Seattle Sea Dragons vs. DC Defenders - Week 1 Game Notes
February 17, 2023 - XFL (XFL)
Seattle Sea Dragons News Release
D.C. DEFENDERS VS SEATTLE SEA DRAGONS
SUNDAY - FEB 19 - 5PM PT
AUDI FIELD
D.C.
GAME ONE
Head Coach Reggie Barlow
XFL Record: 0-0 (1st Season)
Career Record: 83-58
Head Coach Jim Haslett
XFL Record: 0-0 (1st Season)
Career Record: 64-63
Series Notes: This game marks the second-ever meeting between the Defenders and the Sea Dragons. In the 2020 season, D.C. and Seattle met in the first XFL game of the season, with the Defenders picking up a 31-19 victory on ABC. The teams will meet once more this season, during week 8 in Seattle.
JOHN SCHRIFFEN (PLAY-BY-PLAY)
TOM LUGINBILL (ANALYST)
HARRY DOUGLAS (SIDELINE ANALYST)
STORMY BUONANTONY (SIDELINE REPORTER)
THE XFL RETURNS
The XFL returns to the field in 2023 led by the new ownership group of Dany Garcia, Dwayne Johnson, and Gerry Cardinale's RedBird Capital Partners. Featuring both new and returning team names, each market has a dynamic logo and distinct team identity that aligns with its community's culture and history. Taking the field for the XFL: Arlington Renegades, D.C. Defenders, Houston Roughnecks, Orlando Guardians, San Antonio Brahmas, Seattle Sea Dragons, St. Louis Battlehawks, and Vegas Vipers. The eight XFL teams are split into two divisions: XFL North (D.C. Defenders, Seattle Sea Dragons, St. Louis Battlehawks, Vegas Vipers) and XFL South (Arlington Renegades, Houston Roughnecks, Orlando Guardians, San Antonio Brahmas). Our team bears a slightly new nickname in 2023, now known as the Seattle Sea Dragons after previously being the Seattle Dragons in 2020.
The Sea Dragons are back on the gridiron for the first time since March 7th, 2020, when COVID-19 led to an abbreviated season that saw Seattle net a 1-4 record. The team is seeking it's first win in 3-years with the last victory coming February 15th, 2020 against the Tampa Bay Vipers. The new-look Sea Dragons look to set the tone for the season on the road against the Defenders.
THE WORLDWIDE LEADER
On May 17, 2022, the XFL announced a multi-year broadcast agreement with The Walt Disney Company and ESPN. This season, all 43 games (40 regular season games, two playoffs, one championship) will be featured on a combination of ABC, ESPN networks and FX. All XFL games will be streamed on ESPN+ and simulcasted in 142 countries across the world.
This week's game will air on ESPN and features the broadcast team of John Schriffen (play-by-play), Tom Luginbill (analyst), Harry Douglas (sideline analyst) and Stormy Buonantony (sideline reporter).
D.C. DEFENDERS AT AUDI FIELD Sunday, February 19, 2023 5PM PT
ST. LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS AT LUMEN FIELD Thursday, February 23, 2023 6PM PT
VEGAS VIPERS AT CASHMAN FIELD Saturday, March 4, 2023 4PM PT
SAN ANTONIO BRAHMAS AT LUMEN FIELD Saturday, March 11, 2023 7PM PT
HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS AT LUMEN FIELD Thursday, March 16, 2023 6PM PT
ORLANDO GUARDIANS AT CAMPING WORLD STADIUM Saturday, March 25, 2023 10:30AM PT
ARLINGTON RENEGADES AT CHOCTAW STADIUM Friday, March 31, 2023 4PM PT
D.C. DEFENDERS AT LUMEN FIELD Sunday, April 9, 2023 4PM PT
ST. LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS AT THE DOME AT AMERICA'S CENTER Sunday, April 16, 2023 12PM PT
VEGAS VIPERS AT LUMEN FIELD Sunday, April 23, 2023 6PM PT
HOW THE TEAMS WERE MADE
XFL Draft Week was held from Nov. 15-17 at the UFC APEX facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. The events began with a live-streamed Quarterback Selection Show and continued with two days of Draft action, where Head Coaches made selections alongside Directors of Player Personnel.
