St. Louis Battlehawks Bring Back XFL Special Teams Standout
Day 1 of the UFL’s free agency began with a splash move by the St. Louis Battlehawks. Wide receiver and return specialist Darrius Shepherd announced on X Tuesday that he was returning to the Battlehawks.
The team conformed the news on social media.
Shepherd was a multifaceted player for the team as he played a big role on offense and special teams. He finished second on the team in all receiving categories including receptions (48), yards (519) and touchdowns (six). He also he led the XFL in return yards (907) and average yards per return with a minimum of 10 returns (24.5).
“Spring is coming”
— Darrius Shepherd (@d_shepherd11) January 16, 2024
St. Louis excited to be back for year 2. Stay tuned for more #FillTheDome @XFLBattlehawks @Anthony_Becht pic.twitter.com/CHUvxtxCXG
The XFL recognized Shepherd as the XFL Special Teams Player of the Year award. He was also named to the All-XFL Team at the end of the season for special teams and offense.
He’s no stranger to the USFL either, as he played for the New Jersey Generals in 2022. Shepherd finished the season with 27 receptions for 323 yards and one touchdown.
Shepherd has played in the NFL with seven different teams since 2019, most notably the Green Bay Packers on offense and special teams. In 14 games, he caught six passes for 47 yards, while adding 20 kickoff returns for 374 yards.
This is a significant move for the Battlehawks as Shepherd will join Jahcour Pearson and Hakeem Butler in the receiving corps. It’s also going to help St. Louis on special teams. The lingering offseason question for the Battlehawks is whether quarterback A.J. McCarron will return to throw Shepherd the ball.
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Anthony Miller has been covering professional spring football since 2019 including XFL, USFL, and CFL. He was a local news reporter in Texas before transitioning to sports. Other sites he writes for includes College Football Network and NTZ Network.