Birmingham Stallions (2022) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Birmingham Stallions |
|
---|---|
![]() |
|
Established November 22, 2021 Play in Protective Stadium (Birmingham, Alabama) |
|
League/conference affiliations | |
United States Football League (2022–2023)
United Football League (2024–present)
|
|
Current uniform
|
|
Team colors | Red, gold, white |
Personnel | |
Owner(s) | Fox Corporation (50%), Dany Garcia, Dwayne Johnson, RedBird Capital Partners (50%) |
Head coach | Skip Holtz |
Team history | |
|
|
Championships | |
League championships (3)
|
|
Conference championships (1)
|
|
Division championships (2)
|
|
Playoff appearances (3) | |
|
|
Home stadium(s) | |
|
The Birmingham Stallions are a professional American football team from Birmingham, Alabama. They play in the United Football League (UFL). The team is owned by Dwayne Johnson's company, Alpha Acquico, and Fox Corporation.
The Stallions play their home games at Protective Stadium. They have won three championships since they started playing in 2022. They won three titles in a row! They beat the Philadelphia Stars in 2022, the Pittsburgh Maulers in 2023, and the San Antonio Brahmas in 2024.
Contents
Team History
The Birmingham Stallions were one of eight teams created for the USFL. This was announced on November 22, 2021.
At first, Gene Chizik was going to be their head coach. But he decided to coach for North Carolina instead. So, on January 20, 2022, Skip Holtz became the Stallions' head coach and general manager.
First Season Success
In their first season, the 2022 regular season, the Stallions were amazing. They won 9 games and only lost 1. This made them the top team in the South division.
They played against the New Orleans Breakers in the South Division Championship game. The Stallions won 31–17 and moved on to the big championship game.
Winning the 2022 USFL Championship
On July 3, 2022, the Stallions played the Philadelphia Stars for the USFL Championship. This game was in Canton, Ohio.
The Stallions were ahead by eleven points at halftime. But the Stars fought back and took the lead 23–20. With less than three minutes left, the Stallions were up 26–23. Then, Scooby Wright made an amazing play. He intercepted the ball and ran 46 yards for a touchdown! This helped the Stallions win the game.
Victor Bolden Jr. was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the championship game. After the 2022 season, Zachary Potter became the team's general manager.
Joining the United Football League
In 2023, there were talks about the USFL joining with another league called the XFL. People in Birmingham were told the Stallions would be part of this new league.
On September 28, 2023, the USFL and XFL announced they planned to merge. They officially became one league, the United Football League (UFL), on December 31, 2023. The first UFL season began on March 30, 2024.
Team Traditions
The Pyramid of Flesh
The Stallions have a fun tradition called the "Pyramid of Flesh." It started on April 20, 2024, during a game against the D.C. Defenders. The game had a long lightning delay, and most fans left.
But a small group of fans stayed. They took off their wet shirts and cheered loudly. This group got a lot of attention on TV. Now, at every home game, a group of shirtless fans gathers in Section 138. Other fans join them, often with chants of "TAKE IT OFF!"
This group grows bigger as the game goes on. They are known as the loudest fans in the stadium. The players and the Stallions' mascot, Stanley, often notice them.
Championships Won
The Stallions have won two USFL Championships and one UFL Championship. They also won two USFL South Division Championships and one UFL USFL Conference Championship. They won three championships in a row from 2022 to 2024!
USFL Championships
The Stallions won the USFL Championship twice. Here's a look at those wins:
Year | Coach | USFL Championship Game | Stadium | Location | Opponent | Score | MVP | Record |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 | Skip Holtz | 2022 | Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium | Canton, Ohio | Philadelphia Stars | 33–30 | Victor Bolden Jr. | 9–1 |
2023 | Skip Holtz | 2023 | Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium | Canton, Ohio | Pittsburgh Maulers | 28–12 | Deon Cain | 8–2 |
Total USFL championships won: | 2 |
UFL Championship
The Stallions won the first-ever UFL Championship. Here are the details:
Year | Coach | UFL Championship Game | Stadium | Location | Opponent | Score | MVP | Record |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024 | Skip Holtz | 2024 | The Dome at America's Center | St. Louis, Missouri | San Antonio Brahmas | 25–0 | Adrian Martinez | 9–1 |
Total UFL championships won: | 1 |
South Division Championship Games
The Stallions won their division championship twice in the USFL.
Year | Coach | Stadium | Location | Opponent | Score | Record |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 | Skip Holtz | Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium | Canton, Ohio | New Orleans Breakers | 31–17 | 9–1 |
2023 | Skip Holtz | Protective Stadium | Birmingham, Alabama | New Orleans Breakers | 47–22 | 8–2 |
Total South Division championship games won: | 2 |
USFL Conference Championship Game
The Stallions won their conference championship in the UFL.
