JACKSONVILLE, FL (December 16, 2009) – The United Football League announced today that five additional UFL players have joined NFL teams. Since the UFL’s season concluded on November 27th, 18 players have been signed to NFL teams’ active roster(s) and/or practice squad(s). These players include:
Date Player UFL Team NFL Team
12/16/09 NT Shaun Smith Las Vegas Locos Cincinnati Bengals, active roster
12/15/09 QB J.P. Losman Las Vegas Locos Oakland Raiders, active roster
12/15/09 T Rob Pettiti Florida Tuskers Carolina Panthers, active roster
12/15/09 OT Jason Capizzi Las Vegas Locos Cleveland Browns, practice squad
12/15/09 DB Matterral Richardson New York Sentinels Cleveland Browns, practice squad
12/10/09 TE Jake Nordin Las Vegas Locos Detriot Lions, active roster
12/9/09 NT Shaun Smith* Las Vegas Locos Cincinnati Bengals, active roster
12/9/09 LB Prince Kwateng California Redwoods New Orleans Saints, practice squad
12/9/09 T Michael Toudouze New York Sentinels Indianapolis Colts, active roster
12/8/09 K Graham Gano Las Vegas Locos Washington Redskins, active roster
12/2/09 DB Michael Grant* Florida Tuskers Cleveland Browns, practice squad
12/2/09 QB Shane Boyd* California Redwoods Indianapolis Colts, practice roster
12/2/09 LB Quinton Culberson Florida Tuskers Carolina Panthers, active roster
12/1/09 K Matt Bryant Florida Tuskers Atlanta Falcons, active roster
12/1/09 TE Jake Nordin Las Vegas Locos Detriot Lions, practice roster
11/28/09 QB Tyler Palko* California Redwoods; preseason Pittsburgh Steelers, active roster
11/25/09 QB Tyler Palko California Redwoods; preseason Pittsburgh Steelers, practice squad
11/25/09 G Christian Gaddis New York Sentinels; preseason Buffalo Bills, active roster
11/25/09 FB Charles Ali* New York Sentinels Baltimore Ravens, active roster
11/24/09 DB Paul Pratt New York Sentinels Detriot Lions, practice squad
11/24/09 OL Jason Watkins New York Sentinels Buffalo Bills, practice squad
11/18/09 G Christian Gaddis New York Sentinels; preseason Buffalo Bills, practice squad
* has since been released
In addition to the players named above, an additional 21 UFL players have been invited to workouts for NFL clubs including:
California Redwoods
DB Robert Herbert
DB Marcus McClinton
LS Nick Sundberg
Florida Tuskers
WR Taye Biddle
OT Mike Butterworth (preseason)
DE Patrick Chukwurah
DB Derrick Richardson
DB DeJuan Tribble
T Seth Wand
DT Willie Williams
Las Vegas Locos
P Danny Baugher
RB DeDe Dorsey
DE Eric Henderson
LB Teddy Lehman
DT Gabe Long
T Jeremy Parquet
RB Cory Ross
New York Sentinels
WR Lance Leggett
LS Jared Retkofsky
DB Darien Williams
LB Leon Williams
About The UFL
The UFL was developed to fulfill the unmet needs of football fans in major markets currently underserved by professional football by providing a high quality traditional football league comprised of world class professional football players. The UFL will serve the communities with pride, dedication and passion, and uphold a leadership role in the development of football worldwide. The UFL will provide every fan with an affordable, accessible, exciting and entertaining game experience. The UFL just completed its “Premiere” season on November 27th where the Las Vegas Locos defeated the Florida Tuskers 20-17 in overtime. The UFL’s headquarters is in New York, N.Y. and has satellite offices in Jacksonville, Fla. and Rutherford, N.J. The UFL is led by Commissioner Michael Huyghue, COO Frank Vuono and is being funded by a consortium of private investors. For more information on the UFL, please visit www.ufl-football.com.
I waited in anticipation of watching the UFL play this year. I watched every game I could and enjoyed the Championship game. Then it hit me. The teams I cheered and the players I rooted for will all be different next year. Not only that but the best teams will change the most, losing players, assistant coaches and head coaches to the NFL every year. The other teams will not fare much better. At this revelation I became sad, I lost my team/league spirit. There is no building a team in the UFL, there is no watching your team get better and hoping next season to add a good reciver or lineman to shore up your weaker positions for a championship run. Every year all the teams will began a rebuilding process,EVERY YEAR! This is akin to fan-dom hell.Who would wish this on themselves. Only a true masochist of which I am not. While I wish the UFL well, I can’t help but believe they would have been better served, signing players to longer term contracts.
Have a league which slowly builds itself up to a viable alternative to the NFL. Create your own brand. Have 6-8 teams, no more. Then stock them with ex-NFL players, who still have gas in the tank, college players who excelled in college but failed to sign on with a NFL team, scout small colleges for those diamonds in the rough. Build pride in your league like the marines do, by searching for a few tough men. Think back to the old days of football, no domes, no sissy rules, real football for real men, striving to be the best. I guarantee if you market to the over 40-50 crowd the real football stanza, and the toughness aspect(think MMA)to the younger crowd, you will hit upon a winning combination.
Right now the UFL appeals to very few. I hear the complaints from old and young alike about what is wrong with the NFL, and people do clamor for a change, but the UFL is more of the same, no change and less quality.
Pay a little higher salary for the ex nfl’ers who can still play. Have a salary cap for the youngsters but make it worth there time. No one expects to get rich, but they play a demanding game.
Oh well…..a guy can dream can’t he?