St. Louis BattleHawks Set For New Season in UFL
The St. Louis Battlehawks survived the 2020 version of the XFL. And the Battlehawks survived the 2023 version of the XFL.
Now, St. Louis is one of four XFL teams that has been invited to play in the 2024 UFL, which is the merger between the XFL and the USFL.
The Battlehawks join the Arlington Renegades, D.C. Defenders and San Antonio Brahmans in the XFL Conference, while the Birmingham Stallions, Houston Roughnecks, Memphis Showboats and Michigan Panthers will play in the USFL Conference.
Below is a recap of how the Battlehawks did last season and its history in the XFL.
St. Louis In 2023
St. Louis was one of six teams to make it from the 2020 version of the XFL to the 2023 version, which was under new league ownership led by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
The Battlehawks were coached by former NFL tight end Anthony Becht and went 7-3 in the North Division. In spite of the quality of their season, the Battlehawks did not qualify for the playoffs.
The D.C. Defenders won the division with a 9-1 record and St. Louis found itself tied for second with the Seattle Sea Dragons, who claimed the other playoff spot due to a tiebreaker.
Becht will return as coach in 2024.
Former Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron set the franchise record for passing yards in a season with 2,150 yards, along with 24 touchdown passes. His top target was former Iowa State star Hakeem Butler, who led the team in receiving yards, touchdowns and receptions.
Darrius Shepherd, a wide receiver, was named the XFL’s Special Teams Player of the Year.
Modern XFL History
St. Louis was one of the eight teams in the 2020 XFL reboot, led by the league’s original founder, Vince McMahon.
Jonathan Hayes was the head coach and guided the Battlehawks to a 3-2 record with quarterback Jordan Ta'amu at the controls. Taylor Heinicke was also on the roster. Heinicke is back in the NFL, most recently with the Atlanta Falcons.
The league folded after five games due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hayes spent 2023 as the offensive coordinator for the Arlington Renegades, which won the XFL title.
St. Louis Football History
St. Louis was not a part of the original XFL launch in 2001. But the city has a rich history in the NFL.
The city has been home to four NFL teams, starting with the St. Louis All-Stars back in 1923. The All-Stars played one season and won one game. The St. Louis Gunners followed in 1934. That teams started as an independent team and joined the NFL for its final three games of that season as a replacement for the NFL’s Cincinnati Reds.
The St. Louis Cardinals (1960-87) started as the Chicago Cardinals and moved to St. Louis before the 1960 season. This version of the Cardinals went to the playoffs just three times and moved to Phoenix after the 1987 season.
The Los Angeles Rams moved to St. Louis in 1995 and played there until 2015. Those Rams brought St. Louis its first, and to date, only Super Bowl, as they beat Tennessee in Super Bowl XXXIV.
UFL Dispersal Draft Results for Former XFL, USFL Teams
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Matthew Postins writes about baseball for Fan Nation/SI and covers Big 12 basketball for Heartland College Sports. He formerly covered the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and USports football for the College Football America Yearbook.