loss, 7.5 sacks, and 2 fumble recoveries.
Following his time at Pitt, Hendrix would go on to sign with the Miami Dolphins after the 2019 NFL Draft. In the preseason, he had two sacks against the Atlanta Falcons and one more against the New Orleans Saints. He was waived on August 31 and subsequently signed to the Dolphins’ practice squad, but was waived once again on October 7. Hendrix would spend the remainder of the season on the Bears and Jaguars practice squads before signing with the XFL.
Hendrix should be another familiar face to many XFL fans as he played for the Battlehawks earlier in 2020. In the leagues 5 games, Hendrix had 4 tackles, 1 sack and 1 quarterback hurry.
He spent the 2020 NFL preseason with the Steelers and also had a tryout with the Browns, but will now look to The Spring League to showcase his skills once again.
Shaun McGee: 24yo (6’3″/230/4.86) DE – Georgia/Tuskegee
As a sophomore in college, Shaun McGee transferred from the University of Georgia to Tuskegee University where he excelled on the football field. During his junior season, he was the team leader in quarterback hurries and finished his career at Tuskeegee with 33 tackles, including 7.5 for loss and 2 sacks.
McGee was also invited to participate in The Dream Bowl, a 4-day college all-star football showcase of the best NCAA FCS, D-II, and D-III players from across the country.
Kalil Morris: 24yo (6’2″/322/5.29) DT/DE – Kent State
Kalil Morris spent his college days at Kent State. During his time on the team from 2014-2018, he was named to All-MAC Second Team, as well as selected to participate in the College Gridiron showcase. In his career at Kent State, Morris had 70 tackles, 7 for loss, and 2 sacks. He would go on to sign as an undrafted free agent with the Ravens in 2019, but did not receive any playing time.
Kevin Thurmon Jr: 24yo (6’0″/282/4.97) – DT – Arkansas State/Ball State
Kevin Thurmon is a player that many expected to be drafted between the 4th and 6th round of the 2020 NFL Draft. There is a good chance he may have landed himself on a roster as an undrafted free agent if it were not for the pandemic, but sadly his Pro Day at Ball State was canceled due to social distancing.
He was forced to sit the 2017 season out after transferring from Arkansas State to Ball State, but that did not slow him down. In his time at Ball State, he had 151 Tackles, 26 for loss, 12.5 sacks and a pass deflection.
Proving he could play in both a 4-3 and 3-4 defense, Thurmon earned himself All-Sun Belt Honorable Mention, All-Sun Belt Second Team 2019, A-State Athletics Director’s Honor Roll, and the Sun Belt Conference Academic Honor Roll.
EJ Scott: (6’3″/275/5.10) – DT – Appalachian State
EJ Scott was a walk-on at Appalachian State in 2015 following a short stint with Shaw. He was given the tryout at App State because his high school head coach called coach Mark Ivey and personally referred him. Scott joined the team in 2017 and racked up a total of 49 tackles, 8 for loss, 3 sacks, and 4 pass deflections. He Earned the All-Sun Belt 2nd and 3rd Teams.
Charles Mitchell: (6’1″/295/?) DT – Maine
Charles Mitchell was a redshirt freshman at Maine in 2016. He claimed that he was not initially sure about attending Maine, but following his visit he was impressed by the people around the school and the level of competition the football team played at. He would go on to earn All-CAA Third Team and Roger Ellis Outstanding Defensive Lineman Award.
While playing college ball he managed to fit an internship with the Maine Athletic Health Center into his schedule which was “a scheduling nightmare” according to his boss at the time, but Mitchell made it work. He would go on to total 128 tackles, 25 for loss, 9 sacks, and one pass deflection.
Linebackers
Anthony Stubbs: 24yo (6’0″/220/4.80) – LB – Prairie View A&M
Anthony Stubbs is yet another XFL alumni selected to The Alphas. The Former Viper and Battlehawk played his college ball at Prairie View A&M in Texas. During his time at Prarie View, he had 147 tackles, 14.5 for loss, 10 sacks, 4 pass deflections, and an interception. He’d go on to be signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2019 but did not make the 53 man roster.
