Birmingham Stallions (2022)
| Birmingham Stallions | |
|---|---|
 Current season | |
| Established November 22, 2021 Play in Protective Stadium (Birmingham, Alabama) | |
 | |
| League/conference affiliations | |
United States Football League (2022–2023)
United Football League (2024–present)
| |
Current uniform | |
.svg) | |
| Team colors | Red, gold, white |
| Personnel | |
| Owner(s) | Fox Corporation (50%), Dany Garcia, Dwayne Johnson, RedBird Capital Partners (50%) |
| Head coach | Skip Holtz |
| Team history | |
| |
| Championships | |
| League championships (3) | |
Conference championships (1)
| |
| Division championships (2) | |
| Playoff appearances (3) | |
| Home stadium(s) | |
| |
The Birmingham Stallions are a professional American football team based in Birmingham, Alabama. The Stallions compete in the United Football League (UFL), and were a founding member of the second iteration of the United States Football League (USFL) in 2022. The Stallions are owned and operated by Dwayne Johnson's Alpha Acquico and Fox Corporation, and play their home games at Protective Stadium. They have won three league championships since their founding, defeating the Philadelphia Stars 33–30 in 2022 and the Pittsburgh Maulers 28–12 in 2023 as part of the USFL, and most recently the San Antonio Brahmas 25–0 in the inaugural UFL Championship Game in 2024.
History
[edit]The Birmingham Stallions were one of eight teams officially announced as a USFL franchise on The Herd with Colin Cowherd on November 22, 2021.[1] On January 6, 2022, it was revealed that former NCAA coach Gene Chizik would become the head coach of the Stallions. Chizik confirmed the report, but the parties have yet to agree. He ultimately took a deal to become the defensive coordinator for North Carolina two days later.[2][3] On January 20, 2022, it was announced on The Herd with Colin Cowherd that former NCAA football head coach Skip Holtz was named the head coach and general manager of the Stallions.[4]
The Stallions finished the 2022 regular season with a 9–1 record, winning the South division title and clinching the South division's first seed. The Stallions hosted their first South Division Championship game, facing the second-seed New Orleans Breakers. The Stallions defeated the Breakers 31–17 and advanced to the 2022 USFL Championship Game.[5]
On July 3, 2022, in Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, the Stallions played against the North division's second seed, the Philadelphia Stars. Following halftime, the Stallions led by eleven points, but a 4-yard Stars' touchdown narrowed the Stallions' lead to five points with 5:17 remaining in the third quarter. On the Stallions' next possession, they were forced to attempt a 38-yard field goal, which was missed. Then Philadelphia's Case Cookus found Devin Gray in the end zone for a touchdown two plays later. The Stars attempted and converted a two-point conversion.[6] This gave Philadelphia a 23–20 lead, their first of the game. Following a pair of field goals and a 26–23 lead with under three minutes remaining, Scooby Wright had a 46-yard interception returned for a touchdown to seal the game for the Stallions effectively.[7][8] Victor Bolden Jr. won the USFL Championship Game Most Valuable Player Award.
Following the 2022 season, the Stallions hired Zachary Potter. He previously held the title of team director during the Stallions 2022 season.[9]
In September 2023, Axios reported that the XFL was in advanced talks with the USFL to merge the two leagues prior to the start of their 2024 seasons.[10] Officials in Birmingham were assured that the Stallions would be part of the merged league should the union go forward.[11] On September 28, 2023, the XFL and USFL announced their intent to merge with details surrounding the merger to be announced at a later date.[12] The merger would also require regulatory approval.[13] In October 2023 the XFL filed a trademark application for the name "United Football League".[14] On November 30, 2023, Garcia announced via her Instagram page that the leagues had received regulatory approval for the merger and were finalizing plans for a "combined season" to begin March 30, 2024.[15] The merger was made official on December 31, 2023.[16]
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Traditions
[edit]The Birmingham Stallions has an official supporters group, The Horsemen, as well as the newly inaugurated Shirtless Stallions. Both groups are often recognized by the coaches and players.
