Ta'amu, Clarke and Hill Named OurSports Central XFL Players of the Week
by Fran Stuchbury
April 10, 2023 - XFL (XFL)
Arlington Renegades
D.C. Defenders quarterback Jordan Ta'amu, Arlington Renegades defensive lineman Will Clarke and St. Louis Battlehawks running back Brian Hill were named the OurSports Central XFL Offensive Player, Defensive Player and Unsung Hero of the Week, respectively, for week eight of the XFL season.
Ta'amu completed 17 of 26 passes for 247 yards and four touchdowns and added 13 rushing yards in the Defenders' 37-36 victory over the Seattle Sea Dragons, clinching a North Division playoff berth for D.C.
Ta'amu previously played in the 2020 XFL with the St. Louis BattleHawks where he threw for 1,050 yards, five touchdowns and just two interceptions. He also ran for 217 yards and one touchdown in the five-game season cut short due to COVID-19. He cycled through several NFL practice squad rosters in 2020 and 2021 before starting for the United States Football League's Tampa Bay Bandits last season, passing for 2,015 yards, 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He added 365 rushing yards and one touchdown as well.
Ta'amu's fourth touchdown pass of the game went for 70 yards to Chris Blair with two minutes left in the game.
Honorable mention goes to Seattle Sea Dragons wide receiver Juwan Green who caught seven passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns in the Sea Dragons' loss to the Defenders.
Clarke finished with two sacks, three total tackles, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in the Renegades' 18-16 victory over the Orlando Guardians which kept Arlington in second place in the South Division, close to clinching a playoff berth.
Clarke was a third round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals where he played from 2014 until 2016. He moved to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2017 and 2018 and also played for the XFL's St. Louis Battlehawks in 2020.
Houston Roughnecks linebacker Trent Harris earned an honorable mention with 1.5 sacks and four total tackles in Houston's 17-15 victory over the San Antonio Brahmas, securing a playoff berth for the Roughnecks.
Hill scored the game-clinching conversion in overtime in the St. Louis Battlehawks' 21-17 victory over the Vegas Vipers.
He was a fifth round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons and later spent time with the Atlanta Falcons, Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers.
Hill's game-winning score kept the St. Louis Battlehawks in the hunt for a playoff berth in the North Division.
Honorable mention goes to D.C. Defenders cornerback Santos Ramirez for sacking Sea Dragons Ben DiNucci on a two-point conversion, allowing the Defenders to mainting a narrow one-point victory.
Previous Winners
XFL Stories from April 10, 2023
- Houston Roster Updates - Houston Roughnecks
- After Years of Waiting, XFL Finally Sees Games Go to Overtime - XFL
- Ta'amu, Clarke and Hill Named OurSports Central XFL Players of the Week - OSC Original by Fran Stuchbury
- Ta'amu, Clarke and Hill Named OurSports Central XFL Players of the Week - OSC Original by Fran Stuchbury
- Ta'amu, Clarke and Hill Named OurSports Central XFL Players of the Week - OSC Original by Fran Stuchbury
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
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