He later signed with the XFL, originally signing with the Tampa Bay Vipers but was traded to the St Louis Battlehawks for cornerback Trey Caldwell. Sadly he would not get much playing time before the leagues halt. During the pandemic, he was quoted saying
“I realized I couldn’t just be the top guy athletically. I had to put details into my work, and that’s not hard to do, I think a lot of HBCU players are very talented… in fact, we’re just as talented as any other player coming out of college. It’s all about the details and in the NFL you’re on a time crunch, so you have to figure it out faster. The experience allowed me to develop more as a man and as a player, especially when it comes to breaking down defenses, studying offenses, and learning about players’ habits.”
We look to see how he’s grown once The Spring League begins their fall season.
Juwan Foggie: 24yo (6’1″/234/4.77) – LB – Charlotte
Juwan Foggie is a wide receiver turned linebacker that played his college ball at Charlotte. His team’s defensive coaches kept telling him that he should change positions and eventually he did. Following the position change, he went on the be considered as one of the best coverage linebackers in college football. He totaled 142 tackles, 9 for loss, 1 sack, 14 pass deflections, and 7 interceptions.
At his time in Charlotte, Foggie earn All-Conference USA Second Team, as well as AFCA Allstate Good Works Team Nominee.
He ranked second in the NCAA with a school-record six interceptions in 2018, including two returned for touchdowns. His six interceptions were the most in the nation by a linebacker. Foggie also owns a school-record with three defensive touchdowns in his career (2 interceptions; 1 fumble recovery). He went on to sign with the Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2019 but was released before the season began.
Bryan London II: 23yo (6’2″/232/4.77) – LB – Texas State
Bryan London II played his college ball at Texas State from 2015-2019. He was a multi-sport athlete, competing in football, basketball, track-and-field, as well as powerlifting. In his time at Texas State, London had 460 total tackles, 25.5 for loss, 1 sack, 12 pass deflections, and an interception. During his colligate career, he was awarded 2x All-Sun Belt First Team and All-Sun Belt Second Team.
London is very capable of playing any of the 3-4 linebacker positions and has a presence on special teams as well. He was regarded as one of the 2020 NFL Drafts Top Undrafted Players, eventually being signed by the Rams only to be waived shortly after.
Vantrell McMillan: 26yo (6’2″/250/4.80) LB/DE – Tennessee Chattanooga
Vantrell McMillan played at Tennessee Chattanooga from 2014-2016. He was redshirted in 2012 and sat out all of 2013 with torn ligaments in his knee and a torn meniscus. In 2014 he returned to play and finished out his college career with 115 tackles, 26 for loss, 11 sacks, 3 pass deflections, and 1 interception getting named First Team All-SoCon.
He would go on to play for the CFL’s Alouettes in 2018, followed by the XFL Roughnecks in 2020. Although did not receive much playing time in the CFL and XFL, Vantrell looks to gain some more attention at the upcoming Spring League Showcase.
Defensive Backs
Marcelis Branch: 26yo (5’11″/195/4.61) – S – Robert Morris
Playing his college ball at Robert Morris in Pennsylvania, Marcelis Branch had 251 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 28 pass deflections, and 7 interceptions. He was named All-Northeast Conference First Team, Northeast Conference DROY, and All-Northeast Conference 2nd Team in his time in college.
Branch went on to be undrafted and signed with the Falcons following the 2017 NFL Draft. He spent the entire 2017 season on their practice squad, and was waived during final roster cuts at the end of the 2018 preseason. He signed with the Steelers in 2019 but was waived in the preseason.
Following his stint in the NFL, Branch signed with the XFL. He was drafted to the Tampa Bay Vipers and quickly became known as “The heart of the Vipers defense.” He became a star for the Vipers and in 5 games he had 33 total tackles, 2 for loss, 1 sack, 1 QB hurry, and 2 pass deflections. It was surprising to not see another NFL team give him a shot following the XFL league stoppage.
Isiah Olave: (5’10″/190/4.55) – S – UC Davis
Isiah Olave is a Safety out of UC Davis and played from 2014-2018. During his time with the team, he was named All-Big Sky Third Team, as well as being the recipient of the Captains Award. Olave totaled 166 tackles, 7.5 for loss, 1 sack, 25 pass deflections, and 4 interceptions. He would later receive an invite to try out for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but was not signed. He’ll look to catch some attention once again in the upcoming spring league.
