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{{About|the team in the second edition of the XFL|the team that are using this branding in the UFL|Houston Roughnecks (2024)}}{{short description|UFL (2024) team based in Houston, Texas}}
{{short description|UFL team based in Houston, Texas}}
{{About|the team in the second edition of the XFL|the team that are using this branding in the UFL|Houston Roughnecks (2024)}}
{{Infobox American football team
{{Infobox USFL team
| name = Houston Roughnecks
| name = Houston Roughnecks
| logo = File:Houston Roughnecks logo (2022).png
| logo = Houston Roughnecks logo (2022).png
| logosize =
| logosize =
| helmet =
| helmet =
| helmetsize =
| helmetsize =
| uniform =
| uniformsize =
| founded = 2018
| founded = 2018
| league = [[XFL (2020)|XFL]]
| league = [[XFL (2020)|XFL]]
Line 16: Line 19:
| coach = [[June Jones]] (2020) <br> [[Wade Phillips]] (2023)
| coach = [[June Jones]] (2020) <br> [[Wade Phillips]] (2023)
| league_champs =
| league_champs =
| div_champs =
| div_champs = '''XFL South:''' [[2023 XFL season|2023]]
| president =
| president =
| manager =
| manager =
|folded=2024}}
| folded = 2024
}}


The '''Houston Roughnecks''' were a professional [[American football]] team based in [[Houston|Houston, Texas]]. The Roughnecks competed in the [[XFL (2020)|XFL]] football league. The team was founded by [[Vince McMahon]]’s Alpha Entertainment and were an owned-and-operated by [[Dwayne Johnson]]’s Alpha Acquico. The Roughnecks played their home games at [[TDECU Stadium]]. The Roughnecks had a franchise regular season record of 12-3 (.800), the highest win percentage among all XFL teams (tied with [[DC Defenders]]).
The '''Houston Roughnecks''' were a professional [[American football]] team based in [[Houston|Houston, Texas]]. The Roughnecks competed in the [[XFL (2020)|XFL]] football league. The team was founded by [[Vince McMahon]]’s Alpha Entertainment and were an owned-and-operated by [[Dwayne Johnson]]’s Alpha Acquico. The Roughnecks played their home games at [[TDECU Stadium]]. The Roughnecks had a franchise regular season record of 12-3 (.800), the highest win percentage among all XFL teams (tied with [[DC Defenders]]).


Following the merger of the [[United States Football League (2022)|USFL]] and XFL in 2024 as the [[United Football League (2024)|United Football League]], the Houston Roughnecks branding was transferred to the [[Houston Roughnecks (2024)|Houston Gamblers]].
Following the merger of the [[United States Football League (2022)|USFL]] and XFL in 2024 as the [[United Football League (2024)|United Football League]], the Roughnecks branding was transferred to the former [[Houston Roughnecks (2024)|Houston Gamblers]], which had competed in the USFL in 2022 and 2023 as a [[traveling team]].


==History==
==History==
Line 32: Line 36:
On October 15, 2019, the Roughnecks announced their first player in team history, being assigned former [[Temple Owls football|Temple Owls]] QB [[P. J. Walker]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Florio |first=Mike |date=2019-10-15 |title=XFL announces its eight allocated quarterbacks |url=https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/10/15/xfl-announces-its-eight-allocated-quarterbacks/ |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=ProFootballTalk |language=en-US}}</ref>
On October 15, 2019, the Roughnecks announced their first player in team history, being assigned former [[Temple Owls football|Temple Owls]] QB [[P. J. Walker]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Florio |first=Mike |date=2019-10-15 |title=XFL announces its eight allocated quarterbacks |url=https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/10/15/xfl-announces-its-eight-allocated-quarterbacks/ |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=ProFootballTalk |language=en-US}}</ref>


