Several Former Mountaineers Land on XFL Rosters
This Monday, the XFL officially released the team rosters for the upcoming season in year one of the rebooted league. The XFL is a good start for many of these players to get their start in professional football and to keep their hopes alive to one day latch on to an NFL roster. Several former Mountaineers have inked with XFL teams, including a handful from last year's team.
D.C. Defenders: DT Kenny Bigelow
Bigelow emerged as a fan favorite in Morgantown after the first play of his career in the old gold and blue by rocking Tennessee quarterback Jarrett Guarantano.
The former five star recruit battled injuries throughout his career at USC and initially "retired" from football. However, his friendship with his former high school teammate David Sills V, convinced him to give it another shot. Playing in the 3-3-5 defense as the true nose tackle, it's hard to fill up the stat sheet as he only produced 21 tackles, 5 tackles for loss and one sack, but his productivity goes well beyond what the stats say.
New York Guardians: S Dravon Askew-Henry
Askew-Henry holds the record for most career starts in West Virginia football history. He bursted onto the scene as a true freshman tallying 37 tackles and snatching two interceptions. An injury held him out of his junior year, forcing him to redshirt and he never seemed like the same player since.
Askew-Henry may not have lived up to all the hype and expectations that everyone had set out for him, but he was consistent. He averaged 57 tackles in his final three seasons and about one interception per year. After signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent, he decided to take another route as he never made it off of the practice squad. The XFL would be a good opportunity for him to keep his professional football career alive.
St. Louis BattleHawks: S Kenny Robinson, LB Terence Garvin, DL Will Clarke
If you're a Mountaineer fan looking for an XFL team to pull for, you might want to check out the St. Louis BattleHawks, who currently have three former Mountaineers.
The most recent member of the Mountaineers is Kenny Robinson, who was essentially "dismissed" from the team, but threw his name into the transfer portal. Although he received calls from multiple schools, nothing ever progressed, allowing him to choose the XFL route. Earlier this month, Robinson was deemed eligible for the 2020 NFL Draft.
The other two joining Robinson in the "Gateway to the West" are NFL journeyman Terence Garvin and Will Clarke.
After a solid career in Morgantown, Terence Garvin spent five years in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Washington Redskins, Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers. In his five year stint, he notched 77 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. Garvin spent this past season with the now nonexistent Orlando Apollos of AAF.
Defensive end Will Clarke was a part of that group that transitioned from the Bill Stewart era to the Holgorsen regime. As a senior, totaled 50 tackles and 6 sacks, giving him a huge boost for his NFL resume. He spent his first three years in the league with the Cincinnati Bengals before latching on to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2017-18).
Tampa Bay Vipers: OT Marquis Lucas
The former Mountaineer offensive lineman has struggled to find a home in the NFL having bounced from Buffalo, Minnesota, Atlanta and Tampa Bay throughout his NFL career. Lucas will try to revamp his career back in Tampa, but this time, with the XFL's Vipers.