Memphis Showboats Game 1 Notes
March 27, 2024 - United Football League (UFL)
Memphis Showboats News Release
MEMPHIS-HOUSTON PREVIEW
The Memphis Showboats and Houston Roughnecks will look for an early edge in the USFL Conference standings Sunday.
This matchup is the only intra-conference matchup in the USFL Conference in Week One, so the winner will have early dibs on first place in the conference standings.
Memphis finished last season in the USFL with a 5-5 record, while Houston (under the Gamblers name) was also 5-5. The two squads also split the season series last season.
Curtis Johnson leads Houston squad for a second consecutive year, while John DeFilippo is in his first season as head coach of the Showboats and his second consecutive season as a head coach, after roaming the sideline with the New Orleans Breakers of the USFL in 2023.
Sunday's game is slated for a 2 p.m. CT kickoff and will be broadcast on ESPN and ESPN+.
The Memphis radio broadcast will be heard on News Talk 98.9, with Eli Savoie, Russell Copeland and Tyler Springs on the call.
LAST SEASON
The 2023 Memphis Showboats season was a bit of a roller coaster.
The Showboats opened with three consecutive losses to Philadlephia, Birmingham and Houston.
But a 29-10 win at Michigan sparked a five-game winning streak, including a 22-0 shutout of the Pittsburgh Maulers.
Memphis headed into the home stretch of the season with a 5-3 mark and an opportunity to make the playoffs. But the Showboats finished with a 31-3 loss to DeFilippo's New Orleans Breakers and a 27-20 defeat at the hands of the eventual USFL Champion Birmingham Stallions.
The Memphis offense will be completely revamped heading into the 2024 season. The Showboats will feature an entirely new set of quarterbacks and running backs. One returning piece on the offensive side of the ball will be wide receiver Vinny Papale, who led the team in receiving yards last season and earned All-USFL recognition as a special teams player.
Anthony Butler, Greg Reaves and T.J. Neal all return from a solid defensive unit.
QUARTERBACK NOTEBOOK
- All three of the Showboats quarterbacks have starting experience in the USFL.
Case Cookus was a two-year starter for the Philadelphia Stars. Josh Love started nine games for the Michigan Panthers last season. Troy Williams started eight games for the Pittsburgh Maulers last season. No other UFL team can boast that amount of USFL/XFL starting experience among its top three quarterbacks.
- Case Cookus ranked No. 2 in the USFL in passing yards last season, throwing for 2,433 yards, while playing for the Philadelphia Stars. He also passed for 14 touchdowns, which ranked No. 3 in the league.
- Josh Love passed for 1,556 yards and 13 touchdowns with 13 interceptions for the Michigan Panthers last season.
- Troy Williams was one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the USFL last season. He passed for 1,414 yards and six touchdowns, while rushing for 341 yards and three scores for the Pittsburgh Maulers.
RUNNING BACK NOTEBOOK
- Darius Victor was the 2022 USFL Offensive Player of the Year, an All-USFL selection and led the league in rushing touchdowns. He rushed for 477 yards and nine touchdowns in 2022 for the New Jersey Generals. While his touchdown total went down in 2023, he rushed for 551 yards last season and his yards per carry was up nearly one full yard. In 2022, he averaged 4.54 yards per carry and that average increased to 5.51 last season.
- Trey Williams and Victor provided a solid 1-2 punch out of the backfield for the Generals last season and will look to bring that same mentality to the Showboats this season. Williams averaged 5.86 yards per carry with two touchdowns last season in New Jersey. Williams and Victor were teammates for the past two seasons with the Generals.
- Titus Swen and Darius Victor have an interesting shared background. Both were refugees of Civil War-torn Liberia in their youth. Both found their way to the U.S., picked up football, became running backs and now share the same locker room.
WIDE RECEIVER NOTEBOOK
- Jonathan Adams ranked No. 6 in the USFL in receiving yards last season, playing under John DeFilippo with the New Orleans Breakers. Adams hauled in 41 receptions for 511 yards and 2 touchdowns.
- Vinny Papale was the Showboats' leading receiver last season, catching 33 balls for 345 yards and three scores. He was also an All-USFL selection as a Special Teams Player. And yes, if you recognize his name, his father is Vince Papale, the subject of the movie Invincible.
- Dee Anderson and Lee Morris both have experience playing under Coach DeFilippo with New Orleans last season. Anderson caught 13 balls for 174 yards and two TDs last year, while Morris hauled in 23 for 305 yards and a pair of scores.
TIGHT END NOTEBOOK
- Sage Surratt was the top-ranked tight end in the USFL in both receptions and receiving yards last season. He hauled in 50 receptions for 552 yards. His reception total was No. 2 in the league among all receivers, while his receiving yards ranked No. 3 among all receivers. He did all that under John DeFilippo with the Breakers.
