Battlehawks Outreach: Travis Feeney, Jake Sutherland, and Darrius Shepherd Set to Host Youth Camp in St. Louis Area

While the Battlehawks season did not end the way fans in St. Louis hoped it would, several of the team’s players are doing their part to make an impact off the field and grow the “brand” of the UFL. On July 6th Darrius Shepherd, Travis Feeney, and Jake Sutherland all will be back in the “Lou” at Fort Zumwalt South HS hosting a youth camp for younger fans in the area.

Hey all! Awesome opportunity for any STL Football fans! Come play ball with @d_shepherd11, @dawgs41feeney and @JakeSmash004! Going to be an awesome learning experience. Ages 8-18 and all genders are welcome!https://t.co/XRPlAgQyoB

— Jack Bishop (@JackBis28) June 24, 2024

All three Battlehawks in attendance are Two-year players for the Franchise. All players could be viewed as Spring League Stalwarts as the trio has played in multiple franchises across multiple leagues since the beginning of the “modern era” of spring football going back to the AAF in 2019.

Who Will Be Attending?:

Jake Sutherland: Jake Smash as he is commonly known has been with the Battlehawks since 2022 via the XFL November Draft. After appearing in 43 games (20 starts) at FCS Moorhead State, Sutherland began his spring football career with the Atlanta Legends of the 2019’s AAF. Sutherland was also a part of the 2020 XFL with the New York Guardians, before spending the last Two seasons with the Battlehawks. For his career Sutherland has amassed 20 receptions for 181 yards and 4 Touchdowns.

FIRST BATTLEHAWKS TD OF THE SEASON

A.J. McCarron and Jake Sutherland connect to put the @XFLBattlehawks on 🔝 pic.twitter.com/ycOYjJ4KUB

— United Football League (@TheUFL) March 30, 2024

Travis Feeney: After being drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2016 during the 6th round, Feeney has had stints in the AAF, CFL, USFL, XFL and UFL. A fixture in St. Louis Feeney Fans, have been a staple of fandom at the Dome since 2023. Feeney has been one of Spring Football’s most consistent pass rushers amassing 150 tackles and 14.5 sacks over parts of Four Spring Football seasons.

Darrius Shepherd: A local Missourian from the Kansas City area, Shepherd has been one of Spring Football’s most consistent versatile players since joining the USFL in 2022 with the New Jersey Generals. Shepherd was the XFL’s 2023 Special Teams Player of the year earning All-XFL honors, while also being a Top-8 receiver in the league as well. Shepherd place 2nd in All-Purpose yards in 2024 in the UFL, and has amassed 104 receptions, 1082 receiving yards, while also tallying over 3000 All-Purpose Yards in his career. He is also one of the more active players from the Battlehawks in the STL area, participating in local St. Louis Media, Pet Rescues, and Cardinals games.

Darrius Shepherd runs all kinds of routes – you should consider mixing it up too. Take MetroLink or MetroBus to get to the game and for your work or school commute. @d_shepherd11 #KAWisLAW #publictransit pic.twitter.com/2RWn4ArRRp

— CMT St. Louis (@CMT_STL) April 5, 2024

While the UFL season has come a to close, it’s extremely encouraging to see Battlehawks players take the initiative to grow the game, and brand of the UFL with their own community outreach. For the younger generation of future fans, seeing consistent figures like Shepherd, Sutherland, and Feeney continue to make an impact off the field allows the UFL to continue to make their presence felt in the off-season. For a league looking to continue to dominate the spring football landscape, it appears that the Battlehawks have already a head start going in to the 2024 off-season.