On February 8, 2020, the Roughnecks defeated the [[Los Angeles Wildcats (XFL)|Los Angeles Wildcats]] in the second game in league history by a score of 37–17.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/xfl-scores-week-1-live-results-highlights-from-saturdays-games/1rmupey7oo12q15wtl3uxsg0ax|title=XFL scores Week 1: Final results, highlights from Saturday's games|website=www.sportingnews.com|language=en|access-date=2020-02-10}}</ref> The XFL announced that the remainder of the [[2020 XFL season]] had been canceled due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]. The team finished with an undefeated regular season 5–0 record. On April 10, 2020, the XFL suspended operations, with all employees, players, and staff being terminated.<ref>{{Cite book |last=composer. |first=Beethoven, Ludwig van, 1770-1827 |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/994793754 |title=Symphonie Nr. 5 c-Moll = Symphony no. 5 in C minor, op. 67 |oclc=994793754}}</ref>
On February 8, 2020, the Roughnecks defeated the [[Los Angeles Wildcats (XFL)|Los Angeles Wildcats]] in the second game in league history by a score of 37–17.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/xfl-scores-week-1-live-results-highlights-from-saturdays-games/1rmupey7oo12q15wtl3uxsg0ax|title=XFL scores Week 1: Final results, highlights from Saturday's games|website=www.sportingnews.com|date=10 February 2020 |language=en|access-date=2020-02-10}}</ref> The XFL announced that the remainder of the [[2020 XFL season]] had been canceled due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]. The team finished with an undefeated regular season 5–0 record. On April 10, 2020, the XFL suspended operations, with all employees, players, and staff being terminated.<ref>{{Cite book |last=composer. |first=Beethoven, Ludwig van, 1770-1827 |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/994793754 |title=Symphonie Nr. 5 c-Moll = Symphony no. 5 in C minor, op. 67 |oclc=994793754}}</ref>


=== Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia Era (2023) ===
=== Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia Era (2023) ===
On August 3, 2020, it was reported that a consortium led by [[Dwayne Johnson|Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson]], [[Dany Garcia]], and Gerry Cardinale (through Cardinale's fund RedBird Capital Partners) purchased the XFL for $15 million just hours before an auction could take place; the purchase received court approval on August 7, 2020.<ref name="newowners">{{Cite news |date=August 2, 2020 |title=THE ROCK BUYS THE XFL FOR $15 MILLION |work=RingsideNews.com |url=https://www.ringsidenews.com/2020/08/03/the-rock-buys-the-xfl-for-15-million/ |access-date=August 2, 2020}}</ref><ref name="newxflowners">{{Cite news |last=Kerr |first=Jeff |date=August 2, 2020 |title=Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson buys XFL for $15 million with partners RedBird Capital and Dany Garcia |publisher=CBSSports.com |url=https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/dwayne-the-rock-johnson-buys-xfl-for-15-million-with-partner-redbird-capital-per-report/ |access-date=August 2, 2020}}</ref> The XFL hired [[Wade Phillips]] as a head coach on April 13, 2022, with the expectation that he would be coaching the Houston team.<ref>{{Cite web |title=XFL Announces Head Coaches: Reggie Barlow, Anthony Becht, Terrell Buckley, Jim Haslett, Wade Phillips, Bob Stoops, Hines Ward and Rod Woodson |url=https://www.xfl.com/xfl-latest-news/xfl-announces-head-coaches |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=www.xfl.com |language=en}}</ref> On July 24, 2022, the return of a Houston XFL franchise was confirmed, as well as the hiring of Wade Phillips.<ref>{{Cite web |title=XFL UNVEILS TEAM MARKETS AND VENUES: ARLINGTON, HOUSTON, ORLANDO, LAS VEGAS, SAN ANTONIO, SEATTLE, ST. LOUIS, WASHINGTON D.C. |url=https://www.xfl.com/xfl-latest-news/xfl-cities-and-venues-announcement |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=www.xfl.com |language=en}}</ref> On October 31, 2022, the XFL officially announced that the Roughnecks name would be returning, with a new logo.
On August 3, 2020, it was reported that a consortium led by [[Dwayne Johnson|Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson]], [[Dany Garcia]], and Gerry Cardinale (through Cardinale's fund RedBird Capital Partners) purchased the XFL for $15 million just hours before an auction could take place; the purchase received court approval on August 7, 2020.<ref name="newowners">{{Cite news |date=August 2, 2020 |title=THE ROCK BUYS THE XFL FOR $15 MILLION |work=RingsideNews.com |url=https://www.ringsidenews.com/2020/08/03/the-rock-buys-the-xfl-for-15-million/ |access-date=August 2, 2020}}</ref><ref name="newxflowners">{{Cite news |last=Kerr |first=Jeff |date=August 2, 2020 |title=Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson buys XFL for $15 million with partners RedBird Capital and Dany Garcia |publisher=CBSSports.com |url=https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/dwayne-the-rock-johnson-buys-xfl-for-15-million-with-partner-redbird-capital-per-report/ |access-date=August 2, 2020}}</ref> The XFL hired [[Wade Phillips]] as a head coach on April 13, 2022, with the expectation that he would be coaching the Houston team.<ref>{{Cite web |title=XFL Announces Head Coaches: Reggie Barlow, Anthony Becht, Terrell Buckley, Jim Haslett, Wade Phillips, Bob Stoops, Hines Ward and Rod Woodson |url=https://www.xfl.com/xfl-latest-news/xfl-announces-head-coaches |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=www.xfl.com |language=en}}</ref> On July 24, 2022, the return of a Houston XFL franchise was confirmed, as well as the hiring of Wade Phillips.<ref>{{Cite web |title=XFL UNVEILS TEAM MARKETS AND VENUES: ARLINGTON, HOUSTON, ORLANDO, LAS VEGAS, SAN ANTONIO, SEATTLE, ST. LOUIS, WASHINGTON D.C. |url=https://www.xfl.com/xfl-latest-news/xfl-cities-and-venues-announcement |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=www.xfl.com |language=en}}</ref> On October 31, 2022, the XFL officially announced that the Roughnecks name would be returning, with a new logo.


