Month: April 2022

One of the few memorable scenes in The Godfather, Part III came when Michael Corleone, boss of the Corleone crime family, said, “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.”

I can relate.

No, I can’t relate to being head of a mafia family. Nor can I relate to the movie, which was by far the weakest film of the trilogy (thus making it the Fredo of the franchise – sad, disappointing and ultimately lifeless).

Instead, I refer to professional football in Birmingham, something I thought I was done with when the Alliance of American Football went out of business before completing its inaugural season in 2019.

But I was wrong.

I opened Twitter on June 3, 2021, and saw Doug Flutie proclaiming on the Fox Sports account that the United States Football League was back.

How could it be back? It last played in 1985 after making the monumentally stupid decision to move to a fall schedule in 1986, won three bucks in its lawsuit against the NFL, and then became a vehicle for throwback apparel.

Was Flutie gonna suit up for the New Jersey Generals again? Was this going to be some kind of senior circuit – perhaps the United States Fossil League? I mean … what the hell.

But it wasn’t some elaborate joke. Fox Sports had partnered with Brian Woods, founder of The Spring League, to create a new venture that revived the name of the original USFL. And that bothered me.

One, the major league USFL is long gone and I wasn’t keen on seeing its name and team brands assumed by a minor league. And two, with Woods on board I wasn’t even sure this would be “professional” football at all.

In The Spring League, players paid for the privilege to participate. And Woods’ previous pro football experience came in the Fall Experimental Football League, which lasted only two seasons.

But Birmingham got involved, so I couldn’t look away.

Not only would my hometown get a new version of the Stallions, but it was in line to host the entire league for the 2022 season. Honestly, neither of those things made me particularly happy.

I wanted the 1983-85 Stallions to rest in peace, and I didn’t want to see Birmingham dole out millions of dollars on a jack leg operation that would go belly up before finishing the season and leave behind nothing but bitter memories and unpaid bills.

I spent the remainder of 2021 being dismissive of the USFL. I even wrote a snarky column in November, hinting that I’d give it a chance, but only grudgingly.

Then came January 25, 2022.

The Stadium Club at Protective Stadium was filled with Birmingham city and Jefferson County officials who had worked together to bring the USFL to town. These are folks who normally can’t agree that two plus two equals four, but somehow they got this done.

The USFL people were there, too, talking about how Birmingham was the perfect place to launch their new football league.

“We appreciate the tremendous support and commitment from the city of Birmingham, Jefferson County, Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex, the Birmingham Park and Recreation Board, and the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau,” Edward Hartman, USFL executive vice president of business operations, said. “Birmingham is one of America’s most dynamic and welcoming cities with world-class facilities highlighted by the state-of-the-art Protective Stadium, now home to the USFL.”

Yeah, that’s scripted chamber of commerce-style talk, but I have to admit – as a citizen, it made me proud. And then when I returned to the same location almost a month later to watch the USFL Draft, things started to get real for me.

Since then I’ve watched a few practices, sat through a 90-minute scrimmage, and talked with several coaches and players. I’ve yet to encounter a single one who isn’t genuinely excited about being here. And honestly, it’s kinda rubbed off on me.

Look, I’m under no illusion that this is a continuation of the late, great USFL because it most certainly isn’t. The level of play will hopefully be good, but these athletes won’t be making major league salaries. Instead, they’ll be playing for the chance (first, second or last) to move up and earn major league salaries.

Still, it’s pro football in one city – my city – and I’ve decided to go into it with a positive attitude.

So tonight I head to Protective Stadium to watch Skip Holtz’s Birmingham Stallions tangle with Mike Riley’s New Jersey Generals. Just as I’ve done for the World Football League, American Football Association, first USFL, World League of American Football, Canadian Football League, XFL and AAF, I’m on hand for Birmingham’s home opener in a new league.

I hope the inclement weather moves out and there’s a good crowd, and I hope the teams put on an entertaining show.

Like Michael Corleone, they’ve pulled me back in.

Now let’s see if the 2022 United States Football League can avoid Fredo’s fate.

HOMEWOOD, Ala. – The last time a new league and new team took its maiden voyage in Birmingham, Luis Perez guided the Birmingham Iron of the Alliance of American Football to a 26-0 victory over the Memphis Express.

That was in 2019.

Three years and two upstart leagues later, Perez is back in the Magic City to lift the lid on the new United States Football League. Only this time, Birmingham fans might not be so glad to see him.

Perez hopes to lead the New Jersey Generals against the Birmingham Stallions Saturday night at Protective Stadium and become the first winning quarterback in the history of this version of the USFL (although the Generals twelfth round draft pick, De’Andre Johnson, might have something to say about that). The game is set for 6:30 p.m. and will be simulcast by Fox, NBC and Peacock.

“I remember back in 2019 being drafted by Birmingham and thinking, ‘Man, I’ve never been to Birmingham … this should be fun,” said Perez, who was at Hero Doughnuts and Buns in Homewood this morning with teammate Darius Victor as part of the USFL’s “Thank You Birmingham” event. “And it was, being around all the guys who were excited to play, and then being able to beat Memphis in that first game here. That’s a great memory.”

