The very first version of the United Football League’s postseason honors are out, including the first All-UFL Team, and while all of the teams are represented, the honors sort of look like a mini-version of the four teams in the conference title games this weekend.
The league is preparing for the title games this weekend: Birmingham will host Michigan today on ABC at 3 p.m. Eastern, 2 p.m. Central in the USFL Conference Game, and in the XFL Conference, St. Louis will host San Antonio Sunday at 7 p.m. Eastern / 6 Central on FOX.
Michigan Panthers defensive end Breeland Speaks hopes to do a LOT of speaking Saturday to the Stallions. Speaks was named the UFL’s first-ever defensive player of the year. He had 9 ½ sacks this season to date, along with 13 tackles for loss.
The XFL title game will have the league’s offensive player of the year, and that’s St. Louis Battlehawks receiver Hakeem Butler.
Butler had 45 catches for 652 yards and five touchdowns. He was fourth in the league in catches, led the league in yards per catch and was sixth in the league in scoring, seventh in all-purpose yards. His best performance this year was a 147-yard game against the D.C. Defenders on April 28, and he had an 80-yard touchdown play that day, the second-longest play from scrimmage in the league this season.
The Battlehawks also have the special teams player of the year on their roster: Chris Garrett, who did a lot of the unsung work, so to speak, that wins you that award.
Garrett had two blocked punts this year: one in the 45-12 win over the Defenders, and another in a game against Birmingham – could we be headed to a rematch of that game in the UFL Championship pretty soon?
If so, it would be in St. Louis, where the championship will be played at The Dome at America’s Center on June 16 regardless of who’s in it.
Garrett has 26 total tackles this year and 14 of them were on special teams.
So, who won the coach of the year crown?
Well, that’d be Michigan coach Mike Nolan.
The Panthers went 7-3 this season and are in the conference title game for a second straight year. At one point this year, Michigan won five straight.
Michigan is third in total offense, second in rushing offense in the UFL and just as good defensively: topping the league in rushing defense and third in scoring defense.
As far as the first All-UFL team, on offense, the quarterback is Birmingham’s Adrian Martinez. At running back: Jacob Saylors of St. Louis.
At wide receiver: well, Butler, of course, as well as Memphis’ Daewood Davis and Marcus Simms of the Panthers.
Birmingham’s Jace Sternberger, the former Texas A&M standout, made it at tight end.
Along the offensive line: St. Louis’s Jaryd Jones-Smith and Arlington’s Bobby Evans at the two tackle spots, Mike Panasiuk of St. Louis at center, and Birmingham’s Zack Johnson and San Antonio’s Kohl Levao at guard.
The All-UFL defense: up front, on the line, Birmingham’s Carlos Davis and Michigan’s Daniel Wise.
At edge, outside linebacker: Houston’s Chris Odom and Speaks.
San Antonio’s Tavante Beckett and St. Louis’ Willie Harvey line up at inside linebacker, and at corner, D.C.’s Deandre Baker, Michigan’s Nate Brooks, and Arlington’s Ajene Harris.
At safety: Michigan’s Kai Nacua and Birmingham’s A.J. Thomas.