Day One was broken into four positional groupings featuring 11 rounds of selections for each skill: Offensive Skill positions (WR, RB, TE, FB), Defensive Backs (CB, Safety, Nickel), Defensive Front Seven (ILB, Edge, DE, DT), and Offensive Line (LT, LG, C, RG, RT). Day Two featured three rounds of Specialists selections (kicker, punter, long snapper), followed by open rounds for all positions. Of the 442 non-quarterbacks selected in the XFL Draft, 285 came with NFL experience (signed an NFL active roster and/or practice squad contract). The XFL also held a Supplemental Draft on Jan. 1, 2023, selecting 90 total players over 17 rounds.
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.
COMMANDING THE SEA (DRAGONS)
Captains have been set for the seaons, with Coach Haslett naming QB Ben DiNucci the offensive captain and Linebacker Jordan Evans the defensive captain. Each week, two additional captains will be named to join DiNucci and Evans.
DiNucci comes to the Sea Dragons after spending two seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, including one start in place of Dak Prescott on Sunday Night Football. The 26-year-old QB grew up in Pennsylvania, where he became the first player in Pennsylvania history to throw for 4,000 yards in a season and was named Gatorade Player of the Year. DiNucci then played in college at both Pittsburgh and James Madison before joining the Cowboys via the 2020 NFL Draft.
28-year-old Jordan Evans grew up in Norman, OK before attending Oklahoma, where he posted 281 tackles, 5 interceptions and 4 forced fumbles. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2017 draft. During his NFL career, he posted 127 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 1 fumble recovery and 2 interceptions.
PLAYER 54: CHASING THE XFL DREAM
During the season, a nine-part docuseries, Player 54: Chasing The XFL Dream, will air chronicling different players and teams in the XFL, in partnership with The Walt Disney Company and ESPN. Directed by Peter Berg, the series follows the creation of the League under new ownership and highlights the unique stories and development of its players and coaches throughout the entire season. Player 54 will have its linear debut on Thursday, February 16 at 5pm ET on ESPN2. Episodes will be available to stream exclusively on ESPN+ immediately after each debuts on ESPN2. With eight teams, 400 players, 40 coaches, and a new ownership group, Player 54 is a visual manifestation of the League's motto: where dreams meet opportunity. The original series takes fans behind the scenes of what it takes to build a League and its eight teams from the ground- up, showcasing the human stories that exist within the XFL on and off the field. It is a character- driven look at the inspiring, unconventional, and even heartbreaking journeys of the players and head coaches whose professional aspirations are just beginning - or getting a second chance. Filming takes place primarily at the XFL Hub in Arlington, capturing unprecedented access into the day-to- day lives of the players and coaches - from the Draft and roster cuts to season kickoff and the Championship - immersing viewers in the competitive environment as players prove that they deserve a chance to win with the XFL.
CLEAR YOUR SCHEDULE
The Seattle Dea Dragons, as every team in the XFL this season, will play 10 regular season games during the 2023 XFL season. The Sea Dragons will play six games against division foes - Vegas, St. Louis and D.C. (one home, one road) - and four games against non-division opponents.
- Feb 19 @ DC Defenders
- Feb 23 vs. St. Louis Battlehawks
- Mar 4 @ Vegas Vipers
- Mar 11 vs. San Antonio Brahmas
- Mar 16 vs. Houson Roughnecks
- Mar 25 @ Orlando Guardians
- Mar 31 @ Arlington Renegades
- Apr 9 vs. DC Defenders
- Apr 16 @ St. Louis Battlehawks
- Apr 23 vs. Vegas Vipers
SEATTLE SEA DRAGONS COACHING STAFF
Jim Haslett is a legendary name in football. Hailing from Pittsburgh, Haslett played college football at IUP before being drafted by the Buffalo Bills as a linebacker and earned NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.
After retiring from the NFL, he began his coaching career in the late 80's at the University of Buffalo. He got his start in NFL coaching in 1993 with the Los Angeles Raiders, coaching linebackers.
Haslett would then move to the New Orleans Saints, which would become the team he would be most associated with in his NFL career, serving first as a linebacker coach before returning to the team as defensive coordinator and then head coach.
In 2000, Coach Haslett was named AP Coach of the Year in his first season as the Head Coach of the Saints, posting a 10-6 record and finishing in 1st Place of the NFC West.