He thinks the goodwill he generated during his first stint in Birmingham will carry over.

“Since I’ve been back, I’ve talked to some people who remember me with the Iron and were big fans of the Iron, and I’m hoping maybe I can convince them to cheer for the Generals, too,” Perez said. “But I’ve had a good time being back here, getting our offense organized and getting back on the field.”

Perez’s remarkable career began in 2014 at Southwestern College in Chula Vista, California, where he walked on to the football team despite having no high school experience. He later transferred to Division II Texas A&M-Commerce, and not only led the Lions to a national championship in 2017, but won the Harlon Hill Trophy – D2’s equivalent of the Heisman Trophy.

Since then, Perez has become a staple of spring professional football after failing to make the regular season roster for the Los Angeles Rams in 2018.

Before the AAF folded after just eight weeks of its only season, Perez started seven of eight games for the Iron and helped them earn a berth in the playoffs which, of course, were never held. Later that summer, he was waived by both the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions, but found new life in the second iteration of the XFL in 2020.

Starting with the Los Angeles Wildcats and ending with the New York Guardians, he played a major role in New York’s two-game winning streak before the XFL was shuttered after five weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He most recently was part of The Spring League, a pay-to-play circuit founded by Brian Woods (who is now USFL President of Operations).

Although Perez went undrafted by the USFL, he was signed by the Generals after top pick Ben Holmes was released following a toe injury on April 1.

“So, I didn’t really know what I was going to do back when the USFL held its draft,” Perez recalls. “And then suddenly an injury happened and (New Jersey head coach Mike Riley) called me, and that was the opening for me. After I heard from him, I was ready to go and now we’re here today, so I’m very excited.”

Excited, but never nervous.

“Honestly, I’ve never had butterflies playing the game of football,” Perez said. “I feel so prepared going into every single game. I feel like there’s really no situation that I’m not prepared for. I’m more excited than anything else because I just like to get out there and perform and show what I can do.”

With both the AAF and XFL folding it would’ve been understandable if Perez was skeptical about joining another spring league. Instead, he’s sold on the concept.

“Obviously, who’s behind this league gives it a great chance,” Perez said. “Fox and all the people who helped organize it are first class. Brian Woods has been awesome, and everything has just been top of the line.

“You can kind of see where it’s going and see just where we’re at, and it’s a great setup. I can’t wait for Saturday.”

Birmingham Stallions coach Skip Holtz likes to say that “every player has a story,” and every story is different – sometimes with a few plot twists.

Take quarterback Alex McGough, for example. Ultimately, he wants his to be a story of success. Thing is, he doesn’t care if he’s the star or not.

“I’m a team-first guy – I’m gonna give everything I have on every play, no matter what the score is,” said McGough, who’ll lead the Stallions against the New Jersey Generals Saturday at 6:30 p.m. as the new United States Football League makes its debut at Protective Stadium. “I don’t care about stats … I want to win everything. I just want to make (the rest of the team) look good.

“And I’m never going to quit. I’ll give everything on every play. It’s something that’s been instilled in me.”

McGough had an outstanding career at Florida International University, making an impact for the Panthers right from the start when he threw for 117 yards and a touchdown in his college debut in 2014. By the time he was done, he had thrown for 9,091 yards and 65 touchdowns, completing 60.4 percent of his passes.

It was at FIU when McGough first encountered Holtz, who was head coach at Louisiana Tech.

“It’s interesting, because we used to always play him and knew we’d have to put up more than 50 points to win because they’d put up 50 points against us,” McGough said. “So, playing against him it was always pass first, you know, and try to get in the end zone as much as you can. Now I’m excited to play for him instead of against him. I can’t wait.”

Holtz made McGough his top QB pick in the USFL Draft. And while there were many factors involved in the decision, coaching against him was certainly one of them.

“I think he threw for about 430 yards against us that day that we played him at Ruston,” Holtz remembers. “We won, but it was a high-scoring event and I knew we’d need a bunch of points. I was just really impressed with his talents and skills and abilities.

“But being around him now, I’m even more impressed, just how he handles himself and the type of young man he is, and the way that he’s picked everything up. He’s been studying plays and using flashcards from the very beginning.”

McGough’s opportunities to shine on a big stage have been limited since he was a seventh-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks in the 2018 NFL Draft. Although he signed with three different teams since then (Seattle twice), most of his time has been spent on taxi squads.

But the USFL has given him another chance to show what he can do. And while Saturday will mark his debut at Protective Stadium, he already knows how to win in Birmingham.

He guided FIU to a 34-20 victory over UAB at Legion Field in 2014. And three years later – when the team was temporarily relocated to Birmingham due to Hurricane Irma – he was behind center when the Panthers topped Alcorn State 17-10 at “The Old Gray Lady,” throwing for 328 yards and running for the go-ahead touchdown.

“I’m like a dog,” he said. “I’m just out there biting and fighting and clawing for everything I can get. That’s who I am … it’s my love of the game.”

And what will be the next plot twist in his story?

“Fans will have to come out and see for themselves,” McGough said. “It’ll be exciting. Yeah … just come out and watch.”