The Horsemen
[edit]The Horsemen became the official fan base of the Birmingham Stallions at the beginning of the 2023 season. Stationed in Section 104 of Protective Stadium, The Horsemen are directly behind the home team's benches, allowing easy access and interaction with the players, coaches, and cheerleaders. The supporters group has been the creators of the many chants made during the games--"Giddy Up" and "Buck 'Em"--as well as crowning its team the "Kings of Spring," after the Stallions continues to win League Championships, and hands out crowns to all of the fans.
Many of The Horsemen travel to all of the away games, including the League Championship games; whereas, others remain in Birmingham to host watch parties that has attracted many fans as well as coverage from local media. [17]
The Horsemen work with the team to create unique fan experiences, such as watch parties, signings, meet-and-greets, as well as working with the team to shop for and donate toys to the Children's of Alabama Hospital Sugar Plum Shop each year. [18]
The local media often utilize The Horsemen as the spokespeople for the fan base, ensuring all fans are informed of local events and updates on the season. [19] Coach Skip Holtz often refers to The Horsemen and how the fan base creates an electric environment at both home and away games and how much he appreciates the fans. [20]
For the 2023 National Championship, The Horsemen led the team and cheerleaders in the parade. [21] [22]
Shirtless Stallions
[edit]On April 20, 2024 the Stallions hosted a game against the D.C. Defenders at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, AL. With 1:55 remaining in the first half, the game was halted for a lightning delay.[23] By the time play resumed nearly 90 minutes later, most fans had left the stadium. However of the few devoted fans who remained, a group of men had gathered near the North endzone, taking off their wet shirts and cheering enthusiastically.[24] Having received such significant air time in the game broadcast, a tradition was born. Later dubbed the "Shirtless Stallions",[25] during each home game at the front row of Section 138 a small group of shirtless fans begins to gather. By the end of most games the Shirtless Stallions has typically grown to include several dozen fans as well as the Stallions' mascot, Stanley.
Championships
[edit]The Stallions have won two USFL Championships and one UFL Championship as well as two (USFL) South Division Championships and one (UFL) USFL Conference Championship, winning three championships in a row from 2022 to 2024.
USFL Championships
[edit]| Year | Coach | USFL Championship Game | Stadium | Location | Opponent | Score | MVP | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Skip Holtz | 2022 | Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium | Canton, Ohio | Philadelphia Stars | 33–30 | Victor Bolden Jr. | 9–1 |
| 2023 | Skip Holtz | 2023 | Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium | Canton, Ohio | Pittsburgh Maulers | 28–12 | Deon Cain | 8–2 |
| Total USFL championships won: | 2 | |||||||
UFL Championship
[edit]| Year | Coach | UFL Championship Game | Stadium | Location | Opponent | Score | MVP | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Skip Holtz | 2024 | The Dome at America's Center | St. Louis, Missouri | San Antonio Brahmas | 25–0 | Adrian Martinez | 9–1 |
| Total UFL championships won: | 1 | |||||||
South Division Championship games
[edit]| Year | Coach | Stadium | Location | Opponent | Score | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Skip Holtz | Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium | Canton, Ohio | New Orleans Breakers | 31–17 | 9–1 |
| 2023 | Skip Holtz | Protective Stadium | Birmingham, Alabama | New Orleans Breakers | 47–22 | 8–2 |
| Total South Division championship games won: | 2 | |||||
USFL Conference Championship game
[edit]| Year | Coach | Stadium | Location | Opponent | Score | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Skip Holtz | Protective Stadium | Birmingham, Alabama | Michigan Panthers | 31-18 | 9–1 |
| Total USFL Conference championship games won: | 1 | |||||
Current roster
[edit]Players
[edit]| Quarterbacks
Running backs Wide receivers
Tight ends
|
Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
|
Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
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Reserve lists
Unsigned draft picks
Roster updated November 4, 2024 47 active, 10 unsigned |
Staff
[edit]|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
|
Player history
[edit]Current NFL players
[edit]| Season | Pos | Name | NFL Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–2023 | K | Brandon Aubrey | Dallas Cowboys |
| 2023 | DT | Khalil Davis | Houston Texans |
| 2022–2024 | DE | Dondrea Tillman | Denver Broncos |
| 2024 | WR | Kevin Austin Jr. | New Orleans Saints |