Throughout his storied career, Haslett has also coached for the Pittsburgh Steelers, St. Louis Rams, Washington Redskins, Cincinnati Bengals, Tennessee Titans and served as aconsultant to Penn State.
Now, as Head Coach for the Sea Dragons, Coach Haslett has assembled a world class team of coaches to lead an incredible roster of players.
The Seattle Sea Dragons coaching staff have connections dating back more than two decades, creating a truly cohesive coaching experience for the team. This also carries over to the front office, which reunites Coach Haslett with his former New Orleans Saints GM, Randy Mueller.
JUNE JONES
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
- As a player, Jones spent the late 70s with the Atlanta Falcons
- He would later become the offensive coordinator and head coach for the Falcons
- Jones found great success as the head coach at Hawaii, earning multiple Coach of the Year honors.
- In the 2020 XFL, Jones went undefeated (5-0) with the Houston Roughnecks
RON ZOOK
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
- Zook was a starting defensive back for Miami (OH)
- A prolific defensive mind, Zook coached at many top colleges including head coach jobs at Florida and Illinois, where he earned Big Ten COY honors.
- In NFL play, Zook has coached the Steelers, Chiefs, Saints and Packers.
DAN MORRISON
QUARTERBACKS
- Morrison's alma mater is UCLA
- He spent 9 seasons as the quarterback coach for Hawaii
- Morrison would then go on to join the SMU Mustangs, serving as co-Offesnsive Coordinator and Associate Head Coach.
- Before joining the XFL, Morrison was most recently teaching the run-and-shoot to quarterbacks at Washington State.
CHIP GARBER
DEFENSIVE LINE
- Chip attended Maryland, playing for the Terrapins all 4-years of college.
- He would go on to coach multiple CFL teams, including the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Toronto Argonauts and Winnipeg Blue Bombers
- Garber also served as the quality control coach at the Washington Commanders
DENNIS MCKNIGHT
OFFENSIVE LINE
- Mcknight played college football at Drake University
- He would go on to play for the Chargers, Lions, and Eagles
- As a coach, he has been with Hawaii, SMU, San Diego State and, most recently, Washington State.
- In 2020, he was part of the Houston Roughnecks staff and has coached multiple CFL teams as well.
MATT FLEISCHACKER
LINEBACKERS
- Most recently, Coach Fly was co-defensive coordinator and linebacker coach at Hobart College.
- He served as a Graduate and Undergraduate assistant to Penn State during his time at the univesity, where he studied accounting.
- He also spent time at Appalachian State where he helped the Mountaineers earn a 10-3 record and the Sun Belt Championship.
WES SUAN
RUNNING BACKS
- Suan is a long time ally of June Jones, coaching running backs at Hawaii and serving as Assitant Coach over the course of 9 seasons
- Later, Suan would serve as Running Backs coach at SMU and also coached the offensive line.
-¢ Suan has tutored multiple players who would go on to set college records and make their way to the NFL.
MIKE GILLHAMER
DEFENSIVE BACKS
- Known simply as "Hammer," Coach Gilhamer boasts 15-years of NFL coaching experience.
- In the late 90s, Gillhamer would begin on the offensive side of the ball with the New York Giants.
- As his career progressed, he would move to defense with the Carolina Panthers and then the Colts, amassing a 133-106-1 record.
- In XFL 2020, he was part of the D.C. Defenders
AARON MCGINTY
SAFETIES / QUALITY CONTROL
- McGinty played his college career at Tuskegee University after starting his journey at San Jose City College
- After college, McGinty would begin a fellowship with the Arizona Cardinals that saw him working with defensive backs and special teams.
- He would go on to coach at Northwestern Oklahoma, Williams College, Holy Cross and more.
- No stranger to spring football, McGinty also coached in the Austrian Football League (AFL)
TY KNOTT
WIDE RECEIVERS / SPECIAL TEAMS
- Born in Los Angeles, Knott attended college at Oregon Tech and played as a defensive back.
- He spent several seasons in college football, including stops at Indiana, Texas Southern, Whittier and more.
- His NFL experience saw him working both offense and efense with the Packers, Saints, Jaguars and 49ers.
- In 2020, he was part of the XFL coaching tight ends and serving as assistant head coach for the Los Angeles Wildcats.
XFL Stories from February 17, 2023
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