Year | Coach | Stadium | Location | Opponent | Score | Record |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024 | Skip Holtz | Protective Stadium | Birmingham, Alabama | Michigan Panthers | 31-18 | 9–1 |
Total USFL Conference championship games won: | 1 |
Team Roster
Players
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
|
Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
|
Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
|
Reserve lists
Roster updated June 4, 2024 50 active, 3 reserve(s) |
Team Staff
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
|
Player Highlights
Players Who Joined the NFL
Some players from the Stallions have gone on to play in the NFL.
Season | Pos | Name | NFL Team |
---|---|---|---|
2022 | CB | Tae Hayes | New York Jets |
2022–2023 | K | Brandon Aubrey | Dallas Cowboys |
2023 | WR | Austin Watkins | Philadelphia Eagles |
2023 | DT | Khalil Davis | Houston Texans |
2023 | QB | Alex McGough | Green Bay Packers |
2023 | WR | Davion Davis | Washington Commanders |
2023 | TE | La'Michael Pettway | New England Patriots |
Well-Known Players
Here are some other notable players who have played for the Stallions:
Season | Pos | Name | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2023–present | TE | Jace Sternberger | Former Green Bay Packers Tight End, 2019 3rd Round Pick |
2024–present | WR | Amari Rodgers | Former Green Bay Packers Wide Receiver, 2021 3rd Round Pick |
2024–present | QB | Matt Corral | Former Carolina Panthers Quarterback, 2022 3rd Round Pick |
2024–present | DE | Taco Charlton | Former Dallas Cowboys Defensive End, 2017 1st Round Pick |
USFL MVP Award Winners
One Stallions player has won the USFL MVP (Most Valuable Player) award.
Stallions USFL MVP winners | |||
Year | Player | Position | Selector |
---|---|---|---|
2023 | Alex McGough | QB | USFL |
Coaching History
Head Coach History
Skip Holtz has been the only head coach for the Birmingham Stallions.
# | Name | Term | Regular season | Playoffs | Awards | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GC | W | L | Win % | GC | W | L | ||||
Birmingham Stallions | ||||||||||
1 | Skip Holtz | 2022–present | 30 | 26 | 4 | .867 | 5 | 5 | 0 | *2023 USFL Coach of the Year |
Team Records
Here are some of the all-time leaders for the Birmingham Stallions:
All-time Stallions leaders | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Leader | Player | Record | Years with Stallions | |
Passing Yards | Alex McGough | 2,564 passing yards | 2022–2023 | |
Passing Touchdowns | Alex McGough | 23 passing touchdowns | 2022–2023 | |
Rushing Yards | C. J. Marable | 1,219 rushing yards | 2022–present | |
Rushing Touchdowns | C. J. Marable | 11 rushing touchdowns | 2022–present | |
Receiving Yards | Jace Sternberger | 1,428 receiving yards | 2023 | |
Receiving Touchdowns | Jace Sternberger | 8 receiving touchdowns | 2023–present | |
Receptions | C. J. Marable | 66 receptions | 2022–present | |
Tackles | DeMarquis Gates | 99 tackles | 2022–present | |
Sacks | DeMarquis Gates | 8.5 sacks | 2022–present | |
Interceptions | A. J. Thomas | 3 interceptions | 2024–present | |
Coaching wins | Skip Holtz | 26 wins | 2022–present |
Season Performance
Season-by-Season Record
This table shows how the Stallions have done each season.
UFL champions† (2024–present) | USFL champions§ (2022–2023) | Conference champions* | Division champions^ | Wild Card berth# |
Season | Team | League | Conference | Division | Regular season | Postseason results | Awards | Head coaches | Pct. | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Finish | W | L | |||||||||
2022 | 2022 | USFL | South | 1st ^*§ | 9 | 1 | Won Division Finals (Breakers) 31–17 Won 2022 USFL Championship (Stars) 33–30 |
J'Mar Smith (SDF MVP) Victor Bolden Jr. (CG MVP) |
Skip Holtz | .867 | |
2023 | 2023 | USFL | South | 1st ^*§ | 8 | 2 | Won Division Finals (Breakers) 47–22 Won 2023 USFL Championship (Maulers) 28–12 |
Alex McGough (USFL MVP) Skip Holtz (COTY) Deon Cain (CG MVP) |
|||
2024 | 2024 | UFL | USFL | 1st # | 9 | 1 | Won USFL Conference Championship (Panthers) 31-18 Won 2024 UFL Championship (Brahmas) 25-0 |
Adrian Martinez (UFL MVP) | |||
Total | 26 | 4 | All-time regular season record (2022–2024) | .867 | |||||||
5 | 0 | All-time postseason record (2022–2024) | 1.000 | ||||||||
31 | 4 | All-time regular season and postseason record (2022–2024) | .886 | ||||||||
2 USFL Championship titles, 2 division titles |