Scott Adamson, Author at Adamsonmedia.com

Wright place, Wright time

Linebacker Scooby Wright has a big personality – no one will argue that point.

He also has plenty of talent to go along with it.

**Scott Adamson writes stuff. Follow him on Threads @sladamson1960 and Adamsonmedia on Facebook.**

Whether running down the field with his hand atop his helmet, mimicking a fin (“I had to go Sharkdog on them … half shark, half dog”) or running a pick-six into the end zone and finishing with a somersault to cement the Birmingham Stallions’ 33-30 USFL Championship Game win over the Philadelphia Stars, the man is a force of nature.

But as he settles into his third year with Birmingham – and is an integral part of one of the United Football League’s most formidable defensive units – he has become a veteran leader for the 3-0 Stallions.

“It’s been a great year,” said Wright, who has been nursing a right knee injury this week. “My teammates get better every week and we just look forward to bringing a great product to the field.”

During his prep days, Wright was an all-purpose player. He didn’t care where he played – he just wanted to be on the field.

“In high school, I kind of did everything,” he said. “It’s kind of funny … I was talking to someone a few days ago, and I said I used to return kicks and return punts and stuff, so it was kind of fun looking back because there’s no way in hell I could do that now.

“But really, I just love playing football. To be honest, it didn’t really matter what position I was playing or anything, I just always see myself as a football player.”

When healthy, Wright was one of the greatest defensive players in Arizona State University history.

He was Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 as a freshman and a consensus All-American as a sophomore, earning the Lombardi Award and Bronko Nagurski Award, among others, as well as Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year.

By his junior year he was limited to just three games due to injury, but closed out his college career with 145 solo tackles in 27 games, 14 sacks, an interception and six forced fumbles.

College success didn’t translate to more of the same in the NFL – at least not yet.

Following stints with the Cleveland Browns and Arizona Cardinals, Wright opted for an alternative pro football path.

The Arizona Hotshots of the ill-fated Alliance of American Football signed him in 2019, and he managed nine tackles before the league folded after eight games.

A practice squad job with the New England Patriots later that year lasted less than two weeks, and by 2020 he was with the DC Defenders of XFL 2.0.

That iteration of the league hit the halfway mark before crumbling under the weight of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Still, he managed 17 tackles in four games.

Since then, he’s been a staple of the Stallions, first in the reimagined United States Football League and now with the UFL. Despite being injured for most of the 2023 season, Wright managed 34 solo tackles and 31 assists, with three sacks and 23 tackles for loss.

This year he has five solo tackles and three assists.

“I played lot of football on my day,” Wright said. “I think the thing that we’re trying to adopt here and as a team is just trying to win every day. We want to control what we can control. Try not to not look too far forward, but just stay in the moment. “Stay focused, stay prepared. Just do what you do … just try to win.”

The Birmingham defense has put on quite a show over the past three weeks. The unit leads the UFL in interceptions (three), sacks (17), passes defended (18 with 15 breakups), and paces the circuit in total defense (226 yards allowed per game) and scoring defense (13.7 points per game).

“We know how good we can be and how good we are, and know where we want to go,” he said. “So, I think it’s just a matter of attacking the day and just staying motivated.

“I mean, instead of just being one guy deep or two guys deep, we’re able to roll guys through. If you’ve watched games, you notice at the linebacker position we kind of rotate a little bit to keep guys fresh.”

The Stallions face the DC Defenders (2-1) Saturday at Protective Stadium with a 6 p.m. kickoff. It’s the second consecutive home game for the USFL Conference leaders and “SharkDawg” is happy to be back in the friendly confines. Since the team is housed in the Arlington, Texas, hub throughout the week, trips “home” are even more special.

“I definitely miss Birmingham,” Wright said. “I miss living in the city and miss all the fans. It’s great seeing them and just being out in the community.”

Dinner and a show

Gary Tancred glanced at his wife, Gertie, and gave her a wink before handing a card to the host at the Crimson Crustacean.

“Hi,” he said. “We’re here for the end-of-life planning seminar and complementary meal.”