==== Logo change ====
==== Logo change ====
[[File:Houston Roughnecks logo (2020).png |thumb|right|The Roughnecks' 2020 logo, discontinued under pressure from the NFL in 2021.]] On January 8, 2021, it was revealed that the [[National Football League|NFL]] filed an opposition against the XFL's trademark application for the Houston Roughnecks logo on December 28, 2020, claiming that the logo was too similar to the [[History of the Houston Oilers|Houston Oilers]] logo.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-01-08 |title=NFL Opposes XFL's Trademark for Houston Roughnecks Logo - Gerben Law Firm |url=https://www.gerbenlaw.com/blog/nfl-opposes-xfls-trademark-for-houston-roughnecks-logo/ |access-date=2021-12-26 |website=www.gerbenlaw.com |language=en-US}}</ref> It was then later revealed that the NFL filed another trademark opposition to the Roughneck's secondary logo on behalf of the [[New England Patriots]], claiming that the secondary logo was too similar to the Patriots' current logo.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Davis |first=Josh |title=XFL's Houston Roughnecks Secondary Logo Opposed by NFL |url=https://xflnewshub.com/xfl-news/xfl-houston-roughnecks-secondary-logo-opposed-by-nfl/ |access-date=2021-12-26 |language=en-US}}</ref> On April 7, 2021, it was revealed that the two logos were abandoned "with prejudice" which means that new applications for the logos could not be made.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-04-09 |title=Houston Roughnecks Forced to Abandon Logos in Trademark Dispute |url=https://xflnewsroom.com/xfl/houston-roughnecks-forced-to-abandon-logos-in-trademark-dispute/ |access-date=2021-12-26 |website=Pro Football Newsroom |language=en-US}}</ref>
[[File:Houston Roughnecks logo (2020).png |thumb|right|The Roughnecks' 2020 logo, discontinued under pressure from the NFL in 2021.]] On January 8, 2021, it was revealed that the [[National Football League|NFL]] filed an opposition against the XFL's trademark application for the Houston Roughnecks logo on December 28, 2020, claiming that the logo was too similar to the [[History of the Houston Oilers|Houston Oilers]] logo.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-01-08 |title=NFL Opposes XFL's Trademark for Houston Roughnecks Logo - Gerben Law Firm |url=https://www.gerbenlaw.com/blog/nfl-opposes-xfls-trademark-for-houston-roughnecks-logo/ |access-date=2021-12-26 |website=www.gerbenlaw.com |language=en-US}}</ref> It was then later revealed that the NFL filed another trademark opposition to the Roughneck's secondary logo on behalf of the [[New England Patriots]], claiming that the secondary logo was too similar to the Patriots' current logo.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Davis |first=Josh |title=XFL's Houston Roughnecks Secondary Logo Opposed by NFL |date=20 January 2021 |url=https://xflnewshub.com/xfl-news/xfl-houston-roughnecks-secondary-logo-opposed-by-nfl/ |access-date=2021-12-26 |language=en-US}}</ref> On April 7, 2021, it was revealed that the two logos were abandoned "with prejudice" which means that new applications for the logos could not be made.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-04-09 |title=Houston Roughnecks Forced to Abandon Logos in Trademark Dispute |url=https://xflnewsroom.com/xfl/houston-roughnecks-forced-to-abandon-logos-in-trademark-dispute/ |access-date=2021-12-26 |website=Pro Football Newsroom |language=en-US}}</ref>


