Measuring success in spring football has changed over the years. After the AAF and XFL 2.0 failed to get through a season whether it be lack of financial backing or a pandemic, the reintroduction into spring football in 2022 has always given off a cautious feeling from fans.
While spring football leagues have come and gone, the players along with their stories make the league the main reason to watch and support. One franchise, the D.C. Defenders and their “alumni” proved to turn the instability of spring football into a success story by collectively earning over 10 million Dollars since the founding of the franchise in 2020.
Since their inception D.C. has seen 24 of their players earn NFL opportunities out of the 210 (about 11%) players to sign contracts from the UFL/XFL. Of those 24, 14 have managed to make an Active Roster or Practice Squad with 8 appearing in an NFL game.
While these may seem like minor accomplishments for a casual viewer/supporter of the league, to the players these are life changing moments and possibly life changing income that follows with being an NFL player.
Elijah Campbell of the Miami Dolphins would be the Defenders most successful player since the team’s inception in 2020. Campbell has appeared in 55 NFL games since 2020, earning almost 4.5 million as a special teams ace for the team, and is still rostered by the team. Other members of the Defenders who’ve had success are Tyree Jackson who successfully transitioned to Tight End from Quarterback, appearing in 16 NFL games earning approximately 1.7 million and is currently on the Commanders Practice Squad. Jon Toth (Center) and Khari Lee (TE) extended their careers for several more seasons earning $347,067 and $374,553 respectively before both retiring. One 2020 Defender Hunter Niswander is still in professional football now punting for the Houston Roughnecks, but not before he appeared in 8 NFL games for the Dallas Cowboys earning $771,341 in his career.
In the modern era (2023-24), the Defenders have 9 players who have spent time on NFL rosters. Daniel Whelan, Chris Blair, Lucky Jackson, and Brandon Smith have all appeared in NFL games over the past Two seasons, while Liam Fornadel, Ty Scott, Kelvin Harmon, Anthony Hines, and Matt McCrane have all earned a paycheck from an NFL team in 2024. While this current class of Defenders has seen a decent amount of success, Scott, Hines, Fornadel, and McCrane have all been released from their NFL teams with only Scott and McCrane opting to return to D.C. for 2025.
While many of these numbers and accolades could simply be overlooked, in my opinion the success of the D.C. Defenders alumni could be what validates the existence of these leagues. Oftentimes, these accomplishments go unnoticed until fans and media truly take the time to break down these figures. As the 2025 UFL season is set to begin in less than 90 days, more and more Defenders are primed to continue their careers on gridiron while also cementing the legacy of the team’s brand.
1 Comment
by Ken Granito
Truly love this article! So outside the box, but so meaningful.