San Antonio Brahmas
| San Antonio Brahmas | |
|---|---|
 Current season | |
| Established July 25, 2022 Play in Alamodome (San Antonio, Texas) | |
 | |
| League/conference affiliations | |
XFL (2023)
United Football League (2024–present)
| |
Current uniform | |
.svg) | |
| Team colors | Dark gray, yellow, light gray |
| Personnel | |
| Owner(s) | Fox Corporation (50%), Dany Garcia, Dwayne Johnson, RedBird Capital Partners (50%) |
| Head coach | Wade Phillips |
| Team history | |
| |
| Championships | |
| League championships (0) | |
Conference championships (1)
| |
| Division championships (0) | |
| Playoff appearances (1) | |
| |
| Home stadium(s) | |
| |
The San Antonio Brahmas are a professional American football team based in San Antonio, Texas. The Brahmas compete in the United Football League (UFL) as a member of the XFL Conference. The team is owned-and-operated by Dwayne Johnson's Alpha Acquico and Fox Corporation. The Brahmas play their home games at the Alamodome. The Brahmas have a franchise regular season record of 11-11 (.500), the highest win percentage among UFL teams as of its 2024 season.
History
[edit]Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia era (2023–present)
[edit]The XFL played its first season in 2020 with eight teams, as a reboot to the league of the same name that played in 2001.[1] After five games, it was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[2] Prior to the league's April bankruptcy, the XFL had begun discussions with San Antonio to relocate one of its eight teams there.[3] It had been unavailable as a market at the time of the league's launching due to the Alliance of American Football placing the San Antonio Commanders (that league's best-attended team) there, and because of the XFL's policy at the time of preferring cities that already had NFL franchises.
After XFL founder Vince McMahon sold the league to a consortium led by businesswoman Dany Garcia and her ex-husband, business partner, and former WWE wrestler Dwayne Johnson, and the league did not play in 2021 or 2022, it was announced the league would return for the 2023 season.[4] In March 2022, rumors of a San Antonio XFL team again emerged after the league hired Reggie Barlow, reportedly to serve as the team's coach;[5] Barlow instead would be assigned to the DC Defenders. The league announced in July 2022 that three teams from the 2020 would be replaced, and five would return, and that San Antonio would be among the three new cities, ultimately replacing the LA Wildcats.[6]
The July announcement revealed San Antonio's head coach as Hines Ward and their stadium as the Alamodome.[7] On October 31, 2022, the logo was revealed and the team name was announced as the San Antonio Brahmas.[8] The Brahma name is of Hindu origin, coming from the Hindu creator god; more directly, the Brahmas name comes from the American Brahman, a hybrid species cross-bred from sacred zebu and American cattle that Johnson has long used as a personal mascot.[9] The XFL Brahmas team jerseys were revealed on December 8;[10] their uniforms will be yellow-gold and grey.[11] In the 2023 XFL Draft, the Brahmas were allocated quarterbacks Jawon Pass and Anthony Russo and used their top pick to select running back Jacques Patrick.[12][13] On February 22, 2023, the XFL's director of communications Jeff Altstadter announced the firing of team executive Mike Sheehan.[14]
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The 2023 XFL season began on February 18, 2023, and featured 40 regular season games.[15] The Brahmas compiled an overall record of 3–7 during their inaugural season, missing the playoffs.[16]
On December 28, 2023, Ward resigned from the Brahmas after finishing with a 3–7 record in 2023, in response to a change in contract structure. Houston Roughnecks Head Coach Wade Phillips replaced Ward, a maneuver that would allow the Roughnecks identity to be cleared and used for the former Houston Gamblers.[17]
In September 2023, Axios reported that the XFL was in advanced talks with the USFL to merge the two leagues prior to the start of their 2024 seasons.[18] On September 28, 2023, the XFL and USFL announced their intent to merge with details surrounding the merger to be announced at a later date.[19] The merger would also require regulatory approval.[20] In October 2023 the XFL filed a trademark application for the name "United Football League".[21] On November 30, 2023, Garcia announced via her Instagram page that the leagues had received regulatory approval for the merger and were finalizing plans for a "combined season" to begin March 30, 2024.[22] The merger was made official on December 31, 2023.[23]
Current roster
[edit]Players
[edit]Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
|
Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
|
Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
|
Reserve lists
Roster updated December 17, 2024 65 active, 1 reserve(s) |
Staff
[edit]
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Player history
[edit]Current NFL players
[edit]| Season | Pos | Name | NFL Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | WR | Matt Landers | New England Patriots |
| 2023–2024 | G | Kohl Levao | New York Jets |
Notable players
[edit]| Season | Pos | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | QB | Paxton Lynch | Former Denver Broncos Quarterback, 2016 1st Round Pick |
| 2023 | RB | Kalen Ballage | Former Miami Dolphins Running Back, 2018 4th Round Pick |
| 2024 | DE | Tarell Basham | Former Dallas Cowboys Defensive End, 2017 3rd Round Pick |
| 2024 | FS | Teez Tabor | Former Detroit Lions Defensive Back, 2017 2nd Round Pick |
| 2024 | WR | Cody Latimer | Former Denver Broncos Wide Receiver, 2014 2nd Round Pick |
| 2024 | CB | Quincy Wilson | Former New York Giants Defensive Back, 2017 2nd Round Pick |
| 2024–present | K | Donald De La Haye | Current YouTuber, has over 5.7 million subscribers |
| 2024 | RB | Anthony McFarland | Former Pittsburgh Steelers Running back, 2020 4th Round Pick |
| 2024 | CB | Cameron Dantzler | Former Minnesota Vikings Cornerback, 2020 3rd Round Pick |
| 2025–present | DT | Bryan Mone | Former Seattle Seahawks Defensive Tackle |
| 2025–present | QB | Kellen Mond | Former Minnesota Vikings Quarterback, 2021 3rd Round Pick |
Coach history
[edit]Head coach history
[edit]| # | Name | Term | Regular season | Playoffs | Awards | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GC | W | L | Win % | GC | W | L | ||||
| San Antonio Brahmas | ||||||||||
| 1 | Hines Ward | 2023 | 10 | 3 | 7 | .300 | – | – | – | |
| 2 | Wade Phillips | 2024–present | 10 | 7 | 3 | .700 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
Offensive coordinator history
[edit]| # | Name | Term | Regular season | Playoffs | Awards | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GC | W | L | Win % | GC | W | L | ||||
| San Antonio Brahmas | ||||||||||
| 1 | Jaime Elizondo | 2023 | 4 | 1 | 3 | .250 | – | – | – | |
| 2 | Jimmie Johnson | 2023 | 6 | 2 | 4 | .333 | – | – | – | |
| 3 | A. J. Smith | 2024–present | 10 | 7 | 3 | .700 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
Defensive coordinator history
[edit]| # | Name | Term | Regular season | Playoffs | Awards | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GC | W | L | Win % | GC | W | L | ||||
| San Antonio Brahmas | ||||||||||
| 1 | Jim Herrmann | 2023 | 10 | 3 | 7 | .300 | – | – | – | |
| 2 | Will Reed | 2024–present | 10 | 7 | 3 | .700 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
Rivalries
[edit]Houston Roughnecks
[edit]The Brahmas are in-state rivals with the Houston Roughnecks. The rivalry is billed as the Lone Star Showdown (not to be confused with the Texas/Texas A&M collegiate rivalry also known as the Lone Star Showdown).[24]
Overall regular-season record vs. opponents
[edit]| Team | Record | Win % |
|---|---|---|
| Orlando Guardians | 2–0 | 1.000 |
| Birmingham Stallions | 1-1 | .500 |
| Michigan Panthers | 1-0 | 1.000 |
| Memphis Showboats | 1–0 | 1.000 |
| Arlington Renegades | 3–1 | .750 |
| DC Defenders | 1–2 | .333 |
| Houston Roughnecks | 1–2 | .333 |
| Seattle Sea Dragons | 0–1 | .000 |
| Vegas Vipers | 0–1 | .000 |
| St. Louis Battlehawks | 1–3 | .250 |
Records
[edit]| All-time Brahmas leaders | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leader | Player | Record | Years with Brahmas | |
| Passing yards | Jack Coan | 1,471 passing yards | 2023 | |
| Passing touchdowns | Jack Coan | 6 passing touchdowns | 2023
2024–present 2024–present | |
| Rushing | Jacques Patrick | 443 rushing yards | 2023 | |
| Rushing touchdowns | Jacques Patrick | 5 rushing touchdowns | 2023
2024–present | |
| Receiving | Jontre Kirklin | 614 receiving yards | 2024–present | |
| Receiving touchdowns | Anthony McFarland | 3 receiving touchdowns | 2024–present
2024–present | |
| Receptions | Jontre Kirklin | 56 receptions | 2024–present | |
| Tackles | Jordan Williams | 150 tackles | 2023–present | |
| Sacks | Delontae Scott | 11.5 sacks | 2023–present | |
| Interceptions | Kameron Kelly | 2 interceptions | 2023
2024–present 2023 | |
| Coaching wins | Wade Phillips | 8 wins | 2024–present | |
Market overview
[edit]The Brahmas are the first professional football team in San Antonio since the San Antonio Commanders of the Alliance of American Football in 2019, who averaged over 28,000 fans per game.[25] The Brahmas join the San Antonio Spurs and San Antonio FC as professional sports teams in San Antonio. The Brahmas also join the San Antonio Gunslingers as football teams located in San Antonio.