| 2024 | QB | Adrian Martinez | New York Jets |
| 2024 | S | A. J. Thomas | New England Patriots |
| 2024 | DE | Jonathan Garvin | San Francisco 49ers |
| 2024 | WR | Deon Cain | Carolina Panthers |
Notable players
[edit]| Season | Pos | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023–present | TE | Jace Sternberger | Former Green Bay Packers Tight End, 2019 3rd Round Pick |
| 2024–present | WR | Amari Rodgers | Former Green Bay Packers Wide Receiver, 2021 3rd Round Pick |
| 2024 | QB | Matt Corral | Former Carolina Panthers Quarterback, 2022 3rd Round Pick |
| 2024–present | DE | Taco Charlton | Former Dallas Cowboys Defensive End, 2017 1st Round Pick |
MVP award winners
[edit]| Stallions USFL MVP winners | |||
| Year | Player | Position | Selector |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Alex McGough | QB | USFL |
| 2024 | Adrian Martinez | QB | UFL |
Coach history
[edit]Head coach history
[edit]| # | Name | Term | Regular season | Playoffs | Awards | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GC | W | L | Win % | GC | W | L | ||||
| Birmingham Stallions | ||||||||||
| 1 | Skip Holtz | 2022–present | 30 | 26 | 4 | .867 | 5 | 5 | 0 | *2023 USFL Coach of the Year |
Offensive coordinator history
[edit]| # | Name | Term | Regular season | Playoffs | Notes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GC | W | L | Win % | GC | W | L | ||||
| Birmingham Stallions | ||||||||||
| 1 | Skip Holtz | 2022–present | 30 | 26 | 4 | .867 | 5 | 5 | 0 | *Co-Offensive Coordinator with Philip Montgomery |
| 2 | Philip Montgomery | 2024–present | 10 | 9 | 1 | .900 | 1 | 1 | – | *Co-Offensive Coordinator with Skip Holtz |
*Holtz also serving as Offensive Coordinator
Defensive coordinator history
[edit]| # | Name | Term | Regular season | Playoffs | Awards | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GC | W | L | Win % | GC | W | L | ||||
| Birmingham Stallions | ||||||||||
| 1 | John Chavis | 2022–2024 | 27 | 24 | 3 | .889 | 5 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2 | Corey Chamblin | 2024–present | 3 | 2 | 1 | .667 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
*Chavis left team Week 9 [26]
Records
[edit]| All-time Stallions leaders | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leader | Player | Record | Years with Stallions | |
| Passing Yards | Alex McGough | 2,564 passing yards | 2022–2023 | |
| Passing Touchdowns | Alex McGough | 23 passing touchdowns | 2022–2023 | |
| Rushing Yards | C. J. Marable | 1,219 rushing yards | 2022–present | |
| Rushing Touchdowns | C. J. Marable | 11 rushing touchdowns | 2022–present | |
| Receiving Yards | Jace Sternberger | 1,428 receiving yards | 2023 | |
| Receiving Touchdowns | Jace Sternberger | 8 receiving touchdowns | 2023–present | |
| Receptions | C. J. Marable | 66 receptions | 2022–present | |
| Tackles | DeMarquis Gates | 99 tackles | 2022–present | |
| Sacks | DeMarquis Gates | 8.5 sacks | 2022–present | |
| Interceptions | A. J. Thomas | 3 interceptions | 2024–present | |
| Coaching wins | Skip Holtz | 26 wins | 2022–present | |
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Statistics and records
[edit]Season-by-season record
[edit]| UFL champions† (2024–present) | USFL champions§ (2022–2023) | Conference champions* | Division champions^ | Wild Card berth# |
| Season | Team | League | Conference | Division | Regular season | Postseason results | Awards | Head coaches | Pct. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish | W | L | |||||||||
| 2022 | 2022 | USFL | South | 1st ^*§ | 9 | 1 | Won Division Finals (Breakers) 31–17 Won 2022 USFL Championship (Stars) 33–30 |
J'Mar Smith (SDF MVP) Victor Bolden Jr. (CG MVP) |
Skip Holtz | .867 | |
| 2023 | 2023 | USFL | South | 1st ^*§ | 8 | 2 | Won Division Finals (Breakers) 47–22 Won 2023 USFL Championship (Maulers) 28–12 |
Alex McGough (USFL MVP) Skip Holtz (COTY) Deon Cain (CG MVP) | |||
| 2024 | 2024 | UFL | USFL | 1st # | 9 | 1 | Won USFL Conference Championship (Panthers) 31-18 Won 2024 UFL Championship (Brahmas) 25-0 |
Adrian Martinez (UFL MVP) | |||
| Total | 26 | 4 | All-time regular season record (2022–2024) | .867 | |||||||
| 6 | 0 | All-time postseason record (2022–2024) | 1.000 | ||||||||
| 32 | 4 | All-time regular season and postseason record (2022–2024) | .889 | ||||||||
| 2 USFL Championship titles, 2 division titles | |||||||||||
References
[edit]- ^ "USFL unveils team cities, nicknames and logos for 2022 debut". FOX Sports. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
- ^ Chizik, Gene [@CoachGeneChizik] (January 6, 2022). "Addressing a rumor this morning. I am honored that the new @USFL is interested in me for a HC position. We have had several discussions. Although this is a consideration, nothing has been finalized… #Facts" (Tweet). Archived from the original on January 12, 2022. Retrieved July 5, 2022 – via Twitter.