The Tancreds had received an invitation in the mail a couple of weeks earlier, one sent by the Heavenly Meadows Memorial Gardens Mortuary. It stated that if they attended “an informative session concerning advance funeral planning options that allows you ask difficult questions and receive compassionate answers,” they would be rewarded with a delicious dinner.

Why not? Even though they were both in good health, they were also in their mid-70s. And one can be plowed over by a bus at any age, so there is never a bad time to prepare for the inevitable big sleep.

So, they put on their Tuesday best and headed out for date night.

The Crimson Crustacean was decorated in a distinct nautical theme, with life preservers and oars tacked to its ruddy red walls and a shipwreck display situated just outside the entrance to the main dining area. The host, wearing a sailor cap, navy blue pea coat, white slacks and black sneakers, cheerfully escorted the couple to an area designated “Grub Ahoy.”

Once inside, they joined several other couples at a long table – one adorned in a white, plastic tablecloth dotted with cartoon anchors. Standing at a podium a few feet from the table was the family service counselor at Heavenly Meadows.

“Hello, I’m Steadman Wilshire, and I’d like to welcome everyone to the Crimson Crustacean,” he said in a low, raspy voice. “I know that you’ll enjoy the wonderful dinner and I trust you’ll find our program quite informative.”

Gary raised his hand.

“Hate to interrupt, Steadman, but we don’t have any menus,” he said.

Mr. Wilshire forced a smile.

“Actually,” he said. “The meal is already pre-planned. Each of you will receive a fish filet, baked potato and dinner roll, as well as your choice of iced tea, soda or water.”

Gary furrowed his brow.

“Well, that’s unfortunate, Steadman,” he said. “I was gonna order the Endless Lobster Trap with fries, and one of those cheese and jalapeno biscuits they’re always talking about on TV. Now, the fish plate is fine for Gertie – this is my wife here, Gertie – because she’s allergic to shellfish. But even if she wasn’t, she wants no part of a lobster.

“See, when she and her sister, Agnes, were teenagers, they went on a family vacation to Maine. They were on a pier horsing around and the damnedest thing happened; a lobster somehow got loose and attacked Agnes. Bit off her left nipple. We never knew if it was a random attack or a targeted one, or how her nipple even found itself in harm’s way, but you never forget something like that. At least I haven’t, and I wasn’t even there. Just imagine … losing a nipple. Mine are getting tender just talking about it.”

Wilshire didn’t know quite how to respond.

“I, uh, I’m sorry about all that, sir,” he said.

Gary interrupted.

“Not your fault at all, Steadman,” he said. “I mean, unless that was your lobster that got loose. In that case you don’t need to apologize to me, you need to apologize to Agnes and her good nipple.”

Wilshire’s eyes widened.

“We really do need to get on with the program, sir,” he said. “And as you can see, the food is already being placed on the table.”

Gertie raised her hand.

“One thing real quick, Steadman,” Gertie said. “I know funeral homes will do things like embalm you and put you in a coffin, or shove you in a furnace and cremate you. I guess all those are standard. But do you have, like, a Thelma and Louise plan? I mean, say if Gary and I both die and we’re willing to pay for it, is there a way you could put us in a convertible and drive us over a cliff? That just seems like it would be a fun send-off. I know our family would get a kick out of it. Especially Agnes, poor thing. Oh, even better, maybe get Susan Sarandon or Geena Davis to do the eulogy. If you could just talk a few minutes about those options, we’d really appreciate it.”

Wilshire was now red-faced and his once low voice grew higher.

“You two are being very disruptive and, frankly, wasting our time,” he said, practically spitting out his words. “We’re here to have a serious discussion and you … well, I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you both to leave.”

Gertie produced a couple of Styrofoam containers from her oversized purse, and she and Gary raked the food inside them.

“Well, Steadman, you’re the one who sent the invitation saying we were in for an informative session concerning advance funeral planning options that allowed us to ask difficult questions and receive compassionate answers,” Gary said. “And you never even answered the question about the Thelma and Louise option. We’ll just be taking our complementary food to go, thank you very much.”

The pair hurried out of the dining area and made a beeline to their car. After Gary cranked it up and pulled out of the parking space, both of them erupted in laughter.

