Hawkeyes in the XFL

Hillcrest1981

Well-Known Member
I just went through all 8 rosters unfound zero hawkeyes in the XFL. You would think we would have a handful of ex Iowa players but no, none. Jonathon Hayes though is one of the 8 head coaches....
 
I just went through all 8 rosters unfound zero hawkeyes in the XFL. You would think we would have a handful of ex Iowa players but no, none. Jonathon Hayes though is one of the 8 head coaches....


Isn’t James Butler on a squad? I was listening to a local radio show they said Butler and 2 other guys......can’t remember who those other two were.
 
They have James Butler labeled as Nevada/Iowa, threw me off. I hope there are more. I might even watch if there is an Iowa player on the field...
 
Just caught the end of St. Louis win over Dallas. Jonathan Hayes coaching St. Louis with Chuck Long offensive coordinator. Bob Stoops coaching Dallas.
 
He could be a millionaire right now if he had swallowed his pride and went north of the border.
Yeah what's his deal? He hurt? Out of shape? The Wadley that I saw juking out Michigan and PSU sure shouldn't be unemployed in regards to football. Heck with all the RBs on rosters in the NFL I'm surprised he hadn't stuck there. Let alone in XFL or Canada. Surely he'd be able to play at those levels so I assume he's nicked up or something.

If he turned down a Canadian gig because he just didn't want to go up there then that's quite the position to be taking...
 
Yeah what's his deal? He hurt? Out of shape? The Wadley that I saw juking out Michigan and PSU sure shouldn't be unemployed in regards to football. Heck with all the RBs on rosters in the NFL I'm surprised he hadn't stuck there. Let alone in XFL or Canada. Surely he'd be able to play at those levels so I assume he's nicked up or something.

If he turned down a Canadian gig because he just didn't want to go up there then that's quite the position to be taking...
My personal feeling is he's to small to play in the NFL, but there isn't a more prototypical CFL player than Akrum Wadley. They only have three downs instead of four, a way wider field, 12 players, and everyone in the backfield can be in motion. Fast slot receivers are probably the most valuable person on the team other than the quarterback, and he would have absolutely torn that league apart.

I know he had dreams of making the big time with American football, but Tevaun Smith signed a $1.2M contract last year and he'll sign another one after that. It's too bad that you can't have a 35 year old brain in a 22 year old body.

I have no idea if he ever turned anything down, but if he can get workouts for the NFL and XFL, he could have gotten one up north.
 
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Just caught the end of St. Louis win over Dallas. Jonathan Hayes coaching St. Louis with Chuck Long offensive coordinator. Bob Stoops coaching Dallas.

Jonathan and Chuck could have dedicated the win to Hayden. But I guess it's just the XFL.
 
My personal feeling is he's to small to play in the NFL, but there isn't a more prototypical CFL player than Akrum Wadley. They only have three downs instead of four, a way wider field, 12 players, and everyone in the backfield can be in motion. Fast slot receivers are probably the most valuable person on the team other than the quarterback, and he would have absolutely torn that league apart.

I know he had dreams of making the big time with American football, but Tevaun Smith signed a $1.2M contract last year and he'll sign another one after that. It's too bad that you can't have a 25 year old brain in a 22 year old body.

I have no idea if he ever turned anything down, but if he can get workouts for the NFL and XFL, he could have gotten one up north.
Yeah if he's still hovering around 180ish that's tough for being in the NFL. He was never going to be a bell cow. There's plenty of guys playing 15-20 snaps a game tops with 5-10 touches a game. He could play special teams I don't think he'd have been above doing that either.

Yeah Canada would have been right up his alley for style of play. That 1.2/yr seems high as hell for Smith to me are you sure? I thought Drew Tate wasn't making squat up there as an off and on starter. That's been a few yrs ago I'd seen that too maybe they've increased salaries too. Which is great for Smith. I thought he should be in NFL too... We under used him and I know he's good enough.
 
Yeah what's his deal? He hurt? Out of shape? The Wadley that I saw juking out Michigan and PSU sure shouldn't be unemployed in regards to football. Heck with all the RBs on rosters in the NFL I'm surprised he hadn't stuck there. Let alone in XFL or Canada. Surely he'd be able to play at those levels so I assume he's nicked up or something.

If he turned down a Canadian gig because he just didn't want to go up there then that's quite the position to be taking...
Too small and not measurably fast enough to compensate.

In pro football, small = injury-prone. It's no coincidence that prior to being cut from each team he's signed with, Akrum got injured.
 
I was surprised to learn that the Hawkeyes have more former players that are coaching (Hayes/Long & Stoops) than actually playing in the XFL (Butler). Heck I know the Clowns have at least 2 on XFL rosters and I think UNI has at least 1.
 
I was surprised to learn that the Hawkeyes have more former players that are coaching (Hayes/Long & Stoops) than actually playing in the XFL (Butler). Heck I know the Clowns have at least 2 on XFL rosters and I think UNI has at least 1.
Evidently Hayden liked to recruit players with coaching aspirations as well as assistant coaches.
 
Jonathan and Chuck could have dedicated the win to Hayden. But I guess it's just the XFL.
Hayes had a solid 1984 season and, like every pass catcher on the roster, had a huge Freedom Bowl. He could have returned for one last season and been part of the 1985 team that would eventually make the Rose Bowl. But he had a diabetic condition and didn't want to take any more free hits. He got some time with the Steelers and Chiefs if I'm not mistaken.
 
This thing probably won’t be operating after five or six weeks, and definitely boarded up after the season.

Like literally every other non-arena league that’s tried to operate parallel to college and NFL football, it’s going to be bleeding cash by week three and McMahon isn’t going to light his money on fire for very long.

Much ado about nothing.
 
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