What better way to bridge the gap to new information on the XFL’s triumphant return under the guidance of Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia and RedBird Capital than reliving the best moments, in no particular order of the 2020 XFL season.
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And They’re Off…
The XFL’s kickoff rule was the talk of the town among sports pundits and football fans alike in the days leading up to the season. The new concept was designed with the intention of keeping players safe and cutting back on high impact, high-speed collisions between players.
While the first kick off in history wasn’t a memorable one, it certainly stands out given the fact that it began actual play after just over two years of planning and forming the league.
First TD in League (2.0) History
The first touchdown (not the first points, that was a field goal by Ty Rausa) was recorded by the Seattle Dragons. It came by way of a pass from Brandon Silvers to Austin Proehl, the strike was from 14-yards out.
Game one was incredibly exciting. There was a bunch of scoring, some fun trickery and some big plays on defense and special teams. Here are some of the highlights:
Punt Block TD
The Dragons punt was blocked by Elijah Campbell, and recovered by Jonathan Celestin in the end zone. One of the few special team scores of the XFL 2.0 season.
The Ole Triple Reverse
Khari Lee was the recipient of a score on perhaps the most “we’re not the NFL” play of the game. One of the many rules that were introduced was a double forward pass. While this doesn’t count as a double forward pass, at the time, fans didn’t know the difference and loved the unique play call and the execution by the offense.
Defenders, Defending
It’s best to call it bad luck when Proehl slipped on the turf and didn’t finish his rout. It’s terrible luck when Silvers delivers a ball to where you should have been and it ends up right in the chest of Bradley Sylve who took it 69-yards to the house. Sylve was later traded to the Los Angeles Wildcats, but his pick-six was a highlight of DC’s week one triumph.
At the time, the Defenders big win continued some of the league’s best storylines, like how Cardale Jones was one of the league’s biggest selling features. That game continued his historic run of being undefeated as a team’s starting quarterback (he was 12-0 after that game) he contributed 291 passing yards and 2 passing TDs.
So much credit has to go to the fans who piled into Audi Field that Saturday. They treated the team like they’ve been there for decades. They embraced the shield, coach Pep Hamilton and the multitude of recognizable names DC had to offer. The DC fans took on a legacy of their own, something that will certainly be included in a future post of best moments.
I’m sure it was a surreal moment for Vince McMahon, Oliver Luck and the many front office employees of the league to see play actually begin. Little did they know about the journey they were going on over the next month and a half.