Daryl Johnston, the UFL's vice president of football operations, had been on the Commanders' staff in 2019 and had seen the potential of the market, one that could rival the UFL's strongest, the St. Louis Battlehawks, if properly managed. It remains one of the UFL's stronger markets despite declines in attendance since the Commanders' time in the city, Johnston noted the decline was partly due to business issues on the league's end that "didn’t come together the way we wanted them to at the time" of the USFL/XFL merger.[26]
References
[edit]- ^ Carpenter, Les (February 6, 2020). "What is the XFL? The newest professional football league, explained". The Washington Post.
- ^ Yates, Field; Seifert, Kevin (April 10, 2020). "XFL suspends operations, lays off employees and has no plans for 2021 season". ESPN.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Miketniac, Chuck (April 13, 2020). "SOURCES: XFL called about relocating team to San Antonio days before suspending operations". WOAI-TV. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
- ^ "The XFL returns to the gridiron in 2023: Here's what you should know". American Football International. November 24, 2022.
- ^ PHILLIPS, MICHAEL (March 11, 2022). "Virginia State football coach Reggie Barlow leaving to coach in the XFL". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
- ^ Kerr, Jeff (July 25, 2022). "XFL announces eight host cities for relaunch in 2023; no New York, California teams for first time in league". CBS Sports.
- ^ Romero, Gabriel (July 28, 2022). "New XFL head coach Hines Ward ready to bring a championship to San Antonio". mySanAntonio.com.
- ^ Luca, Greg (October 31, 2022). "XFL unveils San Antonio Brahmas identity, logo ahead of 2023 season". San Antonio Express-News.
- ^ Barber, Katy (November 1, 2022). "What is a Brahma? Explaining San Antonio's new XFL mascot". mySanAntonio.com.
- ^ Katz, Dan; Kirkpatrick, Brian (December 8, 2022). "XFL unveils San Antonio Brahmas jerseys". Texas Public Radio.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Mitchell, Mike (December 8, 2022). "Ranking The XFL 2023 Uniforms From Worst To First". XFL News Hub.
- ^ Scamardo, Peter L., II (November 16, 2022). "San Antonio Brahmas select first-ever players at XFL Draft". mySanAntonio.com.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Spicer, Ben (November 16, 2022). "San Antonio Brahmas select their quarterbacks for XFL reboot". KSAT-TV.
- ^ Reports, SBG San Antonio Staff (February 22, 2023). "XFL's San Antonio Brahmas fire GM Mike Sheehan just days after inaugural game". WOAI. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
- ^ Sam, Doric (May 17, 2022). "The Rock's XFL, ESPN Announce Broadcast Agreement for 2023 Schedule". Bleacher Report.
- ^ Romero, Gabriel (April 25, 2023). "https://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/article/san-antonio-brahmas-biggest-moments-17915273.php". mySanAntonio.com.
{{cite news}}: External link in|title= - ^ Thompson, Stephen (December 28, 2023). "Steelers Great Hines Ward Out as XFL Coach". Sports Illustrated Pittsburgh Steelers News, Analysis and More. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
- ^ Baysinger, Tim; Primack, Dan; Fischer, Sara (September 19, 2023). "Scoop: Football leagues XFL and USFL in merger talks". Axios. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
- ^ TSN ca Staff (September 28, 2023). "XFL, United States Football League announce intention to merge". TSN. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
- ^ Schad, Tom (September 28, 2023). "XFL, USFL confirm intention to merge into single spring football league". USA Today. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
- ^ Moyle, Nick (October 18, 2023). "XFL files trademark applications for 'United Football League' and 'UFL'". San Antonio Express-News.
- ^ "We are pleased to have completed the antitrust review process in connection with the proposed merger of the XFL and USFL and intend to play a combined season this spring kicking off on Saturday, March 30. We are now finalizing terms of the definitive agreement and will share more about this new League in the coming weeks". Instagram.
- ^ "USFL, XFL announce merger, formation of new spring football league: The UFL". Yahoo Sports. December 31, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
- ^ "San Antonio Brahmas fall to Houston Roughnecks 22-13 in first intra-state XFL matchup". KSAT. March 6, 2023. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
- ^ Sharma, Ahmed (February 18, 2019). "San Antonio Commanders leading league in attendance". KABB. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
- ^ Luca, Greg (December 11, 2024). "UFL aiming to strengthen bond with San Antonio as 2025 Brahmas season approaches". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
External links
[edit]
Media related to San Antonio Brahmas at Wikimedia Commons