- ^ "North Carolina Tar Heels football names Gene Chizik assistant head coach for defense". ESPN. January 8, 2022. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
- ^ "What you need to know for USFL in 2022:Two more head coaches revealed". Fox Sports. January 20, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
- ^ "USFL Playoffs 2022 score, highlights: Birmingham Stallions defeat New Orleans Breakers 31–17". www.sports.nbcsports.com. NBC Universal. June 25, 2023. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
- ^ Jones, Alex (July 3, 2022). "Birmingham Stallions win 2022 USFL Championship over the Philadelphia Stars". WBRC. Archived from the original on July 4, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
- ^ Moseley, Brandon (July 3, 2023). "Birmingham Stallions win second straight USFL championship". Alabama Today. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
- ^ Haage, Anthony (March 25, 2024). "UFL Title Odds for 2024 - Birmingham Favored to Three-Peat". Gambling Sites. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
- ^ "USFL hires new general managers for two teams". FOX Sports. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
- ^ Baysinger, Tim; Primack, Dan; Fischer, Sara (September 19, 2023). "Scoop: Football leagues XFL and USFL in merger talks". Axios. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
- ^ Johnson, Roy S. (September 22, 2023). "Will Birmingham Stallions be part of possible USFL-XFL merged league?". The Birmingham News. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
- ^ TSN ca Staff (September 28, 2023). "XFL, United States Football League announce intention to merge". TSN. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
- ^ Schad, Tom (September 28, 2023). "XFL, USFL confirm intention to merge into single spring football league". USA Today. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
- ^ "XFL files trademark applications for 'United Football League' and 'UFL'". San Antonio Express-News. October 18, 2023.
- ^ "We are pleased to have completed the antitrust review process in connection with the proposed merger of the XFL and USFL and intend to play a combined season this spring kicking off on Saturday, March 30. We are now finalizing terms of the definitive agreement and will share more about this new League in the coming weeks". Instagram.
- ^ "USFL, XFL announce merger, formation of new spring football league: The UFL". Yahoo Sports. December 31, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
- ^ "GIDDY UP! Birmingham Stallions stampedes to 3rd consecutive title | Bham Now". June 16, 2024.
- ^ "Instagram".
- ^ "Birmingham Stallions help shine light on success of Protective Stadium". June 26, 2023.
- ^ https://www.tiktok.com/@stateofthestallions/video/7357899796847283487.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ "USFL Head Coach Skip Holtz at championship parade". YouTube. July 2, 2023.
- ^ "Birmingham Stallions celebrating 2023 USFL championship with city parade". July 4, 2023.
- ^ "Defenders vs. Stallions highlights: Birmingham remains undefeated".
- ^ @TheUFL (April 21, 2024). "A bunch of real ones" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ @arielle_schafer (June 7, 2024). "Skip Holtz gives a shoutout to the Horsemen and the Pyramid of Flesh on creating a contagious environment at Protective this season...🏈" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Miller, Luke (May 28, 2024). "Birmingham Stallions Lose DC John Chavis, Add Anthony Blevins". Pro Football Newsroom. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
