NEW YEAR, MORE FOOTBALL

By NORA KOTNIK Sports Editor

Since the St. Louis Rams moved to Los Angeles in 2016, St. Louis has been deprived of football in its own city for almost seven years. Until now. The St. Louis Battlehawks are to make their official return to the XFL since their shutdown in 2020. On Feb. 18, eight new teams will be returning to the XFL, one of those teams being the St. Louis Battlehawks.

In addition to the St. Louis Battlehawks, the XFL will be adding six further teams: the Arlington Renegades, Houston Roughnecks, San Antonio Brahmas, D. C. Defenders, Orlando Guardians and the Vegas Vipers.

The Battlehawks will be coached by Anthony Becht. Becht was a talented tight end who attended West Virginia University. Following his collegiate career, Becht was selected as the 27th overall pick in the NFL draft, taking his talents to the New York Jets in 2000. From then on, he has played with various teams: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, St. Louis Rams, Arizona Cardinals and the Kansas City Chiefs, racking up a total of 11 years within the NFL space. After his time in the NFL, Becht went on to coach and develop young talent. He worked at IMG Academy for six years, in addition to coaching in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl for some time. Most recently, he was the Offensive Coordinator for Wiregrass High School. Due to his experience playing professionally and his experience coaching at various levels, Becht is expected to be an incredible leader and coach to the returning Battlehawks.

Head Coach Anthony Becht said,

Becht said, “We cannot wait to get out there and get after it. The Battlehawks are ready to bring football greatness back to our city and make you all proud. We will see you repping

Blue and Gray at The Dome! Ka Kaw!”

As the upcoming XFL season is approaching, there are star players that are expected to bring a lot to the overall lineup.

The first player drafted by the Battlehawks was Jordan Ta’amu, a 23-year-old quarterback. Ta’amu is in fact the youngest quarterback in the XFL. After his successful collegiate career at the University of Mississippi finished, his goal was to play in the NFL. After his efforts in consistently sticking with a NFL team failed, he turned to the XFL. The Battlehawks as a whole will benefit from his speed, youthfulness and overall energy.

Christine Michael, an explosive athlete and powerful running back will contribute his talents to the Battlehawks this season. Michael appeared in 2 Super Bowl’s for the Seattle Seahawks, backup to iconic Marshawn Lynch. Throughout his career in the NFL he has played for various teams, including the Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, eventually ending his NFL career with the Indianapolis Colts in 2018.

Coming from the Washington Commanders and the Indianapolis Colts is running back, Matt Jones. He has extended experience in the NFL space which will set him apart when representing the St. Louis Battlehawks at the XFL level.

The Battlehawks home field will be located in The Dome at America’s Center. The XFL partners with The Walt Disney Company and ESPN.