The Roughnecks revealed their new logo on October 31, 2022, which is similar in shape to the previous [[derrick]] logo but with greater emphasis on the H (stylized to appear as if constructed from steel girders) and the star portion lowered so that the logo no longer explicitly resembles a derrick.
The Roughnecks revealed their new logo on October 31, 2022, which is similar in shape to the previous [[derrick]] logo but with greater emphasis on the H (stylized to appear as if constructed from steel girders) and the star portion lowered so that the logo no longer explicitly resembles a derrick.


=== Merger with the Houston Gamblers ===
=== Merger with the Houston Gamblers ===
⚫
{{main|Houston Roughnecks (2024)}}
The Roughnecks released a large portion of its roster ahead of the 2024 season<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kozora |first=Alex |date=2023-12-28 |title=Report: Hines Ward Out As San Antonio Brahmas Head Coach |url=https://steelersdepot.com/2023/12/report-hines-ward-out-as-san-antonio-brahmas-head-coach/ |access-date=2023-12-28 |website=Steelers Depot |language=en-US}}</ref> and reassigned Phillips and his staff to the [[San Antonio Brahmas]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Perry |first=Mark |date=2023-12-28 |title=Exclusive: HC Hines Ward, GM Will Lewis Out With Brahmas, HC Phillips & OC Smith In, Full Details |url=https://xflnewshub.com/xfl-news/exclusive-hc-hines-ward-gm-will-lewis-out-with-brahmas-hc-phillips-oc-smith-in-full-details/ |access-date=2023-12-28 |website=xflnewshub.com |language=en-us}}</ref> At the same time, the [[United States Football League (2022)|United States Football League]], ahead of its planned merger with the XFL for 2024, indicated that its putative Houston team, the [[Houston Gamblers (2022)|Gamblers]] (which never played in Houston during its two years in that league), would be one of the four surviving teams in said merger in a notice to its players union.<ref name="4teams">{{Cite web |date=2023-12-19 |title=Four USFL teams survive merger with XFL |url=https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/four-usfl-teams-survive-merger-with-xfl |access-date=2023-12-19 |website=NBC Sports |language=en-US}}</ref> With the announcement of the merger on December 31, ''[[The Washington Post]]'' reported that the merged league's Houston team would take on the Roughnecks identity.<ref name=mergerannounced>{{cite web|last=Russell|first=Jake|title=XFL, USFL announce merger to form the United Football League|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/12/31/xfl-usfl-merger-ufl/|access-date=December 31, 2023|website=The Washington Post|language=en-us|date=December 31, 2023}}</ref> The UFL confirmed this on January 1, 2024.<ref>[https://www.theufl.com/news/united-football-league-reveals-team-markets-and-head-coaches-for-2024-season UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE REVEALS TEAM MARKETS AND HEAD COACHES FOR 2024 SEASON]. Press release. Retrieved January 1, 2024.</ref>
