Georgia Bulldogs Join XFL Rosters
The Xtream football league is set to resume play for the first time since 2001. The league owned by Wrestling Mogul Vince McMahon prides itself on offering a twist to traditional football. The league has revamped some of its rules and procedures and will re-debut in February. Luckily for UGA fans, there will be an opportunity to watch some players who once donned the Red & Black.
Toby Johnson Jr. • DT • New York Guardians
Toby Johnson Jr is a 6'4 350-pound defensive tackle who played prep school football at Benjamin E. Banneker High school in Atlanta, GA. He was recruited to the Georgia Bulldogs by coach Mark Richt in 2013, as a four-star recruit, and the number nine JUCO recruit in the Nation. Johnson played both three-technique defensive end in the 3-4 defense, as well as defensive tackle for the Dawgs. Overall he saw snaps in 23 games, in 2013 and 2014. Johnson Jr. recorded 34 tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss, two sacks, and deflected two passes.
He is also a two-time winner of the David Jacobs Football Scholarship Award. The award is given to the Bulldogs player who best exemplifies spirit, determination, character, and courage. Coach Richt described the award as the UGA player who "shows courage to overcome adversity and finish the drill."
Johnson Jr. has had stints with the Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions, and Carolina Panthers. Most of those stops were as a training camp player or practice squad member, as his only NFL regular-season action was in two 2016 games with the Vikings. Most recently, Toby played for the Massachusetts Pirates of the National Arena League. He was named as the team's defensive lineman of the year with seven sacks.
Nick Moore • Long Snapper • Tampa Bay Vipers
Nick Moore was another Mark Richt recruit. He is a graduate of Brookwood High School in Snellville, GA. After being drafted by the Boston Red Sox and playing minor league baseball for four years, Moore arrived in Athens in 2015. He was originally recruited as a linebacker, converted to fullback, and eventually found his nitch as the team's long snapper. Nick Moore appeared in 23 games for the Georgia Bulldogs from 2015 - 2018. He was signed by the New Orleans prior to their 2019 training camp but failed to make the team's roster. Moore will get another opportunity to snap for kicks and punts in the reborn XFL.
Corey Moore • Safety • Tampa Bay Vipers
Corey Moore is yet another one of coach Mark Richt's recruits. The Griffin, GA native was a four-star prospect and the number eight safety in the 2011 class. Corey played all four years of his college career between the hedges, seeing action in 50 games as a Dawg from 2011 - 2014. Career-wise he compiled 76 tackles, six tackles for a loss, and two interceptions. Moore also broke up three passes, garnered one sack and blocked a punt during his Bulldogs tenure.
The 2015 NFL Draft saw Corey Moore disappointingly go undrafted, but he was signed as a free agent and invited to training camp by the Houston Texans. The 6'2 200-pound safety worked his way onto the team's roster. Moore continued a trend at the time of UGA players exceeding expectations at the NFL level, starting 11 games over his second and third seasons. After three years in Houston, he was waived and claimed by the Indianapolis Colts. He appeared in 15 games during the 2018 season and secured his first career interception. Overall Corey Moore has racked up 74 tackles, five pass breakups, one tackle for a loss, and one interception. After sitting out of football in 2019, he returns to the game he loves with the XFL.
Aaron Murray • Quarterback • Tampa Bay Vipers
Last but certainly not least among the four Georgia Football alumni on XFL rosters, is quarterback Aaron Murray. He joins both Nick Moore and Corey Moore, as the third Bulldogs' player on the Tampa Bay XFL squad. A member of the Dawgs from 2010-2013, many fans believe that Murray is the best quarterback to ever play at UGA. While that is debatable, the numbers make a strong case.
Aaron Murray's career numbers of 13,166 yards and 121 touchdowns both rank number one in school history. His best single-season marks of 3,893 yards and 36 touchdowns in 2012 are also the best totals ever recorded among players to step foot on campus in Athens. Murray joins Mathew Stafford, David Greene, D.J. Shockley, and Joe Cox, as the only men to throw five touchdown passes in a game for the Georgia Bulldogs. Aaron is the only player to accomplish the feat twice. He also recorded two career-best games of 427 passing yards. Only Eric Zier has thrown for more yards in a game, though he did so three times. The decorated Aaron Murray was a freshman All American, a Second Team All-SEC performer, and a Third Team All American. He's a Capitol One Bowl MVP and led the Georgia Bulldogs to two SEC Championships and two bowl victories, during his stellar UGA career.
The Kansas City Chiefs selected Aaron Murray in round five of the 2014 NFL Draft. He spent two seasons as a backup quarterback, before being waived without throwing a pass in a regular-season game. Aaron bounced around after his release, seeing practice squad duty with the Arizona Cardinals and Philadelphia Eagles in 2016, and the Los Angeles Rams in 2017. After spending time as a broadcaster in 2018, Murray resurfaced with the Atlanta Legends of the AAF in 2019. He began the season as the team's backup, but wrestled the starting gig away from former Atlanta Falcons' quarterback Matt Simms. Aaron Murray started the team's final five games until the league folded. He threw for 1,048 yards with three touchdowns, one two-point conversation, and seven interceptions while completing 64.8 percent of this throws. Murray also ran for 96 yards.
Arron Murray who was married in 2019, was believed to be done playing football, citing that his wife can't stand to see the toll that the sport takes on his body. Yet he has decided to give it another go, in the new league. The official XFL YouTube channel released this video, welcoming Aaron Murray to Tampa Bay:
Congratulations to the four Georgia Football players who made XFL rosters. One name that was interestingly missing was defensive lineman Trent Thompson. The former Bulldogs' top recruit was on the original list to enter the league's draft pool.
It remains to be seen how successful this rendition of the XFL will be, but the league offers an opportunity for the hardcore football fans to get their fix during a time when there would normally be none. I suspect I know what team will be most popular among the Georgia fan base. The Tampa Bay Vipers begin play on February 9 at 2 pm. Interestingly enough, they will face the New York Guardians, the team that features the league's other Georgia Bulldogs' player. For UGA fans, any chance to watch their favorite Dawgs is a difficult opportunity to pass up.
