最新杏吧原创

Jordan 罢补鈥檃尘耻 will serve as the default flag bearer for 最新杏吧原创 in this weekend鈥檚 UFL championship game. That鈥檚 simultaneously ironic for 罢补鈥檃尘耻 and irksome for Battlehawks loyalists, who for a second consecutive year saw their team fall short of playing for a championship in 最新杏吧原创.

Even though quarterbacked the D.C. Defenders to the victory that ended the Battlehawks鈥� hopes of playing for the UFL championship in front of their home crowd, he鈥檚 now their strongest tie to the championship set to be decided at 7 p.m. Saturday in the Dome at America鈥檚 Center and airing nationally on ABC (KDNL, Channel 30 locally).

鈥淚t鈥檚 crazy, look how God works to put me back in this dome and this situation where I get to play for a championship again, not anywhere else but back where I started my professional career,鈥� 罢补鈥檃尘耻 said after Sunday鈥檚 win over the Battlehawks.

鈥淚 just want the fans that are out here, that still believe in me, to come out and rally 鈥� not only for myself, but for the D.C. team.鈥�

The 6-foot-2, 221-pound 罢补鈥檃尘耻, 27, guided the Defenders to a 36-18 win over the Battlehawks, the highest point total against that defense all season. The Defenders had 10 offensive possessions. Seven ended with them scoring points (four touchdowns, three field goals).

罢补鈥檃尘耻 completed 18 of 26 passes for 204 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He completed passes of 42 yards and 32 yards, was sacked only once, and completed 6 of 6 passes on third down and converted four of those passes into first downs.

His ability to pick up big chunks through the air, utilize play-action passes 鈥� the 42-yard touchdown pass came on a play fake that set up a deep post pattern over the middle 鈥� and sustain drives with third-down conversions made their offense virtually unstoppable when you add in the fact that the Defenders rushed for an average of 5.2 yards per carry.

鈥淲e weren鈥檛 really stopping the run,鈥� Battlehawks coach Anthony Becht said. 鈥淲hich hurts you with a guy like Jordan, who really came out and executed on all cylinders. He鈥檚 a veteran in this league. He鈥檚 still young. Just a hell of a performance by him.鈥�

罢补鈥檃尘耻 still holds the distinction of being the original Battlehawk, the first player allocated to the team in the resurrected XFL in October 2019.

At first glance, he seemed to fit the franchise like a glove.

The humble dual-threat quarterback who鈥檇 enjoyed success against the highest caliber of competition in college came to 最新杏吧原创 to prove he deserved consideration at the highest level of professional football.

The city, having experienced the highest level of success as the home of an NFL team, embraced the chance to prove its ability to once again support a professional football team.

A strong-willed underdog from Hawaii, 罢补鈥檃尘耻 went from under-recruited high school quarterback to junior college standout to backup quarterback at Ole Miss at the start of his junior season.

While at Ole Miss, he earned his way into the starting job by the end of this junior season, then broke program records for 400-yard passing games (four) and tied the school record for 300-yard passing games (12) throwing to future NFL wide receivers A.J. Brown and D.K. Metcalf.

Despite one of the gaudiest statistical passing seasons in program history and a SEC-leading performance (passing yards per game and total offense) as a senior in 2018, he had just a brief stint win camp with the Houston Texans in 2019.

The COVID-19 pandemic cut short the 2020 season, and 罢补鈥檃尘耻 played just five games (five starts) in that first Battlehawks season under then-coach Jon Hayes. 罢补鈥檃尘耻 completed 72.4% of his passes, passed for 1,050 yards and logged a quarterback rating of 101.3.

Since then, 罢补鈥檃尘耻鈥檚 football odyssey has included multiple stint with Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions as well as cups of coffee with the Washington Football Team, Carolina Panthers and Minnesota Vikings. None of those stints included regular season NFL game action.

Meanwhile, he reignited his spring league career with the USFL鈥檚 Tampa Bay Bandits in 2022, then joined the Defenders (then in the XFL) in 2023.

罢补鈥檃尘耻 won XFL Offensive Player of the Year honors and led D.C. to the championship game in 2023. He started all 10 games for the Defenders last season in the UFL, and he started nine games this season.

For the past three seasons, Fred Kaiss served as Defenders offensive coordinator. served as quarterbacks coach in 2023 and 2024.

Harris stepped into the interim head coach role this spring when Reggie Barlow left to become head coach at Tennessee State, where Harris and the rest of the Defenders staff are .

鈥淚t came full circle, being a young player in 2020 and being able to grow,鈥� 罢补鈥檃尘耻 said. 鈥淐oach Shannon and Coach Kaiss has a lot to do with that. I鈥檝e been with them for three years now. They gave me the flexibility to do what I want in this offense.

鈥淚 trust them with my life, whatever we decide as a whole. They helped me grow to the person I am today, not just on the field but also off (the field).鈥�

This season, 罢补鈥檃尘耻 led the UFL in passing touchdowns (17), and he ranked second in the league in total passing yards (2,155).

The Defenders offense ranked first in the UFL in total offense (3,454 yards) and passing yards (2,465). They set a UFL record with an average of 246.5 passing yards per game, and their 345 total yards per game were the second-highest average in league history.

With the Defenders seemingly headed for massive change in their coaching staff, this could be the best chance for 罢补鈥檃尘耻 to add a championship on his r茅sum茅 as a starting quarterback.

That chance comes right where it all started for him.