- Jay Jay Wilson returns to the Showboats after catching 16 balls for 170 yards and a score last season.
- Wes Saxton comes to the Showboats after playing for the New Jersey Generals in both 2022 and 2023.
OFFENSIVE LINE NOTEBOOK
- Jarron Jones returns to the Showboats as a two-time All-USFL selection for the franchise. He earned that honor with the Tampa Bay Bandits in 2022, before the franchise became the Memphis Showboats.
- Jared Thomas was a 2022 All-USFL selection with New Orleans and played for the XFL Seattle Sea Dragons last season..
- Terronne Prescod and Jordan McCray both return to the Showboats with starting experience.
DEFENSIVE LINE NOTEBOOK
- John Atkins Sr. returns to anchor the defensive line for the Showboats. He was a 2023 All-USFL selection, recording 29 tackles and 2.5 sacks. Atkins has been with the franchise since 2022, when it was the Tampa Bay Bandits.
- Jeff McCulloch is back with the Showboats after recording three sacks off the edge last season. He, too, has been with the franchise since 2022.
- Dillon Faamatau also returns for another season with the 'Boats, after recording 11 tackles last season.
- Connor Christian joins the Showboats this season after playing for Coach DeFilippo in New Orleans last season.
LINEBACKER NOTEBOOK
- Vontae Diggs ranked seventh in the USFL in tackles last season, playing for Coach DeFilippo and the New Orleans Breakers. He racked up 66 stops, 2.5 sacks and grabbed three interceptions as well.
- Anthony Butler and T.J. Neal both return to the Showboats linebacker corps this season. Butler ranked No. 2 on the team in total tackles last season with 48, while Neal racked up 31 stops. Neal was with the franchise in 2022 as part of the Bandits, as well.
- Greg Reaves ranked No. 7 in the USFL with 4.5 sacks last season for the Showboats. He's also in his third year with the franchise, starting with the Bandits.
- Jordan Ferguson returns to the Showboats as well after recording 2.5 sacks in just four games last season.
SECONDARY NOTEBOOK
- Jarey Elder brings two years of experience with the New Orleans Breakers to the Showboats. He racked up 94 tackles over the past two seasons with New Orleans and added a pair of interceptions last season as well.
- Christian McFarland comes to the Showboats after two seasons with the Birmingham Stallions, where he racked up 98 total tackles in two seasons.
- Quenton Meeks returns to the 'Boats after posting 21 stops and 1 INT last year. He played for both New Orleans and Tampa Bay in the USFL's 2022 season.
- T.J. Green returns to the Memphis secondary. He tallied 21 tackles last season and his lone interception of the season secured a win over Houston on May 28, 2023.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTEBOOK
- Head coach John DeFilippo is very familiar with his specialists. The Showboats' new head coach brought his kicker, punter and long snapper over with him from the New Orleans Breakers. Matt Coghlin will handle the placekicking duties, while Matthew White will punt and hold for placekicks. Turner Bernard is the long snapper.
- Coghlin made 18-of-19 field goal attempts last season for New Orleans. He was 6-of- 6 from 40-49 yards and did not miss a field goal of less than 50 yards.
- White averaged 44.9 yards per punt last season for the Breakers, ranking No. 4 in the USFL.
O CAPTAIN! MY CAPTAIN(S)!
The Showboats have announced their captains for the 2024 season, as determined by a team vote. The 2024 Memphis Showboats captains are:
- DL John Atkins Sr.
- QB Case Cookus
- DB Jarey Elder
- RB Darius Victor
- P Matt White
UNDER ARMOUR THREADS
Under Armour is the exclusive provider of all on-field uniforms, including jerseys, base layer, sideline and training apparel, for all XFL teams. The unique home and away sets are designed with an authentic execution of the individual team identities. The design process was a collaboration between XFL ownership, marketing, and Under Armour teams.
Each jersey features a "Blood, Sweat, Respect" mantra - a personal message from ownership to players, which is sublimated on the interior collars of all team uniforms.
Additional design details include embroidered team wordmarks and branding at the base of the neckline, UA's ArmourGrid nameplates with twill lettering, and all uniforms are branded with XFL, Under Armour, and Project Rock Brahma Bull patches.
ABOUT THE UFL
The United Football League (UFL) is the premier spring football platform, formed by the merging of the XFL and USFL in 2024. The UFL has eight teams: Arlington (TX), Birmingham (AL), Detroit (MI), Houston (TX), San Antonio (TX), Memphis (TN), St.
Louis (MO), and Washington D.C.
The 2024 UFL season opened March 30, with each team beginning a 10-week schedule. The top two teams in each conference advance to the Conference Championship games, with the winners facing off in the UFL Championship.
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