On Saturday, January 7, at 4.30pm ET, Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator JAY GRUDEN, who was the head coach of the 2010 Florida Tuskers and the team's offensive coordinator in 2009, will travel to at Reliant Stadium to take on the Houston Texas.
This season within Gruden's offensive system, quarterback Andy Dalton finished in the top five among rookies all-time with 20 touchdown passes (T-4th) and 3,398 passing yards (5th), wide receiver A.J. Green recorded 1,057 receiving yards, the most by a rookie in team history and his 65 receptions were the second-most by a Bengals rookie. Dalton and Green became the first rookie quarterback-wide receiver duo in NFL history with 3,000+ passing yards and 1,000+ receiving yards.
Safety QUINTIN DEMPS played for the Hartford Colonials in 2010 and ended the 2011 NFL regular season with a total of 23 tackles for the Texans and is joined on the Texans roster in the postseason by former Omaha Nighthawks quarterback JEFF GARCIA.
On Sunday, January 8, at 1pm ET, offensive tackle TONY UGOH (Las Vegas 2011) will line up for the New York Giants in Atlanta, where the Falcons feature kicker MATT BRYANT. The former Florida Tuskers standout made six extra points and tagged on a 20-yard field goal last weekend as the already playoff-bound Falcons beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 45-24. On the season, Bryant ranked sixth among NFC kickers in field goals, making 27 of 29 attempts with a long of 51 yards and split the uprights with all 45 extra point attempts.
When the Pittsburgh Steelers travel to Denver at 4.30pm ET on Sunday, former Sacramento Mountain Lions safety DA'MON CROMARTIE-SMITH will be in action against the Broncos. Having signed to the Steelers' active roster on December 10, he posted three tackles during the regular season.
Two former UFL kickers made their way into the record books during the 2011 NFL season. 2010 UFL Special Teams Player of the Year NICK NOVAK (pictured, Florida 2010) converted a team-record 12 field goals of 40 yards-or-longer this season for the San Diego Chargers and GRAHAM GANO (Las Vegas 2009) had a 59-yard field goal in Week 9, the longest in Washington Redskins team history.
Former Hartford Colonials head coach CHRIS PALMER enjoyed success as the Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator as Matt Hasselbeck became the second quarterback in franchise history to reach 3,500 passing yards in a season as he threw for 3,571 yards. Also under Palmer's tutelage, running back Chris Johnson joined Pro Football Hall of Famers Earl Campbell and Eddie George as the only players in club history to reach 1,000 rushing yards in four consecutive seasons and became the third player in franchise history to reach 5,000 for his career.
About The United Football League: The UFL provides high-quality professional football during a traditional fall season while embracing innovation and fan interaction. The UFL serves its local communities with pride and dedication, and aims to provide every fan with an exciting and memorable game experience. The inaugural 2009 champion Las Vegas Locos won a second championship in 2010, lifting the William Hambrecht Trophy with a second win over the Florida Tuskers. The 2011 season champion Virginia Destroyers defeated the Locos in the Championship Game. The four-team competition featured the Locos, Destroyers, Omaha Nighthawks and Sacramento Mountain Lions. The UFL is led by Commissioner Michael Huyghue and is funded by a consortium of private investors. For season tickets, more information and to interact with passionate football fans, please visit UFL-Football.com.
