Five Former Notre Dame Players Begin XFL Season
Are you ready for some … more football?
Less than a week after Super Bowl LIV ended, the 8-team XFL will commence its inaugural 10-game regular season today with five former Notre Dame players on the roster.
All five participated in last year’s short-lived Alliance of American Football (AAF) that likewise began the week after the Super Bowl but ended play on April 2 and declared bankruptcy shortly thereafter.
The five former Fighting Irish players now in the XFL are:
Running back Tarean Folston (2013-16): No. 36 — Tampa Bay Vipers
Currently on injured reserve for a franchise in his native Florida.
Linebacker Nyles Morgan (2014-17): No. 56 — Seattle Dragons
The former captain’s Dragons open play today (Feb. 8) at 2 p.m. on ABC versus the D.C. Defenders.
Linebacker Greer Martini (2014-17): No. 48 — Dallas Renegades
A classmate, fellow linebacker and captain with Morgan, he is playing for former Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops (1999-2016).
Offensive tackle Jarron Jones (2012-16): No. 74 — New York Guardians
A defensive lineman/nose guard at Notre Dame, Jones — a native of Rochester, N.Y. — has been on NFL practice squads the past three seasons for Seattle, Dallas, Tampa Bay, Washington and Detroit.
Long snapper Scott Daly (2012-16): No. 42 — New York Guardians
Four-year starter was with the Dallas Cowboys practice squad in 2018.
There are numerous rules differences in the XFL, including:
• Allowing more than one forward pass, provided they are behind the line of scrimmage, with offensive linemen not allowed to advance downfield before the pass goes past the line of scrimmage.
• No fair catches on punts or kickoffs, and the kicking team has to give a returner at least five yards of space to make the catch. Plus, there is five yards separation between teams on kickoffs instead of 10.
• Following touchdowns, no extra point kicks. Teams then can go for one point from the two-yard line, two points from the five-yard line or three points from the 10-yard line.
• In case of overtime, each team gets five plays from the five-yard line, with one point awarded each time the end zone gets crossed.
• The play clock will be 25 seconds instead of 40, and the game clock will be continuous until the two minute mark, at which time it will stop after each play from scrimmage.
Per Wikipedia, the XFL’s standard form contract pays $2,725 per week to each player on the active roster (52 players per roster), of which $1,040 is guaranteed. A $2,222 victory bonus will be paid to the players on each game’s winning team.
Players also will be paid $1,040 per week during the preseason and through the playoffs if their team does not qualify. The average XFL quarterback is expected to earn $125,000.
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