The Roughnecks released a large portion of its roster ahead of the 2024 season<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kozora |first=Alex |date=2023-12-28 |title=Report: Hines Ward Out As San Antonio Brahmas Head Coach |url=https://steelersdepot.com/2023/12/report-hines-ward-out-as-san-antonio-brahmas-head-coach/ |access-date=2023-12-28 |website=Steelers Depot |language=en-US}}</ref> and reassigned Phillips and his staff to the [[San Antonio Brahmas]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Perry |first=Mark |date=2023-12-28 |title=Exclusive: HC Hines Ward, GM Will Lewis Out With Brahmas, HC Phillips & OC Smith In, Full Details |url=https://xflnewshub.com/xfl-news/exclusive-hc-hines-ward-gm-will-lewis-out-with-brahmas-hc-phillips-oc-smith-in-full-details/ |access-date=2023-12-28 |website=xflnewshub.com |language=en-us}}</ref> At the same time, the [[United States Football League (2022)|United States Football League]], ahead of its planned merger with the XFL for 2024, indicated that its putative Houston team, the [[Houston Gamblers (2022)|Gamblers]] (which never played in Houston during its two years in that league), would be one of the four surviving teams in said merger in a notice to its players union.<ref name="4teams">{{Cite web |date=2023-12-19 |title=Four USFL teams survive merger with XFL |url=https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/four-usfl-teams-survive-merger-with-xfl |access-date=2023-12-19 |website=NBC Sports |language=en-US}}</ref> With the announcement of the merger on December 31, ''[[The Washington Post]]'' reported that the merged league's Houston team would take on the Roughnecks identity.<ref name=mergerannounced>{{cite news|last=Russell|first=Jake|title=XFL, USFL announce merger to form the United Football League|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/12/31/xfl-usfl-merger-ufl/|access-date=December 31, 2023|newspaper=The Washington Post|language=en-us|date=December 31, 2023}}</ref> The UFL confirmed this on January 1, 2024.<ref>[https://www.theufl.com/news/united-football-league-reveals-team-markets-and-head-coaches-for-2024-season UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE REVEALS TEAM MARKETS AND HEAD COACHES FOR 2024 SEASON] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240101170249/https://www.theufl.com/news/united-football-league-reveals-team-markets-and-head-coaches-for-2024-season |date=2024-01-01 }}. Press release. Retrieved January 1, 2024.</ref>


==Coach History==
==Coach history==


=== Head Coach History ===
=== Head coach history ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" |#
! rowspan="2" |#
Line 80: Line 85:
|2
|2
|[[Wade Phillips]]
|[[Wade Phillips]]
|[[2023 Houston Roughnecks season|2023]]
|2023
|10
|10
|7
|7
Line 91: Line 96:
|}
|}


=== Offensive Coordinator History ===
=== Offensive coordinator history ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" |#
! rowspan="2" |#
Line 124: Line 129:
|2
|2
|[[A. J. Smith (American football, born 1989)|A. J. Smith]]
|[[A. J. Smith (American football, born 1989)|A. J. Smith]]
|[[2023 Houston Roughnecks season|2023]]
|2023
|10
|10
|7
|7
Line 135: Line 140:
|}
|}


=== Defensive Coordinator History ===
=== Defensive coordinator history ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" |#
! rowspan="2" |#
Line 179: Line 184:
|}
|}