Mandell Ray: (6’4″/200/4.5) CB – Morehouse
Build wise, Mandell Ray is what would be considered an NFL organization’s dream corner. He stands at 6-foot-4, 200 pounds and runs a 4.5 40-yard dash time. In the time he played at Morehouse he had 42 tackles, 1.5 for loss, 5 pass deflections, and 5 interceptions.
Ray signed as an undrafted free agent with the Raiders for a short time following a minicamp tryout in 2019 but was subsequentially waived.
Mandell would later attend Champs Camp for DBs in 2019, being coached by the Denver Broncos great Champ Bailey himself.
Rojesterman (Roe) Farris II: (6’1″/180/4.57) – CB – Hawaii
Rojesterman (Roe) Farris II played for Hawaii in 2015 through 2019. While attending, he was named All-Mountain West Honorable Mention, as well as the Bob Wagner Defensive MVP Award. Farris did very well, thriving as a 4-year starter, playing in every game, never getting injured, and winning 2 bowl games. He totaled 128 tackles, 1.5 for loss, 27 pass deflections, and 3 interceptions
He received multiple offers after going undrafted following the 2020 NFL Draft and signed with the Falcons because he felt that they best suited him scheme-wise. Sadly he was waived on Aug 4, 2020. Since then he’s been working with former Tenessee Titans scout Richard Shelton to stay in football shape.
Jocquez “The Missile” Kalili: 24yo (5’11″/185/?) – CB- UNLV
Jocquez “The Missile” Kalili was regarded by some as the hardest hitting corner in college football. Originally from the Vegas area, Kalili spent 2 semesters at the University of Arizona before transferring to Mesa Community College with plans to eventually transfer to UNLV to be closer to his family. He obtained his associate degree within 3 semesters at Mesa Community College, then transferred to UNLV. In his 2 years at Mesa CC, the Thunderbirds finished 9-2, winning JUCO Vallet of the Sun Bowl Camps during his sophomore season.
Kalili walked on at UNLV and up until this point had actually been playing running back. He made the switch from running back to cornerback for his junior season and quickly became known to many as “the hardest-hitting corner in college football”. He only allowed 3 touchdowns on the year and finished his college career with 72 tackles, 3 for loss, 7 pass deflections, and 1 interception.
He declared for the 2019 NFL Draft but did not receive an invite. His unofficial 40 time (4.3) would have put him as the 2nd fastest in the combine that year, but he did not give up. Eventually, he received a camp invite by the Chiefs but was not signed. Now a bit more humbled and grateful for another opportunity in the NFL, he received an invite to the Jaguars minicamp. Kalili signed a deal with the Jaguars but was waived shortly after. He would go on to sign with the Packers for a short time as well but was waived at the end of the 2019 preseason.
K/P
Jacob Ford: (6’0″/225) – K/P – Oregon/Ouachita Baptist
Jacob Ford is a kicker/punter out of Shepparton, Australia. While in the states he originally played for the University of Oregon, but transferred to Ouachita Baptist and quickly became number 1 in the nation in net punting during the regular season of his junior year in 2018. Over the course of his college career, he had 28 punts downed inside the 20-yard line out of 52 total punts, also taking on the kickoff duties.
Ford has been listed as both the kicker and the punter for the Alphas, and although he has not been the one kicking field goals at Ouachita Baptist, he is more than qualified to do so by the looks of his film.
The Spring Leagues 12 game fall season is close approaching and the Wolf Pack will look to come out hot. This seems to be a very talented squad and we are excited to see what they can do.
The Spring League’s fall season will begin on Tues Oct 27 and be broadcast on Fox Sports 1.
UPDATE 10/17/2020:
Late additions to The Alphas roster per the official The Spring League Twitter account!
Taku Lee: 25yo – RB – Keio University, Japan – (6’0”/205lbs/4.5)
Another prospect out of Japan, Taku Lee out of Keio University, put his plans of becoming a pilot on hold to pursue a career in football. He won back-to-back college rushing titles in 2015 and 2016, also being the only college player to play on the Japanese National Team to play in the 2015 IFAF World Championship.