“That was fun, Gertie,” Gary said. “Date nights with you are the best. And I gave ‘em a fake email address and phone number, so we don’t have to worry about any follow-up. What do we have next?”

Gertie opened the glove compartment and pulled out a small stack of invitations.

“Let’s see,” she murmured. “OK, next Tuesday at Cowpokes there’s a financial seminar. Free steak dinner.”

Gary smiled.

“Financial seminar, huh?” he said. “That’ll be fun … I’ll do the bit where I start talking about the Irish Republican Army when he brings up IRAs.”

Gertie howled.

“I love that story,” she said. “Especially the part where your cousin loses his right nipple in a friendly fire incident. Anyway, let’s get home and eat before the fish gets cold.”

The onside kick alternative

**DC QB Jordan Ta’amu completed a fourth-and-12 pass against the Arlington Renegades at Choctaw Stadium on April 13 to set up the winning field goal.**
Photo by Ron Jenkins/UFL/Getty Images)

Like most of the spring football circuits that have come before it, the United Football League has several unique rules – most of which are designed to add excitement to the game and provide a different product from the NFL and college ball.

With just three weeks of its inaugural season complete, you’d have a tough time finding an innovation that has provided more drama than the UFL’s fourth-and-12 onside kick option.

In week two, the San Antonio Brahmas used the scrimmage play to retain possession and ultimately turn a 19-8 deficit to the Memphis Showboats (with just 49 seconds to go, no less) into a wild 20-19 victory.

“You look at the onside kick in the NFL and there’s a one percent chance of making it,” San Antonio coach Wade Phillips said. “It’s not a play even worth looking at. But with fourth-and-12, you have a chance. It’s not a high-percentage play, now, but we executed it. We made a great play to make the first down.

“It keeps the game exciting and gives you the opportunity to make an ‘onside kick.’ The NFL is looking at a lot of rules we’re utilizing and they ought to look at that, too. It’s exciting, that’s for sure.”

Last weekend it was the DC Defenders’ turn, flipping the script on what appeared to be a certain loss to the Arlington Renegades and changing it into a stunning 29-28 victory thanks to a fourth-and-12 conversion that set up a game-winning field goal.

“We stayed in the fight,” DC coach Reggie Barlow said. “We had to get the fourth-and-12 and my man (quarterback Jordan Ta’amu) managed that well.”

Trailing 28-26, Ta’amu hit Ty Scott on a 19-yard gainer on the onside kick alternative to give the Defenders a fresh set of downs and chance to win.

“It’s crazy,” Ta’amu said. “Everything was just so surreal. It felt like a dream.”

DC comes to Birmingham this Saturday to take on the unbeaten Stallions at Protective Stadium. And while Skip Holtz’s club has had no need for such theatrics thus far, the coach is glad the play is available.

“What we have to do now when we practice every day, is practice the 1-point play from the two, the 2-point play from the five, and the 3-point play from the 10 … and I carry probably eight to 10 plays from the five-yard line, which is more than I’ve ever carried,” Holtz said. “But you also have to then practice a fourth-and-12 play.”

As Phillips said, it’s not a high-percentage option, but it’s far better than the awkward, rarely successful onside kick.

“As far as maintaining an onside kick, really, you’re hoping for a bounce,” Holtz said. “You’re hoping for a bounce or hoping for a fumble, or you’re hoping that they misjudge it and the ball takes a crazy bounce. Otherwise, you’re not going to get it.

“I like the excitement of a fourth-and-12 play and having the opportunity to continue your drive, especially when you’re trying to make the comeback.”

The roots of the rule date back to the Alliance of American Football, which played a partial season in 2019 before folding.

There were no kickoffs at all in the AAF, with offenses starting possession at their own 25-yard line. However, if a team trailed by 17 points or there were five or fewer minutes remaining in a game, it could attempt what was called an “onside conversion.”

Just like in the UFL, it was a fourth-and-12 play from the 28.

The option was also available following a safety, only the ball was placed down at the 18 in that instance.

Last year the XFL had a fourth-and-15 play from the 25 along with the traditional onside kick.

“We haven’t had to use it yet, fortunately, because we’ve had a lead,” Holtz said. “But it is something that we practice along with the (conversion plays) every day.”