== Player History ==
== Player history ==


=== Current NFL Players ===
=== Current NFL players ===
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
!XFL Season
!XFL Season
Line 191: Line 196:
|QB
|QB
|[[P. J. Walker]]
|[[P. J. Walker]]
|[[Cleveland Browns]]
|[[Seattle Seahawks]]
|-
|2020
|LB
|[[DeMarquis Gates]]
|[[Chicago Bears]]
|-
|-
|2023
|2023
Line 202: Line 202:
|[[Michael Bandy]]
|[[Michael Bandy]]
|[[Denver Broncos]]
|[[Denver Broncos]]
|-
|2023
|WR
|[[Jontre Kirklin]]
|[[New Orleans Saints]]
|-
|-
|2023
|2023
Line 219: Line 214:
|}
|}


=== Notable Players ===
=== Notable players ===
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
!XFL Season
!XFL Season
Line 242: Line 237:
|}
|}


⚫
=== Overall regular season record vs. opponents ===


⚫
=== Overall Regular Season Record vs. Opponents ===
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
!Team
!Team
Line 319: Line 312:
| Sacks || [[Trent Harris (American football)|Trent Harris]]|| 9.5 sacks || 2023
| Sacks || [[Trent Harris (American football)|Trent Harris]]|| 9.5 sacks || 2023
|-
|-
| Interceptions || [[Ajene Harris]]|| 5 interceptions || 2020-2023
| Interceptions || [[Ajene Harris]]|| 5 interceptions || 2020–2023
|-
|-
|Coaching wins
|Coaching wins
Line 326: Line 319:
|2023
|2023
|}
|}



==References==
==References==
Line 334: Line 326:
* {{Official website|https://www.xfl.com/teams/houston}}
* {{Official website|https://www.xfl.com/teams/houston}}


{{Houston Roughnecks}}
{{Houston Roughnecks (2020)}}
{{XFL (2020)}}
{{XFL (2020)}}


[[Category:Houston Roughnecks (2020)| ]]

⚫
[[Category:Houston Roughnecks| ]]

Latest revision as of 10:34, 22 August 2024

This article is about the team in the second edition of the XFL. For the team that are using this branding in the UFL, see Houston Roughnecks (2024).
Houston Roughnecks
Established 2018
Folded 2024
League/conference affiliations
XFL
Current uniform
Team colorsNavy, red[1]
   
Personnel
Owner(s)Alpha Acquico, LLC[2]
Fox Corporation
Head coachJune Jones (2020)
Wade Phillips (2023)
Team history
Championships
League championships (0)
Conference championships (0)
Division championships (0)
XFL South: 2023
Home stadium(s)
TDECU Stadium

The Houston Roughnecks were a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The Roughnecks competed in the XFL football league. The team was founded by Vince McMahon’s Alpha Entertainment and were an owned-and-operated by Dwayne Johnson’s Alpha Acquico. The Roughnecks played their home games at TDECU Stadium. The Roughnecks had a franchise regular season record of 12-3 (.800), the highest win percentage among all XFL teams (tied with DC Defenders).

Following the merger of the USFL and XFL in 2024 as the United Football League, the Roughnecks branding was transferred to the former Houston Gamblers, which had competed in the USFL in 2022 and 2023 as a traveling team.

History

[edit]

McMahon Era (2020)

[edit]

On December 5, 2018, Houston was announced as one of eight cities that would join the newly reformed XFL, as well as Seattle, St. Louis, Los Angeles, New York, DC, Tampa Bay, and Dallas.[3] On May 13, 2019, June Jones left his position with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to become Houston's head coach.[4] The XFL confirmed the hire May 20.