By the time his college career was over, he had the pick at all of the top X league teams in Japan, joining the Obic Seagulls. He finished the 2019 season with 46 attempts, 448 yards rushing (9.7 avg), with 2 touchdowns also having earned the honors of 2017 X League Rookie of the Year along the way.
In 2019 he would play in 2 games for The Spring League and later be invited to the CFL Global Combine where he caught the eye of CFL Director of Global Scouting, Greg Quick.
Madre London 24yo – RB -Michigan/Tennessee (6’1”/218lbs/4.6)
Madre London started his college career at Michigan State as a redshirt freshman before eventually transferring to Tennessee for his final year. He would finish his college career with 1,130 yards rushing and 105 yards receiving, with 11 total rushing touchdowns and 1 receiving touchdown.
John Yarbrough: 25yo – C/RG/RT – University of Richmond (6’5″/323lbs)
The former Tampa Bay Viper played college ball at the University of Richmond and has been well decorated in his time. Yarbrough earned Second Team All-CAA Honors, Was Invited to play in the FCS National Bowl in Florida on December 9, 2018, Named Lineman MVP of the FCS National Bowl, Named Offensive Lineman of the Year in the state of Virginia by the Touchdown Club of Richmond, Started all 11 games at three different positions on the offensive line.
He had a short stint with the Carolina Panthers, signing as an undrafted free agent following the 2019 NFL Draft, but would go on to play in the XFL for the Vipers. Following the league halt, he was quoted saying
“They had people from the league office telling us how they had five-year plans. I think the league was really well thought out, it was just one of those things where timing really killed them.”
I could not agree more, the league was very well planned out, but nothing could prepare the XFL enough to save it from a global pandemic in it’s startup season.
Silas Stewart: 26yo – LB – Incarnate Word (6’3″/228/4.63)
Silas Stewart started his college playing career at Riverside City College in Riverside, California. He would go on to transfer to Incarnate Ward for his junior and senior seasons, being named Second Team All-Conference, and helped guide UIW to its first Southland Conference Title. During his final season, he recorded 85 tackles, 6 for loss, 7 pass deflections, 3 interceptions, a fumble recovery, and 2 forced fumbles.
He would go on to have short stint with the Ravens and Bengals in the 2019 season.
Scooby Wright: 26yo – LB – University of Arizona (6’0”/228/4.9)
Scooby Wright III is a very well known linebacker out of the University of Arizona. He is extremely well decorated at the colligate level, earning Unanimous All-American (2014), Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year (2014), First-team All-Pac-12 (2014), Bronko Nagurski Trophy (2014), Lombardi Award (2014), and the Chuck Bednarik Award (2014). In 27 games, he totaled 236 tackles, 28 for loss, 14 sacks, 1 interception, 6 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble recovery.
In 2016, Wright would be drafted in the 7th round by the Cleveland Browns. From 2016 to 2017 he would spend time on the Browns and Cardinals practice squads, but being elevated to the active roster and found playing time here and there.
In 2019 he would sign with the Arizona Hotshots in the IFL prior to the league being shut down. Later, he signed to the New England Patriots practice squad before signing with the XFL and getting drafted to the DC Defenders. In 4 games played, Wright put up 17 tackles, but his contract was terminated on April 10, 2020.
Damon Webb: 24yo – S/CB – Ohio State (5’11”/198lbs/4.61)
Damon Webb played at Ohio State from 2014 to 2017 and started each of his final 2 seasons with the Buckeyes. He finished his college career with 131 solo tackles, 4 for loss, 6 interceptions (110 int ret yds), 2 touchdowns, 7 pass deflections, and 2 fumble recoveries, also twice earning honorable mention All-Big Ten from the conference’s coaches.
Webb would sign with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2018 and played in all 4 preseason games, recording 5 tackles and 2 pass deflections. He would spend the season on the teams practice squad, spending a short time with the Raiders in 2019.
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Toby
October 19, 2020 at 8:27 am
I like the Webb kid played at high level was always around the ball.