Former Florida State Wide Receiver Signs Letter Of Intent To Play For XFL's Orlando Guardians

The former Seminole is set to resume his professional career after more than two years away from football.

A new age of professional football is developing where you don't just have to be in the NFL to forge a successful career. Start-up leagues such as the XFL and USFL have found success apart over the years but they decided to come together in late September to continue building an avenue for the sport in the spring.

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Multiple former Florida State standouts suited up in the XFL last season, including championship runner-up and D.C. Defenders' linebacker Reggie Northrup Sr. There was also a large crop of alumni participating in various roles for the Orlando Guardians such as head coach Terrell Buckley, defensive coordinator Tony Carter, linebackers coach Mark Snyder, quarterback Deondre Francois, and linebacker Terrance Smith.

On Tuesday, the XFL announced that former Seminole wide receiver Travis Rudolph was among four players to sign letters of intent to play for the Guardians during the 2024 season. This was expected after Orlando added him to the roster over the summer but now the move has been finalized.

This will be the first time that Rudolph has played at the professional level in over two years. In June, he was found not guilty of one count of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder stemming from an incident that occurred at his home in 2021.

Rudolph previously spent time in the NFL with the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins. He also played for the Canadian Football League's Winnipeg Blue Bombers prior to being released after his arrest. Rudolph is looking to showcase the abilities in the XFL that made him an All-ACC selection at Florida State.

The former five-star recruit signed with the Seminoles in 2014, joining the program one year after its most recent National Championship. He was thrust into a major role during his first season with the program, catching 38 passes for 55 yards and four touchdowns as Florida State advanced to the inaugural College Football Playoff.

Rudolph ended up developing into the Seminoles' leading receiver for the next two seasons and was named a back-to-back All-ACC Second-Team selection in 2015-16. He totaled 153 catches for 2,3133 yards with 18 receiving touchdowns during his career in Tallahassee. Rudolph is one of three Florida State wide receivers with multiple 200+ yard games (Ron Sellers, Craphonso Thorpe).

Following his third season at the college level, Rudolph chose to make the leap to the NFL. He went undrafted but went on to record eight catches for 101 yards during his rookie season with the Giants.

The 2024 XFL season is expected to kick off in February. It'll be the third year for the rebooted league under Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and other partners.

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