On October 15, 2019, the Roughnecks announced their first player in team history, being assigned former Temple Owls QB P. J. Walker.[5]

On February 8, 2020, the Roughnecks defeated the Los Angeles Wildcats in the second game in league history by a score of 37–17.[6] The XFL announced that the remainder of the 2020 XFL season had been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The team finished with an undefeated regular season 5–0 record. On April 10, 2020, the XFL suspended operations, with all employees, players, and staff being terminated.[7]

Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia Era (2023)

[edit]

On August 3, 2020, it was reported that a consortium led by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Dany Garcia, and Gerry Cardinale (through Cardinale's fund RedBird Capital Partners) purchased the XFL for $15 million just hours before an auction could take place; the purchase received court approval on August 7, 2020.[8][9] The XFL hired Wade Phillips as a head coach on April 13, 2022, with the expectation that he would be coaching the Houston team.[10] On July 24, 2022, the return of a Houston XFL franchise was confirmed, as well as the hiring of Wade Phillips.[11] On October 31, 2022, the XFL officially announced that the Roughnecks name would be returning, with a new logo.

Logo change

[edit]
The Roughnecks' 2020 logo, discontinued under pressure from the NFL in 2021.

On January 8, 2021, it was revealed that the NFL filed an opposition against the XFL's trademark application for the Houston Roughnecks logo on December 28, 2020, claiming that the logo was too similar to the Houston Oilers logo.[12] It was then later revealed that the NFL filed another trademark opposition to the Roughneck's secondary logo on behalf of the New England Patriots, claiming that the secondary logo was too similar to the Patriots' current logo.[13] On April 7, 2021, it was revealed that the two logos were abandoned "with prejudice" which means that new applications for the logos could not be made.[14]

The Roughnecks revealed their new logo on October 31, 2022, which is similar in shape to the previous derrick logo but with greater emphasis on the H (stylized to appear as if constructed from steel girders) and the star portion lowered so that the logo no longer explicitly resembles a derrick.

Merger with the Houston Gamblers

[edit]
Main article: Houston Roughnecks (2024)

The Roughnecks released a large portion of its roster ahead of the 2024 season[15] and reassigned Phillips and his staff to the San Antonio Brahmas.[16] At the same time, the United States Football League, ahead of its planned merger with the XFL for 2024, indicated that its putative Houston team, the Gamblers (which never played in Houston during its two years in that league), would be one of the four surviving teams in said merger in a notice to its players union.[17] With the announcement of the merger on December 31, The Washington Post reported that the merged league's Houston team would take on the Roughnecks identity.[18] The UFL confirmed this on January 1, 2024.[19]

Coach history

[edit]

Head coach history

[edit]
# Name Term Regular season Playoffs Awards
GC W L Win % GC W L
Houston Roughnecks
1 June Jones 2020 5 5 0 1.000 - - - *2020 XFL Head Coach of the Year
2 Wade Phillips 2023 10 7 3 .700 1 0 1

Offensive coordinator history

[edit]
# Name Term Regular season Playoffs Awards
GC W L Win % GC W L
Houston Roughnecks
1 Chris Miller 2020 5 5 0 1.000 - - -
2 A. J. Smith 2023 10 7 3 .700 1 0 1

Defensive coordinator history

[edit]
# Name Term Regular season Playoffs Awards
GC W L Win % GC W L
Houston Roughnecks
1 Ted Cottrell 2020 5 5 0 1.000 - - -
2 Brian Stewart 2023 10 7 3 .700 1 0 1

Player history

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Current NFL players

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XFL Season Pos Name NFL Team
2020 QB P. J. Walker Seattle Seahawks
2023 WR Michael Bandy Denver Broncos
2023 DT Jack Heflin New Orleans Saints
2023 DE C. J. Brewer Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Notable players

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XFL Season Pos Name Notes
2020 QB Connor Cook Former Oakland Raiders Quarterback, 2016 4th Round Pick
2020 DE Kony Ealy Former Carolina Panthers Defensive Tackle, 2014 2nd Round Pick
2023 SS Sean Davis Former Pittsburgh Steelers Defensive Back, 2016 2nd Round Pick

Overall regular season record vs. opponents

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Team Record Win %
Arlington Renegades 3-0 1.000
San Antonio Brahmas 2-0 1.000
Vegas Vipers 2-0 1.000
Orlando Guardians 2-0 1.000
Los Angeles Wildcats 1-0 1.000
Seattle Sea Dragons 1-1 .500
St. Louis Battlehawks 1-1 .500
DC Defenders 0-1 .000

