
Thompson, Wright and Rausa Named OurSports Central USFL Players of the Week
by Fran Stuchbury
May 2, 2022 - United States Football League (USFL)
Tampa Bay Bandits
Houston Gamblers running back Mark Thompson, Birmingham Stallions linebacker Scooby Wright, and Tampa Bay Bandits kicker Tyler Rausa were named the OurSports Central United States Football League Offensive Player, Defensive Player and Unsung Hero of the Week, respectively, for week three of the USFL season.
Mark Thompson finished with 24 carries for 147 yards with one rushing touchdown and one reception for 10 yards in the Houston Gamblers' 27-26 loss to the Tampa Bay Bandits. He was the first running back in the USFL to rush over 100 yards. He leads the USFL in rushing with 310 yards on the ground.
Here is his 55-yard touchdown run in the second quarter:
Thompson played college football at Florida. He was selected in the 28th round in the 2022 USFL Draft by the Houston Gamblers.
Scooby Wright contributed 17 total tackles, eight of them solo, one forced fumble and one pass deflection in the Birmingham Stallions' 22-13 victory over the New Orleans Breakers.
Here is Wright's forced fumble against New Orleans Breakers quarterback Kyle Sloter on a critical fourth and goal stop for the Stallions:
Wright played college football at Arizona and was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2014. He was drafted in the 7th round, (250th overall) by the Cleveland Browns in the 2016 NFL Draft and also played with the Arizona Cardinals in 2016 and 2017, Alliance of American Football's Arizona Hotshots in 2019 and XFL's DC Defenders in 2020. He was drafted in the 21st round of the 2022 USFL Draft by the Birmingham Stallions.
Tyler Rausa connected on a game-winning 46-yard field goal with 10 seconds left in the Tampa Bay Bandits' 27-26 victory over the Houston Gamblers.
Here is Rausa's game winning kick:
Rausa played college football at Boise State, connecting on 79% of his field goals attempts. He was named to the All-Mountain West Conference first team in 2015 when he made a school record 25 field goals that season. He played for the XFL DC Defenders in 2020, connecting on 9 of 12 field goal attempts. He was selected in the 5th round of the 2022 USFL Supplemental Draft by the Tampa Bay Bandits.
Previous Winners
• Discuss this story on the United States Football League message board...
United States Football League Stories from May 2, 2022
- Thompson, Wright and Rausa Named OurSports Central USFL Players of the Week - OSC Original by Fran Stuchbury
- Thompson, Wright and Rausa Named OurSports Central USFL Players of the Week - OSC Original by Fran Stuchbury
- Thompson, Wright and Rausa Named OurSports Central USFL Players of the Week - OSC Original by Fran Stuchbury
- De'Andre Johnson's Dual-Threat Skills Lift Generals Past Stars - New Jersey Generals
- De'Andre Johnson's Duel-Threat Skills Lift Generals Past Stars - USFL
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.
Other Recent Tampa Bay Bandits Stories
- Bandits Keep Playoff Hopes Alive with Win over Gamblers
- Greg Reaves, Bandits Defense Clamp Down Late to Edge Panthers
- Around the USFL
- Thompson, Wright and Rausa Named OurSports Central USFL Players of the Week
- Bandits Steal Win vs. Gamblers as Jordan Ta'amu Shines Late