Records

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All-time Roughnecks leaders
Leader Player Record Years with Roughnecks
Passing Yards Brandon Silvers 1,551 passing yards 2023
Passing Touchdowns P. J. Walker 15 passing touchdowns 2020
Rushing Yards Max Borghi 310 rushing yards 2023
Rushing Touchdowns Max Borghi 6 rushing touchdowns 2023
Receiving Yards Cam Phillips 455 receiving yards 2020
Receiving Touchdowns Cam Phillips 9 receiving touchdowns 2020
Receptions Cedric Byrd 37 receptions 2023
Tackles Tavante Beckett 63 tackles 2023
Sacks Trent Harris 9.5 sacks 2023
Interceptions Ajene Harris 5 interceptions 2020–2023
Coaching wins Wade Phillips 7 wins 2023

References

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  1. ^ "Houston Roughnecks' uniforms, helmet". XFL.com (Press release). December 3, 2019. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  2. ^ Perry, Mark (August 3, 2020). "More Details On The Rock Purchase Of The XFL, How Many Bidders". XFL News Hub. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  3. ^ www.bizjournals.com https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2018/12/05/xfl-picks-houston-as-an-inaugural-city-announces.html. Retrieved 2023-02-04. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. ^ McClain, John (May 13, 2019). "June Jones to coach Houston's XFL team". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
  5. ^ Florio, Mike (2019-10-15). "XFL announces its eight allocated quarterbacks". ProFootballTalk. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  6. ^ "XFL scores Week 1: Final results, highlights from Saturday's games". www.sportingnews.com. 10 February 2020. Retrieved 2020-02-10.
  7. ^ composer., Beethoven, Ludwig van, 1770-1827. Symphonie Nr. 5 c-Moll = Symphony no. 5 in C minor, op. 67. OCLC 994793754.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ "THE ROCK BUYS THE XFL FOR $15 MILLION". RingsideNews.com. August 2, 2020. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  9. ^ Kerr, Jeff (August 2, 2020). "Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson buys XFL for $15 million with partners RedBird Capital and Dany Garcia". CBSSports.com. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  10. ^ "XFL Announces Head Coaches: Reggie Barlow, Anthony Becht, Terrell Buckley, Jim Haslett, Wade Phillips, Bob Stoops, Hines Ward and Rod Woodson". www.xfl.com. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  11. ^ "XFL UNVEILS TEAM MARKETS AND VENUES: ARLINGTON, HOUSTON, ORLANDO, LAS VEGAS, SAN ANTONIO, SEATTLE, ST. LOUIS, WASHINGTON D.C." www.xfl.com. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  12. ^ "NFL Opposes XFL's Trademark for Houston Roughnecks Logo - Gerben Law Firm". www.gerbenlaw.com. 2021-01-08. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  13. ^ Davis, Josh (20 January 2021). "XFL's Houston Roughnecks Secondary Logo Opposed by NFL". Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  14. ^ "Houston Roughnecks Forced to Abandon Logos in Trademark Dispute". Pro Football Newsroom. 2021-04-09. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  15. ^ Kozora, Alex (2023-12-28). "Report: Hines Ward Out As San Antonio Brahmas Head Coach". Steelers Depot. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  16. ^ Perry, Mark (2023-12-28). "Exclusive: HC Hines Ward, GM Will Lewis Out With Brahmas, HC Phillips & OC Smith In, Full Details". xflnewshub.com. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  17. ^ "Four USFL teams survive merger with XFL". NBC Sports. 2023-12-19. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  18. ^ Russell, Jake (December 31, 2023). "XFL, USFL announce merger to form the United Football League". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  19. ^ UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE REVEALS TEAM MARKETS AND HEAD COACHES FOR 2024 SEASON Archived 2024-01-01 at the Wayback Machine. Press release. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
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